Numbers 2:1-3:51, Mark 11:27-12:17, Psalms 47:1-9, Proverbs 10:24-25
Today is the 4th day of March. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is great to be here with you today. Today is my birthday and I gave that up a long time ago and started just counting by Daily Audio Bible years. So, today is my 13th birthday. I’m a teenager now. So, recording for the last time from the land of the Bible, what an epic adventure it has been and we’ll talk about our last day and little bit. I’m recording a little ahead. As you hear this I’ll be way up high in the sky the over water, probably, on our way back home. But we’ll talk about all that a little bit from now. It’s a brand-new week and it’s shiny and it’s sparkly and it’s a waiting for us to live into it. And this week we will read from the New International Version and we’ll pick up where we left off. Numbers chapter 2 and 3 today.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for this new week to spend in Your word. And we ask Your Holy Spirit to come, counsel us, and direct us, lead us deeper into Your word and into the relationship that we share with one another. Father, we thank You for this journey that we’ve been on, whether virtually or whether here in person in the land where all of this happened. We thank You for keeping us safe. We thank You for watching over all of the technology and all the logistics and all of the moving around. We thank You God for this time. And even as we begin to travel back to our homes all around the world, we invite You to come with us. We thank You for what You have planted in our hearts, those of us who are here and those of us who were with us in spirit, who were here virtually. May what we’ve experienced together go deep inside of us, transforming us, and may we carry it home, may we carry it back and live into it fully because the easy thing to do is to get back, move through jet lag, return to normal, and then look back fondly at the wonderful time that we had. We don’t want that to be the case though. We don’t want this to just be just memories. We want this to be something that has quickened us, that is made us awake, and alert, and alive. So, come Holy Spirit. We pray. In the mighty name of Jesus we ask. Amen.
Announcements:
So,we have completed our journey together, our pilgrimage through the land of the Bible, north, south, east, west, low lands central Galilee, everywhere. We’ve touched every era of the Scriptures, old and New Testament, pretty much. And we spent our last day together following the footsteps of Jesus last days, which brings the whole story of Jesus life and sacrifice, His profound love for us, so front and center that you just can’t look away. It's…once you’ve kind of been around the area and just understand how Jesus operated and the culture that He was in and then understand His profound willing sacrifice on our behalf. It just…yeah…it’s one of those things that…it’s hard to use words. Silence actually speaks better because you run out of…there’s just no way to describe when you become so aware of the love of God for people, and how passionate He is to be in relationship with people. So, we were able to go up on top of the Mount of Olives and began walking down the Mount of Olives visiting places along the way, places like Dominus Levitz, which is a location that represents were Jesus came into Jerusalem for the final time and looked upon the temple. And this would have probably been from the Mount of olives, that would’ve been the ancient Road, and that would’ve been the location to look down upon the temple and upon the city of Jerusalem and where he just wept over Jerusalem. And when you’re looking at it and you’ve spent some time here feeling the tension of it all, you start to get it. It just…it’s start just shake you inside. And we continued down, down the Mount of olives to a place that’s pretty famous called Gethsemane where olive groves still exist until today. Some of them very, very, very old, even a thousand years old. So, maybe not going all the way back to the time of Christ, but that have been grafted and, you know, are part of the family of the olive groves that have been on the side of the Mount of Olives for millennia. And there’s a church there that’s really designed for contemplation. Like, you don’t walk in there and it’s all cheery and bright and colorful, it’s actually much more somber. the ceilings are painted like an indigo, a deep dark blue and it’s just a place to contemplate that this is where Jesus was arrested, This is where he lost his freedom, where He headed face first into torture in a horrible earthly death that brought us life, the place where he experienced the black kiss of betrayal, and the place where he experienced such isolation because his friends were sleeping and He’s crying out to God. And, so, to be there and consider, it’s just a moving experience. And, so, then we crossed over the Kedron Valley and through the Lions gate and visited the pools of Bethesda. Had a little bit of time there to contemplate there, Jesus kindness, and the miracle that took place there at the pools of Bethesda. And, of course, walking around through there is walking along the traditional Via Dolorosa, the way of the cross. So, you know, we didn’t walk all the stations, but spending some time walking on that road, and having some lunch, visiting the church of the holy sepulcher, and contemplating all that that represents, of course, represents the resurrection as well as the crucifixion. So, and it’s one of those, you know, it’s one of those very, very holy sites that people from all over the world are trying to get into. And all forms and expressions of the faith all in one place at one time it’s, you know, you have to look inside, you have to stop yourself and say, man this mystery of eternal life through the resurrection of Jesus is hard enough to explain to myself and all of this ornamentation, all of this artwork dating back so far, is man’s attempt to explain something that is profoundly beyond us. And, so, we had a little bit of time there. And outside the walls looking at the gate and that the steps that Jesus is likely to have been walking down carrying across, standing on a platform probably at least similar if not exactly where pilot would’ve washed his hands and sentenced Jesus to die. And considering the throngs down below yelling crucify Him. It’s just…when you’re there…it’s…man…words are kind of feeling me…it’s a profound experience. We also got to experience the upper room, the location of the last supper Jesus was able to share with his friends where He got down on his knees before everyone and washed their feet and gave them a tangible example of the posture of heart that He was not only demonstrating in his ministry, but that he was commissioning us to demonstrate in our lives, which is challenging because we realize how often were not living like that. Of course, the upper room is also the place where the disciples were waiting, waiting for what comes next and the tongues of fire fell upon them as the Holy Spirit invaded the story at Pentecost. And the apostle Peter stepping forward and 3000 people who had just experienced, recently, the crucifixion of Jesus and the spread of that story how they came to faith in Jesus. And just…ah…it’s a powerful thing. We also visited the quarters of the high priest, which at the time of Jesus would’ve been Caiaphas. And after Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane He would’ve been brought back across the Kedron Valley and into the quarters of the high priest where He was interrogated and, of course, verbally and physically abused. And the ancient steps coming up out of the Kedron Valley and up into that area. They still exist. So, to be able to look at those steps and realize a bound and tied Jesus walked up those steps as he continued his journey toward the cross. And then climbing…well…first of all…just visiting the Skull of St. Peter at Delacontinue, there’s a church that commemorates this spot. And but it’s a church that exists today that is built upon the ruins of previous churches over the last couple of thousand years. And you can, continue down below the ground into the cisterns and places where the supplies kept and where people were kept when they had been arrested. And, so, just to think of Jesus down in the dungeons. For me, that’s one of the most moving places. I really can’t even explain why. I have been there a lot of times. It’s just thinking of Jesus, knowing what’s going to happen, knowing what’s coming and that He’s been bound and tied and alone. Yeah, it’s just, when you fall in love with Jesus, and He becomes your best friend then it’s hard to think about…it’s hard to think about what He endured. And, you know, with Peter being in the courtyard denying that he even knows him, it’s just tough. It’s just tough to think about Jesus going through that. Tough to think about Peter being brokenhearted knowing what he’d done. It’s confrontational to just realize that in thought, word, and deed, where no better off. So, it’s a very, very moving experience. And then we went to the garden tomb, which is definitely a setting to bring the whole thing together. And we did. We were able to just have some final discussion about our day and some final stories, some final things to think about, share communion together before moving to our farewell dinner where we just shared some of our thoughts and experiences and just enjoyed each other’s company one more time, after all the miles, all of the journey that we’ve been through, from the wilderness into the Promise Land, from being baptized in the Jordan River, to standing on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, from praying for our brothers and sisters on the border of Syria, to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea where the apostle Paul appealed to Caesar and sailed to Rome, to the holy city of Jerusalem and all of its chaos and tension and beauty, and the low lands to where David fought Goliath. I mean on and on we have experienced quite a journey together. And, so, we had a final meal together to commemorate what we we’ve been through together as a community and then we all began to move forward, pack up, depart, at all different times. We’re all on our way back to our homes. And we thank you again for your prayers over all of…not only the travel…but reintegrating. We’ll experience some jet lag, we’ll experience a kind of a listlessness, not sure where we are kind of feeling as parts of our heart arrive behind our bodies as we just begin to become whole and reintegrated and as we move back into the rich routines of our lives feeling profoundly changed and trying to hold on to all that we’ve experienced together. So, thank you for your prayers. It has been nothing short of epic and our hearts are full even as our bodies are tired.
I’ve mentioned several times along the way that we are planning to return in 2019. And if it’s on your bucket list, something that you want to experience for yourself. You can check that out at dailyaudiobible.com in the initiatives section, just look for Israel 2019. I am told that we are over half-full for that journey already. So, check that out.
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And that’s it for today. And that is it from the land of the Bible in Israel. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Hey everybody this is Addicted to Christ down in Birmingham calling in. I’ve had several people reach out to me because my call made it a couple days ago on the show and I was really in a very, very bad place. And it’s amazing how He works. So, I needed to call and say there’s hope, there’s light at the end of the tunnel, things are getting better, and I am learning that He is always present with me. He’s trying to teach me that he’s always there even when it seems like He’s not. And it’s all about the trust. So today…so I’m doing Uber and I’m doing Lyft and I’m doing thing called Shipped – that SHIPP - just to be clear to everybody. That’s a grocery thing that you can pick up groceries for people and it’s amazing. It’s a long story but wow. I think He’s painting a miracle of the situation where I can mix a pure commission based sales job that I can easily do all of the city of Birmingham with the Uber and the Lyft, which is going to take me all over the city of Birmingham. He blessed me with that idea like an epiphany. And it just came to me that you could do that. And I can sell face-to-face. If I was in a job making cold calls and trying to sell…oh man…it was terrible. But I can do it face-to-face. So, He’s blessed me with that idea and I put this together and I’m making it work. It’s very complicated so you all pray for my safety out there on the road and my family. Everybody’s doing better. Things are getting better. Prayers are being felt everybody. Thank you. I wish I had more time. I love you all. Amen.
Hi Daily Audio Bible this is Rachel from north Carolina. I haven’t called in a bit but I just have a few praise reports that I wanted to share. Hopefully they will encourage you. Just found out that a really good friend of mine who was married abroad and then had to move back to the states to have her baby, her husband just got his visa. So, he’s going to be joining her soon, which is super exciting and is definitely an answer to prayer. We’ve been praying about, probably ½ year, six months or so for him to get his visa. So, that is an answer to prayer for all of you married couples who are separated from your spouse right now, I wanted to and to encourage you with that and let you know that God hears those prayers and to know that his desire is for married couples to be together are not separate. So, I pray with you that you and your spouses will be reconnected if that’s a situation that you are in. Also another good friend of mine who left for a foreign country today to bring home her son who she is adopting. I think the last prayer call that I called in with was for her. She’s adopting a child with special needs, special health needs. So, be praying for her, for her journey, for this wonderful child and his health, and the transition back to the states together, mother and child. So many, so many praise reports, so many answers to prayer. This only scratches the surface. Keep praying. Never stop talking to God and asking Him about the most basic needs.
Dear God I want to thank You for being available to us anytime of the day or night and just want to lift before You Your daughter Candace of Oregon. Lord, You know that this time of her life, this season of the year is really a challenge. And she’s been struggling with it but struggling with You. So, I want to thank You for being there for her, asking that You would dispatch angels that exceed in comfort to fill her home and to bring the purpose of heaven to her, that the Holy Spirit will draw close to her and to fill up all the gaps and holes and to wrap His arms around her and Father that You would just continue healing her, moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day. Thank You that we can count on You and trust You because You because You are a faithful God. There’s nothing too hard for You. Thank You for hearing and answering this prayer. Amen.
Good morning, good afternoon…evening actually. DAB family I’m a Burning Bush that will not be Devoured for the Glory of Our God and King. I have a praise report. I guess two praise reports. I’ve been asking my family to pray for me this year, to pray for my 20-year-old son, my prodigal who has been addicted to all kinds of drugs for the last three years of his life. And last Wednesday a stranger texted my phone, my son had been wandering the streets. He was literally out of his mind. They found him, rushed him to the emergency room, he had not had food or water for three days. Praise God, we were able to find a rehab facility for him to go to, an inpatient detox and rehab. So, that’s where he is not right now for 28 days. So, my first praise report is that, thank God my son is alive because he was totally out of his mind, he was hallucinating, he was not healthy at all. And it’s a miracle that he survived, he didn’t get hit by a car, or shot by somebody. or just lost forever. I praise God for that. And the second praise report is for his hamster. __ a while back, I don’t know, almost 2 weeks now. And when he came through he talked to me and was hysterical because he thought, surely, they were dead. And today I picked up his hamster from the apartment complex. And the guys up and alive and excited, moving around. And, so, thank God for miracles and I’m believing that the God who kept this hamster alive can deliver my son from addiction and can heal him permanently in Jesus’ name. I love you guys. Bye.
Good morning it’s Beloved by Him from Gloucester in the UK. It is Wednesday, 20th of February. I just wanted to share something I read recently. It’s a quote from John Calvin about prayer. So, ‘believers do not pray with a view to informing God about things unknown to Him or exciting Him to do his duty or of urging him as if you were reluctant. On the contrary, they pray and we pray in order that they may arouse themselves to seek Him, that they may exercise their faith in meditating on His promises, that they may relieve themselves from their anxieties by pouring them into His bosom. In a word, that they will declare that from Him alone they hope and expect both for themselves and for others, all good things. You know, and I thought, that really struck me as a read that earlier this week. You know, what’s the point of prayer? Why do we pray? What’s it all about? And John Calvin’s answer really, really helped me on that front. Anyway, let’s pray. Father God, thank You for this new day we have and thank You that we can come to You in prayer and that You do know, You know everything about us Lord, You know what we need. But you want to hear that from us, You want us to share with you, You want us to come to You and be honest with You and pour out our burdens and anxieties on You because You are our loving Father. So, God I pray that you would help us to be honest, to communicate with You, to turn to You in the good times and in the bad times. In Jesus’ holy and precious name. Amen. Hope you guys have a blessed day. Love you all. Speak to you soon. Bye.
Good morning DAB community. I am a two-year listener, first-time caller. I have a prayer request for my dear friend Teresa and her husband Jack. Jack had emergency surgery yesterday to replace his aorta and three vans. I pray dear Lord for his healing, to watch over his family, and his daughter, and nurses that are taking care of him. I pray to give Teresa the strength to get through this terrible experience. She is a blessing dear Lord. So, I pray dear Lord and hope my DAB family will pray for them to. In the name of Jesus. Amen. Today is also February 28th and it is her birthday. Dear Lord I just pray for her. She is a wonderful woman. Thank you so much. Bye-bye.