Transcript

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 29-33 NLT

Podcast Introduction

Today is Prophecy Friday. We’ll read Isaiah 29-33. I’m calling today’s episode “Tell Us Lies”

Comments on Isaiah 30 and 32

Thoughts on Isaiah 30 

Sometimes prophecy reads like today’s news, doesn’t it? Let me read chapter 30, verses 8-11 again:

8Now go and write down these words. Write them in a book. They will stand until the end of time as a witness 9 that these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay attention to the lord’s instructions.

10They tell the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” They tell the prophets, “Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies. 11 Forget all this gloom. Get off your narrow path. Stop telling us about your

‘Holy One of Israel.’”

Is this not what much of the world is saying today to those of us who believe in God’s Word? When we speak about God’s teaching on, oh…shall we say…homosexuality or abortion or the fact that God created just two sexes…they come down on us like a ton of bricks. They spew hate and call us homophobes. They tell us we are bigots, misogynistic, intolerant…you know the list. They call teaching God’s Word on the subject “hate speech”. Even when we deliver the message in even and compassionate tones. 

But wait a minute. If we truly believe God’s Word, if we believe that the Bible calls these things sin, and that God hates sin, as is clearly stated in Scripture, and if we believe that sin separates a person from God, wouldn’t it be a terribly hateful thing NOT to tell people about that? Isn’t the loving thing to tell them, so that they CAN repent and find peace with God?

I think so. 

No, they want us to tell them only about God’s love. If we just talk about the blessings of God, then they will tolerate us. If we tell them that God loves everybody, they’re happy. If we tell them that as long as they have good intensions they will get to Heaven, they leave us alone. They don’t want to hear the “s” word: sin. They deny that Hell is a real place, and they sure don’t want to hear that unless they know Jesus, Hell will be their eternal destination. Don’t, under any circumstances tell them that Jesus is the only way! 

And now, listen to verses 12 and 13: 12This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in oppression and lies, 13calamity will come upon you suddenly—like a bulging wall that bursts and falls. In an instant it will collapse and come crashing down.

God is waiting. Because He does love them, God is waiting for them to see their need for Him. But He will not wait forever, and then destruction will come. It will be a sad and terrible day, and it will come quickly, catching them completely by surprise. Oh how sad they will be, and how sad for us if we let them silence us. We will know that we might have made a difference in the lives of some of them if we had been faithful to our calling to warn them.

You say, “But Steve, I wasn’t called to be a prophet!” Really? Didn’t Jesus tell us to go into all the nations, making disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit? What do you think that makes you? A prophet is not just one who foretells the future. A prophet is also one who tells the message God has given him. Our message is to tell a lost, sinful and dying world that they must repent and believe that Jesus Christ came to the Earth, lived a sinless, perfect life, and then gave Himself as the sacrifice for their sins, was raised on the third day, and now sits at the Father’s right hand so that He can intervene for them to the Holy and Righteous and Just Father. 

That is every believer’s job. There is no higher calling. The most loving thing any of us can do is tell the world that they are headed for destruction if they stay on their present course. It’s not hate speech. It’s sounding the alarm to a world bent on self destruction.

Your thoughts?

Thoughts on Isaiah 32 

Amidst the prophecies of judgment in much of the book of Isaiah, chapter 32 brings a ray of hope.

The prophet tells us that a righteous king is coming. And as we have seen in many previous books in the Bible, when a righteous king is on the throne, God not only blesses the land with peace and prosperity, but the people also act with righteousness. 

I like verses 4 and 5. “Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding. Those who stammer will speak out plainly. In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes. Scoundrels will not be respected.”

As I record this on October 7, 2021, the world is in chaos. The pandemic, unstable money supplies, distrust of governments and media, shortages caused by disruption of shipping and ports. Again, it’s a long list and I can’t even think of everything. 

If you watch the news, which I do NOT recommend you do (but that’s another discussion), you might just find yourself saying, “Is there any hope? Has it gone too far? Will we ever have peace again?”

The answer is a resounding “YES!” God has not forgotten us, beloved. I believe He is allowing the chaos, the ugliness and depravity because the world has turned its back on Him. 

But hear me. I believe the Word of God which tells us that God never changes. So I believe that there will come a day when the people will cry out to God for forgiveness. They will confess their sins, and He will forgive them. 

Yes, I am praying for a worldwide revival. It has happened before and it can happen again. 

But if that does not happen, if people refuse to turn to God, we know that a time of ultimate judgment is on the way. Jesus will return and bring an end to this age. The enemy will be bound, and Jesus will reign with righteousness. There will be peace. There will be no wars, there will be none of the ugliness we see today. “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.”

I, for one, am longing for that day.

How about you?

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Isaiah 29-33: Tell Us Lies (LSFAB S13E041)

[TEASER – 0:00]
What do you think that makes you?

[INTRO S13E041 – 0:01]
You know, I had so much fun on yesterday’s show, I think I’ll do it again. This is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, and podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily podcast where we’ll read through the entire Bible in a year and I am happy to be with you today. Thank you. Are you having a good one? Today is Prophecy Friday. We’ll read Isaiah 29 through 33 and I’m calling today’s episode, “Tell Us Lies”.

Remember this coming Sunday will be the 18th anniversary of the first Lifespring podcast. We’ll talk about that a bit later.

But before we read today, let’s pray.

[OPENING PRAYER – 0:47]
Our heavenly Father, we thank you so much for your Word, and we ask you to open our hearts and our minds as we read. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Okay, let’s go.

[ISAIAH 29 (NLT) – 0:59]
Isaiah, chapter 29.

(1) “What sorrow awaits Ariel, the City of David.
Year after year you celebrate your feasts.
(2) Yet I will bring disaster upon you,
and there will be much weeping and sorrow.
For Jerusalem will become what her name Ariel means—
an altar covered with blood.
(3) I will be your enemy,
surrounding Jerusalem and attacking its walls.
I will build siege towers
and destroy it.
(4) Then deep from the earth you will speak;
from low in the dust your words will come.
Your voice will whisper from the ground
like a ghost conjured up from the grave.

(5) “But suddenly, your ruthless enemies will be crushed
like the finest of dust.
Your many attackers will be driven away
like chaff before the wind.
Suddenly, in an instant,
(6) I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will act for you
with thunder and earthquake and great noise,
with whirlwind and storm and consuming fire.
(7) All the nations fighting against Jerusalem
will vanish like a dream!
Those who are attacking her walls
will vanish like a vision in the night.
(8) A hungry person dreams of eating
but wakes up still hungry.
A thirsty person dreams of drinking
but is still faint from thirst when morning comes.
So it will be with your enemies,
with those who attack Mount Zion.”

(9) Are you amazed and incredulous?
Don’t you believe it?
Then go ahead and be blind.
You are stupid, but not from wine!
You stagger, but not from liquor!
(10) For the Lord has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep.
He has closed the eyes of your prophets and visionaries.

(11) All the future events in this vision are like a sealed book to them. When you give it to those who can read, they will say, “We can’t read it because it is sealed.” (12) When you give it to those who cannot read, they will say, “We don’t know how to read.”

(13) And so the Lord says,
“These people say they are mine.
They honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
And their worship of me
is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.
(14) Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites
with amazing wonders.
The wisdom of the wise will pass away,
and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.”

(15) What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the Lord,
who do their evil deeds in the dark!
“The Lord can’t see us,” they say.
“He doesn’t know what’s going on!”
(16) How foolish can you be?
He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay!
Should the created thing say of the one who made it,
“He didn’t make me”?
Does a jar ever say,
“The potter who made me is stupid”?

(17) Soon—and it will not be very long—
the forests of Lebanon will become a fertile field,
and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops.
(18) In that day the deaf will hear words read from a book,
and the blind will see through the gloom and darkness.
(19) The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord.
The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
(20) The scoffer will be gone,
the arrogant will disappear,
and those who plot evil will be killed.
(21) Those who convict the innocent
by their false testimony will disappear.
A similar fate awaits those who use trickery to pervert justice
and who tell lies to destroy the innocent.

(22) That is why the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the people of Israel,

“My people will no longer be ashamed
or turn pale with fear.
(23) For when they see their many children
and all the blessings I have given them,
they will recognize the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob.
They will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
(24) Then the wayward will gain understanding,
and complainers will accept instruction.

[ISAIAH 30 (NLT) – 4:40]
Isaiah, chapter 30.

(1) “What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,”
says the Lord.
“You make plans that are contrary to mine.
You make alliances not directed by my Spirit,
thus piling up your sins.
(2) For without consulting me,
you have gone down to Egypt for help.
You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection.
You have tried to hide in his shade.
(3) But by trusting Pharaoh, you will be humiliated,
and by depending on him, you will be disgraced.
(4) For though his power extends to Zoan
and his officials have arrived in Hanes,
(5) all who trust in him will be ashamed.
He will not help you.
Instead, he will disgrace you.”

(6) This message came to me concerning the animals in the Negev:

The caravan moves slowly
across the terrible desert to Egypt—
donkeys weighed down with riches
and camels loaded with treasure—
all to pay for Egypt’s protection.
They travel through the wilderness,
a place of lionesses and lions,
a place where vipers and poisonous snakes live.
All this, and Egypt will give you nothing in return.
(7) Egypt’s promises are worthless!
Therefore, I call her Rahab—
the Harmless Dragon.

(8) Now go and write down these words.
Write them in a book.
They will stand until the end of time
as a witness
(9) that these people are stubborn rebels
who refuse to pay attention to the Lord’s instructions.
(10) They tell the seers,
“Stop seeing visions!”
They tell the prophets,
“Don’t tell us what is right.
Tell us nice things.
Tell us lies.
(11) Forget all this gloom.
Get off your narrow path.
Stop telling us about your
‘Holy One of Israel.’”

(12) This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel:

“Because you despise what I tell you
and trust instead in oppression and lies,
(13) calamity will come upon you suddenly—
like a bulging wall that bursts and falls.
In an instant it will collapse
and come crashing down.
(14) You will be smashed like a piece of pottery—
shattered so completely that
there won’t be a piece big enough
to carry coals from a fireplace
or a little water from the well.”

(15) This is what the Sovereign Lord,
the Holy One of Israel, says:
“Only in returning to me
and resting in me will you be saved.
In quietness and confidence is your strength.
But you would have none of it.
(16) You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt.
They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’
But the only swiftness you are going to see
is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!
(17) One of them will chase a thousand of you.
Five of them will make all of you flee.
You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill
or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.”

(18) So the Lord must wait for you to come to him
so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the Lord is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for his help.

(19) O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,
you will weep no more.
He will be gracious if you ask for help.
He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.
(20) Though the Lord gave you adversity for food
and suffering for drink,
he will still be with you to teach you.
You will see your teacher with your own eyes.
(21) Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
whether to the right or to the left.
(22) Then you will destroy all your silver idols
and your precious gold images.
You will throw them out like filthy rags,
saying to them, “Good riddance!”

(23) Then the Lord will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock. (24) The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind. (25) In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill. (26) The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the Lord begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them.

(27) Look! The Lord is coming from far away,
burning with anger,
surrounded by thick, rising smoke.
His lips are filled with fury;
his words consume like fire.
(28) His hot breath pours out like a flood
up to the neck of his enemies.
He will sift out the proud nations for destruction.
He will bridle them and lead them away to ruin.

(29) But the people of God will sing a song of joy,
like the songs at the holy festivals.
You will be filled with joy,
as when a flutist leads a group of pilgrims
to Jerusalem, the mountain of the Lord—
to the Rock of Israel.
(30) And the Lord will make his majestic voice heard.
He will display the strength of his mighty arm.
It will descend with devouring flames,
with cloudbursts, thunderstorms, and huge hailstones.
(31) At the Lord’s command, the Assyrians will be shattered.
He will strike them down with his royal scepter.
(32) And as the Lord strikes them with his rod of punishment,
his people will celebrate with tambourines and harps.
Lifting his mighty arm, he will fight the Assyrians.
(33) Topheth—the place of burning—
has long been ready for the Assyrian king;
the pyre is piled high with wood.
The breath of the Lord, like fire from a volcano,
will set it ablaze.

[ISAIAH 31 (NLT) – 10:09]
Isaiah, chapter 31

(1) What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help,
trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers
and depending on the strength of human armies
instead of looking to the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel.
(2) In his wisdom, the Lord will send great disaster;
he will not change his mind.
He will rise against the wicked
and against their helpers.
(3) For these Egyptians are mere humans, not God!
Their horses are puny flesh, not mighty spirits!
When the Lord raises his fist against them,
those who help will stumble,
and those being helped will fall.
They will all fall down and die together.

(4) But this is what the Lord has told me:

“When a strong lion
stands growling over a sheep it has killed,
it is not frightened by the shouts and noise
of a whole crowd of shepherds.
In the same way, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will come down and fight on Mount Zion.
(5) The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will hover over Jerusalem
and protect it like a bird protecting its nest.
He will defend and save the city;
he will pass over it and rescue it.”

(6) Though you are such wicked rebels, my people, come and return to the Lord. (7) I know the glorious day will come when each of you will throw away the gold idols and silver images your sinful hands have made.

(8) “The Assyrians will be destroyed,
but not by the swords of men.
The sword of God will strike them,
and they will panic and flee.
The strong young Assyrians
will be taken away as captives.
(9) Even the strongest will quake with terror,
and princes will flee when they see your battle flags,”
says the Lord, whose fire burns in Zion,
whose flame blazes from Jerusalem.

[ISAIAH 32 (NLT) – 11:51]
Isaiah, chapter 32.

(1) Look, a righteous king is coming!
And honest princes will rule under him.
(2) Each one will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from the storm,
like streams of water in the desert
and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land.

(3) Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth,
and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it.
(4) Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding.
Those who stammer will speak out plainly.
(5) In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes.
Scoundrels will not be respected.
(6) For fools speak foolishness
and make evil plans.
They practice ungodliness
and spread false teachings about the Lord.
They deprive the hungry of food
and give no water to the thirsty.
(7) The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil.
They plot crooked schemes.
They lie to convict the poor,
even when the cause of the poor is just.
(8) But generous people plan to do what is generous,
and they stand firm in their generosity.

(9) Listen, you women who lie around in ease.
Listen to me, you who are so smug.
(10) In a short time—just a little more than a year—
you careless ones will suddenly begin to care.
For your fruit crops will fail,
and the harvest will never take place.
(11) Tremble, you women of ease;
throw off your complacency.
Strip off your pretty clothes,
and put on burlap to show your grief.
(12) Beat your breasts in sorrow for your bountiful farms
and your fruitful grapevines.
(13) For your land will be overgrown with thorns and briers.
Your joyful homes and happy towns will be gone.
(14) The palace and the city will be deserted,
and busy towns will be empty.
Wild donkeys will frolic and flocks will graze
in the empty forts and watchtowers
(15) until at last the Spirit is poured out
on us from heaven.
Then the wilderness will become a fertile field,
and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops.

(16) Justice will rule in the wilderness
and righteousness in the fertile field.
(17) And this righteousness will bring peace.
Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever.
(18) My people will live in safety, quietly at home.
They will be at rest.
(19) Even if the forest should be destroyed
and the city torn down,
(20) the Lord will greatly bless his people.
Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up.
Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely.

[ISAIAH 33 (NLT) – 14:17]
Isaiah, chapter 33.

(1) What sorrow awaits you Assyrians, who have destroyed others
but have never been destroyed yourselves.
You betray others,
but you have never been betrayed.
When you are done destroying,
you will be destroyed.
When you are done betraying,
you will be betrayed.
(2) But Lord, be merciful to us,
for we have waited for you.
Be our strong arm each day
and our salvation in times of trouble.
(3) The enemy runs at the sound of your voice.
When you stand up, the nations flee!
(4) Just as caterpillars and locusts strip the fields and vines,
so the fallen army of Assyria will be stripped!

(5) Though the Lord is very great and lives in heaven,
he will make Jerusalem his home of justice and righteousness.
(6) In that day he will be your sure foundation,
providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.
The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.

(7) But now your brave warriors weep in public.
Your ambassadors of peace cry in bitter disappointment.
(8) Your roads are deserted;
no one travels them anymore.
The Assyrians have broken their peace treaty
and care nothing for the promises they made before witnesses.
They have no respect for anyone.
(9) The land of Israel wilts in mourning.
Lebanon withers with shame.
The plain of Sharon is now a wilderness.
Bashan and Carmel have been plundered.

(10) But the Lord says: “Now I will stand up.
Now I will show my power and might.
(11) You Assyrians produce nothing but dry grass and stubble.
Your own breath will turn to fire and consume you.
(12) Your people will be burned up completely,
like thornbushes cut down and tossed in a fire.
(13) Listen to what I have done, you nations far away!
And you that are near, acknowledge my might!”

(14) The sinners in Jerusalem shake with fear.
Terror seizes the godless.
“Who can live with this devouring fire?” they cry.
“Who can survive this all-consuming fire?”
(15) Those who are honest and fair,
who refuse to profit by fraud,
who stay far away from bribes,
who refuse to listen to those who plot murder,
who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong—
(16) these are the ones who will dwell on high.
The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress.
Food will be supplied to them,
and they will have water in abundance.

(17) Your eyes will see the king in all his splendor,
and you will see a land that stretches into the distance.
(18) You will think back to this time of terror, asking,
“Where are the Assyrian officers
who counted our towers?
Where are the bookkeepers
who recorded the plunder taken from our fallen city?”
(19) You will no longer see these fierce, violent people
with their strange, unknown language.

(20) Instead, you will see Zion as a place of holy festivals.
You will see Jerusalem, a city quiet and secure.
It will be like a tent whose ropes are taut
and whose stakes are firmly fixed.
(21) The Lord will be our Mighty One.
He will be like a wide river of protection
that no enemy can cross,
that no enemy ship can sail upon.
(22) For the Lord is our judge,
our lawgiver, and our king.
He will care for us and save us.
(23) The enemies’ sails hang loose
on broken masts with useless tackle.
Their treasure will be divided by the people of God.
Even the lame will take their share!
(24) The people of Israel will no longer say,
“We are sick and helpless,”
for the Lord will forgive their sins.

[COMMENTARY – 17:47]
I’ve got comments today on chapter 30 and chapter 32. Let’s talk about chapter 30 first. Makes sense, right? Sometimes prophecy reads like today’s news, doesn’t it? Let me read chapter 30 verses 8 through 11 again to you.

(8) Now go and write down these words.
Write them in a book.
They will stand until the end of time
as a witness
(9) that these people are stubborn rebels
who refuse to pay attention to the Lord’s instructions.
(10) They tell the seers,
“Stop seeing visions!”
They tell the prophets,
“Don’t tell us what is right.
Tell us nice things.
Tell us lies.
(11) Forget all this gloom.
Get off your narrow path.
Stop telling us about your
‘Holy One of Israel.’”

Well, is this not what much of the world is saying today to those of us who believe in God’s word? When we speak about God’s teaching on, oh, let’s see, shall we say homosexuality, or abortion, or the fact that God created just two sexes. They come down on us like a ton of bricks. They spew hate and call us homophobes. They tell us we’re bigots, misogynistic, intolerant. You know the list. They call teaching God’s words on these subjects hate speech, even when we deliver the message in even and compassionate tones.

But wait a minute, if we truly believe God’s word, if we believe that the Bible calls these things sin, and that God hates sin, as is clearly stated in Scripture, and if we believe that sin separates a person from God, wouldn’t it be a terribly hateful thing not to tell people about that? Isn’t the loving thing to tell them so that they can repent and find peace with God?

I think so.

No, they want us to tell them only about God’s love. If we just talk about the blessings of God, then they’ll tolerate us. If we tell them that God loves everybody, they’re happy. If we tell them that as long as they have good intentions, they’ll get to heaven. They’ll leave us alone. They don’t want to hear the “s-word”. You know what that is right? Sin. They deny that hell is a real place, and they sure don’t want to hear that unless they know Jesus, hell will be their eternal destination. Don’t under any circumstance, tell them that Jesus is the only way.

And now listen to verses 12 and 13:

(12) This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel:
“Because you despise what I tell you
and trust instead in oppression and lies,
(13) calamity will come upon you suddenly—
like a bulging wall that bursts and falls.
In an instant it will collapse
and come crashing down.”

Listen, God is waiting. Because he does love them, God is waiting for them to see their need for him. But he’ll not wait forever. And then destruction will come. It’ll be a sad and terrible day and it will come quickly, catching them completely by surprise. Oh, how sad they’ll be. And how sad for us if we let them silence us. We’ll know that we might have made a difference in the lives of some of them if we’d been faithful to our calling to warn them.

You say, “But Steve, I wasn’t called to be a prophet!”

Really? Didn’t Jesus tell us to go into all the nations making disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit? What do you think that makes you? A prophet is not just one who foretells the future. A prophet is also one who tells the message God has given him. Our message is to tell a lost sinful and dying world, that they must repent and believe that Jesus Christ came to the earth, lived a sinless, perfect life, and then gave Himself as the sacrifice for their sins, was raised on the third day and now sits at the Father’s right hand so that he can intervene for them to the holy and righteous and just Father.

This is every believer’s job, there is no higher calling. The most loving thing that any of us can do is tell the world that they are headed for destruction if they stay on their present course. It’s not hate speech. It’s sounding the alarm to a world bent on self-destruction.

And then in chapter 32, amidst the prophecies of judgment, in much of the book of Isaiah, chapter 32, brings a ray of hope.

The prophet tells us that a righteous king is coming. And as we’ll see in many of the books of the Bible, as we read through this year when a righteous king is on the throne, God not only blesses the land with peace and prosperity, but the people also act with righteousness.

I like verses 4 and 5 here in chapter 32.

“(4) Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding.
Those who stammer will speak out plainly.
(5) In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes.
Scoundrels will not be respected.”

As I record this on October 7, 2021, the world is in chaos. The pandemic, unstable money supplies, distrust of governments and media, shortages caused by disruptions of shipping and ports. On and on the list goes, I can’t even think of everything.

If you watch the news, which I do not recommend you do. But that’s another discussion, you might just find yourself saying, “Is there any hope? Has it gone too far? Will we ever have peace again?”

Well, Beloved, the answer is a resounding “YES”! God has not forgotten us. I believe he’s allowing the chaos and the ugliness and depravity because the world has turned its back on him.

But hear me, I believe the Word of God, which tells us that God never changes. So I believe that there will come a day when the people will cry out to God for forgiveness, they will confess their sins, and he will forgive them.

Yes, I am praying for a worldwide revival. It’s happened before and it can happen again.

But if it doesn’t happen, if people refuse to turn to God, we know that a time of ultimate judgment is on the way. Jesus will return and bring an end to this age. The enemy will be bound, and Jesus will reign with righteousness. There will be peace. There will be no wars. There will be none of the ugliness that we see today. “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.”

Beloved, I, for one, am longing for that day. What about you?

[LIFESPRING FAMILY HOTLINE – 24:34]
Are you looking forward to Jesus’ return? Boy, I am. Tell me what you think. Are you looking forward to it? Or are you dreading it? Call me on the Lifespring Family Hotline and let me know, 951-732-8511. If you’re outside the US put a +1 at the beginning of that number. Or you can comment at comment.lifespringmedia.com and you can email me at st***@*************ia.com. I look forward to hearing from you and I’ll play your comment on the show.

What’s tomorrow? Saturday, that means it’ll be Gospel Saturday. We’ll read Matthew 14 through 16. Jesus feeds over 5000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fishes. And the religious establishment asked him to show them a sign from heaven. How do you think he responds? Tune in tomorrow to find out.

Boostagram.

[LIFESPRING 18TH-ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL – 25:28]
Well, the 18th anniversary of the very first Lifespring podcast episode is this Sunday, November 13, 2022, just a couple of days away. I’ll be recording the show this Saturday at 4 pm Pacific Standard Time. So if you want to make a special 18th-anniversary donation, please have it in by then if you’d like to have me read yours on the show. If any donations come in, after that, I will read them on a later show. Be as creative as you like, but for the 18th anniversary, let’s include the number 18 in the amount somewhere. Help me celebrate. Go to lifespringmedia.com/support. Or send a boost with 18 somewhere in the amount with your modern podcast app. Take a look at your app right now. Do you see a boost button? If you don’t, you don’t have a modern one. Go to newpodcastapps.com and pick one up, then you can join the boosting fun.

[Announcer:]
Boost, boost, boost, boost represents the future of podcasting!

[SUPPORT THE SHOW – 26:28]
If you’re glad the Lifespring Family Audio Bible exists, I really truly do need your support. What is the show worth to you? Ever go out for a nice evening on the town with your significant other? Is the amount of value you receive from the show equal to or greater than or less than the value of an evening out? What is an evening out cost? You buy one of those fancy coffees for yourself every day. What’s the cost of that? Is the show worth that? Take a look at lifespringmedia.com/support and see if any of that stuff there makes sense to you. If it does, then send some value back to me. Pray about it and see what God would have you do, lifespringmedia.com/support.

Get a modern podcast app at newpodcastapps.com.

[OUTRO S13E041 – 27:15]
Sister Kirsty does the newsletter. Brother Sean of San Pedro is enjoying his paternity leave right now, so he’s a little bit behind on the chapters. He assures me he’ll get right back to it as soon as he goes back to work. And Sister Denise corrects the transcripts. Thanks, guys. I appreciate you very much. Comment on the show by calling the Lifespring Family Hotline at 951-732-8511 or going to comment.lifespringmedia.com or send me an email at st***@*************ia.com. I want to hear from you, and I’ll play your comment on the show or read it.

I’ll see you tomorrow. Until then, may God bless you richly. Thanks for taking me along with you today. I appreciate it. My name is Steve Webb. Bye.

[Announcer – 27:58]
Chapters, transcripts, images, links. Stream micropayments to the podcast and send satoshis in real time over the Lightning Network using a compatible podcasting 2.0 app. Just go to newpodcastapps.com. That’s newpodcastapps.com. And for more info go to podcastindex.org.

Boost.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Transcript corrected by Denise