03/09/2017 DAB Transcript

Numbers 11:24-13:33 ~ Mark 14:22-52 ~ Psalm 52:1-9 ~ Proverbs 11:1-3

Today is March 9th.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian. It is awesome to be here with you today for the next forward step in the adventure that is the Bible in community. So back out into the wilderness we will go with the children of Israel who are on the move now and heading toward the promised land.  Numbers chapter 11, verse 24 through 13, verse 33 today.  

Commentary

In the book of Mark we’re moving into the passion narrative, the time of Jesus’ suffering.  This season on the Christian calendar that we’re in, Lent, is made intentionally to allow us to sit with this, this season, this 40 days before Easter.  So a lot of you around the world are participating. A lot of you don’t even really understand and have never observed that before.  It’s not like it’s in the Bible and it’s a command and you’ve got to observe this.  It’s just that there is a rhythm.  There is a calendar of Christian observations, holidays that has been with us for a very, very long time.  Many of them we celebrate.  Obviously the end of Lent is Easter, the most important holiday or observation we could have. Everything, everything hinges on Easter so we certainly do observe it maybe not even realizing that it is a holiday on the Christian calendar.  Or another very important popular day, Christmas, when we certainly observe the coming of the Savior.  So Lent is these 40 days where we are invited to sit for the 40 days leading up to Easter with the fact that our sin cost Jesus his life.  It cost something unblemished and perfect and sinless, something beautiful, unworthy of death, and yet it cost his life.  In other words, sin is costly.  

So as we move into this story in the book of Mark, may we sit with that. Whether Lent is something you’re doing or not, may we sit with this.  It’s important to understand the lengths God was willing to go to in order to redeem you and the cost for your soul was something precious, that God would come as a person, live among us as a person and then allow his creation to take dominion over him and put him to death.  But death would not hold him, as we will see in the scriptures and as we will celebrate on Easter Sunday.  May we sit with this because what we see today as we end our reading in Mark is that Jesus is alone.  He’s been crying out to the Father the most human of prayers.  “Is there any way to do this another way?”  But he is resolved to go through with whatever the Father has for him, but he’s going through it alone.  His friends are asleep.  They do not understand what is about to happen even though he has been plain in telling them.  And when the mob comes, they abandon him.  He’s alone.  There is only one person that he really knows nearby, his betrayer, Judas.  There is a poetic beauty to that because that is exactly why Jesus is going to the cross, for people like Judas, for people like you, for people like me.  

Prayer

Jesus, we’re in this season where we’re trying to sit with the fact that our sin costs something.  It certainly costs us something, but it cost you something to redeem us from it.  When we remain in it, we are rejecting what you’ve done for us.  We are rejecting that you were willing to die for us.  We sit with that today and we invite your Holy Spirit to come and help us sit with that.  Not in a way of condemnation, but in a way of sober contemplation, that this is important and that this, what we are contemplating, your gift of salvation, your sacrifice of your very life has given us our life.  So in thought, word, and deed we want to honor that.  We want to live into that.  We want to grow forward and become more and more who we were created to be by the sanctifying power of your spirit within us as opposed to rejecting you and choosing the very thing that sent you to the cross in the first place, sin.  So we invite your Holy Spirit to allow us the grief, the grief for what mankind did to screw the whole thing up in the first place and what mankind did by taking your life from you and how our habitual sin is a rejection of that.  So come, Holy Spirit, we pray.  In Jesus’ name we ask, amen.  

Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

Good morning Daily Audio Bible.  I want to wish you a happy birthday, Brian.  I know it was yesterday, March 4.  Today is March 5 and it is about 5 o’clock in the morning. But anyway, belated happy birthday. I hope you had a good one.  I used to worry about my age, but not anymore. I’m 73 and I realized that our life is just a mist.  I attended a celebration of life for my granddaughter’s other grandmother that was taken and I sensed that no one there really knew the Lord and I didn’t have an opportunity to speak, but I gave this to her.  Psalm 34:18:  The Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  I’m going through stuff, financial stuff and I’m having a hard time collecting rent from my two daughters and I know I don’t have a husband, I’m a widow, and I’m financially…I have to look at taxes on two houses and insurance, so all I can think of, if they don’t help me, I have to sell these two houses and I just don’t know where to go.  So I ask for your prayers in this.  I pray for you all.  And the one that called about he didn’t know where to go.  He went through several churches.  I know how that is because my husband and I went through this too, so take heart.  The Lord will lead you.  Just hang onto Jesus.  That is what I have to do because he’s knows the best way.  Have a good day everybody.  Bye-bye.  

Hey Daily Audio Bible.  This is Sarah in Skokie and I’m so thankful that we have this number that we can call into. I’m just going to pray.  God, thanks for today.  Thank you for a church to go to.  Actually, more than one church to go to.  Thank you that you are with us even when we feel alone.  I ask that you would give me just a peace and a willingness to sacrifice what you seem like you’re calling me to sacrifice and I absolutely don’t want to.  I ask that you would just show the blessing in obedience to me and to others as well.  Thank you for the beauty of technology where we can kind of virtually talk with others around the world.  You encourage my heart and give me a willingness to get back in your word. Thank you for the Daily Audio Bible. I think I’m out of words, so help!  Thanks God. Amen.  

Hello Daily Audio Bible.  It’s Olinthia P.  I’m calling from Indonesia.  Thank you guys so much for continuing to walk us through the word this year, Brian and Jill and the team.  Thank you for this venue, this message to communicate with believers around the world. I am walking to work this Monday morning and I just feel a lot of attack from the enemy.  Physically I’ve been dealing with some sort of sinus or allergy kind of reaction that is causing a lot of congestion and just a lot of discomfort physically.  It’s make me very uncomfortable with being around others because I’m not really sure what the source of it is and I’m not sure how to treat it.  I’m trying a lot of different things, but nothing really seems to be working for all of the symptoms, so if you would, please pray for healing in that.  I’m also just feeling loneliness.  Like I noticed several people have called about theirs, and I think that the enemy is attacking all of us, even though we are connecting by physically being near each other or by contacting each other through all of our venues online.  He still is able to attack us in our emotions and our souls in that desire to be close.  I know that has a lot to do with just trying to…

Hi Daily Audio Bible family.  This is Caleb from Ohio.  Sometimes we just forget what God has done for us and how great he is and I think one of the best ways to remember is to read about things he’s done for us and for other people.  So here’s some praise from the Psalms to help you remember what God has done.  You, Lord, are a shield around me.  You are my glory, the one who holds my head high.  I laid down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.  I am not afraid of 10,000 enemies who surround me on every side.  You can be sure of this, the Lord set apart the godly for himself.  The Lord will answer when I call to him.  In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.  And all who take refuge in you rejoice, singing joyful praises forever.  Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy, for you bless the godly, O Lord.  You surround them with your shield of love.  I will thank the Lord because he is just.  I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.  O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth.  Your glory is higher than the heavens.  You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.  When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have set in place, what are mere mortals that you should think about them?  Human beings that you should care for them?  Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor, gave them charge of everything you made, put all things under their authority.  O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth.

Hey, this is for Max M.  I heard you call.  It was probably a few days ago.  I’m a little bit behind, so you’ll have to forgive me, but Max M., I just wanted to say I hear you and I know exactly what you’re going through.  I suffered with depression for most of my life and let me tell you that Jesus Christ has healed me.  I just wanted to tell you that I’m praying for you and I wanted to reach out for you. My name is Marcus and yeah, so my email is Hebrews13@protonmail.com.  Listen Max, the devil is going to tell you to seclude yourself, to not open up.  He’s going to try to harden your heart, Max.  But don’t let him because we serve a God that is greater, that has won the victory.  It says in Hebrews 13 “Never will I leave you.  Never will I forsake you.  So we say with confidence the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.  What can mere mortals do to me?”  And then it says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  So Max, don’t lose heart.  You have people praying for you.  Please reach out to me so we can connect.  I just want to be there for you, man.  I want to be a support.  So it’s Hebrews13@protonmail.com.  Have a great day, guys.  Keep on smiling.  Bye.

Hello Daily Audio Bible family.  This is Tito from Southern California.  I was just listening this evening on my way to pick up my daughter and I heard a prayer request come in from Dean.  And Dean, man, this is a crazy community because my heart immediately went out to you and I felt nothing but love for you, man.  And I think it’s because I think there are a lot of us that have been in a situation that are not the same as yours because our lives are all unique and different, but we’ve all felt I think at some point lonely or maybe like we’ve lost direction.  I think one of the unique things about this community is that for me there was a long time where I was trying to find a church too to take my daughter to and my kids to and I couldn’t go to the church where my ex went, so I was trying to find a church where I could take my kids.  It was really kind of hard.  The real community I had at that time was this community.  When I say that I love you, man, I mean it.  I understand that things are hard for you and it is hard to have hope right now, but stay connected with us, man.  Call in.  Listen. I know you said God feels distant and I know what that feels like too, but the more that Brian kind of reads and helps me understand or helps all of us understand what God is calling out – I love you, return to me – those kinds of things just sink in with me, man.  Listening to that and listening to people call in with familiar voices and pray for other people and when you start calling in and praying for other people, there is a real sense of community and belonging. We want you to know we love you.  I know I can speak on behalf of everybody around the world that is listening to this.  We all love you, man, and you do belong and I’m glad you called.  Keep us up to date.  Alright, thanks.  See you.