2 Chronicles 24:1-25:28 ~ Romans 12:1-21 ~ Psalm 22:19-31 ~ Proverbs 20:8-10
Today is the 29th day of July. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is great to be here with you as we close down another week. And what a week it’s been in the scriptures. The Lord has spoken some amazing things to us through His word. And, so, we’ll dive in and take the next step. We are reading from the Gods Word translation this week, which is today. Second Chronicles chapter 24 verse 1 through 25 verse 28 today.
Commentary:
Ok. What does a dedicated life, a life given over to relationship with God, what does that look like? What are it’s attributes? What are its characteristics? Like, how could we hold that up and overlay our own lives and just, sort of, see where we have areas of growth and where we’re actually in alignment? I mean, that’s one of the reasons that we come to the scriptures. Right? It’s one of the reasons we go through the stories and look into people’s lives and look at their choices and decisions and see where those pathways lead. But we come to one of the most concise and thorough descriptions of this in the book of Romans today.
So, from the beginning of the book of Romans, we’ve watched Paul, kind of, lay things out systematically. And the breathtaking implications of the gospel are overwhelming, if we sit down-and think about it. And we’ve spent some time doing that. But he, kind of, reaches this place today where he’s saying, ok, so, let’s begin to pull this together. This is what this should look like. Or in Paul’s words, brothers and sisters, in view of all that we have just shared about God’s compassion, I encourage you. And the first encouragement is to look at ourselves, to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. So, no longer do we have to lead a sheep or a goat or a bull and sacrifice its life and spill its blood for some sort of atonement before God. Now it’s bigger than that. Now it’s that we lay our lives down, alive before God. We don’t give God death. We give him our lives and live as a sacrifice before God. That posture alone, just kind of contemplating what that means, it reorients our priorities. It exposes, immediately, our self-absorption. Right. And our pursuits. And it puts something else above all of those things. It puts our relationship and intimacy and intertwining and union with God above all other pursuits or possessions. And Paul says, this is an appropriate way to live and this is worship when you do. Don’t become like the people of this world, Paul says. Instead, change the way you think. Because what Paul’s talking about specifically here is repentance. Because repentance means to change the way you think. It means to change your mind, to shift from the inside, to change inside. Paul says, this is the overlay. This is the path that will allow you to always be able to determine what God really wants. Like it’s right there in black-and-white, what we are looking for. What does God really want? What is good, pleasing, and perfect to God? Paul says, you live your life offering yourself as a living sacrifice. Its worship. It’s appropriate. And when you find yourself being pulled back to the darkness of the world, change the way you think. Then you’ll always know what God really wants - what is good, pleasing, and perfect. And then he continues. Don’t think of yourself more highly that you should, which is not just exalting yourself. Right? Just haughtiness. It’s also, don’t think about yourself more than you think about anything else. Don’t think of yourself more highly than you should. Your thoughts should be leading you to use good judgment because this isn’t about getting a leg up over anyone else. This isn’t about being above anyone else. This isn’t about anything like that because we’re all in this together. And Paul goes on to explain how a body has many parts and that’s what we’re a part of. And, so, whatever it is that your part is, whatever your part is, do your part. Be that and stop trying to be some other part. Be exactly what you are as a living sacrifice to God. It is worship. It is appropriate. We are all in this together. If we will all do our part we will be acting like the body. Or, to use the words of Paul, love sincerely. Hate evil. Hold onto what is good. Be devoted to each other like a loving family. Excel in showing respect for each other. Don’t be lazy in showing your devotion. Use your energy to serve the Lord. Be happy in your confidence. Be patient in troubles and pray continually. Share what you have with God’s people who are in need. Be hospitable, which isn’t just about providing a meal or providing shelter. Share what you have inside as well. Bless those who persecute you. Bless them and don’t curse them. We can stop right there for a minute and linger. Be happy with those who are happy. Be sad with those who are sad. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be arrogant but be friendly to humble people. Don’t think you’re smarter than you really are. Don’t pay people back with evil for the evil that they did to you. Focus your thoughts on the things that are considered noble. And as much as it is possible, live in peace with everyone. Don’t take revenge, dear friends. Instead, let God’s anger take care of it. After all, He has the final say. Don’t let evil conquer you. Instead, you conquer evil with good.
And there you go. Want to know where to aim your life? Want to be heading in the right direction and know that you’re moving in the right direction? Well, go back to Romans 12 and read it over and over and over and over, underlining and highlighting and writing it down until it sinks in. This is the trajectory. What you have been given here is a roadmap to get to where you want to go. And like any other road map, you get on the road and then decide to take a detour? You’re going to be heading in a different direction. You’re not going to be headed where you want to go. And all of these detours that wind and wind and wind that we blame God for – like, why am I way over here? It’s like, you had the map dude. You had the map. And here is the map. And Romans 12 shows us that at it first begins with our intertwining with God, our union with God. We offer ourselves as living sacrifices, completely dedicated to Him. This is an act of worship that is worship with our lives, not just something we do for half an hour on Sunday morning. It’s something that is always happening. The communion and union is always happening. Everything is an act of worship. Our very lives are in act of worship. And this is appropriate. It begins there. And then we have to be willing to change the way we think at any given moment. We have to be able to repent at any given moment. Because that is what will allow us to know what God really wants. We will be able to determine what is good and pleasing and perfect. And then we begin to know that we are in this together. We are part of a whole. We are an individual, unique, irreplaceable part of a whole. And if we could accept that we have an irreversible role to play, then we could settle in and be comfortable as ourselves - who we are. And we should do that, be that, with all the glory of the Lord being reflected off of our lives. Do that thing and stop looking around at what someone else is doing. This is not a competition. This is not about us dominating anyone else for any reason. It’s about us being able to love one another and love God purely, from a centered place, from a place that is uniquely us, from a place that is intertwined in union with God. Anything can happen from that place because Jesus lived from that place. And Jesus lived a life that was fully human.
Prayer:
Father, we invite this. And, yes, we will spend some more time contemplating this, what is laid out here in the twelfth chapter of the Letter to the Romans. But even as we see these things and even as hope rises in our heart, because we have some concrete statements that show us where the head, we also can see that this cannot be achieved in our own strength. It’s pretty clear. We can memorize this whole chapter. We can know everything about its trajectory and try to live into the and find that we will fail. Because we will always fail without union with you. And, so, come Holy Spirit, well up within us. We are in union with You. We just so often ignore that fact. You are within. We are to gather. We are inseparable. Nothing can separate us. Help us to live the way we were created to live. We surrender to You. Come Jesus, we pray, in Your mighty name, we ask. Amen.
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Community Prayers and Praise Reports:
Morning DAB. This is Charlotte from England. Just want to give a quick testimony about something going on in my life over this past month or so. So, I’ve been struggling with doubts about my salvation. And I didn’t know this at the time but it manifested itself in trying to go over and above in God and trying to please Him by doing acts and different works and things like that. And I prayed about it and just gave it completely to God. I just gave up completely. And in that, the very next day, praying today, God has just given me a word. So, through Romans 9:32 10-12 - what Brian read today. So, I got this from him. It’s the faith in God that gains God’s approval. Believe in God and you’ll have eternal life. Faith in God means hold onto what scriptures say about Him both in good times and the bad. And that reminded me of the scripture. It says the test of faith produces endurance and that He knows what He’s doing and has the power to do everything good, in His control. And has the power to do everything more than my power. And then, that God is pleased with me in what I do for Him and He wants best for me in harm not good. Putting myself in dangerous situations just to please Him. So, just to give the encouragement to anyone out there who is doubting their own salvation, that whoever believes in him will have eternal life. And it’s the faith that we should hold onto not the religious works or laws. Thanks guys. See you later.
Good morning Daily Audio Bible. This is Dave from NJ. This is my first time calling in. I’ve been listening for a couple of months but I already feel so connected with this community. And I’m asking this morning that you would pray for a little two-year-old girl, Elianna, who, three days ago, started to have seizures and has been asleep since then. And the doctors don’t know what is causing it or how to wake her up. And, so, I’m asking that you would pray that Jesus would just raise her up to wholeness and I’m asking that you would pray for her parents, that Jesus would carry the suffering and the fear that they feel as they wait for Him to move. I’m just asking that Jesus would use her little life as an example of how He can turn sorrow into joy. She’s two years old but she already knows who Jesus is and she trusts Him with her little two-year-old heart. Thank you for praying.
Asia, Asia, my darling sister in Christ. You moved me to tears when I heard your prayer request. The fact that the Lord is by your side is forefront in your mind though because you picked up the phone and called into your DAB family. Please know that you will be in my prayers my sister. I love you. I continue on to pray for Blind Tony, Salvation is Mine and all the DABbers who call in and are going through a difficult time. There’s also a brother who was introduced to the DAB by his uncle and is on home assignment from the mission field. I am praying that your financial support will raise above the 70% mark and that you will have a blessed time visiting with colleagues and potential supporters until you go back to the field. DAB family, I may not call in often. My last was December 6, 2016. But I listen every single day and pray with and alongside all those who call in. I just got back from two weeks’ vacation and haven’t had a chance to check into the Sneezing Jesus group yet but I’m looking forward to the second Facebook Live broadcast and will call back about my planned study group. Pastor Gene, I wanted to surprise you and call you while I was visiting Florida but I just didn’t get around to it. Maybe next time. Ok? Blind Tony, I appreciate your shout out to me. You are such a prolific writer. I thank God for your gift and that you continue to share it here with us. And, Brian and Jill, I thank you guys so much for this medium. It has made a difference to my life and I’m sure to many other people. So, hang in there guys and continue to do what you’re doing and I’ll continue to pray for you. Thanks for listening to me. And this is Sue from Canada. Hang onto your smiles guys.
Hello family. This is Leonora calling from the Florida panhandle area. I do not call very often but in listening to today’s podcast - It’s Wednesday, July 26th, my husband’s birthday - I heard Asia speak - Asia from Munich. Asia, dear, dear Asia. We love you so much. And I want you to know that our community, the body of Christ, Jesus, is wrapping our arms around you. We are surrounding you with love, with prayer, with hopefulness, and faithfulness in our Lord, Jesus Christ, who is with you. And in everything that occurs, Jesus loving you as we all love you. And whatever the outcome is, the Lord knows what is to be in this story. And please, please smile. I know it’s hard too now. But smile in your heart because of the love that you have from everyone and most importantly from our God. And He turns all things into good. So, I wanted to encourage you Asia. I wanted to encourage you and let you know how much you are loved. And we are here to support you, always. Thank you. You’ve always been such an inspiration to me since I started listening a few years back. I love you and I love you family. Let’s lift Asia up. God bless you all. Thank you family. Bye-bye.
Good morning DAB family. It is July 25th. I just got through listening to the DAB. Thank you, Brian and Jill, for this ministry that we can come together and hear and read the word of God. I felt called to reply to Asia in Munich about what she’s going through about wanting to have another baby. I don’t know why God has me calling because I’ve never had the privilege of having children but I just felt like He wanted me to tell you that now that you’ve given it fully over to Him, He’ll take care of everything Asia. And I just felt like God wanted me to let you know that. Now, I don’t know what God is going to do but I just felt like he wanted me to call and let you know that He’s got your back. He’s going to take care of everything. So, God bless you, God be with you, and love on that little baby boy you have, Aiden. God bless. Bye.