Latest / Bible Chat Devotional / April 1 - When the Kingdom Draws Near

Transcript

April 1 - When the Kingdom Draws Near · Bible Chat Devotional

• 0:02
  Welcome to Bible Chat, where we have devotional conversations
• 0:06
  rooted in Scripture and relevant for today, April first Life
• 0:11
  changing words. Some words pass through our ears
• 0:14
  and disappear by the end of the day, but some words stay with
• 0:17
  us. They press on our hearts,
• 0:20
  challenge our habits and slowly change the direction of our
• 0:23
  lives. That is what the word of God
• 0:26
  does when we stop treating it like background noise and start
• 0:29
  receiving it like life. Proverbs chapter 13 verses 13 to
• 0:34
  14 says whoever despises the word will be destroyed, but he
• 0:39
  who fears the commandment will be rewarded.
• 0:42
  The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life turning a
• 0:45
  person from the snares of death. Then in Mark chapter one, verse
• 0:48
  15, Jesus begins preaching repent, for the Kingdom of
• 0:53
  heaven is at hand. Those are not empty religious
• 0:56
  words. They are life changing words.
• 1:00
  Repent means turn around. It means stop going in the
• 1:03
  direction that is draining your soul and return to the God who
• 1:06
  loves you. And that can be hard because so
• 1:09
  many other voices compete for our attention.
• 1:11
  Friends speak, culture speaks, fear speaks, temptation speaks,
• 1:16
  our feelings speak loudly too. But God's Word does not just
• 1:20
  inform us, it rescues us. It warns us about traps that
• 1:24
  look exciting at first but leave us wounded later.
• 1:28
  Sometimes we ignore God because obedience feels inconvenient.
• 1:32
  We want quick comfort, instant answers, or the freedom to do
• 1:36
  whatever feels right in the moment.
• 1:38
  But real freedom is not found in rejecting God's wisdom.
• 1:42
  Real freedom is found in being led by the one who sees the end
• 1:46
  from the beginning. His commands are not meant to
• 1:48
  crush you. They are meant to protect you,
• 1:51
  guide you, and give you life. Today.
• 1:54
  Let God's voice be louder than your distractions.
• 1:57
  Open your heart to His correction.
• 1:59
  Let His truth shape your choices.
• 2:01
  The words of Jesus still change everything.
• 2:03
  Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for
• 2:07
  speaking words that bring life. Forgive me for the times I
• 2:10
  ignore Your truth or treat Your word lightly.
• 2:14
  Help me listen with humility, respond with obedience, and
• 2:17
  trust that Your ways are always better than my own.
• 2:21
  Change my heart, renew my mind, and lead me away from every trap
• 2:24
  that would pull me from You. Let Your word become a fountain
• 2:27
  of life in me today. In Jesus name, Amen.
• 2:35
  What if you could rise up and declare with full spiritual
• 2:37
  authority, I shall not die, but live?
• 2:41
  Death Defeated is a powerful five book prayer series for
• 2:44
  believers who are ready to confront premature death, break
• 2:47
  demonic cycles, and enforce God's covenant of life over
• 2:50
  their destiny and household. Book 1.
• 2:52
  Deliverance from Death breaks chains of premature death and
• 2:55
  generational attacks. Book 2.
• 2:58
  Destruction of Deaths Devices exposes hidden traps and
• 3:01
  dismantles the enemy schemes. Book three.
• 3:03
  Divine Defense against Death, activates supernatural
• 3:06
  protection and divine preservation.
• 3:08
  Book 4. Disarming the Destroyer
• 3:10
  overthrows deadly assaults and silences the spirit of
• 3:13
  destruction. Book 5, Dominion over Death,
• 3:16
  establishes resurrection authority, victorious living,
• 3:19
  and destiny fulfillment in Christ.
• 3:21
  This series equips you with Scripture anchored prophetic
• 3:23
  prayers to reject fear, cancel dark decrees, and walk in divine
• 3:27
  preservation. Order now on Amazon or visit
• 3:30
  prayerscripts.org. Now I invite you to spend time
• 3:34
  with God in today's three-year Bible reading plan.
• 3:38
  Proverbs chapter 13, verses 13 to 14 World English Bible.
• 3:43
  Whoever despises instruction will pay for it, but he who
• 3:47
  respects a command will be rewarded.
• 3:49
  The teaching of the wise is a spring of life to turn from the
• 3:52
  snares of death. Mark chapter one World English
• 3:55
  Bible the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of
• 3:59
  God, as it is written in the prophets.
• 4:01
  Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will
• 4:04
  prepare your way before you. The voice of one crying in the
• 4:08
  wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord.
• 4:10
  Make his path straight. John came baptizing in the
• 4:13
  wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for
• 4:16
  forgiveness of sins. All the country of Judea and all
• 4:20
  those of Jerusalem went out to him.
• 4:22
  They were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their
• 4:25
  sins. John was clothed with camel's
• 4:27
  hair and a leather belt around his waist.
• 4:30
  He ate locusts and wild honey. He preached, saying, After me
• 4:34
  comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am
• 4:37
  not worthy to stoop down and loosen.
• 4:39
  I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy
• 4:42
  Spirit. In those days Jesus came from
• 4:45
  Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
• 4:49
  Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens
• 4:52
  parting and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
• 4:55
  A voice came out of the sky. You are my beloved Son, in whom
• 4:59
  I am well pleased. Immediately the Spirit drove him
• 5:02
  out into the wilderness. He was there in the wilderness
• 5:04
  40 days, tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals and
• 5:09
  the angels were serving him. Now after John was taken into
• 5:12
  custody, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the good news of God's
• 5:16
  Kingdom and saying the time is fulfilled and God's Kingdom is
• 5:20
  at hand. Repent and believe in the good
• 5:22
  news. Passing along by the Sea of
• 5:25
  Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon,
• 5:28
  casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
• 5:31
  Jesus said to them, Come after me, and I will make you into
• 5:34
  fishers for men. Immediately they left their Nets
• 5:37
  and followed him. Going on a little further from
• 5:40
  there he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother,
• 5:43
  who were also in the boat mending the Nets.
• 5:46
  Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee
• 5:49
  in the boat with the hired servants and went after him.
• 5:52
  They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day
• 5:55
  he entered into the synagogue and taught.
• 5:58
  They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as
• 6:01
  having authority and not as the scribes.
• 6:03
  Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean
• 6:06
  spirit, and he cried out, saying, Ha, what do we have to
• 6:10
  do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene, have you come to
• 6:12
  destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One
• 6:15
  of God. Jesus rebuked him, saying, Be
• 6:18
  quiet, and come out of him. The unclean spirit, convulsing
• 6:21
  him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.
• 6:24
  They were all amazed, so that they questioned among
• 6:26
  themselves, saying, What is this?
• 6:28
  A new teaching? For with authority He commands
• 6:31
  even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.
• 6:34
  The report of Him went out immediately everywhere into all
• 6:37
  the region of Galilee and its surrounding area.
• 6:40
  Immediately when they had come out of the synagogue, they came
• 6:43
  into the House of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
• 6:47
  Now Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and
• 6:50
  immediately they told him about her.
• 6:52
  He came and took her by the hand and raised her up.
• 6:55
  The fever left her immediately and she served them.
• 6:58
  At evening when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were
• 7:01
  sick and those who were possessed by demons.
• 7:04
  All the city was gathered together at the door.
• 7:07
  He healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast
• 7:10
  out many demons. He didn't allow the demons to
• 7:12
  speak because they knew him. Early in the morning, while it
• 7:16
  was still dark, he rose up and went out and departed into a
• 7:19
  deserted place and prayed. There.
• 7:21
  Simon and those who were with him searched for him.
• 7:24
  They found him and told him, Everyone is looking for you.
• 7:27
  He said to them, let's go elsewhere into the next towns,
• 7:30
  that I may preach there also because I came out for this
• 7:33
  reason. He went into their synagogues
• 7:35
  throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out
• 7:38
  demons. A leper came to him, begging
• 7:40
  him, kneeling down to him and saying to him, If you want to,
• 7:43
  you can make me clean. Being moved with compassion, he
• 7:47
  stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, I
• 7:50
  want to be made clean. When he had said this,
• 7:53
  immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean.
• 7:57
  He strictly warned him, and immediately sent him out and
• 7:59
  said to him, See that you say nothing to anybody, but go show
• 8:03
  yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing the
• 8:05
  things which Moses commanded for a testimony to them.
• 8:09
  But he went out and began to proclaim it much, and to spread
• 8:12
  about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into
• 8:16
  a city, but was outside in desert places.
• 8:19
  People came to him from everywhere.
• 8:22
  Thanks for joining us on Bible Chat, where Scripture meets
• 8:25
  everyday life. If today's devotional encouraged
• 8:29
  you, share it with a friend and be sure to follow the podcast so
• 8:32
  you won't miss the next conversation.
• 8:34
  Until next time, stay rooted in truth, anchored in hope, and
• 8:38
  walking daily with Jesus.