Month: March 2017

Numbers 6:1-7:89 ~ Mark 12:38-13:13 ~ Psalm 49:1-20 ~ Proverbs 10:27-28

Today is March 6^th.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian. It is great to be here with you, I guess as we get the work week going.  It’s going to be a great day because we’ve given this week to God.  We’re going to walk with the Lord today in all of our thoughts, words and deeds and it’s going to be amazing.  So one of the rhythms of our lives is the rhythm of the scripture in our lives.  I’m excited that we can have this time around the global campfire and just move into a place of serenity and hear God speak to us from his word.  We’re doing that by reading from the Good News Translation this week, Numbers chapter 6, verse 1 through 7 verse 89 today.  

Commentary

In the gospel of Mark today, Jesus is in the temple complex in Jerusalem, sitting near where the treasury is, and he is observing people giving of their treasure, their money to God, and his observation is fascinating because God isn’t interested so much in how many zeroes there are.  Jesus is observing many people giving many things, but he observes this one poor, and she was very poor, widow who gives basically a penny.  So here in the United States, that is the lowest denomination in our currency.  I know it is called different things in all of the many countries that are around the world and that we’re all together here, but we each have our own lowest denomination of currency.  This is what this woman has and she has two of them and she gives them to God.  Jesus says she gave more than anyone else even though it was the smallest amount that could be given.  It was more than anyone else because it was all she had.  And not just all she had like for the day.  It was all she had to live on.  Jesus said everyone else gave out of their surplus.  She gave all she had.  

This is obviously important because it is in the scriptures and Jesus paid attention to it.  It is just echoes of subthemes of things that Jesus teaches all the time.  Because in all of Jesus’ teachings, we find that the kingdom is here.  It is available.  It is now. The authority of the kingdom and our father God is available now and it is epic.  Go back and just read the exodus that we just went through and all that happened to Pharaoh and the Egyptians.  God’s power is beyond anything that we can do.  But there is a narrow path and that narrow path that leads to life requires us to loosen the tight grip on the life that we are trying to arrange for and understand that to be in God’s kingdom is an all or nothing proposition.  

So this widow, Jesus pays attention to this.  It catches his eye as he watches because he knows what is really going on here.  This woman isn’t jumping up and down in the line going, “Ohhhh, I don’t know how I’m going to eat because I’m about to give everything I have to God.”  She’s not drawing any attention to herself.  She is just quietly trusting wholly and completely in God.  If she ends up with nothing else and she goes hungry, she knows that she gave the best of what she had.  In fact, she gave all that she had to God.  

The thing that we cannot seem to get ourselves to flip the switch on is that this is the safest, most stable way we can possibly live.  When we know that our next breath is not something that we deserve or that is just going to happen, it’s a gift, a gift from God, that we understand that every breath is a gift from God and everything is a gift from God and every person is a gift from God, everything around us is a miracle in motion and we are a part of it, well then we realize I have to depend on God no matter what. And all of these things that I’m trying to arrange for and all the security that I’m trying to have, that’s fine, but it all is from God and belongs to God and he has more than plenty for his children. Then we are invited into a place of margin.  Then we are invited into a place of order and peace.  We are invited into shalom, the way things are supposed to be.  And it is here and it is available.  We just have all of this messaging of our culture that is designed to make us feel like there is always lack so we will then go buy the thing that will fill the lack.  There is only one thing that can fill the lack and that is the spirit of God within.  So may we come to understand what the poor widow in Jesus’ story already knew.  

And then if we go backwards and go back into the book of Numbers, God is talking about Nazarite vows.  All of the little nuances and all of the things that are being built into this new culture are there and they are in great detail, but for us to get the foundational understanding of what is going on here will help us as we move into some very dramatic territory out in front of us as we get to know the children of Israel. We’ve known about them before they ever existed.  We’ve known about them since there was simply a promise to a man named Abraham.  But now we’re in the thick of it with them.  They are being reformed into a chosen and holy, set apart people and this is what it all looks like.  So as we get to know them well, we’ll understand much of their story going forward.  

God gave the words for the priestly benediction today.  As a minister, I’ve spoken those words hundreds of times, but they caught me today.  I felt like we should end up here today.  So I am going to pronounce this blessing over you, not because I’m some high and lofty priest, but because I am a servant of the Most High God, just like you.  So I’m going to pronounce it over you and I pray that you will turn pronounce it over those that you love today.  

May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May he make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.  May he lift his countenance upon you and give you peace.  

Prayer

Father, we receive that all over this world.  We receive that and after receiving that, we give it away like the widow in Jesus’ story today.  May your blessing pour out over this earth today inside this community and may it spread to hundreds of thousands, even millions of people today all over this earth.  And may those words become true in our lives. We ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Song played at the end of today’s podcast:

May the Lord Bless and Keep You

Goodnight, my dear, go to sleep;
til you’re floating like a ship across the sea;
go to sleep.

May the Lord bless and keep you;

the Lord shine his face upon you, child, and give you grace.
May the Lord turn His face toward you, love, and give you peace.

Goodnight my dear, be at ease;

till you’re floating like the sunlight through the trees;
be at ease.

May the Lord bless and keep you;

the Lord shine his face upon you, child, and give you grace.
May the Lord turn His face toward you, love, and give you peace.

So lay down, breathe deep.

May the Lord bless and keep you;
the Lord shine his face upon you, child, and give you grace
May He turn His face toward you, my little boy, and give you peace.

 -Andrew Peterson

Numbers 4:1-5:31 ~ Mark 12:18-37 ~ Psalm 48:1-14 ~ Proverbs 10:26

Today is March 5^th.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian and it’s always a pleasure to be here with you and I’m glad, really glad that we can be here for another day, another step, and cross into this brand new week together, centering ourselves and orienting our hearts to God through his word.  So here we go, launching into our first full week of this new month and this week we’ll read from the Good News Translation.  And, of course, we’ll pick up where we left off yesterday, Numbers chapter 4, verse 1 through 5:31 today.  

Prayer

Father, we thank you for your word.  And here we are, walking through the threshold into another week.  We have given this month to you in advance and we give this week to in advance.  What we want is intimacy with you and we want that more than all of the other things that we are pursuing, both good and not so good.  We invite your Holy Spirit to show us the paths that are a waste of time, the things that we are into that have no value, the things that steal all of the margin in our lives and force us to the edges where anxiety and restlessness live.  We want to back off all of that and create spaciousness in our lives, not so that we can just get ourselves into a bunch of other hobbies and just simply do the same thing, get ourselves back out on the margins where anxiety is.  We want space in our lives for you because what we have learned in your word and what we have observed in our lives is that when we do walk with you, we are walking on the narrow path that leads to life. We are walking in a healthy way, one that has space, one that has margin, and as we allow you to touch all of the things in our lives, as we allow you to pull us out of things that are wasting our life, we will find more and more life.  It feels counterintuitive and yet it just simply reveals our addiction to motion.  We don’t like the idea of what it might look like to slow down and see the world before it passes us by.  Yet you’ve given us this life and these years to enjoy life as a human being.  We want that to its full because this is how you’ve created us.  We know that there is an eternity and often we think, well, there will be space and time there and yet there is space and time here, for now is a part of eternity. So come, Holy Spirit.  May this week matter in our relationship with one another.  We choose to walk with you.  We love you. We worship you.  We offer all of the days in this week in advance to that endeavor, the endeavor of knowing you and being known by you.  So come, Holy Spirit.  We pray in the mighty name of Jesus, we ask these things.  Amen.  

Announcements

Www.DailyAudioBible.com is home base.  That is the website.  It is where you find out what is going on around here, the prayer wall is there and all kinds of stuff is there, so check it out.  And while you’re doing your checking out, if you’re a woman and you’ve been considering the More Gathering that is coming up, it’s a month from tomorrow so it is coming up pretty quickly, love to see you there.  You can find out all the details at www.DailyAudioBible.com.  

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at www.DailyAudioBible.com as well.  The link is on the home page.  Like I say most every day, if you’re using the app, you can push the More button.  If you prefer the mail, the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, TN 37174.

And, of course, 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

[Singing]  My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.  I cannot trust the sweetest praise, but only trust in Jesus’ name.  Christ alone, cornerstone, weak made strong in the Savior’s love.  Through the storm he is Lord, Lord of all.  [singing ends]  Jesus, you are our rock.  You are our cornerstone and though we face storms in this life, you will help calm the storms and bring us through.  Blessings from Sherry in British Columbia, Canada.  Just wanted to give a shout-out to all the DAB family that are participating in Lent March 1.  It starts today.  Firstly, I’m giving up chocolate and sweets and it’s going to be a fun time, so just remember if you’re doing this, the focus is to turn our attention to God. Every time we think of the sweets and the things, that we would pray and we would be thankful for God and all the things that we have.  In Jesus’ name, amen.  

Hello Daily Audio Bible family.  This is Jay from New Jersey and his fiancée Janelli, “hi!”  So that’s a praise report.  I want all of my brothers and sisters who are going through divorce, who are divorced, to understand that God has a plan for your life.  I’ve been divorced and Janelli has not been divorced and we’ve both been through many, many struggles in past relationships but just know and understand God has a will, so let’s pray.  Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we come before you now with our hearts humbled, focused and centered on you.  God, we thank you for this engagement between me and Janelli and we thank you for the blessing of a unity in Christ Jesus. Father, we pray that our relationship will be centered on you and we pray that our Daily Audio Bible family will pray for us continuously and we pray for those who are in the same situations which we are dealing with, which we’ve been through.  And we pray God, that you will manifest yourself through their prayers and their seeking you through fasting and their obeying you in their lives and in their relationships.  In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.  

My name is Dean and I would just like to ask for prayer.  I just feel like I’m just really lost and I don’t really know where to go anymore.  I’ve gone to churches and I don’t feel like I belong.  God just seems really distant to me.  Just really lonely.  Never been in love.  I’m getting older and I hear a lot of stories about people that are in bad relationships and people that have loved ones that have cancer, things like that.  Sometimes I feel like I shouldn’t feel the way I feel, but I just know that I just, I don’t know, I can’t get along with anybody.  You know, I put up a good front and I’m just tired of living this way.  I don’t know. I love my parents and I watched both of them die and I feel like maybe there would be something to take their place and there never is.  So I just ask you for prayer.  Thanks.

Father God, we lift up those to you who need provision at the moment, Lord.  You know who they are.  You know what their needs are and we pray, Lord, that you would provide in them.  Father God, I think especially of those with disability benefits and those who are served by charities that are able to provide needs and things of that, Lord.  We pray for wisdom for those in authority and those in control of budgets at this time of cuts, that you would give them wisdom on what is needed and what is not.  And Lord, when things do get taken away from us, I pray, Lord, that something else will step in and provide that need.  Lord, you love us and I pray, Lord, that you would help us to be aware of that love and to feel that love.  And I pray, Lord, that we would be able to see that at work in those around us and in the way you provide for us.  And I’m praying especially, Lord, for my brothers and sisters out there who are dependent on things at the moment, Lord.  And I pray, Lord, that you would be providing or fulfilling whatever need, whatever gap there is, that something else will take its place.  Father God, thank you.  Thank you for your provision and for the way you look after us.  In Jesus’ name, amen.  Everyone, it’s Michaela from Gloucester, UK.  Yeah, hope you’re all having a good and blessed day wherever you are.  I’ll speak to you soon.  Bye.  

Hello fellow Dabbers!  This is Wayne from Maine calling you all the way from Ghana, West Africa.  It’s been a while since I called and I just wanted to touch base with you all.  You know, we’re beginning March and as we begin March we’ve listened and let God wash through us every day for this year.  Have you felt the presence in your life?  Have you felt him drawing you closer to him?  We’re going to continue to have trials and tribulations, physical, financial, emotional.  Lord, we’re going to have that, but He is here next to us encouraging us.  Isn’t that so reassuring?  I love it.  Hey, well listen, every time I call, which hasn’t been often lately, but every time I call, I read Micah.  The writer is saying “Lord, what do you want from me?”  And he says, “Would the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams and 10,000 rivers of oil?  Should I offer my firstborn for my transgressions?  My first fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?  What is it you want, Lord?”  And the writer says, “He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you.”  Listen and let this sink in.  He says, “Dude, act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”  Remember that every day, you’ll do well, my friends.  Shout-out to the __________ baby!  Woot-woot!  Hey, this is Wayne from Maine.  Pray for me as I travel around Africa like a madman.  Cheers!  Love you guys.  

Numbers 2:1-3:51 ~ Mark 11:27-12:17 ~ Psalm 47:1-9 ~ Proverbs 10:24-25

Today is March 4^th.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you, and it’s a special day.  It’s really just for me, but today is my birthday and a long, long time ago I decided to stop adding up the numbers every year that are more and more discouraging and start celebrating by Daily Audio Bible years.  So today is my 12^th birthday, which reminds me of how faithful God has been and how many days and weeks and months we’ve been in this together, reading the Bible fresh every day.  So that, reading the Bible fresh every day, is why we have come here today. So as we end another of our weeks together, we’ve been reading from the Names of God Bible this week, which is a nice change of pace because it gives us the original language names whenever God is referred to, so that is fun.  That is what we’ll read from today and then we’ll move to something else tomorrow. Numbers chapter 2, verse 1 through 3:51 today.  

Commentary

You can see in the book of Numbers that we’re running into a lot of numbers, but we can also see that things have shifted from the book of Leviticus. Where the law was being given in the book of Exodus or the law was being outlined, we can see that things have shifted. We can see that now from nothing we have a tabernacle, we have all of the things that serve the tabernacle.  We have the tabernacle in the center of the camp, so this is a visual representation of how things are to be set up in this new culture – God in the middle of it all, communicating outward to everyone.

And then today, after this census was taken and all for the numbers have been counted, they have been arranged.  This is how the camp will camp.  This is how we will move.  This is important because there are a lot of people.  So now we know who is ready for battle if battle is necessary.  And we also have marching orders.  This is how they will move out.  This is the order in which they will move out.  This is who is going to be on the north side, the west side, the south side, the east side.  This is how this is all going to work.  So we can see that we’re getting ready to go somewhere.  All of this has happened within a couple of years.  So we’ve handled this territory in what, a week and a half, a couple weeks?  But for them it was a couple years.  It is remarkable what happened in that space of time because this complete change in identity and custom and ritual and understanding has happened and the people have had a chance to kind of live into this for a bit.  It’s not like they’ve been standing still.  There has been a lot going on.  It took a while to build all that stuff.  It took a while to ingrain all of these things into the fabric of this culture.  So now they have battle formation.  They have marching formation.  They are ready to move out and we’ll be doing that along with them soon.  

In the book of Mark, Jesus’ confrontations happen with religious people which is the irony because he is very kind and gracious and merciful to sinners, setting them free everywhere he goes, everything he does practically. But these Pharisees, religious leaders who travel around and watch him and are just trying to figure him out and are confrontational toward him because he is becoming more and more popular and has more sway, has more power, they turn against him.  They are trying to trick him.  They are trying to capture him in something wrong.  

He tells this story today and it’s an antagonistic story, but it wasn’t necessarily antagonism that Jesus was after.  He was showing them what they look like.  He was actually offering them the truth, a mirror, a chance to examine themselves.  And he basically in parable form, in story form recaps their history.  He talks about a king, which would be God, who buys this vineyard and sets it all up for use, which would be the world.  And then he goes away and when harvest time comes he sends someone to collect his share.  And that doesn’t go well.  And he sends somebody else and that doesn’t go well.  And then he sends someone else.  We can see this as God sending the prophets throughout the ages.  And it doesn’t go well.  Some are beaten.  Some are marginalized.  Some are ignored.  Some are killed until there is really one left to send – his own son.  And he sends his own son and they decide, ‘Oh, this is the heir.  If we kill this person, then the whole thing will be ours.’  And they do.  

So Jesus is giving them a glimpse into their own soul, into their own predicament.  And not just the religious leaders, but their whole history.  How it has gotten to this.  And they don’t listen.  They want to do exactly like the story.  They immediately want to take Jesus out of commission, totally realizing that he is talking about them, but just not comprehending the gravity of the truth that he is giving them.  

We can do the same thing.  We can read in the gospels these confrontations with religious leaders and we can see their antagonism and we have the benefit of seeing how wrong they were, but we hold those same kinds of postures toward each other, toward God. I mean, if we would stop and look back over our lives and the grandest of our mistakes and look at them honestly, we would see God has been sending counsel all along.  He has been coming for us all along.  And we’ve just ignored.  So rather than just looking at the Pharisees as these distasteful, antagonistic, jealous people who just do not understand or get Jesus, may we look for those places in our own hearts because we’ll find it there.  And we don’t want it there.  But every time we’re faced with an obstacle or a fear or a disruption of our control over things, we see this stuff starting to bubble up.  So may we follow in the footsteps of our Savior and not in the footsteps of the Pharisees.  

Prayer

Jesus, that really is one of the reasons that we stay in this rhythm every day, to be informed and directed by your word so that our hearts are refreshed and our minds and hearts are reoriented to you.  So, yeah, we realize that we have been pharisaical in many ways. A lot of times it has a religious connotation to it in the way we try to formulate our boxes of theology, but it is beyond that.  It is in every posture of heart where we move toward jealousy and arrogance, or we move toward indifference, places that we move that are not healthy, places that keep us out on the edge instead of giving us margin in our lives.  So we invite you.  We invite you into this.  

Father, I thank you for these 12 years personally.  I thank you for the change that has been made in my own heart and life.  And I thank you that we have been able to do this together as a community for this long. I pray your favor and blessing over many, many more years where we can continue to shout as loud as we can around the world your word.  Help us each, Lord, to be shouting it continually by the very weight of our lives. Come Jesus, we pray.  In your name we ask, amen.

Announcements

Www.DailyAudioBible.com is the website.  It’s where you find out what is going on around here.  The More Gathering for Women is coming up and registration for that will be closing soon, so deeply and definitely invite you, ladies, that are looking for the master reset button.  You’ll find that and more at the More Gathering for Women.  You can get all the details at www.DailyAudioBible.com.  Everything that you would want to know.  So check that out.  

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at www.DailyAudioBible.com.  Thank you humbly, gratefully for all these years together, for what we’ve been able to do together, and for what we will continue to do in the future.  Thank you for your partnership.  So the link is on the home page.  If you use the 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 and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.  

Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

Hi beautiful family.  This is Pastor Gene calling to pray together.  Father, we love you this morning.  Thank you for sacrificing your life to give us new life.  Father, we pray for Cory who is struggling with his marriage. Father, we pray for the restoration of his family.  We pray for the restoration of his relationship with his wife and his children.  Please come and save, O God.  Father, we pray for Joe the Protector.  We love him. It is good to hear his voice.  We pray that you will lift his spirit.  We pray that you will continue to do a mighty work in his marriage, Father.  Father, we love our brother David from Kansas and pray for his protection and strength, for his restoration of health and joy because your joy is his strength. Father, we thank you for our sister Jacqueline, Salvation is Mine.  Father, we pray for her continued strength, health and restoration of her body and spirit. Father, we pray that her emotions will be subject to the counsel of God and that every thought that rises itself against it will be defeated, in the mighty name of Jesus.  I pray that you will help her to enter into your rest and trust that you are there regardless of her feelings.  I rebuke Satan’s lies from my sister’s life and I pray for personal new friends that will be the hands of Jesus for her, O God.  Father, I thank you for my sister Melisa from Alabama. Happy belated birthday to my sister. I just bless you for a beautiful lady with the cutest southern accent and a wonderful heart.  Bless my sister, O Lord.  And I pray with my sister Becky from Orlando mourning the passing of baby Ian. I pray for that little brother and the rest the family.  Love you, my sister Becky.  Father, we love our sister Sarah from Nebraska and pray for blessings upon her life too. We pray all these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.  Pastor Gene from Bradenton, FL.

Hey DAB family.  This is Byron out in Florida, Abiding in Him.  Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lent season and at first I really didn’t think much of this.  I didn’t grow up with the Christian calendar as part of my religious tradition.  Or seeing what it can mean, I really didn’t know anything about it until I started listening to the DAB and I heard Brian talking about it. And even then for the first couple of years of listening I didn’t really participate or pay much attention to it. But then he began to explain the significance of the Christian calendar and the rhythms there and I slowly started to embrace what was going on and began to give up something for Lent.  And I found, just like he says, that whatever I gave up either didn’t come back or when it came back it was different.  It wasn’t like it was before.  It was better or a different priority.  And even now, this will be my third year participating in this practice, I still don’t fully get it.  I still don’t fully understand this sort of contemplating the cost of sin.  I understand it in my head, but I’m still not quite getting what this whole thing is about.  I guess I’m calling just to explain my journey with it because it has just been something that has increased over time and has gotten deeper and deeper over time, from just giving up something to really starting to contemplate what my life is all about and allowing him that period of time to just take things over.  Funny enough, what I’m currently giving up for Lent is going to bed at 10:00 each night, which for me is a huge deal because I have a lot of things going on.  It’s not unusual for me to stay up past midnight on weeknights.  So even though I have all these things going on, I’m still giving that time.  I really don’t know what that means.  I just felt like that is what he wants me to do.  So maybe I’ll learn something new.  But I just wanted to encourage you.  Even though it has already started, it is not too late to ask God for something to be put on your heart to be re-prioritized.  

Hi DAB family.  This is Sam calling from Vancouver, WA at my office in Portland.  Just calling in response to a prayer request I heard on February 18^th from Darrin in College Station.  Just want to let you know I hear you, Darrin, and I’m praying for you and thinking of you.  Praying that you feel God near.  I appreciate the prayers that were also prayed that day from men just dealing with anger and frustration and then to also feeling closeness to God and those who are struggling with depression.  All those really resonated with me and so I want to thank you all for speaking those out and just being vulnerable.  And thank you for all that you guys do and are.  I just ask for prayer support for my work situation.  I’m feeling a little frustration and stress over some scheduling issues that my boss is frustrated with in terms of me having to adjust my schedule for my family and some scheduling my wife needs to have for her job as well. We’re making lots of efforts to adjust and do things for each other and don’t feel like she is being understanding.  My review is coming up next year so just lots of different things.  I need prayer and wisdom on just how to approach that in a healthy way that is just caring and healthy.  From Sam, Sidney, Grace, Serena, and Judah, appreciate your prayers and support.  We love you.  God bless you.  

Hi DAB family.  This is Mimi in Atlanta.  Just getting to work, but I just wanted to let you know that I am praying, specifically lifting up all the requests that I’m hearing as I listen in the evening before I go to sleep and God is able.  He is big enough and he is weaving things so intricately and detailed in your lives that you just won’t believe how he is going to work out each case scenario as we all pray for each other.  My request today is again Rick Y., father of my son, grandfather of my grandchildren, called to ministry over 20 years ago to preach and teach by God, and then almost a total of 20 years, maybe 15 years total away from it.  So the walls have been erected back in the day, but God is bringing them down.  I just pray that the Lord continues to do that and I ask that you all pray for him as well because is the father that sons look to and grandsons are going to be looking to. So I just ask him for a miracle in Rick’s heart and life and that the Lord calls him back for whatever service he has for him because he does, and I know it to be true.  So thank you so much.  I love you all.  Can’t wait to go to the More Gathering.  First time going and I am going with anticipation.  So if anyone is sitting on a fence whether or not they should go, I say yes, just do it. Make a call and God will provide the finances and I’m praying for an amazing time up in North Georgia.  God bless you all.  Love you.  Bye-bye.

Hi Daily Audio Bible family.  This is Christy, the English missionary calling from the Philippines.  I would like to first give a praise report regarding Jerry. He was the inmate who spent 22 years in jail for the duration of his trial.  After his acquittal in December, he has since been joining our prison ministry team, so that is wonderful.  Every week he gets to go into the jails with us and to share what the Lord has done in his life.  So that is really great, a praise report, but today I call for a prayer request for Ivan. Ivan is one of the __________ children that we have in our children’s home and he has Down syndrome and right now he is in need, great need of heart surgery.  We were told it was going to be very expensive, so we raised the money that they were asking, but only to find that when we paid the money it just got him on the list. So we found out he is #351 on the waiting list.  So we’re really praying for a miracle for Ivan.  So we would appreciate if our DAB family would join us in this.  Either that the Lord would heal Ivan or for a miracle also to get him an earlier schedule.  He loves the Lord and he totally trusts the Lord completely, so we’re believing for his miracle. So we would appreciate prayers for that. Thank you all.  Have a nice day.  God bless you.  Bye now.

Leviticus 27:14-Numbers 1:54 ~ Mark 11:1-25 ~ Psalm 46:1-11 ~ Proverbs 10:23

Today is March 3^rd.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you today and here we are, approaching the end of another week.  They just kind of fly by.  It’s a special day today though.  We’ll conclude the book of Leviticus today and move onward into the book of Numbers.  We’ll talk about Numbers a little bit, kind of fly over it, just get a little bit of an overview of the territory that we’re going to journey through when we get there.  But first, let’s conclude the book of Leviticus by reading chapter 27, verses 14 through 34.  

Introduction of a New Book (Old Testament)

So now we’re moving into the book of Numbers and one of the things we’ll notice as we enter the book of Numbers is what seems like redundant review. This can even seem tedious, but it’s not.  It’s very important, because now we’re moving between generations.  This is the first generation out of Egypt.  The children are growing up.  We’re moving toward the second generation.  Much has happened under Moses’ leadership.  They have seen God show up miraculously in their midst and his mighty power and they have received the Law.  But now they have to actually live it because God is giving the order to move out.  It’s time. It’s time for them to move into the promised land.  We’ll see spies sent into the land and we’ll see what happens there.  

There are many parallels in this story that relate a little too close to home, even in our culture today, even in our own lives personally today.  The theme of God’s holiness and the fact that he requires his people to be holy, to be set apart threads it’s way throughout Numbers as it does throughout the entire Torah, the entire Pentateuch, which is Genesis through Deuteronomy.  We’ll see the harsh but true reality that rebellion only reaps judgment.  

The first nine chapters of Numbers provide review and structure because God is preparing his people to move into the promised land and we’ll see censuses being taken and laws being given and the review of laws.  And we’ll see purification and celebrations happening and then we’ll move into the narrative where the spies are sent across the Jordan into the promised land where they can spy it out and will face the repercussions of that ill-fated mission and we’ll see the curse of an entire generation destined to die in the wilderness when they were at the gateway to the promise.

And then once the old generation is gone, we’ll see a new one with new leaders rising, warfare beginning, new laws being established and a true foreshadowing of what the culture is going to look like when they actually take the promised land.  Of course, with all the censuses, we’ll see a lot of counting.  Hence, the book of Numbers, chapter 1, verses 1 through 54.

Commentary

We launched ourselves into the book of Numbers by first completing the book of Leviticus.  We got a bit of an overview and encountered some of the Numbers today.  But, like I said, there is purpose to all this. We’re about to be on the move, on the march toward the Jordan River where the children of Israel are finally at this place after a couple of years in the wilderness, to go in and take their inheritance, this land that was promised so long ago when we met Abraham.  It’s time.  And it’s an exciting time.  But there are some twists and turns before us.  

In the book of Mark today, Jesus is talking about faith.  And he is saying this is an unstoppable force.  This is the glue of the universe.  This is the most powerful thing known to mankind and it is beyond mankind.  So it is a very, very powerful thing, so Jesus says that is why I tell you to have faith, that you have already received what you pray for and it will be yours. So that, if we stop right there, is an amazing thing.  And we quote this kind of stuff to ourselves and to each other all the time just to remind ourselves that there is a power and an authority that is way beyond us if we will participate in the journey of faith throughout our lives.  

That is great.  That is not all that Jesus said though.  He tied all of this to a theme that he is relentless about.  We’ve crossed paths with this theme a number of times already and it is very important.  He is not going to let it go, which means we can’t let it go.  We have to continue to enter into this.  So let me read you what Jesus actually said:  That is why I tell you to have faith that you have already received whatever you pray for and it will be yours.  Whenever you pray, forgive anything you have against anyone.  Then your Father in Heaven will forgive your failures.  

Jesus is directly tying this to the most powerful thing we know of, faith, and this is not going to go away.  Forgiveness is not going to go away.  Maybe this can be the year that we finally get that through our heads and release everyone and everything, because as we do that, everything is being released from us.  When we release those things, we are declaring “I am not the sovereign.  An injustice has happened to me.  A betrayal has happened to me.  Something bad has happened to me and I have that scar on my heart that wounded me, but I am no longer letting that fester within, underneath the surface.  I am no longer allowing it to be in my system.  I’m not letting this poison to course through my veins anymore, affecting me, spirit, soul and body.  I’m not letting it affect my health anymore.  I’m not letting it have a voice into my identity and who I am anymore. Those things are not true.  I release all of this to God.”  When we do that, our faith rises.  We are unstoppable.  

So may we get this through our heads because Jesus is not going to let it go. He is going to press in.  He is going to disrupt everything.  He’s going to go after this because he goes after this continually in the scriptures.  It’s that important.  It really actually is that important.  It can unleash a power within us, the likes of which we have never experienced.  So do we want that?  Is that really what we’re here for, the power of God within us, exploding out from us and changing the world around us?  Or are we just here for some devotions, some nice thoughts to maybe comfort us throughout the day?  Are we in? Are we all in or not?  Because Jesus continually leads us to the place where we understand this is all or nothing.  This isn’t partial.  There is no partially in the kingdom of God.  We’re either in or we’re not.  

Prayer

Jesus, we want in, all the way in.  And we’re going to need your help.  We’re going to need your help to let go and release and forgive.  We’re going to need your help to walk in your will and your ways.  We can’t do this in our own strength.  It would seem that is how it would be, that we could really offer ourselves to you completely by our own will.  But we were never made to be disentangled and separate from you.  So it is actually you who gives us the ability to give ourselves over to your authority and sovereignty in our lives.  So we embrace that fully and invite your Holy Spirit fully.  Show us today the places that are still steeped in unforgiveness.  Some of these things are hard.  Some of these things really weren’t fair.  But as we read the narrative in both Old and New Testaments, we see that there were a lot of things that you endured and forgave and stayed with that were unjust and unfair toward you.  We watched your people doubt.  We have watched your people grumble.  We will watch them go and pursue other gods.  We will watch all of this unfold, but we have watched you, Jesus, and it was unjust and it was unfair to see you hanging naked in agony from a cross to deal with all of this.  You forgave us.  We will in turn offer that forgiveness from within, by the power of your Holy Spirit, to all offenses that we have received.  Come Holy Spirit, we pray.  In Jesus’ name, amen.  

Announcements

Www.DailyAudioBible.com is the website.  It’s home base.  It’s where you find out what is going on around here, of course, the resources that are available, and stuff like that, the More Gathering that is coming up.  So check that out if you haven’t in a while.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, if Daily Audio Bible is a life-giving thing to you, then thank you for your partnership.  There is a link.  It is on the home page.  It is in the app as well if you push 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

Hello Daily Audio Bible.  This is Duane from Wisconsin.  All praise and glory to God.  Calling in for some of the prayer requests.  Sarah from Connecticut, you’re a new listener.  I just want to say welcome.  Nancy from Rockford, you have called in that your husband has health issues and is dealing with a brain tumor.  Want you to know that we are praying for him and we ask that the Lord will lay his hand upon your husband and heal him from this cancer.  Max called in dealing with depression so we want to lift you up, Max, too and let you know that we are praying for you and we pray God and the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you comfort and peace. Byron from Florida called in.  His wife has depression and he is dealing with impatience, I believe it was.  Again, I want you to know that you are in our prayers and our thoughts and we’re praying for you.  Vanessa from Oregon called in.  Her mom is in the hospital.  We want to say to the Lord that he please give you comfort and peace and that he lays a healing hand upon your mother and heal her.  You had stated that this would be quite difficult for your dad.  I know what this can be like because my mom passed away a number of years ago.  My dad had to deal with that, so you’re in my thoughts and prayers.  Derrick called in about him and his wife had left the church after 17 years, stating that was quite difficult.  Derrick, I know what that…  I shouldn’t say I know what that is like, but I’ve been to multiple churches and I pray that God will lead you to a church that will make you feel comfortable. I want to lift this all up in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  God bless.  

Hello family.  This is Candace in Kansas and this is my first time calling in.  I’m a new listener to this community and just started listening the beginning of the year.  What a blessing it has been to hear God’s word daily and to listen to the community prayers. My life is blessed and my faith is strengthened because of you.  Thank you. My heart has gone out to several callers who are struggling with depression and anxiety and other like illnesses.  We have had several family members who also suffer from these illnesses and at times their suffering is worse because others misunderstand these particular illnesses or misjudge their pain or whatever. I want to say to you God does not judge you.  He is moved to compassion for you.  Isaiah 42:3 says a bruised reed he will not break.  And Psalm 34:18 promises the Lord is close to the brokenhearted.  He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.  Thank you, Jesus.  I pray for those who have called and who are suffering or who have family members who are suffering these kinds of illnesses, depression, anxiety, or bipolar or other similar illnesses, especially Max and Darin and Byron, whose wife is struggling, and Claire whose son has bipolar.  Lord Jesus, you have promised comfort in our distress.  When we are exhausted and weak, you are there with us.  I ask you, Lord Jesus, to make yourself felt to Max and Darin and Byron’s wife and Claire’s son and to others who struggle this way. Bind up their wounds and heal their broken spirits, dear Lord Jesus.  With your precious Holy Spirit, bring health and hope to them.  In Jesus’ name we thank you, Lord.  Amen.  

Hi family.  This is Sally in Massachusetts.  Will you please join me in prayer?  Father God, I lift up every single person that listens to the Daily Audio Bible.  Heavenly Father, we come to you as a community because we believe in the power of prayer.  Holy Spirit, please intervene for us and pray for us as we pray for these thousands of people around the globe.  Only you, Lord, only you, Holy Spirit, know the needs of our community.  You know people who are having difficulties in their marriage, strained relationships with parents and children, coworkers and friends.  You know those of us who are ill and need to be healed.  You know those of us who are looking for work.  You know those of us who are struggling with finances.  Father God, as a community, we wrap our arms around each other around this globe and we ask you, Lord, for blessing.  Father God, you are our provider.  Our job is not our provider.  Father God, you are our healer.  Our doctors are not our healer.  Father God, please restore us to be whole and healthy and well and please, Lord, meet all our needs as you promised.  Help us feel blessed with what we have and to stop always reaching for that golden ring that is just out of reach.  We pray for this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.  

Hi Daily Audio Bible family.  It’s James here again from the UK.  Just wanted to ask for your support, your prayers for a particular situation and a family that I’m working with at the moment.  They are refugees that have come to be with us in our local community from Libya.  There are so many thousands of refugees that need our support, our prayers, but this one family has been planted right in the lap of our community and getting to know them and getting to understand their story and what has happened to them has just been incredibly eye-opening.  Spiritually opening as well.  I want to pray for Faraj, the father of this family of six people who is now desperately seeking work and trying to find a way to support his family under difficult circumstances and after so much emotional stress and trauma of being kidnapped, abused, managing to escape and finally, beautifully being reunited with his family about 20 days ago here in the UK.  He now feels a huge stress and burden to find work and to start to support his family, and so I just pray that you, family, would pray with me, that Faraj would find work, but not only that.  He is starting to say that he doesn’t mind what he does.  He will clean, he will do whatever it is, the lowest of the low he is saying that he will do, but this man is a human rights lawyer who has worked defending people from the west in Libya, fighting for their rights in his country before he was so badly treated.  And I just pray a blessing on him.  I pray, Lord, that Faraj would find work that would be inspired by you, God, to continue with his amazing story and his amazing skills.  Family, pray with me.  In Jesus’ name, amen.  

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family.  My name is Elias, calling from Portland, ME.  I’m a first-time caller.  I’ve been listening for three months now.  Today is March 1 and I just wanted to call and say how thankful I am that God gave me this opportunity to keep in touch outside of my going to church on Sundays and my small life group.  I’ve been looking for a way to stay more in touch with God and with my faith and this has been the outlet that I was looking for.  Brian, I just thank you so much for this wonderful gift that you have given all of us.  I just want to take the time to say hello and say that I’m praying for everybody that I listen to and hopefully all prayers are being answered because God is great. He is listening.  Thanks family.  I’ll talk to you next time.  

Leviticus 25:47-27:13 ~ Mark 10:32-52 ~ Psalm 45:1-17 ~ Proverbs 10:22

Today is the 2^nd day of March.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian.  It is my pleasure and it’s a joy that we can come together like this for the next step forward.  That’s what we’ll do by first going back out into the wilderness among the children of Israel as their laws and customs are being initiated.  We’re reading from the Names of God Bible this week, Leviticus chapter 25, verse 47 through 27, verse 13 today.

Commentary

In the book of Leviticus for the last several days we’ve been hearing as the laws and the customs and the rituals and the festivals are being instituted by God through Moses to the people.  Where his tabernacle will be in the camp, what it is supposed to look like, very detailed, all of the things that are required to make this people who are just slaves from Egypt, they don’t really know how to govern themselves. They’ve only been slaves for four centuries.  There is this massive horde of over a million people out on the desert floor, out in the middle of nowhere and they are being utterly transformed.  Every little detail about what their culture is going to look like, they need to know these things.  They don’t know how to be anything but a slave.  A lot of people think this patch of scripture is sort of tedious and yet, man, when you dig into it, you realize there is just a lot there. There is a lot to apply to our own lives.  There is a lot to understand just historically where this story is going, why this is happening.  When we understand why this is happening, it all makes sense.  

We get today to a place where God is kind of recapping.  Alright, here are the things that I’ve told you and here are the blessings that you can expect by obeying these things.  And, conversely, here are the curses and punishments that you can expect by not.  Which brings us to consider the laws of the Lord, the things that we are to do and the things that we are not to do, the things that will bring upon us blessing and the things that will bring us dire circumstances.  We wonder how do we do all this?  And we wonder why God is controlling everything in these people’s lives and why do we feel that way from time to time?  But is that really what is going on here?  Do we think that God wants to control us?  Because that would pretty much fly in the face of everything else he has ever done, beginning in the Garden of Eden.  Did God control Adam and Eve as they lifted their hand and plucked the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?  And then did he force that hand to bring the fruit into their mouths and did he contract their jaws so that they bit in rebellion?  He did not. He does not.  So what we find often in the laws and rules is something very fascinating, because embedded with them is blessing and life.  So yes, they are commands, but also invitations.

God isn’t up in heaven just trying to dream up new rules for the people of earth.  He is saying, look, Eden has fallen and we have what we have, but let me show you the narrow path that leads to life.  Let me show you the way back to yourself.  Let me show you the narrow path that will lead you back to who you were created to be.  If you will stay within these parameters and not look at them as a cage but look at them as a path then you’ll understand what I’m doing.  I’m setting you apart.  You are different.  You are mine. You are holy.  

That intertwining of God’s Holy Spirit, divinity within our humanity can change the world.  It is supposed to change the world.  We are not here accidentally on some aimless, unfathomable journey that does not make any sense whatsoever and then we die.  We are here to participate in the restoration of all things back to God as they were intended from the very beginning.  If we will listen to him, if we will listen to his word and walk with him in spirit, he will only lead us to life.  He is the source of life.  He is love. These are the paths that he will lead us upon because he delights in us.  He loves us.  

So yeah, we’ll find plenty of opportunity to encounter the idea of cursings in the Bible, judgments in the Bible, and it’s very easy to move through some of this territory and go like, ‘Man, that’s a vengeful God there,’ but these are reactions.  God is simply saying, ‘Look, because you chose otherwise, this is what is going to happen.  You don’t have to choose that way.  You don’t have to walk into your own judgment.  It is just out there.  The choice is yours.  There is a path that leads to life and then there is a much larger path that doesn’t. What road are you on?  What road are you going to choose?  I’m doing everything I can possibly do to show you the path that will lead to life.”  So often what we do is try to find our own shortcuts to lead to life.  It’s just that when we get there, what we were looking for and what we were looking at is not going to give us life and we find out we’ve slid off the narrow path.  

So when we encounter these passages of scripture, may we keep this in mind because it applies today.  It’s not that esoteric.  It applies today.  What is the narrow path that leads to life for you today?  Well, that would begin with intimacy with God, fellowship with God today and then choosing to walk in his will and in his ways.  In other words, to obey him in the things that he has given us as signposts, as mile markers on our faith journey.  

Prayer

Father, thank you for showing us these parameters.  Thank you for illuminating the narrow path that leads to life.  We apologize for the times that we have chosen a different path.  We humble ourselves and repent for the times that we have rejected your invitation into life, choosing otherwise, choosing flashy, blinking, cardboard imitations.  Forgive us for that.  You have offered us the real thing and we have gone in search of some sort of easier substitute.  But there is no substitute for the real thing and we want the real thing.  We want to be as we were created to be and this is what the gospel offers us.  So come, Holy Spirit, indwell us.  Rise up within us.  Help us to choose life this day.  We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  

Announcements

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

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, if the mission that we share to bring the spoken word of God to anyone who will listen, anywhere on this planet, any time of day or night and to build community around that rhythm so that no one is alone, if that has brought you life, then thank you for your partnership in allowing us to continue to bring that life every single day, continually trying to shout in the  streets the word of the Lord to anyone who will listen and heed it. Well, that’s what we’ve been trying to do, so thank you for your partnership.  There is a link.  It is on the home page of www.DailyAudioBible.com.  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 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 do.  And I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.  

Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

Hi, it’s Alicia in Kansas calling for Max M.  I just let you know that, brother, I heard your prayer request today. It’s February 26^th and I am praying for you.  And I heard your cry, the Lord is there with you.  Depression blinds us.  It isolates us and I believe that if you can hook up with a Christian therapist, somebody you can talk to, get outside, get air, get around people, make sure you’re getting some human touch.  Coming off those medications can make it even worse than it is, but God is there.  Just keep saying Jesus.  Just keep calling out his name.  He is there.  Those are lies.  The chemical reactions in our brain can take us to different places.  I’m praying for you and I know there are hundreds if not thousands of others that are praying for you, brother.  Please just keep calling out for him.  I love you.  I’m praying for you.  You are on my list and I will not stop.  I ask that you do the same.  Blessings, sweet brother.  Bye-bye.

Hi, this is Charlotte calling from the UK for Max M.  I heard your call and was really moved by just the emotion in your voice.  But this is from God, I believe.  There is an old song called Cast Your Burdens on Jesus, For He Cares For You.  It’s an old song and I think it is based on one of the Psalms, Psalm 55 which is cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you. He will never let the righteous be shaken.  I just really encourage you against the depression.  Just meditate on him because he is very close.  He’s super close, in fact, and he loves and if you just rest in him, feel the burdens just lift off of you.  Rest in his love and knowledge that he will take these burdens from you if you just keep pushing in and resting in him.  And also for Justin in Sacramento, thank you for your encouragement, message.  One of my friends was needing to hear that so deeply, so it did get through and it did benefit them.  Thanks. Bye.  

Hello Daily Audio Bible listeners.  I am Cornelia here in Sydney.  Thank you, Brian, for your very interesting readings from the Old Testament which I find, you know, the ones that are painted quite hard to read and you make it very interesting with the way you express the Old Testament generally. I’m just putting out a point forward for Max whose prayer request I heard on the 25^th of February. Max, I understand you wanted more help for solving an issue you have with depression and that you feel really, really at a low point about it.  I just want to say that answered prayer comes in many different ways.  Just would like to suggest something.  I’m a health practitioner and deal with people with depression and Jesus speaks to us by giving us answers in many different ways, but I thought I would give you my email address and just give you a couple of ideas that you could follow with your church community for yourself.  My email is CG_Shepherd.@bigpond.com.  Okay, that’s it.  I heard a lot of other people really asking for prayer and I’m in prayer with them. For the gentleman with the brain tumor and also that had a kidney tumor, and I hope you can take some good supplements or things to strengthen your body during this period of time.  God bless everyone and I love…

Hi, this is Victorious Soldier and I’m calling tonight to pray for some of the Dabbers.  I want to pray for Nancy from Rockford, IL.  Her husband’s health has declined and he has had the kidney tumor.  I just want to pray for you, Nancy.  It is such a blessing that the two of you are together and able to do this.  I’m praying for you, Nancy, that God will continue to open up doors and bless that you all can enjoy each other.  Lord, I want to pray for Pamela.  She was talking about the drought there in California.  I have a son that is down there too in Oroville with that flood and I’m praying for you all, that the water won’t overflow for you, that you will get the rain that you need.  I want to pray for Anthony with depression.  Lord, I pray for my brother Anthony.  Lord, the depression is bringing him down.  I pray for him and I pray for Byron and also his wife, Lord. O Lord, in the name of Jesus, Lord, you lift them up.  Father, you touch them in the mighty name of Jesus.  Lord, they need you.  You are their present help in trouble.  Lord, let your word give them the joy.  The joy of the Lord is their strength.  O Lord, have your way with Byron and Anthony and his wife, Lord.  O Lord, in the name of Jesus.  Lord, you touch Nancy’s husband, Lord.  O Father, in the name of Jesus, you are a doctor that never lost a case. Father, you are Jehovah Rapha. Lord, you heal, Lord, in the name of Jesus, that they can have their lives together, Lord.  In the mighty name of Jesus.  Lord, you bless your people, Father.  In the mighty name of Jesus, you touch them and you continue to bless, you continue to…

Good morning DAB family.  This is Jackie in New Jersey and I’m calling with the most wonderful praise report ever. Our daughter has reconciled with me. I am so happy.  Thank you, Lord!  Thank you, Lord!  Thank you for your prayers.  Today is the 27^th of February and this is a Monday and Saturday I took my grandson.  Thank God for him.  He is doing excellent in school.  My granddaughter’s birthday was on Saturday and I had taken her a card, so I took my grandson over there.  He wanted to be with his sister.  And my granddaughter came out to get her card and this was the first time I hugged my granddaughter and her and I hugged in the car and it was just such a wonderful feeling.  I started crying and she said, “Grandma, this is a new year.  Stop crying.  This is a new year.”  That’s what she kept reciting to me, so I looked over her shoulder and my daughter was standing out of the car and my granddaughter got out of the car.  She said she loved me and my daughter got in the car and oh, it was such a wonderful feeling.  She hugged me and told me to stop crying and stop crying and she said, “Mom, I love you.”  And we just hugged and I told her I loved her back.  She got out of the car and I left, but I smiled all the way home.  I was so excited.  Thank you for your prayers.  I appreciate everything.  I love my family.  I love my DAB family.  Amen.

Well good afternoon Daily Audio Bible family.  My name is Dionne, the Radical Midwife, and I have been a Dabber for the last three years.  This, however, is my absolute first time calling.  Brian, I just want to tell you thank you for your act of obedience, first and foremost, for your lovingkindness, and for sharing your precious wife with us, Miss Jill. I’m sorry for the loss of your mother. I know it has been a couple of months. I have a prayer request, if I can. I have a 14-year-old son who was diagnosed with brain and spine cancer on August 19, 2016.  We have been constantly battling, but I am yet encouraged in the Lord.  I am trusting and believing that God is going to use his life to get the glory.  I am believing without wavering.  It has been a long arduous road, but I know that God is able.  To all of you that call in, Miss Warrior Princess, Honey, you bless me all the time. I thank God for you.  And I believe it’s Blind Man, the Poet, thank you for sharing and encouraging and checking in on people.  And lastly, there was a young lady that called and is suffering from depression and anxiety.  __________ to the abuse of her father.  I just wanted to encourage you, young lady.  Life is full of challenges, but the word declares that we are more than overcomers.  The word says guard your heart with all of your diligence for out of it are the issues of life.  I just want you to believe that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him and he’s more than able to heal you.  Be encouraged.  God bless you Daily Audio Bible.  

Leviticus 22:17-23:44 ~ Mark 9:30-10:12 ~ Psalm 44:1-8 ~ Proverbs 10:19

Today is the 28^th day of February.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian.  It’s great to be here.  Man, here we are, the end of the second month.  This is a good place to be.  This is usually the place where we settle in for the ride together with the community that has formed around this year’s journey through the scriptures.  If you’re here, you can do this and probably you will.  So congratulations on that. Let’s take the next step forward as we complete our second month together.  We’re reading from the Names of God Bible this week, Leviticus chapter 22, verse 17 through 23, verse 44.  

Commentary

Okay friends, this is definitely the beginning of a new month, but it is also an important day on the Christian calendar.  You may not even know that there is such a thing or it may be something that is a part of your life and has always been a part of your life.  It doesn’t matter.  I’ll explain.  

Today is a day on the Christian calendar known as Ash Wednesday.  So, yes, all around the world many people in many different traditions will go to church or maybe just in their own home put ashes on their forehead.  If you see someone walking around with ashes on their forehead, then you know that a person has done this.  What it means is that we are entering into the season of Lent which is 40 days before Easter.  The thing is I’m not here to try to convince you to observe Lent or Ash Wednesday or any of that.  I’m just here to point it out because I literally grew up my whole life in the faith, but never really understood until much later the rhythms of the Christian calendar.  

The holidays that are on the Christian calendar like Easter certainly I have always observed my whole life and  probably many of you have too, not even knowing that there was a Christian calendar.  Or something like Christmas or even Pentecost.  This season that we’re moving into right now, beginning today, has a purpose and I think it is valid and I think it is important.  I’m not saying it is in the Bible.  It’s not in the Bible.  It’s just part of the traditions of the church.  I think it is valid and important.  

On Ash Wednesday people put ashes on their heads and walk around in public that way to show sackcloth and ashes, to show grief, to show remorse, to show the beginning of this season because that is what it is about.  It’s a season of 40 days of contemplation moving into Easter. The thing that we are to contemplate is the great unspeakable cost of sin.  Now we can very easily live however we want and just ask for forgiveness and move on like nothing ever happened.  That is just not honoring the relationship that we have with God the way we should.  We are in an intertwined, intimate relationship that should be far deeper than any other human relationship we have, even deeper than that which we share with our spouse.  

So when we consider it in those terms, that we have this intimacy with Jesus, and we begin to contemplate what it cost in order to offer this relationship to us, then we’re moving into the heart of the story and we’re moving into a place where we consider the great cost of the earth’s sin, the great cost to offer us restoration and wholeness is beyond our comprehension.  So we spend this season contemplating that.  

Many people have traditions during Lent that they are going to give up chocolate, right?  They are going to give up something.  I’m going to give up this.  I’m going to give up that.  I’m not going to watch TV.  I’m not going to watch the news.  I’m not going to be on social media.  I’m giving up something for Lent.  That tradition is just the constant reminder so every time that you were going to go do that thing, it doesn’t even have to be a bad thing, every time you were going to do that, you remind yourself ‘oh no, I’m not.  I’m abstaining from that for right now.’  And it reminds you once again to contemplate the reason for this season, the cost of sin, the darkness that sin is, the weight that sin is in our lives, the rejection of Christ’s sacrifice that sin is.  

So maybe you do that or maybe that sounds like a good idea to you.  The idea of this, though, is a little deeper than that.  The idea isn’t like, ‘okay, I’m just going to give up chocolate.’  It can be that, but it goes deeper than that.  In this season we invite the Holy Spirit to examine us and to begin to reveal to us the alignment of our lives, the order of importance in our lives.  What priorities do we have in our lives that perhaps are out of alignment or shouldn’t even be there?  They are not necessarily bad or good, they shouldn’t be there where they are in our lives or they shouldn’t be in our lives at all.  We invite the Holy Spirit to come into that and begin to speak and what we’re saying is everything is on the table and I want you and I invite you to rearrange my life so that as I move to this celebration of Easter and my salvation, that I come into that celebration aligned and oriented to you completely, not only so that I can celebrate with a whole heart, but so that I know I move forward as I’m intended to go.  

So often the Lord will identify some things that may even be great things in your life that he is saying ‘for a season we’re going to take this off the table,’ ‘for a season we’re not going to do this.’  And then when it gets reintegrated into your life it will be in a different place with a different level of importance and priority.  

“I’ve got other things for you.”  That is the offer.  To allow God to rearrange our lives so that we are best suited for relationship with him, that is really what Lent is about.  I’ve found a richness in that personally that I just never grew up with. So I mention it today because it is part of our Christian tradition and I’ve found that it is worth it.  It is rich.  It is beautiful.  But it is very, very sobering, as it should be.  

So we begin today the season of Lent.  Today is Ash Wednesday.

Prayer

Jesus, whether we’re physically putting ashes on our forehead today as an outward symbol of something that is happening within us or not, what is happening within us we invite you into.  We invite your Holy Spirit to begin to show us the cost of sin, not just the cost because of the cross, but the way that it saps our strength, disorients us, weighs us down, opens us to accusation and condemnation, the way that it is simply poison to the way we were created to be.  You created us to not even understand that there was a thing called sin. We were created to be intertwined and intimately connected to you, to be in relationship with you, to be holy before you.  We were created holy and we gave it away.  

In all of the stories that we’ve come to in the Bible we can see the echoes of Eden and we can see how far we’ve come from that.  We look around the world today and we can see the same things, the cost of sin has been devastating to our species.  It has nearly destroyed us.  And it will totally destroy us if we allow it free access to our lives.  But you came to reverse all of that.  You came to reverse what we did and make all things new again.  This is the hope of the cross, but this was costly.  We have no idea.  We have no way to comprehend what it took from you, what it cost you.  Certainly we see the cross and we know the sacrifice, but what it cost to see us degenerate, devolve into something we were never supposed to be, and then to come for us, to love us still in spite of all of that, to endure our betrayal, to endure our giving our hearts in worship to other things, to endure what you have endured over all of these thousands of years and then to come to still love us.  It sobers us as it should and we invite your Holy Spirit into that and we ask, God, what are the things that are not supposed to be in our lives anymore? What are the things that are supposed to be in our lives but are just in the wrong order?  We give our lives to you.  Not just chocolate.  We give our lives to you.  What is it? What are you asking us to surrender to you either permanently or for this season so that you can reintegrate it into our lives properly?

Come Holy Spirit, we acknowledge our sin.  We repent from our sin, but we also understand the cost of our sin.  We look at our lives and all of the things that we have blamed you for and we acknowledge it was our choices.  We chose to not walk with you or we chose the darkness of sin over your sacrifice on our behalf.  We are the ones to blame.  We are the ones who have done this and we as a people are the ones who have mis-stewarded the gift of this planet.  We were here to be your divine family.  We were here to take care of everything and walk with you and be intimate with you and enjoy Eden forever, and we rejected that.  When we choose sin today, we are doing the same thing, rejecting your redemption.  We are to blame.  We acknowledge that.  Our lives are in the shape we are in because of the decisions and choices we’ve made. But in this season we throw our hands up in surrender and say come Holy Spirit, you can move anything into or out of our lives.  You can move anything that is in our lives around in our lives.  We open ourselves to you fully, give you access to everything. There are no secrets and there are no things hidden away, as if we could ever hide them from you in the first place. But very often we hide them from ourselves, and we ask for the light and the power and the fire of the Holy Spirit to consume us, forcing us to see things as they really are.  Come Lord Jesus, take our worlds apart and put them back together again.  We ask in your mighty name, amen.  

SONG played on today’s DAB for Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent “Worlds Apart” Jars of Clay http://apple.co/1zCVlml