Jeremiah 19:1-21:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:4-28, Psalms 82:1-8, Proverbs 25:8-10
Today is the 12th day of October. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is an honor and a pleasure to be here with you today, right here, right now. And how crazy is it that we live in a time that this can even happen. Nevertheless, we do live at such a time and so we’ve come together around the global campfire to take the next step forward and the next step will continue us in the Amplified Bible, which is what we’re reading from this week. Jeremiah chapter 19, 20 and 21 today.
Commentary:
Okay. So, we just concluded Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. And typically, in Paul’s letters, like there’s this…this ending or concluding list of characteristics or postures that Paul is inviting his readers to live into, probably because Paul wanted to paint a picture for the congregations so that they could see what a transformed life should and could look like. And we don’t always read these lists correctly. We can read postures from Paul and then try to turn the list into an action plan for some sort of recipe of things that we’ve got to live further into rather than understanding that he’s offering a picture of what will become natural for us as we embrace our new nature. So, with that in mind, let’s just look at this closing list from First Thessalonians. Paul says, appreciate those who diligently work among you. Recognize, acknowledge and respect your leaders who are in charge over you in the Lord. He also says, admonish those of you who are out of line, the undisciplined, the unruly, the disorderly. Encourage the timid who lack spiritual courage. Help the spiritually weak. Be very patient with everyone, always controlling your temper. See that no one repays another with evil for evil but always seek that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always and delight in your faith. Be unceasing and persistent in prayer in every situation no matter what the circumstances. Be thankful and continually give thanks to God for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench or subdue or be unresponsive to the working and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Do not scorn or reject gifts of prophecy or prophecies or spoken revelations or words of instruction or exhortation or warning but test all things carefully so you can recognize what is good. Hold firmly to that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Withdraw and keep away from it. Okay. So, there’s plenty of stuff to consider there. And it’s not a bad thing to look at that list or those characteristics that Paul is inviting the Thessalonians to aim their lives toward, it’s not bad to look at those and say, okay, here’s the places that I’m failing or here’s the places that I really need to focus in on and work on. That’s not a bad thing, but rather than looking at this as a collection of postures that reveal the ways that we’re failing, we should see what we are becoming. This is what comes naturally to a transformed person and transformation is a process. So, if, you know, reading back through that passage, if there were things that do not describe your life, that should describe your life, then you’re simply discovering areas that are in the process of being sanctified. And the only person…I mean…this is where we are headed…this is what it’s going to look like to become Christlike. The only person who can ultimately interfere with this process is you. So, let’s invite the Holy Spirit into those areas and begin to consciously turn to God, rather than consciously and continuously embracing old habits.
Prayer:
Father, we want this to look like our lives. What we want is to look like You. This is what we are invited to do. We are invited to become Christlike. We are invited to put on a new nature. And not just any nature, the nature of God. And this will transform us utterly. And the Scriptures, over and over, give us pictures of what that can look like. So, come Holy Spirit. Show us where we need to aim our lives. Show us the areas that we need to get mastery over rather than a struggle that is for the rest of our lives over anger or rage or lust or greed or envy or whatever it is that we might deal with. Rather than figuring out how we can struggle and live with this for the rest of our life, we would like to see mastery over it by the power of Your Holy Spirit. And this is possible. It simply requires our surrender. Come Holy Spirit. We surrender to You. In the name of Jesus, we ask these things. Amen.
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And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Hi, my name’s Nora David and I’m calling from a village called Mantaska Alaska. I am calling for prayer. We had a suicide here three weeks ago and our young people are still reeling from it. Please pray for our young people here in Alaska. I want to thank you and I appreciate that I can reach out with a call for help. This is the first time I’ve listened to the Audio Bible. It’s October 9th. Thank you again.
Good morning Daily Audio Bible family. This is His Beloved from California. First, I would just like to say I got my name when I was at the retreat in Georgia with the other women. We did a little exercise at the end and they lead us to ask God what our name was and that’s the name He gave me. So, this is His Beloved. Victoria Soldier, you prayed for me and I just want to say, praise report. I’m sure other of my family members are praying too. My test results came back positive. My doctor said it was a mistake. They scared me, they called me in to give me my results and it was a mistake. My test results were positive and fine and everything’s good. So, thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m so excited and happy. There’s a couple people that are weighing on my mind heavily that I’d like to pray for. There was a young woman with an 11-year-old boy. The story just broke me. And, so, Father God, I just raise up this 11-year-old boy. And You promised that You would make every crooked path straight and I just call on You now for blessing that family with healing, harmony, protection, Father God. I pray over this woman and her children, that You promised that every crooked path is made straight. And I believe this in the name of Jesus. Also, there is a gentleman who called in a while back about his mother, that she’s had been abused physically and emotionally and now I think his brother was taking care of her and the same thing was happening. So, Father God, I cast this off. I ask that the Holy Spirit would convict this man and if not that someone would come in there and take the situation out and help her Father God. You promised that our children will call us blessed and this is what I call on that family in the name of Jesus. I love you all so much. Have a blessed day. Bye.
Hey everybody this is Pelham from Birmingham still. Well, hurricane Michael has been born and I am making the declaration that that is not a coincidence. And I’m gonna go mission Impossible for second. I watched the new one the other night and the opening scene had a guy that says, and faith withdrew to the warrior a storm is coming. And the other character says, and the warrior whispered to say I am the storm. We’re all prayer warriors, all of us, and I’m calling today because of two calls that played this morning on the 9th. It was Pam, it was Prosperous Pam’s call that got me where I had to call in but Teresa from Ontario was the one that hit my heart. And you were talking about Jay and the children, the estranged from. And I’m in that situation. I need prayer. And your call and you were saying that you were hesitant to call, I believe that was you. I’d have to double check that wasn’t before you. But any time that you’re hesitating to call out there, anybody that’s listening, that is a signal to you that the enemy does not want you to call. He knows how much strength you have and how much power this community has. So, he’s gonna move against you anytime you think about picking up the phone. So, I’m sure that the DAB loves this, but you guys, don’t hesitate to call. And don’t hesitate also…I’m…I’m speaking from the DABs perspective…I haven’t been able to tithe towards the DAB or any community here recently, but I know my finances are being blessed and I it’s time for some DAB donations. I’m just sayin’. We need to hire three more operators to go through the editing of all the calls because our prayer powers in unity are unstoppable. Love you guys. Let’s pray for the hurricane to stay away.
Hi this is Terry and I’m calling for prayer for my son Josh. We live in Southern California and I’m just…he’s a young man, 14, and, you know, and just entering high school. And I just need prayer for his guidance, prayer for me too and our family on how to guide him. But I’m just asking for God just work a miracle in his life so that he would just know the right decisions to make and just…I guess…be obedient to his parents without getting mad and not wanting to run away from the problems and everything. And, so, if…if the family…if you guys could pray, I’d really appreciate it. And I just started listening two days ago. So, I’ve been really blessed so far. And for the prayer requests that have gone forward, I’ll be praying for those too…everyone that I heard today…the last two days, I’ll be praying for those requests and just continue to do the good work that God’s called us to do. And I pray to God will continue to bless you Brian and your ministry. Thank you. Bye.