The Shift: Part 1

Chasing God, Not Approval

Thrones by Vance K. Jackson

The Comeback Part 2

Someone Else's World

The Take Off: Launching Into God’s Purpose

How Sweet the Sound

Building Better Devotions

15 Minute Daily Reading Plan

Our God Who Pursues: Guiding Us Back to Him

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1CH">
 <div class="chapter ch13" data-usfm="1CH.13">
 <div class="label">13</div><div class="s1">Bringing Back the Ark</div><div class="p"> 1David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, &#8220;If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. 3Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of#13:3 Or we neglected it#13:3 Or him during the reign of Saul.&#8221; 4The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.</div><div class="p"> 5So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. 6David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who is enthroned between the cherubim&#8212;the ark that is called by the Name.</div><div class="p"> 7They moved the ark of God from Abinadab&#8217;s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. 8David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets.</div><div class="p"> 9When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 10The Lord&#8217;s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.</div><div class="p"> 11Then David was angry because the Lord&#8217;s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.#13:11 Perez Uzzah means outbreak against Uzzah.</div><div class="p"> 12David was afraid of God that day and asked, &#8220;How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?&#8221; 13He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 14The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he had.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch14" data-usfm="1CH.14">
 <div class="label">14</div><div class="s1">David&#8217;s House and Family</div><div class="p"> 1Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons and carpenters to build a palace for him. 2And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.</div><div class="p"> 3In Jerusalem David took more wives and became the father of more sons and daughters. 4These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, 6Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 7Elishama, Beeliada#14:7 A variant of Eliada and Eliphelet.</div><div class="s1">David Defeats the Philistines</div><div class="p"> 8When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went out to meet them. 9Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim; 10so David inquired of God: &#8220;Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?&#8221;</div><div class="p">The Lord answered him, &#8220;Go, I will deliver them into your hands.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, &#8220;As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand.&#8221; So that place was called Baal Perazim.#14:11 Baal Perazim means the lord who breaks out. 12The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, and David gave orders to burn them in the fire.</div><div class="p"> 13Once more the Philistines raided the valley; 14so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, &#8220;Do not go directly after them, but circle around them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. 15As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.&#8221; 16So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army, all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.</div><div class="p"> 17So David&#8217;s fame spread throughout every land, and the Lord made all the nations fear him.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch15" data-usfm="1CH.15">
 <div class="label">15</div><div class="s1">The Ark Brought to Jerusalem</div><div class="p"> 1After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2Then David said, &#8220;No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before him forever.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it. 4He called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:</div><div class="li1"> 5From the descendants of Kohath,</div><div class="li2">Uriel the leader and 120 relatives;</div><div class="li1"> 6from the descendants of Merari,</div><div class="li2">Asaiah the leader and 220 relatives;</div><div class="li1"> 7from the descendants of Gershon,#15:7 Hebrew Gershom, a variant of Gershon</div><div class="li2">Joel the leader and 130 relatives;</div><div class="li1"> 8from the descendants of Elizaphan,</div><div class="li2">Shemaiah the leader and 200 relatives;</div><div class="li1"> 9from the descendants of Hebron,</div><div class="li2">Eliel the leader and 80 relatives;</div><div class="li1"> 10from the descendants of Uzziel,</div><div class="li2">Amminadab the leader and 112 relatives.</div><div class="p"> 11Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. 12He said to them, &#8220;You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.&#8221; 14So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 16David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.</div><div class="p"> 17So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berekiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah; 18and with them their relatives next in rank: Zechariah,#15:18 Three Hebrew manuscripts and most Septuagint manuscripts (see also verse 20 and 16:5); most Hebrew manuscripts Zechariah son and or Zechariah, Ben and Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel,#15:18 Hebrew; Septuagint (see also verse 21) Jeiel and Azaziah the gatekeepers.</div><div class="p"> 19The musicians Heman, Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; 20Zechariah, Jaaziel,#15:20 See verse 18; Hebrew Aziel, a variant of Jaaziel. Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the lyres according to alamoth,#15:20 Probably a musical term 21and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah were to play the harps, directing according to sheminith.#15:21 Probably a musical term 22Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it.</div><div class="p"> 23Berekiah and Elkanah were to be doorkeepers for the ark. 24Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer the priests were to blow trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also to be doorkeepers for the ark.</div><div class="p"> 25So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing. 26Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed. 27Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the musicians, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod. 28So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sounding of rams&#8217; horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.</div><div class="p"> 29As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch9" data-usfm="1CO.9">
 <div class="label">9</div><div class="s1">Paul&#8217;s Rights as an Apostle</div><div class="p"> 1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 3This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4Don&#8217;t we have the right to food and drink? 5Don&#8217;t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord&#8217;s brothers and Cephas#9:5 That is, Peter? 6Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living?</div><div class="p"> 7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn&#8217;t the Law say the same thing? 9For it is written in the Law of Moses: &#8220;Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.&#8221;#9:9 Deut. 25:4 Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10Surely he says this for us, doesn&#8217;t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12If others have this right of support from you, shouldn&#8217;t we have it all the more?</div><div class="p">But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.</div><div class="p"> 13Don&#8217;t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.</div><div class="p"> 15But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. 16For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.</div><div class="s1">Paul&#8217;s Use of His Freedom</div><div class="p"> 19Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God&#8217;s law but am under Christ&#8217;s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.</div><div class="s1">The Need for Self-Discipline</div><div class="p"> 24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.</div>
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