Hello my friend Dr. Brad Miller here with the Daily Bible Refresh.

This is your daily reading of the Bible from a progressive point of view.

In a bit I will read the New Testament lesson selected from the Revised Common Lectionary for this very day.

The reading is understandable.

I use the Message version Relatable.

Please listen to the points to ponder and applicable with action steps you can take.

We pray and are done in less than 10 minutes.

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Here's today's reading.

The reading is from 2 Peter 2:1 11.

We're reading from the Message version of the Bible.

The subtitle is Lying Religious Leaders but there also were lying prophets among the people.

Then, just as there will be lying religious teachers among you.

They'll smuggle in destructive divisions, pitting you against each other, biting the hand of the one who gave them a chance to have their lives back.

They put themselves on a fast downhill slide to destruction.

But not before they recruit a crowd of mixed up followers who can't tell right from wrong.

They give the Way of Truth a bad name.

They're only out for themselves.

They'll say anything, anything that sounds good to exploit you.

They won't, of course, get by with it.

They'll come to a bad end.

For God has never just stood by and let that kind of thing go on.

God didn't let the rebel angels off the hook, but jailed them in hell till Judgment Day.

Neither did he let the ancient ungodly world off.

He wiped it out with a flood of rescuing only eight people.

Noah, the sole voice of righteousness, was one of them.

God decreed the destruction for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

A mound of ashes was all that was left, a grim warning to anyone bent on an ungodly life.

But a good man, Lot, driven nearly out of his mind by the sexual filth and perversity, was rescued, surrounded by a moral rot.

Day after day after day, that righteous man was in constant torment.

So God knows how to rescue the godly from evil trials.

He knows how to hold the feet of the wicked to the fire of judgment day predators on the prowl.

God is especially incensed against these teachers who live by lust.

Addicted to a filthy existence.

They despise interference from true authority, prefer to indulge in self rule.

Insolent egotist.

They don't hesitate to speak evil against the most splendid of creatures.

Even angels, their superiors in every way, wouldn't think of throwing their weight around like that, trying to slander others before God.

Well, that ends the reading.

Let's get into some conversation here.

All about discerning truth in a world of deception.

My friends, what I want you to understand here that this passage from 2 Peter reminds me of something that I've learned in my career as a pastor and now as a cancer podcaster and coach.

The importance of authentic leadership and the purpose of genuine hope.

Kind of like in sports, you know, I'm an Indianapolis Colts fan and you can spot a fake play or a fake player, someone just going through the motions from the stands.

You got to be authentic about this and we need spiritual discernment.

Let's explore three thought provoking perspectives on this challenging text.

The first one is about power and accountability.

I've been married for coming up on 34 years and I've learned that true leadership is about serving others, including my wife.

It's not about control.

And this passage isn't just about false teachers.

It's about how power can be misused in a religious context today, where religious leaders prioritize their own authority over community well being, they're walking the path and Peter warns against like like when my wife and I and our family are hiking our favorite parks.

The best guides don't dominate you or don't kind of give you specific things.

They help move you along and help you find your own way.

A second thing is about a progressive understanding of justice.

The dramatic imagery here of divine punishment needs careful interpretation.

Rather than focusing on supernatural revenge, consider how harmful leadership naturally leads to community destruction.

I see this principle at work when I watch the Pacers with a Fever play.

When individual glory supersedes the team, the collective good will often fall apart.

It's about a team.

It's about a collective common vision.

The third point is about liberation through truth.

The Bible passage here is concerned isn't about doctrinal purity, but about exploitation and abuse.

When Peter talks about the way of truth, he's addressing how authentic faith should liberate, not control.

I work with cancer patients a lot at my cancer podcast and I've seen how crucial it is to distinguish between empowering truth and manipulative falsehood.

Here's your action step for today.

Examine religious and spiritual messages you encounter ask does this message empower or control?

Does it create freedom or fear?

Does it does it serve the community or just the leaders?

And then share your insights with someone you trust.

We're going to have a prayer here in just a moment.

Just want to remind you that we have a great resource for you.

It's called the Daily Bible Refresh.

You can find it at our website.

It is called the ABC123 Bible Study Method and there you find it at our website, which is voiceofgoddaily.com let's pray.

Oh God, you are the source of truth.

Give us wisdom to recognize authentic leadership and courage to challenge exploitation and help us create communities where power serves love, not control.

Thank you for those who model genuine spiritual guidance and guide us to being truth tellers who liberate rather than dominate.

May we be agents of your liberating love in a world hungry for authenticity.

Amen.

My friend, I am delighted you chose to join me for today's reading.

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Thanks much.

My name is Dr. Brad Miller and I'll be right here tomorrow with your Daily Bible Refresh.

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Remember, God's loyal love doesn't run out.

His merciful love hasn't dried up, gets created new every morning.