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Transcript Podcast Introduction In our reading today we’ll read Luke 11-12. After the reading I’ll have some comments. I’m calling today’s episode “No Vacancy.” Comments on Luke 11 24  “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.” Luke 11: 24-26 ESV “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person”. Jesus is showing that demons can come and go from people. They look for people to inhabit. But take note, when a person gives their life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live in them. In John 14:15-17 Jesus said,  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, (Or Advocate, or Counselor) to be with you forever, 17even the Spirit of truth,(Or the Holy Spirit) whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” And in 1 Corinthians 6:19, Paul said, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” So the believer, the Christian, the one who has asked Jesus to forgive them and be their Lord, has the Holy Spirit in them, right? And the Holy Spirit does not share space with demons! They cannot take up residence in a Christian. No way. No how. Now, notice in this account that Jesus is giving that He says, “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’” So at some point, for some reason, the demon left the person. And it looked around for some other place to occupy, but it found no place as well suited as the former place, so it returned. And since the place was empty, without Jesus, he moved back in. Listen, you can’t be on the fence. Either Jesus is in you, or He isn’t. Jesus said in Matthew 12:30, “Whoever is not with me is against me…”. An agnostic is just as lost as an atheist.  You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Nature abhors a vacuum.” Where there is space, it wants to be filled. I remember my first computer back in the late 80s, early 90s, had a 120 Mb hard drive. Yes, megabyte. Not gigabyte, and certainly not Tb. After I used the computer for several months, the hard drive filled up. So I got a really spacious 350 Mb drive. “This thing is so big it’ll never fill up,” I foolishly thought. Today I have a 1 Tb drive in my iMac. For reference, there are 1,000 megabytes in a Gb. And 1,000 Gb in a Tb. So a Tb is one million times larger than a Mb. So compared to that 120 Mb hard drive I started off with, the 1 Tb drive in my computer should be just fine, shouldn’t it? It’ll never fill up. Well, wait a minute. I’m not done. The 1 Tb drive in my iMac is nearly full. Plus, I have another 4 Tb drive connected to my computer. Which gives me 5 Tb. That should be enough. Right? I’m not finished. I have another 8 Tb drive connected, too. That’s 13 Tb. That’s 13 million Mb! And all of my hard drives, all 13 million Mb are almost all used up! I need to buy MORE disc space! Out of all that space, I have only a total of 435 Gb available space. That’s less than half of a Tb.  Nature abhors a vacuum, and according to what this story from Jesus tells us, that applies in the spiritual realm, too. Either the Holy Spirit lives in you, or you’ve hung out a “Vacancy” sign for a demonic tenant. I’m not saying that every non Christian will have an experience like an Exorcist movie, but of course the way the enemy works, he usually likes to inflict damage a little at a time. Sort of like termites. They can get into the wood framing of a house and be there for months and years eating away at the structure without being detected. But all the while, the house is being weakened until there is no structural integrity left. A demon takes up residence in a person, and spiritual decay begins. How it manifests can be a collapse of morals, lack of judgement, substance abuse, and on and on. And I’m not saying that these examples are always or only because of demonic possession. I’m just saying these *can* be indicators.  But instead of focusing on what the enemy, or demons can do, our focus should be on Jesus. He is the source of life and freedom and joy and salvation. If you have him, you have all you need. He said in John 10:10, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” So what does your sign say? Vacancy, or No Vacancy? If your sign says Vacancy

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-6 NASB Podcast Introduction It’s Prophecy Friday, and we’ll read Ezekiel 1-6. I’m calling this episode “Wheels Within Wheels.” Design: Jason Paschall | Photo: Midjourney Comments on Ezekiel 1 Regarding the visions that Ezekiel saw in chapter one, I have to say that it is hard to envision what he describes. Don’t you think? I can only imagine that he must have been terrified. The storm, the four beings (which some commentators say are angels) with the four faces and wings and hands and legs, and eyes. Nothing like these beings had ever before been seen by a human, that we know.  We have seen all sorts of strange creatures, thanks to Hollywood special effects. But Ezekiel had absolutely no frame of reference.  And then the wheels within wheels. It’s sort of a wonder that Ezekiel was able to put any of this into words, but then again, he was given the words to write by the Holy Spirit. But still, imagine how dumbfounded he must have been at these visions. And the sounds he heard! Sounds like tremendous waterfalls and the tumult of an army camp. Have you ever stood close to a large waterfall? It’s almost deafening. And the sound is unrelenting. It makes you feel so small and insignificant. Such enormous power. And then, over the beings and the wheels, above them all, was something like a throne that looked like a kind of jewel, with a man sitting on the throne. But His appearance was like no ordinary man, and the radiance around the throne was unlike anything seen on earth. Who was the man? We know Him as Jesus. We generally think of Him as He appeared on earth. But think of it. His time here was just a flash of time, but for all of eternity past, present and future, except for those 33 years, He is in this place which our words are unable to describe adequately. We think of Him kind of like a buddy or big brother, but seeing Him like this…I think we would just have to fall on our faces. And of course, we know that when we do see Him at some point in the future, that is precisely what we will do.  I can’t wait. Support This a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT. Transcript Download .txt file. Transcript not yet corrected. Steve Webb 0:00Words are unable to describe adequately. Steve Webb 0:10This is the Lifespring! One Year Bible coming to you from Riverside, California. And podcasting since 2004. I am Euro je Godcaster Steve Webb. It’s the daily podcast where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. Today is prophecy Friday and we’re going to read Ezekiel one through six. I’m calling the episode, wheels within wheels. Let’s get started with a word of prayer. Our heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you so much for your love. And we thank you for giving us the Bible so that we can know you. I pray God that as we read today, you would teach us and I pray this in Jesus name, amen. Okay, are you ready? Let’s begin. Steve Webb 0:52Ezekiel chapter one. Now it came about in the 30th year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river, key bar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. On the fifth of the month, in the fifth year of King Jehovah kings exile, the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest son abuse I, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river key bar, and there the hand of the Lord came upon him. As I looked, behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually, and a bright light around it, and in its midst, something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire. Within it were figures resembling for living beings, and this was their appearance, they had human form. Each of them had four faces in four wings. Their legs were straight, and their feet were like a calves hoof, and they gleaned like burnished bronze. under their wings on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, their wings touched one another. Their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward. As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man, all forehead, the face of a lion on the right, and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle, such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above each head to touching another being and to covering their bodies. And each one straightforward. Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go without turning as they went. In the midst of the living beings, there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was b

Transcript Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Proverbs 4. I’m calling today’s episode “It’s Worth It.” Comments on Proverbs 4 The father is now teaching not just his son, but his children. This lesson is intended for all of his offspring. Would that every parent had this wisdom to impart these lessons to every one of their children. But sadly, it seems as if wisdom is in very short supply, and has been for at least the last three or four generations. And yes, I include mine. The lessons in this chapter, if well taught and well learned, would go very far in preventing the kind of near insanity that we see around the world today.  Want an example? How about this: Trading freedom for “safety” is anything but wise. I think Solomon would  even call it foolish. Here in America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, our forefathers knew that freedom was infinitely better than safety. But somewhere along the way, we forgot to pass that lesson on.  In verse 5, Solomon wrote the words his father, David said to him, “Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!” The Hebrew word Qana, that in our translation here is Acquire, means “to buy” or “purchase”. Not that you can actually exchange money for wisdom, but the idea is that gaining wisdom will come with a cost. And making that exchange is a good thing.  Also, acquiring something in this sense does not usually happen by accident, but by a conscious decision. You *decide* to acquire it. You go after it. You work for it.  Wisdom is not something that just happens. We like to think that wisdom comes with age, but if you look around you don’t have to look to far to see old fools, do you?  Where is wisdom to be found? Before I answer that, let’s think about where it is not to be found. It is not to be found “within” yourself. You’ll often hear people say, “What does your heart say?” Or “Follow your heart!” What does the Bible say about the heart? “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9. This is one of the biggest blunders of modern times! Most of the problems we see today are a result of foolish people following their hearts. And by foolish, I mean it in the sense of the book of Proverbs. A fool is one who rejects wisdom.  Of course you know that I’m going to say that the greatest source of wisdom available to us is the Bible. David said to Solomon in verse 5, “Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.” Beloved, the Bible isn’t just the words of David and Solomon and Moses and Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and all the other men who held a pen and wrote the words. The words came out of the mouth of God. When we decide to acquire wisdom, when we remember and hold fast to His words, we will be rewarded.  Imagine if, instead of pooh-poohing the Bible, as has been done for the last several decades, if people clung to what is in the pages of the Bible…imagine how different the world would be. It boggles the imagination. But listen, the world is changed one person at a time. One life at a time. And each of can, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, bring change to someone in *our* world. That’s what Jesus last commandment was before He ascended to Heaven. He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…” David told Solomon, “Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.” Let us not forget or turn away from the words of Jesus’ mouth.  Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Scottsdale Mint on Unsplash Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. NASB Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Transcript Download .txt file Steve Webb 0:00Gaining wisdom will come with a cost. Steve Webb 0:10Hey there, how are you? This is the Lifespring family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, podcasting since 2004. I’m your OG God caster Steve Webb. This is the daily podcast where we are reading through the entire Bible in a year. Welcome. Today we’re going to read Proverbs four and I’m calling the episode. It’s worth it. The show notes page for today’s episode is Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 162. And you can post comments there. Let’s get started. Steve Webb 0:41Proverbs chapter four. Hear, oh sons the instruction of a father and give attention that you may gain understanding, for I give you sound teaching, do not abandon

Transcript Podcast Introduction In our reading today Psalms 69-71. I’m calling today’s episode “Stand Up.” Comments on Psalm 69 This is a psalm which is especially applicable to today, and will become even more so as we approach the Last Days. David began this psalm asking God to save him, and he writes about how utterly miserable he feels: “I am tired of crying. My throat is hoarse. My eyes are exhausted with waiting for my God.” In verse 4 he reveals the reason for his misery: “More numerous than the hairs on my head are those who hate me for no reason. My treacherous enemies, those who would destroy me, are countless. Must I now give back what I didn’t steal in the first place?” Beloved, David is being attacked without cause. Does that sound familiar? You thought cancel culture was a new phenomenon?  Why do they hate him? v7: I am insulted because of you. v9: Because passion for your house has consumed me, the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me! They hated David because David loves the Lord, because he lives his life for God. And as if it isn’t bad enough that strangers hate him, even his brothers have rejected him. v8: I have become a stranger to my own brothers, an immigrant to my mother’s children. I’ve heard so many stories of families being divided over conflicting beliefs, and you probably have too. But just as David was committed to the Lord, we must also be. When we are attacked, we should cry to God for his protection. vv17-18: Don’t hide your face from me, your servant, because I’m in deep trouble. Answer me quickly! Come close to me! Redeem me! Save me because of my enemies! And David did something that might surprise you. vv30: I will praise God’s name with song; I will magnify him with thanks… David knew that this kind of hatred was not unique to him. He encouraged others who are hated without cause: Let the afflicted see it and be glad! You who seek God—let your hearts beat strong again because the LORD listens to the needy… Jesus said in Matthew 10:11-12:  “Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of me. 12Be full of joy and be glad, because you have a great reward in heaven. In the same way, people harassed the prophets who came before you. Don’t be afraid of cancel culture, beloved. Courageously proclaim the Good News. Stand before men, kneel before God. Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Jakob Owens on Unsplash Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 69 CEB; Ch. 70 NKJV; Ch. 71 GNT Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Transcript Download .txt file Steve Webb 0:00Families being divided over conflicting beliefs Steve Webb 0:11Well, hello there. This is the Lifespring family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, broadcasting since 2004. I am your OG God caster Steve Webb. This is a daily podcast and we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. Welcome. I’m glad you’re here today, what’s going on? Today we’re going to read Psalms 69 through 71. And I’m calling the episode stand up. And since we’re in Psalms, as we’ve been doing, I’ll give you a brief introduction before I read each chapter. Then after we read the chapters, I’ll have some comments on Psalms 69. We’ll also have an on this day in church history segment. And after that, I’ve got a very, very special sound clip I want to share with you so stick around for that. And then of course, we will have our time of prayer the shownotes page for today’s episode, is it Lifespring media.com/s 12 v 161. Are you ready to get started? Good. So am I. Steve Webb 1:06Introduction to Psalms 69. The title of this psalm is to the chief musician set to the lilies, a Psalm of David. You probably remember that some commentators believe that to the chief musician is referring to the music leader at the temple and others believe that it refers to God, the chief musician, set to the lilies probably refers to a tune called the lilies. And then of course, a Psalm of David tells us who wrote it. Commentator G. Campbell, Morgan wrote, perhaps in no song in the whole Psalter is the sense of sorrow profounder or more intense than in this, the soul of the singer pours itself out in unrestrained abandonment to the overwhelming and terrible grief, which consumes it. Steve Webb 1:55Psalms chapter 69 Steve Webb 1:58Save me God, because the waters have reached my neck. I have sunk into deep mud. My feet can’t touch the bottom. I have entered deep water. The flood has swept me up. I’m tired of crying. My throat is hoarse, my eyes

Transcript Podcast Introduction In our reading today we’ll read 1 Kings 10-1, and after the reading I’ll have some comments. I’m calling today’s episode “How To Stay Faithful.” Comments on 1 Kings 11 In chapter 11, we saw that Solomon wandered from God because he loved many foreign women. He had 700 wives of royal birth, and 300 concubines. This went against Deuteronomy 17:17 which says, “The king must not have many wives. If he does, they will lead him astray.”. The fact that he married Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, and Sidonians made it even worse. Compare this with Solomon’s prayer upon the completion of the temple. That prayer was sincere, and Solomon loved the Lord and his people at that time. What happened? He took his eyes off God. He is affections went toward his wives. Which is why it is important to pay attention to your relationship with God. If you love God today, that is wonderful. But, let Solomon be an example to you. Take seriously the importance of maintaining the relationship. There’s a joke about the wife who asks her husband if he loves her. He says, “I told you a loved you the day we got married. Until I tell you otherwise, nothing has changed.” The reason that is funny to us is that we know that it’s patently ridiculous. Love in a marriage should always be restated and reinforced. So just because you love God today does not mean you should or can relax. God isn’t going anywhere, but your heart will probably wander if you don’t maintain the relationship.. How do you maintain your relationship with God? In many of the same ways that you do with people you love. You spend time with them. You care about what they care about. You tell them you love them, and more important than telling them is demonstrating it in a thousand different ways. You prioritize time with them, meaning that you set aside certain times to be with them. You talk with them. You share your heart with them. You find out what what matters to them. God has shared his heart with us through his Word, the Bible. Your listening to this show is a great start in hearing God’s heart, but I hope it also gives you a thirst to want to read and study it on your own. At the end of the show I sometimes ask you,”What do you think? ” That’s not a rhetorical question. I want you to think about what God is saying to you as a result of each day’s reading. You can and should spend time with God in prayer. Prayer should be a conversation. Take turns. You talk, then you listen, then you respond, then you listen, etc. The Holy Spirit will speak to you. Also, scripture tells us that when two or more are gathered together in his name, he is there in the midst of them. So another way to spend time with God is to go to church. Go to Bible studies, serve in a ministry of some sort. Make God the center of your life, and be faithful about it. If you are married, serve God as a team. If you are single, the apostle Paul said that is a better way because your affections aren’t split between your spouse and God. But, he acknowledges that not all can live that way, and marriage is okay. But when you are looking for a spouse, be sure they have a solid, real relationship with Jesus. You don’t want to be drawn away like King Solomon was. What do you think? Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Grant Ritchie on Unsplash Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 10 NIRV, Ch. 11 NIV, Ch. 12-13 NLT Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Transcript Download .txt file Steve Webb 0:00So what happened Unknown Speaker 0:08Hello there. This is the Lifespring family Audio Bible and I’m coming to you from Riverside, California podcasting since 2004. I am your OG God caster Steve Webb. This is a daily podcast and we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. In Our reading today will read first Kings 10 through 13. And after the reading, I will of course have some comments. The title of today’s episode is how to stay faithful. The show notes page for today’s episode is Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 167. If you’d care to share your comments, and you can also email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com. Let’s get into the reading. Unknown Speaker 0:48First Kings chapter 10. Unknown Speaker 0:51The Queen of Sheba heard about how famous Solomon was. She also heard about how he served in worship the Lord, so she came to test him with hard questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large group of attendants. Her camels were carrying spices, huge amounts of gold and valuable jewels. She came to Solomon and asked Him about everything she wanted to know. Solomon answered all of her questions. There wasn’t anyth

Transcript Podcast Introduction In our reading today we’ll read Leviticus 1-3. Before starting the reading, I’ll give you a brief introduction to Leviticus, and after the reading I’ll have some comments. I’m calling today’s episode “Three of Five.” Comments on Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Markus Spiske on Unsplash Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-2 ESV; Ch. 3 LEB Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Transcript Download .txt Steve Webb 0:00Why does God require sacrifices? Steve Webb 0:10This is the Lifespring family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, podcasting since 2004. I’m your OG God casters Steve Webb. This is a daily podcast and we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. Welcome and Happy Valentine’s Day. I know some people don’t believe in celebrating this day because of some of its pagan roots. But I believe today we’re so far removed from those roots that the Christian is free to observe it if done within proper godly boundaries. And in my case, if I forgot to do something for the lovely lady Leanne on Valentine’s Day, I’d certainly be in the doghouse, sweetheart. Happy Valentine’s Day. I love you more every day. Well, our reading today will be Leviticus one through three. And before starting the reading. I’ll give you a brief introduction to Leviticus. And after the reading, I’ll have some comments. The title of today’s show is three of five. The show notes page for today’s episode is Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 166. And I welcome your comments on that page. And you can email me also at Steve at Lifespring media.com. Let’s begin. Steve Webb 1:19Leviticus is the third book of the Old Testament which puts it squarely in the middle of the Pentateuch, which are the first five books of the Bible Penta means five, the Jews call the Pentateuch, the Torah or law. The author is Moses and Leviticus begins where Exodus left off the first 16 chapters of the book deal with how to approach a holy God and chapters 17 through 26 deal with how to continue in fellowship with a holy God. In this book, we see three very important aspects of God’s character. Number one, in giving his chosen people a system of making sacrifices, he revealed his grace. Number two, we see in chapters eight through 10, that he has a God of justice when his law is broken. And number three, God’s faithfulness is shown in his continued presence with the children of Israel. Steve Webb 2:15Leviticus chapter one. Steve Webb 2:18The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting saying, Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, when any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, You shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish, he shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. Then he shall kill the bowl before the Lord and Aaron sons, the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, then he shall flayed the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. And Aaron sons, the priests shall arrange the pieces the head and the fat on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, but it’s in trails and its legs, he shall wash with water, and the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish, and he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the Lord and Aaron sons, the priests shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar, and he shall cut it into pieces with its head and it’s fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, but the in trails and the legs he shall wash with water, and the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds than he shall bring his offering of turtle doves or pigeons, and the priest shall bring it to the altar and ring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. He shall remove its crop with its contents and cast it beside the altar on