Transcript

Podcast Introduction

Today is Monday, so we’ll read from one of the books of the law. Deuteronomy 20-22. I’m calling today’s episode “There Are Two.” 

And I have an important announcement today.

Comments on Deuteronomy 22

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread”? I don’t think I’m a fool, but if I am, so be it. Every so often, current events and/or cultural conditions can’t help but influence my commentary on the day’s reading. This is obviously not a political or a news show, and I do dislike participating in political speech on this show. As a matter of fact, I don’t think that what I’m about to say is political, because I’m only going to talk about what the word of God says. But some might want to paint today’s episode with a political label. Whatever. What I am about to talk about needs to be addressed, especially with what’s going on in our current culture.

Genesis 1:27 So God created humans in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female.

Genesis 1:31And God saw everything that he had made and that it was very good. (GW)

Deuteronomy 22:5 A woman must never wear anything men would wear, and a man must never wear women’s clothes. Whoever does this is disgusting to the Lord your God. (GW)

Now listen. I’m not a transphobe. I do not hate people of either sex if they disagree with me or Scripture. And I am certainly not afraid of them. That is what “phobia” means. You know that, right? The reason I’m talking about this today, my motivation, in everything I say on this show, is to explain the Scriptures in such a way that the true nature of God is revealed. I believe that when He is properly understood, people’s hearts will be changed and eternal lives will be saved. Failing that, my hope is that there will at least be understanding, and maybe even less antipathy.

When these scriptures were written, it was common for men and women to wear clothes that were similar. Both sexes wore long robes, but with distinctive styles that differentiated between the sexes. Deuteronomy 22:5 was a command not to blur the lines between the sexes or to purposely dress in the manner of the opposite sex.

You see, as Genesis 1:27 says, God created only two sexes. Male and Female. There is not a spectrum. It’s one or the other. Now, before you say, “But Steve, some people are born with the organs of both.” Yes, I know that’s true. But hear me. 

We live in a fallen world. We live in a world that is suffering the effects of sin. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, all of creation has been under a curse. Romans 8:22 says, “All creation groans…” Every living thing on the planet is less than God intended it to be. Humans were not meant to die. Humans were not meant to be born with any kind of defects. There was not supposed to be any disease. Every system on the planet is not what God intended. The weather is not the way God intended. Earthquakes were not supposed to be something we worried about. Everything is broken. Sin ruined everything. Including how we think about ourselves and each other. 

Birth defects do happen, and when a baby is born with a defect, it is not because God made it happen. It is because of the condition of the world. Yes, God allows bad things to happen, but He is not the cause of bad things happening. Couldn’t He just step in and stop bad things from happening? Sometimes He does, but other times He doesn’t. God is sovereign, which means that He does what He does, and He answers only to Himself. But know this: His way is perfect. Deuteronomy 32:4 says, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he…” One day, everyone who has ever been born will see that and acknowledge that.

So, back to the subject at hand. God says that it is wrong to dress in the manner of the opposite sex. Why? Because, for one thing, it is rebellion against God’s will. If he created you as a male, He wants you to be a male. If he created you as a female, He wants you to be a female. God truly does love you, and He has a marvelous plan for your life. He wants the very best for you. To reject that plan is really cutting off your nose to spite your face. 

As I have said many times on this show, God’s laws are not given to take our fun away. God is not a cosmic killjoy. He is a loving Father who knows what is best for us. 

But there is an Enemy. He is called Lucifer, Satan, the Devil, the god of this world and many other names in the Bible. His mission from the beginning of the creation, has been to pervert God’s creation and keep people from having a relationship with God. He takes what is beautiful and perverts it. What we are seeing in our culture today, with the blurring of sexual boundaries and distinctions is nothing new, as is evident by the fact that God talks about it in Deuteronomy 22. People today think they’re being progressive by advancing this agenda. They’re not progressive. They’re puppets of Satan himself. 

The Good News is that their sin can be forgiven. God said in Ezekiel 18:23, “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” And 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 

Repentance is turning away from, going in an entirely new direction. It is agreeing with God that I have sinned. That I want to begin living as He wants me to. That I acknowledge that His way is better than my way. 

But listen. I cannot do it on my own. It is impossible for me to live a perfect life. Only one man has ever done that. His name is Jesus. But Jesus is more than a man. He is also God. He is fully God and fully human, and He is the only way that I, or anyone else, can have a restored relationship with God. John 3:16-21 says, “16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

God loves you. And He loves you enough to give you free will. You must decide. The time is now. If you have not yet accepted the free gift of salvation that Jesus is offering you today, you can do it now. You may not have tomorrow. The Lovely Lady LeeAnn and I were reminded recently how quickly our lives could be snuffed out, with no warning. We were involved in a hit and run traffic accident, and believe me, there was absolutely no time to think about what was happening. We were driving along a street that we have been on literally thousands of times before, little more than two miles from our home. All of a sudden, there was a terrible crashing sound of metal against metal, our car shook, and I had to wrestle the steering wheel to keep control. LeeAnn screamed and I watched the car that had sideswiped us accelerate down the road in front of us. Praise the Lord, we were not hurt, but we could have been. Instead of rear ending our car, he sideswiped it. The point is, you never know how or when your life will be over. 

Will you make the decision now to follow Jesus? If you want to have a changed life….a changed eternity, let me lead you in a prayer where you will tell God that you want to turn from your sin, and that you want to follow Jesus. Will you pray with me? Once I publish this podcast, I don’t know who or where or when it will hear it. I still have episodes from almost 18 years ago at lifespringmedia.com. And I have no idea how many episodes are on hard drives all over the world. So whether you’re hearing this on the day I publish or days, weeks, months or years later, this invitation is for you to hear right now as you’re listening to my voice. Decide NOW that this is the day to have your eternity changed. Pray with me.

“Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you now confessing my sins. I know that I have not lived the way I should, and I ask You to forgive me now. Thank you for sending Your son, Jesus, to take my sins upon Himself. Jesus, I’m asking You to be my Lord and my Savior now. Show me how I should live. Teach me. Help me to follow You. Thank you for hearing my prayer, Lord. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer, welcome to the family. You might have felt like a weight was lifted from you, you might have felt some strong emotion, or you might have felt nothing. Whatever you felt, that’s ok. Our relationship with God is not based on emotions. Our relationship with God is based on His promise. God promised that anyone who accepts Jesus will be saved. If you accepted Jesus just now, you are saved, because God promised it, and He always keeps His promise. 

If you did just pray that prayer with me, I have a gift for you. It’s free. I want to send you a special edition of the New Testament called the New Believer’s Bible. All you have to do is send me a quick email with your name and address so I can mail it to you at my expense. This NT has hundreds and hundreds of notes in it by Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Church, written with new believers in mind. They’re meant to help you get a good start in your walk with God. When I get your email, I’m not going to put you on a list, and I’m not going to send you any spam. I would just like to send you this NT, and I would like to pray for you. And If you have questions, I’ll answer any that I can. st***@*************ia.com.

GBY, and welcome to the family of God. Not to mention the ls fam!

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. Deuteronomy 20 and 22 GWT; Ch. 21 NLV

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Transcript

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STEVE WEBB – 0:00
The time is here. Here it is.

INTRO S12E334 – 0:10
From Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. And podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. And today is August 1, the first day of the last month of season 12 of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. And today, they’re just thirty more episodes. More about that a little bit later.

Today is Monday. So we’re going to read from one of the books of the Law. We’re currently in the book of Deuteronomy, and we’re going to read chapters 20 through 22. I’m calling today’s episode, “There Are Two”. The show notes page for today’s episode is at lifespringmedia.com/s12e334. My email address is st***@*************ia.com. And I would love to hear from you. Let’s get started.

DEUTERONOMY 20 (GWT) – 0:58
Deuteronomy, chapter 20. (1) When you go to war against your enemies, you may see horses, chariots, and armies larger than yours. Don’t be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, will be with you. (2) Before the battle starts, a priest must come and speak to the troops. (3) He should tell them, “Listen, Israel, today you’re going into battle against your enemies. Don’t lose your courage! Don’t be afraid or alarmed or tremble because of them. (4) The Lord your God is going with you. He will fight for you against your enemies and give you victory.”

(5) The officers should tell the troops, “If you have built a new house but not dedicated it, you may go home. Otherwise, you might die in battle, and someone else will dedicate it. (6) If you have planted a vineyard and not enjoyed the grapes, you may go home. Otherwise, you might die in battle, and someone else will enjoy the grapes. (7) If you are engaged to a woman but have not married her, you may go home. Otherwise, you might die in battle, and someone else will marry her.”

(8) The officers should also tell the troops, “If you are afraid or have lost your courage, you may go home. Then you won’t ruin the morale of the other Israelites.” (9) When the officers finish speaking to the troops, they should appoint commanders to lead them.

(10) When you approach a city to attack it, offer its people a peaceful way to surrender. (11) If they accept it and open their gates to you, then all the people there will be made to do forced labor and serve you. (12) If they won’t accept your offer of peace but declare war on you, set up a blockade around the city. (13) When the Lord your God hands the city over to you, kill every man in that city with your swords. (14) But take the women and children, the cattle and everything else in the city, including all its goods, as your loot. You may enjoy your enemies’ goods that the Lord your God has given you. (15) This is what you must do to all the cities that are far away which don’t belong to the nations nearby.

(16) However, you must not spare anyone’s life in the cities of these nations that the Lord your God is giving you as your property. (17) You must claim the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites for the Lord and completely destroy them, as the Lord your God has commanded you. (18) Otherwise, they will teach you to do all the disgusting things they do for their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God.

(19) This is what you must do whenever you blockade a city for a long time in order to capture it in war. Don’t harm any of its fruit trees with an ax. You can eat the fruit. Never cut those trees down, because the trees of the field are not people you have come to blockade. (20) You may destroy trees that you know are not fruit trees. You may cut them down and use them in blockades until you capture the city.

DEUTERONOMY 21 (NLV) – 3:45
Deuteronomy, chapter 21. (1) “If a person has been killed and is found lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own and it is not known who killed him, (2) then your leaders and judges will go out and see how far it is to the cities that are around the dead man. (3) The leaders of the city that is nearest to the dead man will take a young cow from the cattle. The cow must never have been worked or pulled a plow. (4) The leaders of that city will bring the young cow down to a valley with flowing water, which has not been plowed or planted. They will break the cow’s neck there in the valley. (5) Then the religious leaders, the sons of Levi, will come near for the Lord your God has chosen them to serve Him and to bring good in the name of the Lord. Every question about what is right and every fight will be decided upon by them. (6) All the leaders of that city nearest to the dead man will wash their hands over the young cow whose neck was broken in the valley. (7) Then they will say, ‘Our hands have not killed him. Our eyes have not seen it. (8) O Lord, forgive Your people Israel whom You have set free. Do not put the guilt of killing a man who did no wrong on Your people Israel.’ And they will be forgiven from the guilt of the man’s death. (9) So you must take away the guilt of taking the life of a good man by doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

(10) “When you go to battle against those who hate you, and the Lord your God gives them to you, and you make them go with you, (11) and you see a beautiful woman and have a desire for her as a wife, (12) bring her home to your house. There she will cut off all the hair from her head and cut her nails. (13) She will change the clothes she wore when you took her away, and stay in your house. She will have sorrow for her father and mother for one month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband and she will be your wife. (14) If you are not pleased with her, you should let her go wherever she wants. And do not sell her for money or act as if she were a servant because you have put her to shame.

(15) “If a man has two wives, one loved and the other not loved, and both the loved and the one not loved have borne him sons, and if the first-born son belongs to the wife who is not loved, (16) on the day when the man divides what he has for his sons, he cannot make the first-born of his loved wife the first-born before the son of the wife who is not loved, who is the first-born. (17) He must respect the first-born, the son of the wife who is not loved, by giving him twice the share of all he has. He is the beginning of his strength and the right of the first-born belongs to him.

(18) “If a man has a strong-willed son who goes against him and does not obey his father or mother and when they punish him he will not even listen to them, (19) then his father and mother will take hold of him and bring him to the leaders of his city at the gate of his city. (20) They will say to the leaders of his city, ‘This son of ours is strong-willed and goes against us. He will not obey us. He eats and drinks too much.’ (21) Then all the men of his city will kill him with stones. You must get rid of the sin from among you. All Israel will hear about it and be afraid.

(22) “If a man has sinned and should be put to death and he is put to death and you hang him on a tree, (23) his body must not hang all night on the tree. You should be sure to bury him on the same day (for he who hangs is cursed by God). So do not make your land unclean which the Lord your God is giving you.

DEUTERONOMY 22 (GWT) – 7:06
Deuteronomy, chapter 22. (1) If you see another Israelite’s ox or sheep out where it doesn’t belong, don’t pretend that you don’t see it. Make sure you take it back. (2) If the owner doesn’t live near you or you don’t know who owns it, take the animal home with you. Keep it until the owner comes looking for it. Then give it back. (3) Do the same if you find a donkey, some clothes, or anything else that another Israelite may have lost. Don’t pretend that you don’t know what to do.

(4) If you see another Israelite’s donkey or ox lying on the ground, don’t pretend that you don’t see it. Make sure you help him get it back on its feet.

(5) A woman must never wear anything men would wear, and a man must never wear women’s clothes. Whoever does this is disgusting to the Lord your God.

(6) Whenever you’re traveling and find a nest containing chicks or eggs, this is what you must do. If the mother bird is sitting on the nest, never take her with the chicks. (7) You may take the chicks, but make sure you let the mother go. Then things will go well for you, and you will live for a long time.

(8) Whenever you build a new house, put a railing around the edge of the roof. Then you won’t be responsible for a death at your home if someone falls off the roof.

(9) Never plant anything between the rows in your vineyard. Otherwise, you will have to give everything that grows there to the holy place. This includes the crop you planted and the grapes from the vineyard.

(10) Never plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together.

(11) Never wear clothes made of wool and linen woven together.

(12) Make tassels on the four corners of the shawl you wear over your clothes.

(13) A man might marry a woman, sleep with her, and decide he doesn’t like her. (14) Then he might make up charges against her and ruin her reputation by saying, “I married this woman. But when I slept with her, I found out she wasn’t a virgin.” (15) The girl’s father and mother must go to the city gate where the leaders of the city are and submit the evidence that their daughter was a virgin. (16) The girl’s father will tell the leaders, “I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he doesn’t like her. (17) Now he has made up charges against her. He says he found out that my daughter wasn’t a virgin. But here’s the evidence!” Then the girl’s parents must spread out the cloth in front of the leaders of the city. (18) The leaders of that city must take the man and punish him. (19) They will fine him 2¼ pounds of silver and give it to the girl’s father. The husband ruined the reputation of an Israelite virgin. She will continue to be his wife, and he can never divorce her as long as he lives.

(20) But if the charge is true, and no evidence that the girl was a virgin can be found, (21) they must take the girl to the entrance of her father’s house. The men of her city must stone her to death because she has committed such a godless act in Israel: She had sex before marriage, while she was still living in her father’s house. You must get rid of this evil.

(22) If a man is caught having sexual intercourse with a married woman, both that man and the woman must die. You must get rid of this evil in Israel.

(23) This is what you must do when a man has sexual intercourse with a virgin who is engaged to another man. If this happens in a city, (24) take them to the gate of the city and stone them to death. The girl must die because she was in a city and didn’t scream for help. The man must die because he had sex with another man’s wife. You must get rid of this evil.

(25) But if a man rapes an engaged girl out in the country, then only the man must die. (26) Don’t do anything to the girl. She has not committed a sin for which she deserves to die. This is like the case of someone who attacks and murders another person. (27) The man found the girl out in the country. She may have screamed for help, but no one was there to rescue her.

(28) This is what you must do when a man rapes a virgin who isn’t engaged. When the crime is discovered, (29) the man who had sexual intercourse with her must give the girl’s father 1¼ pounds of silver, and she will become his wife. Since he raped her, he can never divorce her as long as he lives.

(30) A man must never marry his father’s wife because this would disgrace his father.

COMMENTS – 11:16
I’m going to talk about Deuteronomy 22 today. Have you ever heard the phrase “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread”? I don’t think I’m a fool. But if I am, so be it. You know, every so often current events and or cultural conditions can’t help but influence my commentary on the day’s reading. This is obviously not a political or a news show, and I do dislike participating in political speech on this show. And as a matter of fact, I don’t think that what I’m going to say is political because I’m only going to talk about what the Word of God says. But some might want to paint today’s episode with a political label. Whatever. What I’m about to talk about needs to be addressed, especially with what’s going on in our current culture.

Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created humans in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female.”

And dropping down just a couple of verses, Genesis 1:31 says, “And God saw everything that he had made and that it was very good.”

Deuteronomy 22:5, that we read today says, “A woman must never wear anything men would wear, and a man must never wear women’s clothes. Whoever does this is disgusting to the Lord your God.”

Now, listen, I am not a transphobe. I do not hate people of either sex if they disagree with me or with scripture, and I’m certainly not afraid of them. That is what “phobia” means. You know that right? The reason I’m talking to you about this today, my motivation on everything that I ever say on this show is to explain the scriptures in such a way that the true nature of God is revealed. I believe that when he is properly understood, people’s hearts will be changed, and eternal lives will be saved. Failing that, my hope is that there will, at least, be an understanding and maybe even less antipathy.

Now, when these scriptures were written, it was common for men and women to wear clothes that were similar. Both sexes wore long robes but with distinctive styles that differentiated between the sexes. Deuteronomy 22:5 was a command not to blur the lines between the sexes, or to purposely dress in the manner of the opposite sex.

You see, as Genesis 1:27 says, God created only two sexes, male and female. There is not a spectrum. It’s either one or the other. Now before you say, “But Steve, some people are born with the organs of both.” Well, yes, I know that’s true. But listen, we live in a world that is suffering the effects of sin. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, all of creation has been under a curse. Romans 8:22 says, “All creation groans…” Every living thing on the planet is less than God intended it to be. Humans were not meant to die. Humans were not meant to be born with any kind of defects. And there was not supposed to be any disease. Every system on the planet is not what God originally intended. The weather isn’t even the way God intended it to be. Earthquakes weren’t supposed to be something we worried about. Everything is broken. Sin ruined everything, including how we think about ourselves and each other.

Birth defects do happen. And when a baby is born with a defect, it isn’t because God made it happen. It’s because of the condition of the world. It’s because of sin, not the sin of the parents. It’s just the effect of everything on the planet. Creation groans, remember? Yes, God does allow bad things to happen, but he is not the cause of bad things happening. “Well, couldn’t he just step in and stop bad things from happening?” you ask. Well, sometimes he does. But other times he doesn’t. The thing we have to remember about God is he is sovereign, which means that he does what he does. And he answers only to himself. But know this: His way is perfect. Deuteronomy 32:4 says, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he…” Beloved, one day, everyone who has ever been born will see the truth of that and acknowledge it.

So back to the subject at hand. God says that it’s wrong to dress in the manner of the opposite sex. Why? Well, because for one thing, it is rebellion against his will. If he created you, as a male, he wants you to be a male. If he created you, as a female, he wants you to be a female. God truly does love you and he has a marvelous plan for your life. He wants the very best for you. And to reject that plan is really cutting off your nose to spite your face.

I’ve said it many times here on this show. God’s laws are not given to take our fun away. He’s not a cosmic killjoy. He is a loving Father who knows what is best for us.

But there is an Enemy. He’s called Lucifer, Satan, the Devil, the god of this world and many other names in the Bible. His mission from the beginning of the creation has been to pervert God’s creation, and keep people from having a relationship with God. He takes what is beautiful, and he perverts it. What we’re seeing in our culture today with a blurring of sexual boundaries and distinctions is really nothing new, as is evident by the fact that God talks about it here in Deuteronomy 22. People today think that they’re being progressive by advancing this agenda. They’re not progressive. They’re puppets of Satan.

The Good News is that their sin can be forgiven. God said in Ezekiel 18:23, “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” And 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but for everyone to come to repentance.”

What is repentance? Repentance is turning away from or going in an entirely new direction. It is agreeing with God that I have sinned, that I want to begin living as he wants me to, that I acknowledged that his way is better than my way.

But listen, I can’t do it on my own. It’s impossible for me to live a perfect life. Only one man has ever done that, and his name is Jesus. But Jesus is more than a man. He is also God. He is fully God and fully human. And he is the only way that I or anyone else can have a restored relationship with God. John 3:16-21 says, “(16) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (18) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (19) This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (20) Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. (21) But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

Listen carefully. God loves you, and He loves you enough to give you free will. You have to decide. The time is now. If you have not yet accepted the free gift of salvation that Jesus is offering you today, you can do it now. The simple fact is you may not have tomorrow. The Lovely Lady LeeAnn and I were reminded recently how quickly our lives could be snuffed out with no warning. We were involved in a hit-and-run traffic accident and believe me, there was absolutely no time to think about what was happening. We were driving along a street that we’d been on literally thousands of times before just a little more than two miles from our home. When all of a sudden there was a terrible crashing sound of metal against metal. Our car shook and I had to wrestle the steering wheel to keep control. LeeAnn screamed and I watched the car that had sideswiped us accelerate down the road in front of us. Praise the Lord, we were not hurt, but we could have been, because instead of rear-ending our car, he sideswiped us. He missed rear-ending our car by just inches. The point is, you never know how or when your life will be over.

When you make the decision now to follow Jesus? If you want to have a changed life, a changed eternity, let me lead you in a prayer where you’ll tell God that you want to turn from your sin, and that you want to follow Jesus, Will you pray with me? Now once I publish this podcast, I don’t know who will hear it, where they’ll hear it or when they’ll hear it. I still have episodes from almost 18 years ago up at lifespringmedia.com. And they get listened to. And I have no idea how many episodes are on hard drives all over the world. So whether you’re hearing this on the day that I publish it, or days, weeks, months or years later, this invitation is for you to hear right now, as you’re listening to my voice. Decide now that this is the day to have your eternity changed. Would you pray with me?

Dear heavenly Father, I come to you now confessing my sins. I know that I have not lived the way I should, and I asked you to forgive me now. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to take my sins upon himself. Jesus, I’m asking you to be my Lord and my Savior, now. Show me how I should live. Teach me. Help me to follow you. Thank you for hearing my prayer, Lord. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, welcome to the family. You might have felt like a weight was lifted from you. You might have felt some strong emotion. Or you might have felt nothing. Whatever you felt, that’s okay. Our relationship with God is not based on emotions. Our relationship with God is based on his promise. And God promised that anyone who accepts Jesus will be saved. If you accepted Jesus just now and you meant it, you are saved because God promised it and he always keeps his promise.

Now, if you did just pray that prayer with me, I’ve got a gift for you. It’s free. I want to send you a special edition of the New Testament called the New Believer’s Bible. All you have to do is send me a quick email with your name and address so I can mail it to you at my expense. This New Testament has hundreds and hundreds of notes in it by Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Church written with new believers in mind, this New Testament with all these notes is meant to help you get a good start in your walk with God. Now, when I get your email, I’m not going to put you on a list, and I’m not going to send you any spam. I just want to send you this New Testament. And I would like to pray for you. And if you’ve got questions, I’ll answer anything that I can for you. Send that email to st***@*************ia.com.

And God bless you welcome to the family of God. Not to mention welcome to the Lifespring family. If you have a comment on today’s show, let me know. Go to lifespringmedia.com/s12e334.

Boost.

SUPPORTER SHOUT-OUTS – 23:27
A donation just came in from a very, very long-time Lifespring family member from the UK. Robert sent in $10.42. Now I’m sure there’s a meaning with that number, but I’ve got to confess that I’m not getting it. Robert send me an email. Let me know. I think the first time Robert donated was way back in December of 2015. So Robert, thank you so much for being around for so long and for your support. God bless you.

Boostagram.

And I got a couple of boostagrams yesterday for episode 333. Actually, this boostagram came in from Sean of San Pedro the day before yesterday. He said in 3,333 sats and he said, “I just saw a reminder in the newsletter of the obvious episode number coming up tomorrow. Congrats on 333 shows this season and I’m on pins and needles for Monday’s announcement.” Well, Sean, you’re about to hear it. Thank you for that boostagram. And this morning, I got 3,333 sats from John and he said, “Boosting 3,333 while streaming 333 sats per minute for episode 333. God bless.” John, thank you for all those threes, and for the boostagram and the sats. God bless you.

SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT – 24:50
Okay, so on the last couple of episodes I told you that I had an announcement to make today. The time is here. Here it is. As you know by now, this season of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible is going to be ending on August 31 of this year, just 30 days away. The announcement is this: season 12 will be the last season of the show. After that there will be no more new episodes of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. And it may be, and I emphasize “may,” be the last episode of the podcast career that began when God called me to create the world’s first Christian podcast in late 2004.

Let me explain, it truly has been one of my greatest joys to do as God called me to do all those years ago. If you want the details, you can find them on the About page at lifespringmedia.com. But the bottom line is that when God called me, he said just three words, “Proclaim my name.” And I’ve tried to do that on every episode that I have ever produced, whether for this show, or any of the other shows at lifespringmedia.com.

But after these last two seasons of this show, producing a show a day for two years, with just a two month hiatus between the two seasons, I gotta say I’m tired, more than tired, really. I’ll be 68 this month. And sitting at this desk and behind this microphone for the many hours it takes to study, to write, to record, to edit, and to publish this show, literally every day for two years – well, it’s taken a toll on my health. I honestly cannot do a daily show anymore.

Now let me hasten to say that this season, season 12, has been the best year I have ever had in podcasting. And it is you who have made it the best. We have had more back-and-forth. There has been more engagement than ever before. And it has been so exciting and so rewarding and thrilling and just heartwarming to get to know you. You’ve written notes of encouragement, and many of you have given donations to help pay the bills. There’s the Lifespring family team, Kirsty, Sean of San Pedro and Denise. This has been an amazing year. And I love you for all that you’ve done.

And right now I’m asking all of you – that’s all – that’s every single person, all of you, whether or not you have interacted with me ever before. I’m asking you one more thing, just one. Have you got your ears on? I said that the August 31 episode may be the last episode of my podcast career. Whether it is the last episode depends on you. And when I say you, I don’t mean the collective you. I mean, you listening to me right now in August of 2022, you in your car right now, you doing chores around the house, you doing whatever it is you’re doing right now, I need this from you. If there is a podcast that you would like me to create, or if you have an idea for a show, email me at st***@*************ia.com. And tell me what you’re thinking, I am willing to continue podcasting, but I just can’t do it every day. Most podcasts are weekly, some a couple of episodes a week, some are one or two a month. Very, very few are daily shows. But if there is something that you would like to hear me do, please let me know. And listen, as I said, I need to hear from each and every one of you, every individual listening right now. Even if you don’t have an idea for a show, just say, “Steve, you’ve had a good run, but go ahead and turn off the mic.” Or say, “Steve, I don’t have a specific idea. But I just don’t want you to quit podcasting.” Or whatever. Just tell me what you’re thinking.

I was talking with my friend Ron Ploof and his wife a couple of weeks ago, telling them that I was really in a quandary about whether to hang it up at the end of the season, and that I was thinking of asking the Lifespring family for your input and Ron’s wife said, “You could take their ideas and then do one idea one week and another idea the next week and so on. Sort of an ‘Ask Steve’ thing.” Well I liked that idea. Maybe I’ll do just that. But I don’t know. So even if you don’t think that your idea would be appropriate for a whole separate podcast of an indeterminate amount of episodes, maybe it would be good for one or two episodes. I mean, if you’re interested, chances are other people would be too.

And the reason I want and need all of you to participate in this exercise is because I need to know how much interest is there. If there’s a lot of interest, great. But if there’s not a lot of interest, that’s okay, too. I’m at the time of my life where there are things I do want to do. LeeAnn has several projects that she’s been patiently waiting for me to do for her. And I’ve got some hobbies that I’ve put on the backburner for too long. I’ve got grandkids. I want to spend time with them. There are things I do want to do. But – this is a big “but” – as a servant of Jesus, my life is not my own. He bought me with a price. I belong to Him, and it is him that I willingly serve. If now is not the time to turn off the Lifespring Media microphone I will willingly and happily keep right on going along. I just can’t do the daily thing anymore, then I feel completely at ease with that decision. I believe the Lord has released me from that part of my call. But listen, Christians don’t retire. As long as God keeps us here, he has a job for us. I’ll always do something for the Lord. Maybe I’ll be a podcaster until I can no longer speak. Maybe only until August 31.

But please tell me what you would like to see me do. Please make it a matter of prayer. Listen to the Lord and tell me what you come away with. I’m serious. Sometimes God speaks through godly people. And I truly do want to do whatever it is he wants my next step to be. So send an email to me it st***@*************ia.com. I’m going to be taking your email all month long. But please don’t wait till the end of the month. Also in your subject line put “THE NEXT STEP” so it doesn’t get put into my spam folder. So that’s it. That’s the announcement. This is the last season of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible and perhaps it’ll be the last podcast. I don’t know. I need to hear from you, st***@*************ia.com, subject line, THE NEXT STEP.

ON THIS DATE IN CHURCH HISTORY – 31:37
On this date in church history, August 1, 1953, British literary scholar and Christian apologist, C. S. Lewis wrote in a letter on this date, “How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing, it is irresistible.”

PRAYER REQUESTS AND PRAISE REPORTS – 32:03
Prayer requests and praises. Here’s a praise for you. Kathi is at Del and Kathi’s daughter’s home and she has a strong appetite. So that’s great. It’s been a long time since she had any appetite at all. So praise God for that.

CLOSING PRAYER – 32:16
Let’s pray. Our heavenly Father, Lord, we thank You for Your Word, and we thank you for teaching us. And I pray, Lord, that what we learned from Deuteronomy today, and my comments about it, would be received in the manner that it was given, in love. Your will for us is always for our benefit. And I pray that if there is anyone listening now that have not asked Jesus to be their Lord, that they would do that now. Thank you for continuing to bring strength to Kathi and I pray that you would complete her healing, and bless Christi and her husband for opening their house for Kathi, And be with Del as he’s up the hill by himself.

And bless the Lifespring family. Lord, I pray that you would meet the needs that each one has. And Father, I asked you to speak to them about what you want me to do once this season is over. Give them your thoughts. Lord, I pray. I pray this all in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you have a prayer request or a praise, please go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com.

OUTRO S12E334 – 33:22
Please do remember to give some thought and prayer to the question of what you’d like me to do once this season is over. And then email your thoughts to me at st***@*************ia.com with the words “THE NEXT STEP” in the subject line. Very important: THE NEXT STEP. Comment on this show at lifespringmedia.com/s12e334. And thanks to Kirsty, Sean of San Pedro and Denise, that group of people that I affectionately call The Team. Thank you very much to you sat streamers. It’s cool to have the early adopters in the Lifespring family. Thanks to Robert in the UK for your donation today and for being such a longtime Lifespring family member. God bless you. And beloved thank you for the honor of being with you today. I appreciate it. It’s good to see you. Are you glad the show is here? Has it been a blessing to you this year? If so, please send some support to lifespringmedia.com/support.

Until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb.

Bye.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Corrected by Denise