Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Take a breath, find your place, and read deeply. Discover the joy of reading God’s word with the Immerse New Living Translation (NLT) Bible.
This daily Bible podcast will take you through the Bible in a year following the Immerse Bible Reading Experience. So grab your family and small group and go through the Bible in a year together with Immerse. Each of the 6 volumes is available online or at your favorite Christian bookstore.
Henry: Welcome To Immerse: The
Daily Bible Reading Experience.
Day 64.
faith shows the reality of what we
hope for it is the evidence of things
we cannot see through their faith.
The people in days of old earned
a good reputation by faith.
We understand that the entire
universe was formed at God's command,
that what we now see did not come
from anything that can be seen.
It was by faith that Abel brought him more
acceptable offering to God than Kane did.
Abel's offering gave evidence that
he was a righteous man, and God
showed his approval of his gifts.
Although Abel is long dead, he
still speaks to us by his example
of faith, it was by faith that Enoch
was taken up to heaven without dying.
He disappeared because God took him.
For before he was taken up, he was known
as a person who pleased God and it is
impossible to please God without faith.
Anyone who wants to come to him must
believe that God exists and that he
rewards those who sincerely seek him.
It was by faith that Noah built a large
boat to save his family from the flood
He obeyed God, who warned him about
things that had never happened before.
By his faith, Noah condemned the
rest of the world and he received the
righteousness that comes by faith.
It was by faith that Abraham obeyed
when God called him to leave home
and go to another land that God
would give him as his inheritance.
He went without knowing where he was going
and even when he reached the land, God
promised him he lived there by faith for
he was like a foreigner living in tents.
And so did Isaac and Jacob,
who inherited the same promise.
Abraham was confidently looking forward
to a city with eternal foundations,
a city designed and built by God.
It was by faith that even Sarah was
able to have a child, though she was
barren and was too old, she believed
that God would keep his promise.
And so a whole nation came from this
one man who was as good as dead.
A nation with so many people that like
the stars and the sky and the sand on the
seashore, there is no way to count them.
All these people died still
believing what God had promised them.
They did not receive what was
promised, but they saw it all
from a distance and welcomed it.
They agreed that they were
foreigners and nomads here on earth.
Obviously, people who say such
things are looking forward to a
country that can call their own.
If they had longed for the country
they came from, they could have gone
back, but they were looking for a
better place, a heavenly homeland.
That is why God is not ashamed
to be called their God for he
has prepared a city for them.
It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac
as a sacrifice when God was testing him.
Abraham who had received
God's promises, was ready to
sacrifice his only son, Isaac.
Even though God had told him,
Isaac is the son through whom
your descendants will be counted.
Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God
was able to bring him back to life again.
And in a sense, Abraham did
receive his son back from the dead.
It was by faith that Isaac
promised blessings for the future
to his sons, Jacob and Esau.
It was by faith that Jacob, when
he was old and dying, blessed
each of Joseph's sons and bowed in
worship as he leaned on his staff.
It was by faith that Joseph, when he
was about to die, said confidently that
the people of Israel would leave Egypt.
He even commanded them to take his
bones with them when they left.
It was by faith that Moses' parents hid
him for three months when he was born.
They saw that God had given them
an unusual child, and they were not
afraid to disobey the king's command.
It was by faith that Moses, when
he grew up, refused to be called
the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
He chose to share the oppression
of God's people instead of enjoying
the fleeting pleasures of sin.
He thought it was better to
suffer for the sake of Christ than
to own the treasures of Egypt.
For he was looking ahead to his
great reward, but was by faith
that Moses left the land of Egypt
not fearing the king's anger.
He kept right on going because he kept
his eyes on the one who was invisible.
It was by faith that Moses commanded
the people of Israel to keep the
Passover and to sprinkle blood on the
doorposts so that the angel of death
would not kill their firstborn sons.
It was by faith that the people of
Israel went right through the Red Sea
as though they were on dry ground.
But when the Egyptians tried to
follow, they were all drowned.
It was by faith that the people of
Israel marched around Jericho for seven
days and the walls came crashing down.
It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute
was not destroyed with the people
in her city who refused to obey God.
Forhe had given a friendly
welcome to the spies.
How much more do I need to say?
It would take too long to recount
the stories of the faith of Gideon
Barak, Samson, Jeff, the David
Samuel, and all the prophets.
By faith, these people overthrew
kingdoms ruled with justice and
received what God had promised them.
They shut the mouths of lions, quenched
the flames of fire, and escaped
death by the edge of the sword.
Their weakness was turned to strength.
They became strong in battle
and put whole armies to flight.
Women received their loved ones
back again from death, but others
were tortured, refusing to turn
from God in order to be set free.
They placed their hope in a better life
after the resurrection, some were jered at
and their backs were cut open with whips.
Others were chained in prisons.
Some died by stoning.
Some were sawed in half, and
others were killed with a sword.
Some went about wearing skins
of sheep and goats, destitute
and oppressed, and mistreated.
They were too good for this world.
Wandering over deserts and mountains,
hiding in caves and holes in the
ground, all these people earned a good
reputation because of their faith.
Yet none of them received all
that God had promised for.
God had something better in mind
for us so that they would not
reach perfection without us.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such
a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of
faith, let us strip off every weight that
slows us down, especially the sin that
so easily trips us up and let us run with
endurance the race God has set before us.
We do this by keeping our eyes
on Jesus, the champion who
initiates and perfects our faith.
Because of the joy awaiting him, he
endured the cross disregarding a shame.
Now he is seated in the place
of honor beside God's throne.
Think of all the hostility he
endured from sinful people.
Then you won't become weary
and give up after all.
You have not yet given your lives and
your struggle against sin, and have
you forgotten the encouraging words?
God spoke to you as his children.
He said, my child.
Don't make light of the Lord's
discipline and don't give up when he
corrects you For the Lord disciplines
those he loves, and he punishes
each one He accepts as his child, as
you endure this divine discipline.
Remember that God is treating
you as his own children.
Whoever heard of a child who was
never disciplined by its father.
If God doesn't discipline you as he
does all of his children, it means
that you are illegitimate and are
not really his children at all.
Since we respected our earthly fathers
who disciplined us, shouldn't we submit
even more to the discipline of the father
of our spirits and live forever for our
earthly fathers disciplined us for a few
years doing the best they knew how, but
God's discipline is always good for us,
so that we might share in his holiness.
No discipline is enjoyable.
While it is happening, it's painful,
but afterward there will be a
peaceful harvest of right living for
those who are trained in this way.
So take a new grip with your tired
hands and strengthen your weak knees.
Mark out a straight path for your
feet so that those who are weak and
lame will not fall, but become strong.
Work at living in peace with everyone
and work at living a holy life.
For those who are not holy, will
not see the Lord look after each
other so that none of you fails
to receive the grace of God.
Watch out, that no poisonous root
of bitterness grows up to trouble.
You corrupting many.
Make sure that no one is immoral
or godless like Esau, who
traded his birthright as the
firstborn son for a single meal.
You know that afterward when he wanted
his father's blessing, he was rejected.
It was too late for repentance.
Even though he begged with bitter
tears, you have not come to a physical
mountain, to a place of flaming fire,
darkness, gloom, and whirlwind as
the Israelites dead at Mount Sinai
for they heard an awesome trumpet
blast and a voice so terrible that
they begged God to stop speaking.
They staggered back under God's command.
If even an animal touches the
mountain, it must be stoned to death.
Moses himself was so frightened
at the site that he said, I
am terrified and trembling.
No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the
city of the Living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to countless thousands
of angels and a joyful gathering.
You have come to the assembly of
God's firstborn, children whose
names are written in heaven.
You have come to God himself,
who is the judge over all things.
You have come to the spirits
of the righteous ones in heaven
who have now been made perfect.
You have come to Jesus, the one who
mediates the new covenant between
God and people, and to the sprinkled
blood which speaks of forgiveness.
Instead of crying out for vengeance like
the blood of Abel, be careful that you
do not refuse to listen to the one who
is speaking for if the people of Israel
did not escape when they refuse to
listen to Moses the earthly messenger.
We will certainly not escape if we reject
the one who speaks to us from heaven.
When God spoke from Mount Sinai,
his voice shook the earth, but
now he makes another promise.
Once again, I will shake not
only the earth but the heavens.
Also, this means that all of creation
will be shaken and removed so that
only unshakable things will remain.
Since we are receiving a kingdom that
is unshakable, let us be thankful.
And please God, by worshiping
him with holy fear and awe, for
our God is a devouring fire.
Keep on loving each other.
As brothers and sisters, don't forget
to show hospitality to strangers.
For some who have done this, have
entertained angels without realizing it.
Remember those in prison as
if you were there yourself.
Remember also those being mistreated as
if you felt their pain in your own bodies.
Give honor to marriage and remain
faithful to one another in marriage.
God will surely judge people who are
immoral and those who commit adultery.
Don't love money.
Be satisfied with what you have.
For God has said, I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.
So we can say with confidence, the Lord
is my helper, so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?
Remember your leaders who
taught you the word of God.
Think of all the good that has
come from their lives and follow
the example of their faith.
Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today, and forever.
So do not be attracted
by strange new ideas.
Your strength comes from God's grace,
not from rules about food, which
don't help those who follow them.
We have an altar from which the priests
and the tabernacle have no right to eat.
Under the old system, the high priest
brought the blood of animals into
the holy place as a sacrifice for
sin, and the bodies of the animals
were burned outside the camp.
So also, Jesus suffered and died
outside the city gates to make his
people holy by means of his own blood.
So let us go out to him outside
the camp and bear the disgrace.
He bore.
For this world is not our permanent home.
We are looking forward
to a home yet to come.
Therefore, let us offer through Jesus
a continual sacrifice of praise to
God, proclaiming our allegiance to
His name, and don't forget to do
good and to share with those in need.
These are the sacrifices that
please God obey your spiritual
leaders and do what they say their
work is to watch over your souls.
And they are accountable to God.
Give them reason to do this
with joy and not with sorrow.
That would certainly
not be for your benefit.
Pray for us, for our conscience is
clear and we want to live honorably in
everything we do and especially pray that
I will be able to come back to you soon.
Now may the God of peace who brought
up from the dead, our Lord Jesus, the
great shepherd of the sheep and ratified
an eternal covenant with his blood.
May he equip you with all
you need for doing his will.
May he produce in you through
the power of Jesus Christ.
Every good thing that is pleasing to
him, all glory to him forever and ever.
Amen.
I urge you, dear brothers and sisters,
to pay attention to what I have
written in this brief exhortation.
I want you to know that our brother
Timothy has been released from jail.
If he comes here soon, I will bring
him with me to see you greet all your
leaders and all the believers there.
The believers from Italy
send you their greetings.
May God's grace be with you all.
This concludes today's
Immer reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.