Month: March 2017

Numbers 22:21-23:30 ~ Luke 1:57-80 ~ Psalm 58:1-11 ~ Proverbs 11:12-13

Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  Today is March 15^th.  I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you today. I am buckled in and ready to go. The mic is obviously working.  Got a nice steamy cup of coffee to my left and our readings for today right in front of me, so I guess we’re ready.  Are you ready?  Here we go!  We’re reading from the Expanded Bible this week.  Numbers chapter 22, verse 21 through 23, verse 30.

Commentary

There is a fascinating story taking place in the book of Numbers today, blowing away the stereotypes of these books.  Like Leviticus and Numbers, there is a stereotype about these books that ‘oh man, if you can make it through Numbers, you can make it through anything.’  That is not true.  I mean, look at the things that have come out of this story.  And it is just a part of the same story.  

So the children of Israel are wandering in the wilderness at this point because they’ve doubted that they could take the promised land, and so God said you can have what you want, basically.  It could have been different, but a whole generation will stay out here in the wilderness for 40 years.  So they are wandering around, a million people, and so they have to ask for passage to get from one place to another because they are sort of locked in and other countries like Edom are not letting them pass through.  So they have had to fight some.  There is just no place, so they are wandering around.  And when they are forced into fighting they win. So they have a little bit of territory, but they are not able to settle in.  

The Moabites are freaking out about the Israelites as well.  If you kind of want to picture where Moab and Edom are, you would have to be looking at a map of modern day Israel and locate the Dead Sea.  That is hard to miss.  So there is the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River runs south from the Sea of Galilee and empties into the Dead Sea and this is borderlands.  So to the south of the Dead Sea, moving down into the Negev, down into the desert would have been Edom, and bordering to the north would have been Moab.  So the children of Israel are in the wilderness on that side of the Jordan River. They haven’t been able to cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan that will become their land, if God’s promise holds true, so they are on the other side of the Jordan and both countries that would let them go through to the north won’t let them go through, so they have to go all the way around.  

So the King Balak has called on this powerful, prophetic kind of person named Balaam to put a curse on the children of Israel.  Balaam does the right thing and says when the first emissaries come, “Just chill out here overnight.  I’m going to go see what God has to say because I can’t do anything God doesn’t tell me to do.”  And he comes back and says, “I can’t do it.”  And he sends the emissaries home.  Balak then sends more important emissaries and Balaam says the same thing, “Wait and I’ll see what God says.”  God says, “Go with them, but only say what I tell you to say.”

So this is what God tells Balaam, but somewhere in there, there is a thread inside of Balaam’s heart that tells him ‘I could get rich.  Maybe this could go good for me.’  He is planning to obey the Lord, but there may be opportunity here to cash in and he begins to think about that, which sets up everything that comes next, which is really fascinating stuff.  

So Balaam gets up the next morning and he leaves with the Moabite leaders, but there is an angel following along.  The angel stands in front of the road and only Balaam’s donkey can see this angel.  So the donkey moves out of the way, which forces him to go off the road.  Balaam can’t figure out why his donkey is all of a sudden going off the road, so he smacks him a couple of times and gets it back on the road.  They are going on and there is a narrow path and the angel is blocking the path again and so the donkey tries to get out of the way and it squishes Balaam’s foot. So Balaam is obviously frustrated and probably has a few choice things to say to the donkey, smacks it, gets it back on the road.  They move along and then there is like a gateway and there is nowhere for the donkey to move out of the way when it sees the angel.  So the donkey just sits down and Balaam is so mad that he can hardly see straight.  

We know this because the donkey starts talking to Balaam and Balaam starts talking back to the donkey, not even realizing ‘wait a second, donkeys don’t talk.’ They are having a conversation before he can even get his rage under control.  The donkey sits down.  Balaam jumps off the donkey.  He is so mad that he is smacking it and hitting it and probably cursing it.  And the donkey talks, “What did I do?  What have I done to make you hit me these three times?” And then we have the answer.  “You have made me look foolish.”  “I wish I had a sword in my hand.  I would kill you right now.”  

This conversation happens and the angel is revealed and Balaam sees the error of his ways.  It is really interesting what happened here, because Balaam has all the right words. “I can only say what God tells me to say,” and yet he’s worried about looking stupid in front of the king’s emissaries.  How often do we do the same thing?  How often do we play with our freedoms?  How often are we more interested in how this is going to make us look than actually going and obeying the Lord and saying only what he has you say?  The book of Numbers isn’t so dry after all, is it? Because now it is a mirror into our souls.  

As the story progresses, Balaam and King Balak do meet and King Balak is doing everything Balaam is telling him, offering sacrifices, giving him space to hear from the Lord.  And Balaam, he’s got the message now.  There is an angel around and he has a sword and it doesn’t really matter whether I look foolish or not, I would rather look foolish than look dead.  I’m only going to say what God tells me to say.  So he comes back and says, “I can’t.  These people are blessed by God and I can’t.”  

So Balak goes to another place and shows him another place.  “Can you do it from here?”  Sacrifices are given.  God speaks.  “No, I can’t,” Balaam tells Balak.  “I can’t. These people are blessed.”  

Balak then says, “Well, then if you can’t curse them, then just don’t bless them like you’ve been doing.”  “Let’s go over here and look one more place and see if you can curse them from there.”

Man, if we look at this behavior we have to see our own lives in this. How many times have we wanted something that the Lord has been like, “No, that’s not healthy for you. No.”  And so we’ll go around the other side.  “What about from this angle?  Can’t you see, Lord, that this path would be good for me?  Can’t you see, Lord?”  He’s like, “No, that wouldn’t be healthy for you.”  So we go around to the other side.  “What about from over at this angle?  Can’t you see?”  And most of the time what that means is we’re going to do it anyway, no matter what the Lord says.  Usually the way that we do this first is to try to talk ourselves out of the fact that the Lord said anything at all.  And yet, the book of Numbers is showing us we’re not the only ones who have had this line of reasoning.  We’re not the only ones who have ever done this.  We have a story from thousands of years ago that shows us this has been going on all along and we are continuing to follow this same story, this same script.  And this same script will not get us anywhere but the wilderness and we will never get out of it on our own.  There can be a promised land and it can be just miles away.  We can even see it but we can’t get to it on our own.  We can only follow God there.  

So may we examine our own hearts and behaviors today because they are kind of exposed.  They have kind of come flashing out of the book of Numbers and here we are with some things to think about.  How are we looking at what other people think of us as more important than what God is telling us?  How are we trying to negotiate with God by looking at everything from so many angles until we hope to wear him down so he can give us what we want because we are going to do it anyway?  That won’t lead us anywhere, which uniquely speaks directly into this season that we’re in right now, this season that runs us into Easter time known as Lent, a season that has been used for lots of things, but has deep and profound meaning.  Certainly lots of people use it for diet, “I’m going to give up sugar.”  That’s fine if you’re giving it out to God.  That’s great. But this is a season where we are giving up everything to God, not just the chocolate bar.  We’re saying my life is before you open and I am asking that you set it right.  I am asking that you take away from me the things that I’ve been negotiating and trying to bulldoze my way into that don’t belong in my life.  I’m inviting you.  I’m willing to give that up forever.  I’m willing to give up anything that you want and I’m willing for anything to be rearranged how you want it.  I need to hear from you and walk with you or there is no hope for me ever moving from this wilderness into a promised land.  

Prayer

That is our prayer, Lord.  We see that this has been going on a long time.  We see this in lives that are our forbearers’ spiritually.  We read our own mail in the scriptures, even today.  So as we’re in this season and we’re contemplating the price of sin and the cost of sin and what the sin has done, the devastation that it has wrought on this planet and in our own lives, we’re realizing that this is not only a costly endeavor, but you paid the cost and set us free from it. This doesn’t have to be a part of our story going forward.  It’s just that we choose it.  So in this season, we are inviting you to come invade us, change us, align us so that we can be true and have true intimacy with you and begin eternity now instead of waiting for something to begin that is already happening.  We are here.  We are alive.  This moment is contained with an eternity.  It’s time to get with the program.  So we offer our very lives to you as living sacrifices and invite you to indwell us. Come, Holy Spirit.  We pray in the name of Jesus, amen.  

SONG Played on today’s DAB is sung by Brian’s wife, Jill Parr “Change” http://apple.co/1XjehWm.

Numbers 21:1-22:20 ~ Luke 1:26-56 ~ Psalm 57:1-11 ~ Proverbs 11:9-11

Today is the 14^th day of March.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I am Brian and it’s great to be here with you for another day.  Man, we are like already almost in the center of the month of March and it is a blooming delight in the rolling hills of Tennessee.   This is a great time of year actually, where all of the hills, they turn fertile and green and lush and new life springs forth everywhere, bursting forth.  So if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, no matter where you are in the world, it is coming.  It is coming.  I know those of you in the Southern Hemisphere are moving toward autumn which is also a beautiful time of year.  But it is beautiful here in the rolling hills of Tennessee.

So let’s dive into our reading for today.  We’ve been reading from the Expanded Bible this week.  Numbers chapter 21, verse 1 through 22, verse 20 today.

Commentary

Yesterday we started the gospel of Luke, which is the third gospel in the scriptures and we watched Zechariah before the Lord burning incense when he encounters the angel Gabriel and he is promised a son.  We talked about it yesterday.  He reaction was, “How can I be sure this is going to happen?”  Today the angel Gabriel has another visit to a maiden named Mary in the Galilee.  Her response is quite a bit different.  

She has some questions because Gabriel is telling her she is going to have a baby.  She is engaged to be married, so she can assume that she is probably going to have a baby, so what is he talking about?  She has to process that while she is processing the fact the there is a man talking to her who is claiming to be an angel of God.  So her response is saying, “How am I going to have a baby? I haven’t been with a man.”  That is an honest response, but as the angel begins to explain to her, she begins to grow curious and believed maybe this could be really happening  Then she realizes this is really happening and God is calling her.  So rather than ‘how can I be sure this will happen,’ her response becomes ‘I am the Lord’s servant.  Let this happen to me as you say.’  

It’s two different enunciations, two different announcements of a foretold child, two very different responses to the news.  Where are we on the continuum between the two?  Because the Holy Spirit is here leading and guiding us. The Holy Spirit ranks higher than the angel Gabriel.  So when the Lord speaks to us by his Holy Spirit or through his word, what is our response?  ‘How can I be sure this is going to happen?’ or ‘I am the Lord’s servant.  Let this happen as you say.’  Food for thought today.  May we take some time to observe our responses and our reactions.  Where do we go first?  Prove it or I believe you?  

Prayer

Holy Spirit, we invite you into that.  There are not very many days that go by that you are not challenging us in some way, in some soft spot.  But we welcome this.  We’ve resisted it for too long and now we’re embracing it because you’re pulling us toward the narrow path that leads to life.  If we will follow you, we will follow the path that leads to wholeness. We admit we’ve ignored plenty, but we want the kind of intimacy and collaboration that allows us from our hearts to say ‘whatever you say, that’s fine.  As long as we’re together.  As long as we’re navigating life together, whatever you say.’  So Father, we say that.  Whatever you say, because whatever that is, it is right.  It is true.  And it is holy.  So come Holy Spirit as we contemplate our reactions to your presence in our lives. And we ask this in the name of Jesus, amen.  

Announcements

Www.DailyAudioBible.com is the website.  It’s home base.  It’s where you find out what is going on around here so check it out.  

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at www.DailyAudioBible.com.  Thank you humbly and profoundly for those of you who have been willing to click that link along the way.  If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible App, you can press the More button in the lower right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, TN 37174.  

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, (877) 942-4253 is the number to dial.  

And that’s it for today.  I’m Brian. I love you.  I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.  

Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family.  James, the teacher in LA.  I just finished listening to the March 9^th podcast and I heard Tito in California. Tito, I haven’t heard you in a while, but it was good to hear your voice.  I’ve missed you.  And Tito, I just gotta echo what you said for Dean.  Dean, actually I kind of wanted to call in when I heard your prayer request the first time, but I wasn’t sure because I feel sometimes like I overstep because I do it a lot in my personal life when I talk to these people.  But Dean, let me just assure you, if you’ve ever felt like you don’t fit in, you’re definitely in the right community because I think there are a lot of us here in the Daily Audio Bible who have felt that way. And I think a lot of people just feel that way in life.  They don’t want to talk about it because it makes you feel weird.  But Dean, I can assure you, I spent years feeling like I didn’t fit in with groups of friends here and there and even more, especially at church.  I didn’t grow up in church.  I didn’t grow up religious.  I grew up the opposite of religious.  There are probably a lot of us also here at the Daily Audio Bible.   But you know what?  When you find people who love Jesus and the Spirit of God is in them, they open up to you because you have the Spirit in you too.  We’re family.  We love you, Dean.  You fit in because you are part of Christ, no matter how you look or how advanced your whole thing is.  And that’s it.  You are welcome.  Bye-bye.

Hey Brian and Daily Audio Bible family.  I’ve been listening fairly loyally since before Ezekiel was born, I believe, and probably a good year before then.  It’s been such a good experience to have that strength given to me. Early in the morning is when I usually do it.  My pridefulness has probably kept me from doing this for six months, maybe eight, and that is I just finally have to reach out.  Listening to a commentary by a man named Ray Stedman, who I just love here and how it made me really think how far out on a limb have we, my wife and I taken, how far out we’ve gotten.  She took a position in Texas.  She didn’t have a job.  We didn’t really seek advice.  We were just praying that God would make it happen or not happen.  And if he wanted it, she would get it.  Well, she got it and I have a position in Fort Bragg and I’m not able to leave it.  So I need to get a position in Dallas or she needs to be able to come back here.  What we’re praying is for God’s will to be revealed and be revealed quickly.  We’ve been geographically separated for two years, no, not two years.  One year and two years would be devastating.  I’ve missed a portion of my daughter’s life and a year of marriage with my wife.  I pray for the family to pray to the Lord and him reveal his will and we get that going more.  I desperately need his will because it is so good.  I need to soar on it.  I want my family to be united so I can read the Bible with my daughter.  My daughter needs me.  I love you guys.  Thank you for your strength.  Amen. Oh, by the way, maybe I didn’t mention it.  My name is Al.  Bye-bye.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family.  This is Prophetic Intercessor Rising Up from North Carolina.  I’m a first-time caller and am just so blessed. I’m a first-time listener this year and have been so blessed by the word and by your prayers and by your prayer requests.  I wanted to just be obedient to the Holy Spirit this morning and to call in because there have been so many times where he has prompted me to call and I haven’t obeyed because the enemy talks to you and convinces you that it isn’t the thing to do.  But I want to call in and pray specifically for Jacqueline, Salvation is Mine in California.  I was listening to the March 4^th Community Prayer and your prayer so touched me. I wanted to obey God’s Holy Spirit and to call in and to pray for you.  I truly woke up this morning, was so heavy-laden with my own problems that when I started listening to your heart, it just lifted me from my low place to stand in the gap for you.  I just want to let you know that at those times where we are at our lowest, God has surrounded us with intercessors that are lifting up their collective shields of faith to quench the fiery darts that are coming against us.  I just want to pray that God would strengthen you in this hour, that he would let you know that you are never alone, for he said in his word that lo, he is with us always, even to the ends of the very earth. So I pray for you that God’s angels of the highest ranking order would surround you and would minister peace to your heart, minister health to your body, and to let you know that you are never alone for God is with you.  He will never forsake you.  Even in those times where we cannot trace him and we cannot feel him, that you would trust his character.  That you would trust his will for your life, for he said that he has a good will and a good plan for your life, and thoughts of peace and to prosper you and to bring you to an expected end.  So I come against the cancer that has riddled your body.  I come against the infirmity that has come against you, for God has given us the power to bind it and loose it, so we bind the hopelessness, we bind the…

Hi DAB family.  This is Joyce from California calling in to thank Brian for his life-giving commentaries, in particular the ones from January 7^th about God keeping his promises to us whether we have faith to believe it or not, January 26^th where you taught us about Jesus being fully human, March 3^rd and 4^th where you taught us about the power of faith.  I encourage everyone to go back and listen to those messages together if you haven’t had a chance to do it.  This is what I learned.  That God has a dream for each of our lives and that even my unbelief cannot deter that dream and blessing, that Jesus was fully human and when we received him as Lord and Savior, we became fully human too because he lives within us.  Thus, we each carry within us all the resources on heaven and earth and we are able to solve and overcome any difficulty that life brings.  To live this way, though, requires faith and like little Gigi prayed, Lord, I think I believe, help my unbelief, and it is done for us.  O Lord God, how we praise you, for you are the author and finisher of our faith. Bless the members of our DAB community. Heal us and pour out your restoration through our lives into this world.  Your kingdom come, your will be done.  In the precious name of Jesus Christ we pray.  Amen.  Love you family.  Have a wonderful and blessed day.

Hi beautiful family.  This is Drew from the Bay Area.  Hey, I’m calling in this morning.  I’ll get to the point.  I’ll try to talk a little bit faster.  I look back on my life and God showed me this morning that praying and my faith that he has given me, it is all about him and what he has done.  It wasn’t about my feelings at the time because I felt lost and lonely.  I hopped from church to church trying to find a fit for my family.  I prayed for God to help me love a woman that I could not love. She couldn’t even love herself, and he did it.  I prayed that God would prove to me that he knows my every thought and he proved it to me. I prayed that God would save my mother and that I would be willing to do whatever it takes.  He showed me that it wasn’t up to me.  What my mother suffered was to prevent her from suffering later. Family, it doesn’t matter what you feel. It matters what God does.  We’re to trust him.  That is what this is all about.  Coming together in faith and trusting him, learning to trust him.  And I’ve learned over and over again.  He took away lust.  He took away my desire for alcohol.  He gave me a healthy lust for my ex-wife.  He brought me away from my ex-wife for a better life.  He brought me away from a bad job to a better job.  He takes care of me.  He sustains me.  He will do the same for you.  He’ll heal you like he healed Gigi.  Gigi, I’m celebrating with you.  I prayed for you.  I’m praying for all you, family.  I love you. We are one together in Christ. Never forget that.  It’s not what we do.  It’s what Christ did for us.  I love you, family.  

This is Candace from Oregon.  I need your retroactive prayers.  My husband is probably not going to make it.  Has had a heart attack and open heart surgery.  They can’t really even close him back up right now, so there is some kind of chance there could be a miracle, so you all are the ones I would ask to pray on top of the other 2000 here praying for him.  Meanwhile, I just ask for his comfort, in Jesus’ name.  And for that for our family.  Thank you.  

Numbers 19:1-20:29 ~ Luke 1:1-25 ~ Psalm 56:1-13 ~ Proverbs 11:8

Today is the 13^th day of March.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I am Brian and it’s great to be here with you.  So we crossed the threshold of a new week yesterday and now it is time to live into that week as we walk with God.  One of the ways we do that is to orient ourselves and our hearts to him through his word and just allow the serenity to wash over us.  To step away, to have this little space, this little global campfire, this little space that we have where it is peaceful and all the obligations that are out in front of us this week, they can be put aside for this brief period of time as we feed our souls.

This week we’re reading from the Expanded Bible and we’ll move back out with the children of Israel into the wilderness and then when we get to the New Testament we will begin a new book.  But first, Numbers chapter 19, verse 1 through 20, verse 29.  

Introduction of a New Book (New Testament)

We finished the book or gospel of Mark yesterday which is the second of the gospels in the Bible, which brings us to the book of Luke.  The gospel of Luke has a little more of an intriguing story regarding its place in history.  Luke is the third of what is known as the synoptic gospels – those being Matthew, Mark and Luke – and they are called the synoptic gospels because they are very similar in their composition, very similar in the way they are laid out and the stories that they tell about Jesus, so similar in fact that it is widely believed among biblical scholars that one could not exist without the other, that they were written at different times, but they were used as source material for each other.  

I personally like the book of Luke a lot because I believe it is written tight and concise and it flows well and contains all of the known details of the time.  Scholarly opinion is that Luke not only wrote the book of Luke, but he also wrote the book of Acts.  There are, however, some differing points of view as to when this book was actually written. A number of leading scholars believe that the gospel of Mark was the first of the synoptic gospels.  In fact, most scholars believe that.  And then Matthew and Luke borrowed some of the source material as they were writing the history of the gospel of Jesus Christ from Mark.  

There is a scholarly trend right now that refers to a lost source text that is being called Q.  It wasn’t a narrative like the gospels that we have in the Bible on the life of Jesus, but was probably a collection of all the sayings of Jesus that anyone who actually heard them could remember.  This supposed text is believed to have provided more of the source material for all of the synoptic gospels and that this explains some of the harmony between them. Unfortunately, there is no way to know this for certain.  We don’t have the text although the arguments for its existence are legitimate and very compelling.

Because of all this, placing the gospel of Luke in history is one of the things that is up for debate.  Luke as well as Acts were written to a man named Theophilus.  One school of thought is that Luke was written somewhere after AD 70. Part of this comes because of Jesus’ quote in Luke about the destruction of the temple.  Luke is a little more detailed than any of the other synoptic gospels and some conclude that Luke may have had knowledge of this.  The more compelling reason for a later dating is the tightness of the manuscript.  It reads as if some time has passed, some theology and tradition has been set forth and order for the early accounts of Christ’s life have been accepted and ratified.

On the flip side of that, there are scholars that date Luke between AD 37 and AD 70 because there was a high priest in Israel between AD 37 and the early 40s named Theophilus.  If this is true, Luke was written between four and eight years after the crucifixion of Jesus and would make it one of the earliest Christian manuscripts that we have.  Either way, Luke was inspired by the Spirit of the living God and it was written to a Gentile audience in that it shows the gospel of Jesus is inclusive and not only a Jewish religion.  It includes the whole world and welcomes all who call upon the name of the Lord into the family.  So with that, we begin the book of Luke, chapter 1, verses 1 through 25.  

Commentary

As we begin the book of Luke today, it’s an interesting story, the story of the coming of John the Baptist and John’s father, who was a priest named Zechariah, and Zechariah is to burn incense before the Lord in the temple, which he does.  His group or his division is on duty to serve in the temple and this is an honor that he has received by lot and he takes the fire pans in before the Lord to burn the incense before the Lord when he encounters the angel.  

The angel tells him he is going to have a son in his old age and that he will be a prophetic voice.  Echoes of the promise to Abraham and Sarah and the prophesy or the words that the angel speaks to Zechariah is that this child will turn the hearts of the children back to their fathers and the hearts of the fathers back to the children. This is a prophesy found in the book of Malachi.  In fact, for practicing Jewish people at the time of Zechariah, when this is happening, these are the last words of the Bible.  So it’s not like a priest like Zechariah doesn’t understand what is being said.  It is what is being said is too big for him to comprehend.  What is being said is that there is a new prophetic voice to pick up the story where it was left off four centuries before, echoes of the time the children of Israel spent in slavery in Egypt and a new freedom is coming to people who have enslaved themselves by rejecting God.  

So it is a big deal what is being said here and all of this is not lost on Zechariah.  He is a priest.  He studies the Torah.  He understands this.  He knows the words of the prophets.  His response is interesting.  “How can I be sure this is going to happen?” is what he tells the angel, as if he has not been given signs enough.  He is A: Standing in the presence of God burning incense when an angel appears to give him words about the future.  And B:  All of the things that would go into that, the fact that he is elderly and his wife is barren, the fact that the prophesy is so big that it is maybe too big for him to be involved with at all.  Echoes of our own lives.  

Very soon as we move forward in the gospel of Luke we will see that this same angel has another visit and this visit will be to a peasant girl up in the Galilee area named Miriam.  We know her as Mary.  And her response to the angel’s overwhelming story about a child that she will have that will be the son of God, a bigger prophesy, a more encompassing comprehensive prophesy given to a peasant girl will be received radically different than a prophesy to a very educated and mature priest of the highest God.  Let’s watch the juxtaposition of their responses and look for our own hearts in them.  

Prayer

Father, we invite you into that as we move forward.  How is it that we respond when you speak?  How is it that we react when you call?  Is it always too big for us?  Have we put a ceiling on what we can do or what we can be involved in in your service?  Come Holy Spirit, we pray in the mighty name of Jesus.  Amen.  

Announcements

Www.DailyAudioBible.com is the website.  It’s home base.  It’s where you find out what is going on around here so be sure to check that out. The More Gathering for Women is coming up and we’ve been talking about it for a little while now, but registration will be closing fairly soon, so make sure that you know.  

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at www.DailyAudioBible.com.  There is a link.  It is on the home page.  Thank you. Truly, thank you.  If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible App, you can press the More button in the lower right-hand corner.  If you prefer the mail, the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, TN 37174.  

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, (877) 942-4253 is the number to dial.  

And that’s it for today.  I’m Brian. I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.  

Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

Hey everybody.  This is Pelham M. from Birmingham.  I used to say from Cullman.  Now it’s Birmingham.  It’s been Birmingham for a while.  You can tell I haven’t gotten a lot of sleep because I’ve got a 10-week-old at home that God blessed us with.  I was calling because the Holy Spirit was tugging at me like he does.  “Time to call.”  “It’s time to call.”  Max, your call, if you’re out there, Max, that was what really pushed me to where it was time to call.  Actually, it was Hebrews13@proton.com. I forgot your name, but it starts with an M, your call is what prompted me to call about his call.  That is how the network happens.  Man, the depression.  I faced it. I faced it with substance abuse and it’s because you’re a powerful soldier in God’s army and there is something trying to take you out of the game.  When you can see through that smoke and see through that noise and just connect with God, put your eyes on him.  And if you feel like you can’t do that, just connect with someone that is connecting with God and you’re going to make it through this, man.  There are people all over the world praying for you. Here I am at the pizza truck in Birmingham, AL thinking about you and what you’re going through and it was time for me to call anyway.  Molly is doing great.  The baby is doing great.  The pizza truck is doing great.  Life is different when you have a baby.  It changes all the focus.  Pretty exciting stuff.  I think I’m about to run out of time.  I just wanted to call and touch base.  Blind Tony, where are you.  Hadn’t heard from you.  Have a great day everyone.  

Hello.  This is the Greatest Trucker from Way out West.  I’m coming to my Daily Audio Bible family with a prayer request that is more for my brother-in-law Steve J.  He is back there in Missouri and he has pneumonia.  He’s suffering with it pretty bad.  He’s in the ICU.  My sister texted me that he had to have a CT scan that showed blood clots in his lungs and pneumonia.  They started him on blood thinners and he’s getting breathing treatments and he’s very weak.  He’ll get real food today and more antibiotics and one __________ of oxygen before he goes home and he might have to be on it for a while, so would like for this family to pray for Steve J. back there in Missouri, as they call it Missoura back there.  The __________ prayers of this family are extremely powerful.  We’ve seen that many, many times.  I love you all and I pray for your prayer requests and I’m asking you to pray for this one for me today.  In Jesus’ precious name, for the healing of Steve J. in Missouri.  Thank you.  

Hi DAB family.  This is Janine from Virginia.  I just want to thank you, Brian and Jill, for the lifechanging ministry of DAB.  I don’t even want to think about a day without listening to Brian share God’s word.  His commentary, insight into that day’s scripture reading is just amazing. It gives me so much to ponder and pray about.  DAB family, my heart…I just love you all so much.  I have so many thanks to give.  Thank you Jeanie F., my sister who is such a treasure, who never gives up on me. So many people to thank for your prayers for me, for my brother and my mother.  A shout-out to my sister Jeanie F. from Chatham, VA, for her steadfast friendship, prayers and encouragement.  Just can’t thank you enough, Jeanie.  Thank you Abbie from Washington State, and Katheryn from Maryland for your prayer.  It touched my heart so much.  Thank you for your kindness and love.  And Mason, thank you for your prayer for me.  DAB is Jesus with skin on.  Your example of being a godly man is priceless to me.  Christine from Northern Virginia, your words profoundly touched me. Thank you, dear, for reaching out with truth from God’s word.  I will be in touch with you.  Pastor Gene, I glean so much from your messages.  Blind Tony, thank you for your poetry.  It is always wonderful.  Thank you, brother.  Lisa the Encourager, I appreciate your words, your encouragement is always encouraging. And Candace from Oregon, beautiful songs.  Keep sharing.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family.  This is Debbie in Des Moines, driving on my way to work.  I got car noise here.  It’s been really strong in my heart to share how God sustained me years ago during a really difficult time, so here it goes.  My husband left me with four children.  The place I was living in with my daughter was burnt down to the ground.  I lost my dog during that same month that all of this happened.  They got rid of my position.  But wouldn’t you know…and I didn’t have renter’s insurance because when you’re poor you don’t think of renter’s insurance.  Wouldn’t you know that the person who came from Red Cross was from my church.  Not only that, she also oversaw low income housing, so we immediately, we never had to go to a shelter or anything.  She immediately took us and put us into housing.  I’ve never been on government assistance before and I had to do that. So I went in and wouldn’t you know the case worker was a lady from my church that I had never met before. Don’t worry about your finances. Don’t worry when you feel the enemy has taken everything from you because it is a cleansing.  Think of it as a cleansing.  There is nothing that we need on earth.  God sustains us through everything.  So don’t worry about finances.  Don’t worry about what you’re going to eat, where you’re going to live. Worry about nothing.  God will sustain you.  He sustained me in miraculous ways and continues to do so. So please, don’t worry.  God loves you and he shows that every day.  Bye guys.  

Hi DAB family.  This is Michelle, military wife from Virginia.  I’ve called over the last couple of years, but I haven’t called in in a long time and I just want to tell you how inspiring it is to hear the praise reports and the prayer requests coming in.  I called in a few years ago regarding our son who has Asperger’s and he has dealt with legal issues and also just tremendous amount of demonic oppression and we have been standing in the gap for him for years for total deliverance.  I had asked that you guys please cover our son.  He’s had some breakthrough and it still continues to be a fight for his life. Any prayers that our beautiful Lord and Savior gives, the Heavenly Father through the power of the Spirit are greatly appreciated.  Love you guys so much.  Thank you for everything.  Alright, have a great day, DAB family.  Bye.  

Hi.  I just wanted to thank Stephanie from North Carolina for calling in.  I don’t usually listen to the prayer requests.  I usually just listen to the Bible reading.  I haven’t really related to a lot of Christians mostly because I feel like the weird one.  I see things sometimes when I pray.  I feel like God shows me things and most of the people that I have been around have rejected that and kind of think that is not from God.  I believed, you know, praying in tongues and that’s not been popular either, but I have just stepped away from church and kind of been on my own little island searching for God and I felt really alone because I feel like God shows me things.  I couldn’t get to my phone fast enough to turn it off when it got to the prayer requests and when I heard Stephanie’s call come in, it made me realize I’m not so alone after all.  So Stephanie, thank you for calling in.  I know you said it was hard for you to call in and as hard as that was, it is just as hard for me to call in because I don’t like things like this either, but I just wanted to call and say thank you.  Bless you.  Bye-bye.

Numbers 16:41-18:32 ~ Mark 16:1-20 ~ Psalm 55:1-23 ~ Proverbs 11:7

Today is the 12^th day of March.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian.  Here we are, stepping together into a brand new week and I love the fresh start of that. As is our tradition around here, we’ll read from a different translation this week than we did the week before. This week we’ll read from the Expanded Bible.  So back out into the wilderness we go where there is some drama going on.  Numbers chapter 16, verse 41 through 18 verse 32 today.

Prayer

Father, we thank you for this new week.  Every time we cross the threshold of a new day, a new week, a new month, a new year, a new decade, we are reminded that what has gone before us is a result of the choices that we have made, whether or not we have chosen to walk with you.  Every time we cross the threshold, we realize that our future will be made up of similar choices and we’re reminded that there is no life outside of you.  We must walk with you.  This is how we were created.  So we thank you for this new week and we long to be in your presence every moment of it.  We offer it to you for your service and for your glory and may your glory shine down and reflect off of us into this world.  And may we do your work as sons and daughters of the kingdom.  Come Holy Spirit.  We offer this week in advance because we love you and the fact that we’re even going to have this week is a gift from you.  So come Holy Spirit into all of our thoughts, words and deeds, changing us and letting us be your hands and feet to be agents of change in return. Come Holy Spirit, we pray in the mighty name of Jesus, amen.  

Announcements

Www.DailyAudioBible.com is the website.  It’s home base.  It’s where you find out what is going on around here.  The resources that we have are available there, so check it out.  There is plenty of stuff to do and see at www.DailyAudioBible.com.  

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at www.DailyAudioBible.com as well and I thank you.  I really thank you for your partnership.  What we do, we do together and that is a very beautiful thing. So yeah, there is a link on the home page of the website.  If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible App, you can press the More button in the lower right-hand corner or the mailing address, if that is your preference, is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, TN 37174.  

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, (877) 942-4253 is the number to dial.  

And that’s it for today.  I’m Brian. I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.  

Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

Hello, this is Miguel from California.  James, teacher from LA, I am calling to pray with you and to pray for you.  So let’s just jump right in and whoever else is listening, please pray with me.  Father God, thank you for James.  I thank you for where you’ve placed him, that you are leading him, that you are guiding him to the work that you have for him.  Father, I thank you for the softening of the heart of the student that he had mentioned in his prayer request.  And God, we appeal for this soul.  We appeal for this child of God.  We appeal for his salvation.  We come before you and we ask for this seed to take root in this heart.  May this seed find soft soil in his heart and take root and blossom into a beautiful tree of salvation, a tree that yields even more fruit for the glory of God that this gospel will not just stop here with just this one student, but it will spread throughout his classmates, throughout his friends and his family.  He has a story, as we hear, but God, your gospel, your good news is more powerful than any other story that is imaginable.  In Jesus’ name we ask for this boy, this student of James.  God, may you just continue to flourish in James’ work for you.  God, we thank you.  We praise you for what you’re doing.  We ask this in Jesus’ powerful and mighty name.  Amen.  

Hey Dabbers.  This is Derrick in Atlanta, here with my wife and we just want to say thank you for being a community that supports one another through Jesus Christ.  And we just want to support you all with our prayers and hope that you pray for us and our family and our future endeavors. Thanks so much, Brian, for what you do. We love you guys.  Bye.  

Hey DAB family.  Jonathon calling here from Kentucky.  I wanted to update you on my father, Pastor Ted, who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer.  For those who don’t know, he has been a pastor for 43 years, just a deep, deep lover of God who brings so much joy and vitality and Christian life into the church. We just got back from the Cleveland Clinic and the general report is yes, you do have prostate cancer.  The good news is no, it has not spread all throughout your body.  It was like maybe one or two lymph nodes are affected.  It is still pretty serious because it is Gleason scale 9 cancer and it is a large tumor in his prostate.  But I’m calling because I wanted to ask you all to pray about something specific.  On March 16^th, so in a few days he is going to be going to Vanderbilt.  They are going to put a couple of gold markers in his prostate and that is to show the radiologist where to direct the radiation. We are praying that as soon as they put those markers in, they have to do two scans, CT scan and an MRI, just to see if the gold markers got put in correctly.  Would you all pray with us?  We just believe God is big.  He can do this.  Would you pray with us that when they go to look at those scans after they have placed those markers in, they’ll just see no trace of cancer and they’ll just come back and say ‘we don’t know what is going on, but we don’t see any cancer anymore in your prostate.  So we put these gold markers in and we don’t see any prostate cancer.’  We believe God can do that.  He is big.  He is able. He is awesome.  I just wanted to reach out to the DAB family and ask would you all join us and raise up a canopy of prayer over this and let’s all together ask if God would be gracious and willing to just remove and eradicate this cancer for his glory?  And we’ll praise his name.  Love you all. Thank you so much and we’re praying for each and every one of you.  God bless you.  

Hi, this is an encouragement for __________.  My name is Charlotte from the UK and this is about your allergies. It says put on all the armor of God, all the armor that God gives you so that you will be able to stand up against the devil’s evil tricks, for we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, __________ and constant perils of this age.  So put on God’s full armor now and when the evil day comes you will be able to resist the enemy’s attack enough to fight him to the end.  You will still hold your ground.  So this is just an encouragement to say put on every single piece of armor that God’s given you and he will give it to you if you ask him.  The theme for this year is margin, so I encourage you that before the trials and tribulations come, that you will put on all the armor so you will be able to stand on the day.  Thank you Audio Bible.  Bye.

Be not dismayed, what’er betide, God will take care of you.  Beneath his wings of love abide, God will take care of you. Through days of toil when heart dost fail, God will take care of you.  When dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you.  All you may need he will provide, God will take care of you.  Nothing you ask will be denied, God will take care of you.  No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you.  Lean, weary one, upon his breast,  God will take care of you.  [Singing] God will take care of you through every day, throughout the way, God will take of you.  God will take care of you.  

Greetings Daily Audio Bible.  This is Tillman from Evans, GA and I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me, but I guess the Lord has been __________ that I just don’t feel like being a burden on anyone.  But I call with a heavy heart simply because I love my mother-in-law.  She is physically going through right now.  She had major surgery last Wednesday and she came out of that okay, but she has had a setback and she is in ICU.  She is not having much urine output and she is having issues with her heart.  So I just ask that you all would lift her up, pray for her, that she would be healed and that her body be whole for he is the God that heals thee.  I would also ask that you pray for my wife in this time where she feels confused because her mother does not live in our town, so with all the logistics and everything it gets a little difficult.  Just pray to encourage her, that she would trust in the Lord with all of her heart, all of her soul and with all of her mind.  I thank you very much Daily Audio Bible.  We’re praying for you.  Bye.  

Numbers 15:17-16:40 ~ Mark 15:1-47 ~ Psalm 54:1-7 ~ Proverbs 11:5-6

Today is March 11^h.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian. It is a pleasure and a joy to be here with you today as we conclude another one of our weeks together this year. So we’ll go back out into the wilderness where a people who were destined for the land of promise realize that they are not going to be able to do it because of what they did, not because of what God did.  We’ve seen some of the repercussions of that, but an entire generation cut themselves off from entering into the promised land and we’ll see what happens next.  Numbers chapter 15, verse 17 through 16:40 today and we’ve been reading from the Good News Translation this week.  

Commentary

So for the second time this year we’ve come through the passion narrative. This is the season where we’re moving toward Easter and so this is the time that we have in this season to witness this.  And it’s hard.  I mean, it’s hard for me to think of Jesus nailed up like that.  That bothers me.  It’s supposed to, but it does.  You hear him crying out from the cross something that is so human and so heartfelt and so true of all of us:  My God, why have you forsaken me?  Why did you abandon me?  

I think what is poignant in this is not a theological statement that is being made, but that this happened.  Because what we see is that Jesus is actually experiencing these things as a person. This can draw us so near if we’ll let it, if we’ll look at the life of Jesus and realize that he went through every issue that we go through in life and more, far more as a person.  

So he understands when we’re crying these things out.  Yet Jesus changes all of that.  When we enter the book of Matthew, his words were I will never leave you nor forsake you.  That is no less true today than when he spoke it. So what we have is a very, very present God who also deeply and intimately understands the struggle that it is to live in the hardships that we face.  We don’t have an aloof God that has no idea what it is like to be us.  We have a God who knows exactly what it is like to be us.  So rather than estranging ourselves by blaming and making accusation, if we would invite him near, to be in it with us, it could change the paradigm for us. It would turn us away from doubt and accusation and toward intimacy because Jesus is obviously not afraid to go through human things because he did.  

So that loneliness that you’ve been feeling, Jesus understands that. He’s felt that.  That betrayal that you went through that you can’t seem to get past, it’s just too raw even after all this time, Jesus understands that. The black kiss of betrayal was upon his cheek, betrayed unto death.  He understands that.  In fact, there is really nothing that we could say that Jesus hasn’t experienced, that he hasn’t been willing to be involved in.  

And so here in this season of Lent, as we invite the Holy Spirit to rearrange our lives, to dismantle things that don’t need to be there, to reprioritize, and the chance for us to contemplate the depth and weight and cost of sin to give us this intimacy with the Holy Spirit, may we understand that we can trust him.  Really. We really actually can trust him.

I know that is a cliché.  I know we say that all the time, but hang on a second.  We really can trust him.  He really is interested in our lives, interested enough to hang from a cross and experience everything that he experienced.  We really can trust him.  And we’re far enough into the Bible to see the threads of redemption all throughout, that this story is a long story and we’re a part of that story. God wasn’t different then than he is now, we’re just living the story forward.  We really can trust him.  So may we.

Prayer

Jesus, that is our heart cry today.  Of course we trust you until we don’t.  We want that to change in this season.  We invite your Holy Spirit into that.  That there isn’t a time that we feel like we’re not sure whether we trust you or not or that you’re just the nearest one to blame for whatever it is that ails us.  We’re sorry that we can be that way.  It’s lame. It’s childish.  You’re inviting us to grow up and trust you and see what a stable platform faith actually is.  You’re continuing to draw us deeper and invite us further because every step that we take in that direction is a step toward wholeness.  And every step that we take in that direction is a step toward who we were created to be.  So we thank you once again for coming for us and we honor this moment as we move through the gospels.  We honor this moment of your sacrifice because this is all possible because of this. So we embrace it and invite you to come, Holy Spirit.  In the name of Jesus we ask.  Amen.  

Announcements

Www.DailyAudioBible.com is the website.  It’s home base.  It’s where you find out what is going on around here.  Plenty.  There is always something going on, so check it out.  

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at www.DailyAudioBible.com.  There is a link.  It’s on the home page.  Thank you. Thank you for clicking that link. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible App, push the More button in the lower right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, TN 37174.  

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, (877) 942-4253 is the number to dial.  

And that’s it for today.  I’m Brian. I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.  

Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

Hey family.  It’s Jordan from Michigan.  Day 36 of my 60-day challenge.  I want to say today that I’m thankful that God got me out of depression and brought my joy back.  Let’s pray. Dear Heavenly Father, I want to pray for the spirit of depression that is plaguing our family.  Heavenly Father, I want to pray for Rachel whose friend’s son literally took a bullet for his mother.  Father, show this mother that you are there, that you are with her. Comfort her and heal her, Father. In the name of Yeshuah, show her that his laying down his life for his mother is a reflection of your love that you had for us when you died on the cross literally.  Father, I want to pray for Derrick and I want to pray for Matt in Madison.  Heavenly Father, these men are depressed, Father.  Father, they are going through so much turmoil in their lives.  Their minds are filled with sorrow and anguish. Father, please heal them.  Please take away their depression and give them new life in you.  Give them new life in you.  Give them your word.  Give them prayer.  Give them meditation.  Give them healing, true healing, Father.  Give them therapy.  And lastly, Father, I just want to thank you for Byron in Florida, for being so transparent about his suicide attempt, Father.  Father, I attempted suicide as well and I want to thank you for getting me through it, Father, because you are a good, good Father.  That is who you are and you love us and you will never forsake us, amen.  

Hi everybody.  It’s Lisa the Encourager.  Hope everybody is doing good tonight.  I just wanted to let you guys know or actually I want to let Brian know, thank you so much, March the 6^th, for the blessing because I accept it.  I accept it with open arms.  Also decided to pay it forward to my family as a servant, not a saint, but I basically sat around this dinner table and asked us all to hold hands, which we don’t normally do that, and I spoke that same blessing on my family, on each one of us, so I thank you so much, Brian, for that. It meant a lot to me.  And also I wanted to pray tonight for Mike from Maryland, his 19-year-old son.  He went through a breakup with his girlfriend and so I’m sure we can all relate to that at some point in our lives, so I am definitely praying for your 19-year-old son, Mike, and his broken heart.  And also I’m praying for Matthew.  Matthew, I’m praying for your friend or coworker Rodney which has a daughter that is going to jail.  He’s a good Christian man and he just needs to receive God’s comfort, so I’m praying for Rodney tonight, Matthew.  And just a quick shout-out to Joelle for being two months sober from alcohol.  I’m so happy for you, Joelle.  So let’s go to the Lord in prayer.  Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you, God, so much for forgiving me of my sins and helping me to forgive others.  And I pray, God, that you will bless Mike’s son that is dealing with a broken heart right now.  Lord, only you can mend broken hearts and can make us truly full inside, so I pray that for his dear 19-year-old.  

Good morning DAB family.  This is Jocelyn in Atlanta.  God just really put it on my heart to call in and ask for prayer for pastor’s wives and particularly the pastor’s wives at my church.  I know one of them had a baby a couple months ago and I kind of talked briefly with her husband and he mentioned that she was having a hard time. I know that there is probably a whole lot more of the story than I could ever imagine, but I just really would like to, as a family, lift up all the pastor’s wives.  I feel like they make such huge sacrifices and they don’t always get acknowledged.  They are given a lot of criticism and sometimes unnecessary expectations, so if we could just come against the enemy and bind him in the name of Jesus and allow these women to feel God’s purpose and to feel loved and cared for and that as the body of Christ we would show them love and caring and that we wouldn’t always expect them to be the ones that are supporting us.  Lord, we love you and we praise you for all things. Amen.  I’ve been really touched by a lot of the people calling in.  Also, for those of you that are new that don’t know, there are some really awesome and amazing prayer resources on the Media tab of the app.  I also want to make sure that we’re lifting up the women who are going to the More Conference.  I know that the enemy is going to want to try to keep them from going and find ways to make them think that they shouldn’t sign up and just ask that we pray against these things and that we pray for support for the women who are going to the More Conference.  Alright, love you guys.  Bye.  

Good morning Daily Audio Bible.  This is Nathan, Gift of God from Bloomington, IL.  Hey, I was listening today, today being March 7^th, how God had commanded that the people of Israel in the desert follow the cloud and when the cloud moves, that they move.  And it might be two days.  It might be two weeks.  It might be one year, like Brian said, but they followed the cloud because that is what God commanded.  That is what God wanted.  He wanted those people to be under his wings and to be obedient.  I was thinking about that and I’m thinking well, that’s still the same.  Maybe we may not see a visible cloud, but God still wants us to follow him.  When he says move, we need to follow that.  When God moves that so to speak cloud, it might be a week.  It might be a day.  It might be a year.  And it might be forever.  But we need to be under God’s command, under God’s wings, under God’s protection, under God’s will.  I just wanted to share that so hopefully it puts a little smile on someone’s face today. Have a great day.  Make it a great day.  

Hey family.  This is Douglas and I’ve got a story for you.  I recently made a pretty big life change and everything seems to be working pretty good, but I got kind of __________.  I kind of camp on certain ideas and certain things that seem to work well for me and it goes pretty good, but after a while things start to not necessarily fall apart but not be as __________ as they once were.  Today is the 7^th and I was reminded of that when we went through the Old Testament talking about how the Israelites would camp every day and look for the cloud by day and the fire by night and be ready at any moment to break camp and follow the moving of God.  That just reminded me that God is still moving today in the Holy Spirit.  Even in the scriptures it says that he reveals himself in tongues of fire.  It just reminded me that I’ve got to not be so eager to camp in one place but wake up every morning and just see where the Holy Spirit is moving.  If he is lifting and moving, I’ve got to be ready to break camp and follow.  So Brian, thanks for reading that today.  That just brought it home.  It’s a lot easier to follow a list of things that work and things that don’t than it is to follow the Spirit of God.  That just reminded me sometimes I make lists that I’ve got to do this, I’ve got to do this and sometimes lists are okay, but it’s a lot better to follow the Spirit of God. So thanks again.  Also, a big praise.  I just celebrated two years of being cancer free.  I know you guys prayed for me during that time and thank you guys for always being there.  Take care.

Good morning Dabbers.  My name is Allison.  I’m calling from Texas and I just want to say I’ve been listening to the Daily Audio Bible for some time now.  __________ and I love you guys.  My prayer request today is I’ve been dealing with skin cancer that’s called mycosis fungoides for some time and it has just been a journey.  I’m up and I’m down on days and I know God can completely heal me, but I need the Dabbers to come into agreement with me.  It’s called mycosis fungoides.  It’s a form of skin cancer and it has just been really, really, really more frustrating than anything.  I know God is a healer and I believe he is a healer and if you guys could touch and agree with me that God will heal me completely from the top of my head to the soles of my feet, it will be such a blessing.  I thank you guys.  I love you. Brian, keep doing what you’re doing. You’re such an anointed man of God. Thank you so much and be blessed.