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9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Reproduce abundantly, and be fruitful and increase in number on the earth.
9:2 All the animals of the earth, all the birds of the air, all that move on the earth, and all the fish in the sea will fear you. I have placed them in you hand.
9:3 Every living thing that moves will be your food. As I gave you green plants, now I give you everything.
9:4 However, you are not to eat flesh with life, that is, blood, still in it.
9:5 I will surely demand your blood for your lives. If a wild animal or another man, even his brother, kills a man, I will demand it, even the life of man.
9:6 Whoever sheds a man’s blood, his blood shall be shed by man, because God man made in his image.
9:7 And you are to be fruitful and increase in number. Reproduce abundantly on the earth, and increase on it.
9:8 Then God spoke to Noah and his sons with him,
9:9 “I now establish my covenant with you, with your descendants,
9:10 And with every living creature that is with you, the
birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you…
all that come out of the ark, to every animal of the earth.
9:11 I now establish my covenant with you. Never again will all life be killed by a flood, nor will a flood destroy the earth.
9:12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I now make
between me and you and every living animal that is with you, for
all generations:
9:13 “I set my bow in the cloud as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
9:14 “Whenever I bring a cloud over the earth, the bow will be seen in the cloud:
9:15 “And I will remember the covenant I make between me and you and every living animal of every species, and the waters of a flood will never again be used to destroy all flesh.
9:16 “The bow will be in the cloud. When I see it, I will be reminded of the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature that is on the earth.”
9:17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant, which
I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
9:18 And the sons of Noah that came out of the ark were Shem,
Ham, and Japheth (JAY-feth), and Ham was the father of Canaan.
9:19 These three are Noah’s sons, and the entire earth’s population are their descendants.
9:20 And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard.
9:21 One day he drank some of the wine he had made, and became drunk, and was naked in his tent.
9:22 And Ham, Canaan’s father, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brethren outside.
9:23 Then Shem and Japheth (JAY-feth) took a garment and spread it over both of their shoulders, and backed into the tent, where they covered their father. They were turned away from him, and did not see him naked.
9:24 When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his younger son had done to him.
9:25 And he said, “Cursed be Canaan. He will be a servant to servants to his brothers.”
9:26 And he said, “Blessed be the LORD God of Shem, and Canaan will be his servant.
9:27 “God shall expand Japheth’s (JAY-feth)territory, and he will live in Shem’s tents, and Canaan will be his servant.
9:28 And after the flood, Noah lived three hundred fifty years.
9:29 And Noah lived nine hundred fifty years, and then he died.
Matthew Chapter 6
6:1 “Be careful not to do your good deeds in public, hoping to be noticed by people. If you do, your Father in heaven will not reward you.
6:2 “So when you give to the poor, do not draw attention with the sound of trumpets as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the
streets, in order to gain the admiration of men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.
6:3 “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
6:4 “Give privately, and your Father who sees everything will reward you.
6:5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. They love to be seen praying in the synagogues and on the street corners. Truly I say to you, They have their reward.
6:6 “But when you pray, go into your room and close the door. Pray in private. And your Father, who sees everything in private will reward you.
6:7 “When you pray, do not mindlessly repeat yourself over and over as the Gentiles do, thinking that they will be heard because of their many words.
6:8 “Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask him.
6:9 “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
6:10 “May your kingdom come, and may your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
6:11 “Give us today the food we need.
6:12 “And forgive us our sins, as we also forgive those who sin against us.
6:13 “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For
yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever. Amen.
6:14 “For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
6:15 But if do not forgive them, your Father will not forgive your sins.
6:16 “And when you fast, do not look downcast like the hypocrites do. They change their faces so others notice their fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.
6:17 “But when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your
face,
6:18 “so that your fasting is not obvious, except by your Father
who is unseen. Your father, who sees what happens privately, will reward you.
6:19 “Do not store treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and
rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
6:20 “Instead, store treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust can destroy, and where thieves can not break in nor steal.
6:21 “Where your treasure is, there will your heart also be.
6:22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore, if your eye is good, your entire body will be full of light.
6:23 “But if your eye is evil, your entire body will be full of darkness.
If therefore the light that is in you is actually dark, how great is that
darkness!
6:24 “No man can serve two masters. He will hate the one, and love the other, or be devoted to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
6:25 “So I say to you, do not worry about the details of your life, such as what you will eat or what you will drink, or for your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothes?
6:26 “Look at the birds of the air. They neither plant nor reap nor store their food in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they are?
6:27 “Who among you can add to the length of his life by worrying about it?
6:28 “And why worry about clothes? Think of the lilies of the field and how they grow. They neither work nor make their clothing.
6:29 “But I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed as beautifully as these.
6:30 “So if God clothes the grass of the field like this, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you who have such little faith?
6:31 “So do not worry, saying, “What will we eat, or what will we drink, or what will we wear?
6:32 “The Gentiles seek after these things, but your heavenly Father knows knows you need them.
6:33 “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and
all these things will be given to you as well.
6:34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
So Noah and his family are off the ark and they are told to replenish the earth, and Jesus is in the middle of his sermon on the mount. I love that He has told us that God know what we need, and that we don’t have to worry about it. Sometimes, that is easier said than done, especially when times are tough. But that is where faith comes in. How is your faith doing these days?
Comments are welcome.
Welcome back. I’m glad you’re here, and I’m glad that I am, too. My name is Steve Webb. On this episode, we’re going to be reading Genesis 7 and 8, and Matthew chapter 5.
And in case you are new to the show, I am reading from a brand new version of the Bible, one that I personally am working on each and every day.
7:1 And the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and your family, because I have seen that you are righteous in this generation.
7:2 Take seven pairs, male and female, of every clean animal, and one pair of every unclean animal, male and female.
7:3 Of birds of the air, take seven pairs, male and female, to keep their species alive on the earth.
7:4 In seven days, I will cause the rain to begin to fall, and it shall continue forty days and forty nights. Every living thing on the earth that I have created will be destroyed.
7:5 And Noah did everything that the LORD commanded him.
7:6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood covered the earth.
7:7 Noah, his sons, his wife, and his son’s wives went into the ark to escape the flood.
7:8 Clean and unclean animals, birds, and everything that moves on the earth,
7:9 by two and two, male and female, they boarded the ark with Noah as God commanded him .
7:10 After seven days, the flood waters came on the earth.
7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month,
the seventeenth day of the month, the springs of the great deep rushed to the surface, and the windows of heaven were opened.
7:12 And the rain poured down on the earth forty days and forty nights.
7:13 On that day Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth (JAY-feth),
Noah’s sons, Noah’s wife, and the wives of his three sons, boarded the ark.
7:14 With them were every type of wild animal, every type of livestock, and every living thing that crawls upon the earth, and every type of bird, each one according to its species.
7:15 They went to Noah and into the ark, two by two of every living animal that breathes.
7:16 Those that entered went in male and female of every living animal, as God had commanded him. Then the LORD shut him in.
7:17 The flood was on the earth for forty days, and the waters
rose and lifted the ark above the earth.
7:18 And the waters were powerful and increased greatly on the
earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water.
7:19 And the waters were very powerful on the earth, and all the
high mountains under the whole heavens were covered.
7:20 The water covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty-two feet.
7:21 All living things died that moved on the earth; birds, livestock, wild animals, everything that crawls on the earth, and all mankind.
7:22 Everything living that breathed and lived on dry land died.
7:23 Every living thing was destroyed. Man, livestock, the things which moved on the earth, the birds of the sky…all were wiped out from the face of the earth. Only Noah and those with him survived.
7:24 And the waters were powerful on the earth one hundred fifty
days.
8:1 And God remembered Noah, every living thing, and the livestock that was with him in the ark, and God sent a wind to blow over
the earth, and the waters receded.
8:2 The springs of the great deep and the windows of heaven were closed, and the rain that fell from the sky stopped.
8:3 And the water continued to recede from the land. After one hundred fifty days the water had diminished.
8:4 On the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
8:5 And the waters continued to decrease until the tenth month, and on the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the
mountains could be seen.
8:6 And at the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made,
8:7 and he released a raven which flew back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth.
8:8 He also released a dove to see if the waters had receded from the surface of the ground,
8:9 But the dove found no place to rest its feet, and returned to him in the ark, because the water still covered the entire earth. He reached out his hand, took the dove, and brought it back into the ark.
8:10 After waiting another seven days, Noah released the dove once more.
8:11 The dove returned that evening with an olive leaf in its beak which it had plucked, so Noah knew that the water had diminished from the ground.
8:12 And he waited another seven days to again release the dove, which did not return again.
8:13 So in Noah’s six hundred and first year, the first month, the first day of the month, the water had dried up from the earth. And Noah removed the ark’s covering and saw dry ground.
8:14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month the ground was dry.
8:15 And God spoke to Noah,
8:16 “Leave the ark, you, your wife, your sons and your sons’ wives.
8:17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you, wild animals, birds, livestock, every living thing that crawls on the earth, so that they may reproduce abundantly, and be fruitful and increase in number on the earth.
8:18 So Noah, his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives left the ark.
8:19 Every wild animal, every thing that moves on the ground, every bird, every living thing that crawls on the earth, left the ark according to their species.
8:20 And Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took some of each clean
animal and clean bird and sacrificed burnt offerings on it.
8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet aroma and said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, even though his heart thinks only of evil even from childhood. Nor will again kill every living thing as I have done.
8:22 “As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvesting, cold and heat, summer and winter, daytime and nighttime.”
Matthew Chapter 5
5:1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside. And when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
5:2 And he began to teach them, saying,
5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn: for they will receive comfort.
5:5 “Blessed are the gentle: for they will inherit the earth.
5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be filled.
5:7 “Blessed are the merciful: for they will receive mercy.
5:8 “Blessed are they whose hearts are pure: for they will see God.
5:9 “Blessed are those who make peace: for they will be called the children of God.
5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness:
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult and persecute you, when they tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me.
5:12 “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for your reward in heaven is great: for the prophets before you were persecuted in the same way.
5:13 “You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt loses its flavor, can it be made salty again? From then on, it is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled on by men.
5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
5:15 “Nor do men light a candle and put it under a basket. Rather, they put it on a candlestick so that it may bring light to everyone in the house.
5:16 “In the same way, let your own light shine before men, so they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven.
5:17 “Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law or the Prophets: I did not come to do away with, but to fulfill them.
5:18 “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the least stroke will in any way pass from the law until everything is accomplished.
5:19 “Whoever breaks one of the least commandments, and teaches others to do the same will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever does them and teaches others to do the same will be
called great in the kingdom of heaven.
5:20 “I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
5:21 “You have heard that people said long ago, ‘You shall not kill. Whoever kills will be in danger of judgment.’
5:22 “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever insults his brother will be in danger being called before the Council, but whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
5:23 “So if you bring your gift to the altar, and then remember that your brother has something against you,
5:24 “Leave your gift there at the altar. Go and first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
5:25 “Settle differences quickly with your adversary, while you are still on your way, or he may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.
5:26 “I tell you the truth, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.
5:27 “You have heard that people said long ago, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
5:28 “But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
5:29 “And if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away, because it is better for you to lose one of your parts than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
5:30 “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away, because it is better for you to lose one of your parts than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
5:31 “It has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife should give her a certificate of divorce.’
5:32 “But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for cases of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
5:33 “Again, you have heard that people said long ago, ‘You shall not break a vow, but shall keep your vows to God.
5:34 “But I say to you do not make any vows. Not by heaven, because it is God’s throne,
5:35 “and not not by the earth, because it is his footstool. Not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.
5:36 “And do not even make a vow by your head, because you cannot turn even one hair white or black.
5:37 “Say only ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, anything more than than comes from the evil one.
5:38 “You have heard it said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
5:39 “But I say to you, do not resist an evil person. If he slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him as well.
5:40 “And if someone sues you in court and your shirt is taken from you, give him your coat, too.
5:41 “And if someone forces you to walk a mile, go two with him.
5:42 “Give to him who asks, and do not turn away him who wants to borrow from you.
5:43 “You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
5:44 “But I say that you are to love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.
5:45 “This shows that you are children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
5:46 “If you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax collectors do that.
5:47 “And if you greet only you brothers, what are you doing more than others? Even the heathens do that.
5:48 “You are to be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
And that will complete the reading for today. Of course, this passage from Matthew is a portion of what is commonly referred to as the sermon on the mount.
How did you feel about the last thing that Jesus said: “You are to be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”?
If you’re like me, it makes you realize that you are indeed, poor in spirit, which is how he began his sermon. To be poor in spirit is to know that you are completely helpless without God.
Oh, my goodness, but there is an entire sermon in that realization, isn’t there?
Something to ponder for you today.
Until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. I’m Steve Webb.
Today, we’re going to read Genesis chapters 5 and 6 and Matthew chapter 4.
Have you invited friends, tweeted, facebooked or sent smoke signals about the show? Let’s see how many we can get to join us on this journey through God’s word this year!
Are you ready to start? Let’s go…
5:1 This is the account of the descendants of Adam. When God created man, God made man in his likeness.
5:2 He created male and female, and blessed them. And he named them “Man”.
5:3 At the age of one hundred and thirty years, Adam became the father of a son in his own likeness, and in his image. He named him Seth.
5:4 And after the birth of Seth, Adam lived eight hundred years, and he had other sons and daughters.
5:5 Adam lived nine hundred thirty years, and then he died.
5:6 At the age of one hundred and five years, Seth became the father of Enosh (EE-nosh).
5:7 And after the birth of Enosh (EE-nosh), Seth lived eight hundred seven years more, and he had other sons and daughters.
5:8 Seth lived nine hundred twelve years, and then he died.
5:9 At the age of ninety years, Enosh (EE-nosh) became the father of Kenan (KAY-nun).
5:10 And after the birth Kenan (KAY-nun), Enosh (EE-nosh) lived eight hundred fifteen years more, and he had other sons and daughters.
5:11 Enosh (EE-nosh) lived nine hundred five years, and then he died.
5:12 At the age of seventy years Kenan (KAY-nun) became the father of Mahalalel (muh-HAH-luh-lel).
5:13 And after the birth of Mahalalel (muh-HAH-luh-lel), Kenan (KAY-nun) lived eight hundred forty years more, and he had other sons and daughters.
5:14 Kenan (KAY-nun) lived nine hundred ten years, and then he died.
5:15 At the age of sixty-five years Mahalalel (muh-HAH-luh-lel) became the father of Jared (JAY-red).
5:16 And after the birth of Jared (JAY-red), Mahalalel (muh-HAH-luh-lel) lived eight hundred thirty years more, and he had other sons and daughters.
5:17 Mahalalel (muh-HAH-luh-lel) lived eight hundred ninety-five years, and then he died.
5:18 At the age of one hundred sixty-two years, Jared (JAY-red) became the father of Enoch (EE-knock).
5:19 And after the birth of Enoch (EE-knock), Jared (JAY-red) lived eight hundred years more, and he had other sons and daughters.
5:20 Jared (JAY-red) lived nine hundred sixty-two years, and then he died.
5:21 At the age of sixty-five years, Enoch (EE-knock) became the father of Methuselah (meh-THOO-suh-luh).
5:22 And after the birth of Methuselah (meh-THOO-suh-luh), Enoch (EE-knock) walked with God three hundred years more, and he had other sons and daughters.
5:23 Enoch (EE-knock) lived three hundred sixty-five years.
5:24 And Enoch (EE-knock) walked with God, then was gone because God took him.
5:25 At the age of one hundred eighty-seven years, Methuselah (meh-THOO-suh-luh) became the father of Lamech (LAY-mek).
5:26 And after the birth of Lamech (LAY-mek), Methuselah (meh-THOO-suh-luh) lived seven hundred eighty-two years more, and he had other sons and daughters.
5:27 Methuselah (meh-THOO-suh-luh) lived nine hundred sixty-nine years, and then he died.
5:28 At the age of one hundred eighty-two years, Lamech (LAY-mek) became the father of a son.
5:29 And he named him Noah and said, “He will bring relief from the work and the toil of our hands caused by the ground which was cursed by the LORD.
5:30 And after the birth of Noah, Lamech (LAY-mek) lived five hundred ninety-five
years more, and he had other sons and daughters.
5:31 Lamech (LAY-mek) lived seven hundred seventy-seven years, and then he died.
5:32 At the age of five hundred years Noah became the father of Shem, Ham,
and Japheth (JAY-feth).
6:1 When the numbers of men began to increase on the earth, and daughters were born to them,
6:2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as their wives all that they chose.
6:3 And the LORD said, “My spirit will not struggle with man forever, because he is flesh. His lifespan shall be one hundred twenty years.
6:4 There were Nephilim (NEF-uh-lim) on the earth in those days, and afterward also, when the sons of God had sexual relations with the daughters of men. And they gave birth to children, who became great and famous men long ago.
6:5 The LORD saw that man had become wicked on the earth, and that his thoughts and desires were continually evil.
6:6 And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was broken.
6:7 So the LORD said, “I will clear man, my creation, from the earth. Not only man, but also animals and every living thing that moves on the earth and the birds of the air, because I am sorry that I made them.
6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
6:9 This is the account of Noah’s family. Noah was a righteous man and he was without blame in his time. And Noah walked with God.
6:10 And Noah was the father of three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth (JAY-feth).
6:11 And God saw great corruption and violence on the earth.
6:12 God looked upon the earth and saw how corrupt it was because man was evil.
6:13 So God said to Noah, “I will destroy all living things, because they have filled the earth with violence. I will destroy them and the earth.
6:14 “Build an ark from cypress wood. Make rooms in the ark and cover it inside and out with pitch.
6:15 “This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be four hundred fifty feet in length, seventy-five feet wide and forty feet high.
6:16 “Make a roof for the ark, and leave an opening of eighteen inches below it. There is to be a door in the side, are it shall have a lower, a middle, and an upper deck.
6:17 “I will flood the earth with water in order to destroy all living things. Everything on earth will die.
6:18 But I will make a covenant with you. And you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives will board the ark.
6:19 And you shall bring a male and female of every species of living thing into the ark to keep them alive with you.
6:20 Two of every species of bird, two of each species of livestock, two of every living thing that moves on the earth are to come with you, to be kept alive.
6:21 Take with you every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it so that you and they will have food.
6:22 So Noah did as God commanded him.
4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
4:2 And after he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was very hungry.
4:3 When the tempter came to him, he said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these these stones to become bread.”
4:4 But Jesus answered him, “It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
4:5 Then the devil took him up to the holy city, and he sat him on the highest part of the temple,
4:6 And he said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, because it is written, “He shall make his angels responsible for your care. They will hold you in their hands, so that not even your foot shall strike a stone.”
4:7 Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, “You are not to test the Lord your God.’
4:8 Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
4:9 And he said to him, “I will give you all of this if you bow down and worship me.”
4:10 Jesus answered him, “Leave this place, Satan! It is written, “You shall worship and serve only the Lord your God.”
4:11 Then the devil left him, and the angels came and cared for him.
4:12 Now when Jesus had heard that John had been thrown into prison, he went back to Galilee.
4:13 And he left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, which is by the sea of Galilee, near the area of Zebulon (ZEB-you-lun) and Nephtali (NAFF-tuh-lye),
4:14 that what the prophet Isaiah (eye-ZAY-uh) had said would be fulfilled:
4:15 “The land of Zebulon (ZEB-you-lun), and the land of Nephtali (NAFF-tuh-lye), on the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.
4:16 “The people who lived in darkness saw a brilliant light, and to those who lived in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up.”
4:17 From then on, Jesus began to preach. And he said, “Turn from your sins because the kingdom of heaven is near.”
4:18 As Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon
(who was called Peter) and Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea because they were fishermen.
4:19 He said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
4:20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
4:21 Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the
son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in a boat with their father Zebedee. They were mending their nets, and he called them.
4:22 And immediately they left the boat and their father to follow him.
4:23 And Jesus travelled all around Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the Good News of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and disease among the people.
4:24 News about him spread throughout all Syria, and people brought to him everyone who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, those who were demon possessed, those who had epilepsy, and those who were paralyzed. He healed them all.
4:25 People from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea (jew-DAY-uh), and across the Jordan followed him.
So that’s today’s reading. Did you catch the part in Genesis where it said:
6:6 And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was broken.
God’s heart was broken. Why do you suppose that was? Could it be because God loved his creation deeply? But when He saw how wicked man had become, he knew that in order to keep the hurt and pain that would inevitably come as a result of the wickedness, he had to destroy it all. I don’t see it as a wrathful action, but a loving one, so that the one man who had found favor in the sight of God might survive. I liken this to something like cancer surgery. In order for the body to survive, the cancerous tumor must be removed. God saw that all mankind had become evil, except for this one man, so for him, for Noah, God removed the cancer. And man began again.
What are your thoughts? Comments are welcome.
An audio book version of Genesis 3 and 4, and Matthew 3. A much shorter show than yesterday.
This is a copyrighted version of the Bible. Please do not copy, rebroadcast or reproduce in any manner either the audio or printed form of this work, without the express written permission of yours truly.
3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?”
3:2 The woman answered the serpent, “We are allowed to eat the fruit from the trees in the garden.
3:3 “But we are not allowed to eat the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden. God said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, or you will die.”
3:4 Then serpent said to the woman, “You will not die.
3:5 “God knows that when you eat of that tree, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.”
3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and that
it was a delight to the eyes, and a desirable tree to make one wise, she took some of the fruit and ate it. She gave some of the fruit to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.
3:7 Then their eyes were opened, and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together, and made clothes for themselves.
3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God as he walked in the garden in
the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
3:9 And the LORD God called to Adam, “Where are you?
3:10 And Adam said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
3:11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I told you not to eat?
3:12 And the man said, “The woman you gave me, she gave me some of the fruit, and I ate it.
3:13 And the LORD God said to the woman, “What have you done?” And the woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.”
3:14 And the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done
this, you are cursed more than all livestock, and more than all wild animals. You will crawl on your belly, and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
3:15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers. He will bruise your head and you will bruise his heel.”
3:16 To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your labor in childbirth; with pain you will give birth. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
3:17 To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and ate of the tree which I told you, “You shalt not eat of it,” the ground is cursed because of you. In toil and pain will you eat from it all the days of your life.
3:18 “It will produce thorns and thistles for you. You will eat the herb of the field.
3:19 By the sweat of your brow, you will produce bread until you return to the ground, for out of the ground you were taken. Dust you are, and to dust you will return.”
3:20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all who live.
3:21 The LORD God make clothing of animal skins for Adam and his wife.
3:22 And the LORD God said, “The man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. If he stretches out his hand and takes from the tree of life and eats its fruit, he will live for ever.
3:23 So the LORD God banished him from the garden of Eden to work the ground
from which he had been made.
3:24 So he drove the man out, and on the east of the garden of Eden, he placed Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
4:1 And Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she conceived, and gave birth to Cain. And she said, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.”
4:2 Then she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel was a shepherd, but Cain worked the soil.
4:3 After a time, Cain brought an offering of his harvest to the LORD.
4:4 And Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and their fat. And the LORD approved of Abel and his offering,
4:5 But did not approve of Cain and his offering. Cain was exceedingly angy, and his countenance fell.
4:6 And the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you so angry, and why has your countenance fallen?
4:7 “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is waiting at the door. And it will want to have you, but you must master it.”
4:8 Cain talked with his brother Abel. And when they were in the field, Cain attacked his bother Abel and killed him.
4:9 And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he
said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
4:10 And he said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.
4:11 “Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from thy hand.
4:12 “When you work the ground, from now on it will not give its best to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.
4:13 And Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can
bear.
4:14 “Today you have banished me from the land, and I will be hidden from your face. I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me shall kill me.”
4:15 And the LORD said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain shall receive seven times as much punishment. And the LORD put a mark on Cain, so that whoever found him would not kill him.
4:16 And Cain left the presence of the LORD, and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
4:17 And Cain had sexual relations with his wife, and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch (EE-knock): and he built a city, and named the city after his
son, Enoch (EE-knock).
4:18 And to Enoch (EE-knock) was born Irad (EYE-rad (as in “had”)): and Irad (EYE-rad (as in “had”)) was the father of Mehujael (meh-HOO-jay-el): and
Mehujael (meh-HOO-jay-el) was the father of Methusael (meh-THOO-shay-el): and Methusael (meh-THOO-shay-el) was the father of Lamech (LAY-mek).
4:19 And Lamech (LAY-mek) took two wives: the name of one was Adah (AY-duh),
and the name of the other was Zillah (ZIL-uh).
4:20 And Adah (AY-duh) gave birth to Jabal (JAY-buhl). He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
4:21 His brother’s name was Jubal (Jew-buhl): he was the father of those who play musical instruments.
4:22 And Zillah (ZIL-uh), she also bare Tubalcain (TOO-buhl Cain), an expert in forging tools of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubalcain (TOO-buhl Cain) was Naamah (NAY-uh-muh).
4:23 And Lamech (LAY-mek) said to his wives, Adah (AY-duh) and Zillah (ZIL-uh), Hear my voice, you wives of Lamech (LAY-mek), hear my words, because I have killed a man for wounding me, and a young man for injuring me.
4:24 If Cain will be avenged seven times, then Lamech (LAY-mek) will be avenged seventy-seven times.
4:25 And Adam had sexual relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, “Because,” she said, “God has given me another child in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.
4:26 Seth also had a son, whom he named him Enosh (EE-nosh). Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD.
3:1 In those days John the Baptist came and preached in the Judean desert,
3:2 saying, “Turn from your sins! Repent! Because the kingdom of heaven is near.”
3:3 This is the man that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah (eye-ZAY-uh), when he said, “The voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”
3:4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist; and he ate locusts and wild honey.
3:5 The people of Jerusalem went out to see him, and all the people of Judea (jew-DAY-uh), and all the areas around Jordan,
3:6 And John baptized them in the Jordan River, and they confessed their sins.
3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to watch him baptizing, he said to them, “You are the children of snakes! Who warned
you to flee from the wrath to come?
3:8 “Produce fruit that shows you have turned from sin.
3:9 “Do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We are descendants of Abraham’, because I tell you that God can turn these stones to into descendants of Abraham.
3:10 “And now the ax is laid at the roots of the trees. Every tree which does not produce good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.
3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the man who comes after me is mightier than I am. I am not worthy to carry his shoes. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
3:12 “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will throughly clean his floor, and
gather his wheat into the barn; but he will burn up the chaff with a fire that cannot be put out.”
3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River, to be baptized by John.
3:14 But John protested, and said, “I need to be baptized by you, and you are coming to me?”
3:15 Jesus answered him, “Allow it to happen now, because in this way we must fulfill all righteousness.” And then, John agreed to baptize Jesus.
3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went immediately up out of the
water, and the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and landing on him:
3:17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love, and with whom I am very pleased.”
Welcome to the world premiere of the Lifespring! Audio Bible! This is a project that has been on my heart for several years, but because life sometimes gets in the way of the important things, I have pushed it to the back burner. Now is the time to make it happen.
I do still hope to get through the entire Bible in one year, but please give me some latitude if it goes long. I will try to read about sixty-seven verses from the Old Testament and twenty-two verses from the New Testament on each episode.
The Lifespring! Audio Bible is a brand new translation/paraphrase/version of the Bible that I, your host, Steve Webb, am writing. Listen to the introduction to this episode to hear what my method will be in completing this project.
This is a copyrighted version of the Bible. Please do not copy, rebroadcast or reproduce in any manner either the audio or printed form of this work, without the express written permission of yours truly.
I will post the day’s reading here on the show notes page for you to read along with, if you like.
Your comments are welcome. Please let me know how you like the audio version of the Lifespring! Audio Bible, and the written version as well.
Welcome to the final episode of the 2010 Lifespring Family Bible. I’m Steve Webb, and I have been your host on this one year journey through God’s Word. If you have been with us for the entire year, I congratulate you. One of the marks of a disciple is making a point to follow the lead of the teacher, and as God the Holy Spirit has been teaching us as we have heard the word this year, I hope that you have been blessed and that you have grown spiritually. It has truly been my privilege to bring the Bible to you this year.
I want to thank my guest readers. As I’m sure you can imagine, reading the entire Bible out loud is quite a task, and it was really great to get a few breaks along the way. May God bless each of you for contributing to the LSFB.
I want to thank the good folks at bible.org. It was their translation of the Bible, the Net Bible, that I used for most of the year. It’s a free, online translation, and I think it has served us well. They gave their permission to use it, several months into the project, and again, I thank them for that.
And of course, I give praise and honor and glory to God. I’ve been saying this since 2004, but it is as true today as the first time I said it: It never ceases to amaze and humble me that he chose me to be the first one to create a Christian podcast, and that He continues to bring new listeners into the Lifespring family.
The world is going through some pretty tough times right now, and I believe that this generation needs to hear the Word of God more now than at any time in any of our memories. It has been my privilege to be just a tiny part of bringing the Bible to the ears of people yearn to it.
I thank you, dear listener, for listening. Once in a while, I’ll get an email that really makes this effort worthwhile. Just this morning, I got this from a listener named Brian. He said: Steve, I’ve been a listener of your podcasts (Lifespring Family Bible) for over 2 years now. I download the material to my Microsoft Zune daily. It’s great to get fed God’s word while driving or even in the office. All year long you bless your listeners and I just wanted to bless you for doing God’s work and giving so much to so many. Thanks for a great 2010 and may you enjoy God’s richest blessing in 2011!
Thank you, Brian. It really does make my day when I get an email like that.
Thank each of you for listening.
So, what’s ahead? What about 2011? Well, of course, we’ll do it again. I’ll take a little over a week off, and then right around January 10, 2011, show number one will be coming right back atcha! So, tell your friends, tell your family, tell your facebook friends, your twiiter followers, and any other social network or forum you are a part of, to listen through the entire bible in 2011, with the lsfb!
I’ll see you here on Jan 10.
May God bless you richly, and have a happy new year!
Hallelujah! Today we conclude our journey through God’s Word with the reading of Romans 16. Paul sends his greetings to friends, and, prompted by the Holy Spirit, warns the believers about those who would come and preach, using flattery and smooth talk, lessons contrary to the teaching of the Gospel.
Please remember to come back tomorrow for some closing remarks!
