Episode 892
Navigating the Complexities of Truth in Faith
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is presented each day by Rev. Dr. Brad Miller who has a goal of speaking a bit of the bible into two million ears (one million people) in three years (2025-2028).
He is the author of "The A, B, C-1,2,3 Bible Study Guide" Free to you by clicking HERE.
Brad served as a local church pastor for forty years and has a background in radio and podcasting. Moreover, he is a life-long student of The Bible.
He believes in the words of Jesus that “scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21)
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is available seven days a week by 6:00 am ET. The episodes are no longer than ten minutes long and are...
- Understandable: A reading from the New Testament (usually the Gospel) selected from the Revised Common Lectionary using "The Message" translation.
- Relatable: You will have a couple of "points to ponder" from the text which will relate to your life
- Applicable: Every episode includes a way you can take action based on the reading
- A recommended resource to help you go deeper in biblical study and spiritual direction.
- A prayer for your day.
A companion resource to the Voice of God Daily Podcast is the “ABC Bible Study Guide” available by clicking HERE.
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Remember… “All scripture is God-breathed and useful”(2 Timothy 3:16)
The narrative woven throughout this episode serves as a compelling exploration of the themes encapsulated in Revelation 10, wherein the complexities of divine revelation and the weight of prophetic responsibility are examined. The episode begins with a striking portrayal of an angelic figure, whose dual stance upon land and sea illustrates the interconnectedness of all creation, particularly in light of the pressing challenges posed by climate change. This imagery, coupled with the rainbow that adorns the angel, evokes the profound biblical covenant that underscores our call to protect and care for the environment. The podcast articulates that our spiritual obligations extend beyond personal faith to encompass a commitment to environmental justice, framing this responsibility as an integral aspect of living out one’s faith in contemporary society.
As the discussion unfolds, the complexities of truth-telling emerge as a pivotal theme. The metaphor of the book that is sweet to taste yet bitter to digest serves as a poignant reminder of the duality inherent in prophetic truths. This reflection resonates with the experiences of individuals who navigate the often tumultuous terrain of faith deconstruction, where initial allure may give way to challenging realities. The episode encourages listeners to embrace the complexities of their journeys, acknowledging that the path to understanding can be fraught with difficulties. The imperative to speak truth to power is reiterated throughout the discourse, underscoring the urgent need for a prophetic witness in our current socio-political climate characterized by systemic injustices and inequities.
In the concluding segments, the podcast offers actionable steps for listeners to engage with local environmental justice issues, advocating for research and support for organizations that promote sustainability and equity. This call to action not only reinforces the episode’s thematic focus on social responsibility but also empowers individuals to take tangible steps towards effecting change within their communities. By fostering a sense of agency and collective responsibility, the podcast aligns its mission of spreading the audible word of God with the urgent call for justice and stewardship of creation. Ultimately, this episode serves as a rich tapestry of insights that invites listeners to reflect deeply on their roles as both spiritual seekers and active participants in the pursuit of justice and ecological care.
Takeaways:
- The reading of Revelation 10 presents profound insights into divine timing and prophetic responsibility.
- The imagery of the angel with one foot in the sea and the other on land symbolizes environmental justice's importance.
- Tasting the sweet book yet experiencing bitterness illustrates the complexities of prophetic truth and faith.
- The call to prophesy to diverse nations emphasizes the ongoing duty to confront systemic injustices globally.
- We encourage active engagement in environmental justice issues affecting marginalized communities through concrete actions.
- The podcast aims to share the audible word of God with two million individuals by 2028.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- voiceofgoddaily.com
Transcript
Finding Hope in Uncertain Times A study of Revelation 10 here on the Daily Bible refresh with Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller.
Speaker A:Hello my good friends.
Speaker A:Welcome to Daily Bible Refresh with Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller.
Speaker A:This is your daily reading of the New Testament from the Message version of the Bible.
Speaker A:To make it understandable, we give you some points to ponder, to think about to make it relatable, and we offer you a question or a way to apply it to your life to make it applicable.
Speaker A:It's all brought to you by voiceofgoddaily.com that is the place where you can find the daily where you can find the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Guide which is going to help you with your own Bible study.
Speaker A: llion years million people by: Speaker A:We do so by daily reading from the Revised Common Lectionary wherein year C, the Easter tide season.
Speaker A:Let's get into now our reading of the Scripture for the day from Revelation 10.
Speaker A:Reading from the Message I saw another powerful angel coming down out of heaven, wrapped in a cloud.
Speaker A:There was a rainbow over his head, his faith.
Speaker A:His face was sun, radiant, his legs pillars of fire.
Speaker A:He had a small book open in his hand.
Speaker A:He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.
Speaker A:Then he called out thunderously a lion roar.
Speaker A:When he called out, the seven thunders called back.
Speaker A:When the seven thunders spoke, I started to write it all down, but a voice out of heaven stopped me, saying, seal with silence the seven thunders.
Speaker A:Don't write a word.
Speaker A:Then the angel I saw astride sea and land, lifted his right hand to heaven and swore by the one living forever and ever who created heaven and everything in it, earth and everything in it, sea and everything in it.
Speaker A:That time was up.
Speaker A:Then when the seventh angel blew his trumpet, which he was about to do, the mystery of God and all the plans he had revealed to his servants, the prophets, would be completed.
Speaker A:The voice out of heaven spoke to me again.
Speaker A:Go take the book held open in the hand of the angel astride sea and earth.
Speaker A:I went up to the angel and said, give me that little book.
Speaker A:And he said, take it, then eat it.
Speaker A:It will taste sweet like honey, but turn sour in your stomach.
Speaker A:I took the little book from the angel's hand and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.
Speaker A:But when I swallowed, my stomach curdled.
Speaker A:Then I was told, you must go back and prophesy again over many peoples and nations and languages and kings.
Speaker A:All the images from the Revelation are full of imagery.
Speaker A:And this indeed is the case here in this reflection where we explore this mysterious revelation that speaks about divine timing, prophetic responsibility and the complexities of truth telling.
Speaker A:So let's get into some points to ponder.
Speaker A:The first has to do with the environmental justice in Sacred Vision.
Speaker A:The angel standing with one foot in the sea and one foot in the land presents a powerful image of the interconnectedness of all creation in our time of climate crisis.
Speaker A:This vision reminds us that environmental justice is inseparable from spiritual faithfulness.
Speaker A:The rainbow over the angel's head echoes God's covenant with all creation from Genesis, suggesting that care for our planet remains central to divine concern.
Speaker A:The second has to do with the complexity of truth.
Speaker A:The experiences of the book tasting sweet but turning bitter in the stomach speaks to the complex nature of prophetic truth.
Speaker A:Often what seems appealing at first glimpse becomes challenging when fully digested.
Speaker A:This mirrors many progressive Christians journey of deconstructing and reconstructing faith and initially very difficult but ultimately transformative.
Speaker A:The third thing is about speaking truth to power.
Speaker A:The command to prophesy again over many peoples and nations and languages and kings reminds us that speaking truth to power is an ongoing responsibility in our era of global inequity and systematic injustice were called to persistent prophetic witness even when it's uncomfortable or costly.
Speaker A:Let's talk about an action step for the day.
Speaker A:Choose some sort of environmental justice issue impacting your local community or your state or even the country or the world and research its impact on marginalized populations and find an organization that's working to address it.
Speaker A:Commit some sort of concrete action this week.
Speaker A:Maybe it's getting on a mailing list.
Speaker A:Maybe it's participating in some sort of a forum or maybe attending a meeting or sharing work with others.
Speaker A:Some steps that you can take to participate further.
Speaker A:We'll close with a prayer here in a moment.
Speaker A:Just a reminder that we have a great resource just for for you.
Speaker A:It's called the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Guide.
Speaker A:It will help you make your Bible study just, just like this.
Speaker A:Like I said, as straightforward as ABC 1, 2, 3.
Speaker A:We want to give it to you.
Speaker A:It's just a short PDF document.
Speaker A:It's going to come to your email.
Speaker A:You just go to voiceofgoddaily.com on our show notes there and you can pick it up.
Speaker A:Let's, let's, let's have a prayer.
Speaker A:Oh God, you are the mystery of life and we stand in different worlds between hope and despair, between knowledge and uncertainty, between action and paralysis.
Speaker A:Help us digest difficult truths about our world and our role in it.
Speaker A:Give us courage to speak up when silence would be easier.
Speaker A:Guide us in balancing the sweet calling of faith with the sometimes bitter reality of working for justice.
Speaker A:Make us stewards of both your revelations and your creation.
Speaker A:May we be persistent in hope and prophetic in love.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Great to be with you again here on Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:My name is Dr.
Speaker A: ionaires, a million people by: Speaker A:You do that by just inviting somebody to join us at our website, voiceofgoddaily.com or any of the podcast directories where we can share this daily Bible reading which is applicable, relatable and personal to you every day.
Speaker A:We usually drop our episodes before 6am until tomorrow then, friends.
Speaker A:My name is Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller.
Speaker A:Remember that God's loyal love doesn't run out.
Speaker A:His merciful love hasn't dried up.
Speaker A:It's created new every morning.
Speaker A:Sam.
