Isaiah 6:1-7:25, 2 Corinthians 11:16-33, Psalms 54:1-7, Proverbs 23:1-3
Today is the 10th day of September. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. And it is always a pleasure to be here with you. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be with you? You’re awesome! You are a child of the Most High God. It’s an honor to be here with you today as we take the next step forward in our adventure through the Scriptures. And we’re just getting going in this week, but we’re reading from the New International Version this week. And we’re just getting going in the book of Isaiah. Today we’ll read Isaiah chapter 6 and 7.
Commentary:
Okay. So, in 2nd Corinthians, Paul is boasting. (Brian laughs). And it’s an interesting kind of boasting because it’s not like boasting in an achievement. It’s boasting in who has suffered the most for Christ. What had happened was people were traveling around the churches. And there were a lot of nuanced teachings going around. And people were accepting these people into the church and hearing the gospel that they preached. And a lot of the time that had to do with what they had endured to get there. And then Paul was being lumped into this manipulative group. And believe me, I’m oversimplifying this because it’s not the point. Nevertheless, Paul was exasperated because he’s like, Hey, you guys. You guys know what we… You know what we went through to bring the gospel to you. We were the first ones here. You know what it took to get to you. And now that we’ve paved the way, all these other people are coming in and telling you all these stories and you’re just eating it up. And questioning the very people who risked their very lives to get to you with the gospel. So, Paul’s like, If they’re gonna boast, then I’m gonna be a fool and do the same thing. I don’t wanna reduce myself into this kind of contest about who has suffered the most for Jesus, but let’s just state the facts. Are they Hebrews? So, am I. Are they Israelites? So, am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So, am I. Are they servants of Christ? And he goes on and on and on. The interesting thing about this boasting, though, is that it shows what Paul was willing to go through with his team. What we would now call a leadership team. With his team, this is what they were willing to endure to bring the gospel. Alright, think about some of this stuff. I’ve been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, been exposed to death again and again, five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and day in the open sea. And on and on he goes trying to say something that we need to pay attention to. This is the price. This is what it takes sometimes to bring the gospel. And although maybe the circumstances may not be one for one related to each other, this is what a pastor has to endure to care for a congregation. And Paul says it best. Beside everything else I have to go through, I face daily the pressure of my concern for the churches. Who is weak and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin and I do not inwardly burn? And so what is his conclusion? If I gotta do this contest, if I’ve gotta boast, then all I can do is boast about the things that show how weak I am and how I am not equipped to do this. And how I do not know how this is being sustained. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I’m not lying. And those of you who are pastors in this community throughout the world, you know he’s not lying because in your own context, in your own way, you understand exactly what he’s talking about. It’s a high price to be a leader in God’s kingdom because the stakes are so high. It’s a battle for the hearts of men. And it’s a battle for the hearts of men and women when sometimes their hearts don’t want to be rescued .Then you have to step back and watch them go down. And inwardly burn inside, as Paul said. So, let’s honor those in leadership over us today. Let’s consider the congregations that we’re all part of and who our pastors are. Let’s remember them in our prayers today. They could use it. And if this community, as vast and far flung as we are, all prayed for those in spiritual leadership today… Well, I have seen lots of really wonderful things happen through the prayers of God’s people in this community. And if anyone could use the prayers of God’s people, in this community today, it would be those in spiritual leadership.
Prayer:
So, Father, thank You for those that You have called who carry these heavy burdens. We ask that You give them rest. We ask that You give them comfort. We ask that You give them strength and stamina. We ask that they understand that it matters and that it continues to matter, that the burdens that they carry, although they may seem like they’re not being noticed, they are. We are grateful, God, for those that You have put in this world to lead and guide Your church. Come, Holy Spirit. Lead and guide them, we pray. Even as You lead and guide us individually through all of the myriad of issues in our lives. Come, Holy Spirit, we pray. In Jesus name. Amen.
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And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for here is tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Hi, this is Victoria Soldier just calling tonight to pray with some of the DABbers. I wanted to pray with Sandy from Maryland whose been struggling with addiction. I want to pray for Craig of Birmingham and then just congratulate him on the job that…he said that the Lord blessed him with a wonderful job. And thank God for the prayer for him. I want to pray for Byron of Florida. He said he needs some help in trusting that God, that God is taking him on a long…taking him to the point that He wants him to trust Him. I just want to pray for him and I want to pray for those who are going through the strongholds of life and that God would give you the victory. Gracious Father, we praise You today, we magnify Your name. Lord, we just ask You to touch those that we called out their name, struggling with addiction Lord and need You to trust them. Oh Lord You have Your way. Lord, You touch and You let them know Lord. You let them see You stretch like never before. Oh Lord in the name of Jesus. Lord You touch my brother with addiction. Lord You can do anything but fail. Oh Lord You take away the taste of the desire for it Lord. You kill that spider first and let not down the cobweb of life. Lord, in the name of Jesus, You Have Your Way, Lord You kill that spider, You kill that spider of desire that the cobweb of life can fall from his life. In the name of Jesus. Lord anyone tonight anyone who needs deliverance from addiction, I ask You to do it in the name of Jesus. I ask You to touch my brother who needs the trust. Oh Lord You give him what he needs to trust You Lord in the name of Jesus let him come to You and let him see. Let him remember that You’re always with him. You never leave him nor forsake him so, wherever You send him he needs not fear. Let them know that…
You know what, Pelham, man you sure know how to put a smile on our faces. Thank God for ya. I’m very happy to hear your praise report as I’ve been praying for ya as well as the rest of the Daily Audio Bible community. Again, I just thank God for you and, you know, I really think God for all of the men that we have. It’s amazing. We have so many men here. I mean there’s Duane from Wisconsin, Jay from Nashville Tennessee, Will from beautiful Bozeman Montana, we’ve got Lee from Jersey, the teacher from LA, Joe the Protector, Terry the Trucker, Slave of Jesus, Blind Tony, Delta Alpha Foxtrot, there’s just so many, I can’t even name them all there so many. I don’t know about you all but where I grew up in church it’s usually less than half occupied by men. So, it’s great to see strong men of God standing without shame and proclaiming that He is Lord. And I just want to commend you all and I’ll continue to pray for you. God bless you all. Bye. Oh John 3:16.
Hello Daily Audio Bible this is Michelle from Gettysburg. I was so pumped up this morning, the 6th of September just listening to brothers and sisters around the campfire just calling it together. That group call was just beyond amazing, absolutely amazing, knowing that there’s a community out there prayerful praying. I just…I love it…I…I can’t wait for the next Labor Day weekend Tennessee get together for Daily Audio Bible. I’m in a play that in right now into being. Hello brothers and sisters, just asking your prayer request for my mom who is…she’s a trooper…fighting cancer. It’s been beating her down. She is depressed. I pray that you would just __ she does listen to these calls. So, I hope that she hears this and knows she has brothers and sisters praying her through, praying for her strength to endure this. We’re praying that God takes this cancer out of her body and just believing that He is in control of every end of what’s going on. I just ask that you would pray for her, lift her spirits, of course for this cancer to be gone, and just…she believes…she just needs the power to sustain that belief and have her faith just be strong…just be strong in the Lord. I am asking that. Thank you Daily Audio Bible family.
Good morning, this is Terry from California. I haven’t called in a while. I apologize. Praise report, my daughter is back home and is no longer in that living situation but the main reason why I called today because at my church we just got done with the book of James and I was really convicted of something about a confession that we confessed to each other. And when I did something 10 years ago, I cheated on my husband. I haven’t done it since. I haven’t thought about it since but it’s really been heavy on my heart since Sunday. I was really convicted on it and I know our God forgives and He’s an amazing Father and I just want to be obedient and confess what I did 10 years ago to my Daily Audio Bible family. I love you all. I appreciate you all and I hope you all have a good day. Bye.