Exodus 35:10-36:38, Matthew 27:32-66, Psalms 34:1-10, Proverbs 9:7-8
Today is the 13th day of February. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it is a pleasure and a joy to be here with you around the global campfire that is nice and warm and bringing light and life and good news, and we just gather around and allow God’s word to speak, which is what we’re about to do. We’re reading from the Contemporary English Version this week. Exodus chapter 35 verse 10 through 36 verse 38 today.
Commentary:
Okay. It’s hard to talk about anything else but what we were reading about in the book of Matthew today. And it’s pretty hard to talk about that because for the first time we experienced the crucifixion of Jesus in our reading from the Scriptures this year. And, so, there’s not a whole lot else to say. And we know it’s the story of our salvation but if we would just sit with the humanity of the scene. It’s so heartbreaking. It is so profoundly sad to think that the Creator who fashioned beings in His own image with the idea that a mutual relationship could be formed and bound by covenant, that this creator would come and become one of us only to be killed by us. This is profoundly sad. And it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long ago since we began our journey but within the first couple of days of our journey we saw everything get blown apart in the book of Genesis. And in the scene that we’re seeing in the book of Matthew today we’re able to see just how far, just how twisted, just how backward an upside-down things had gotten among the human race. And to be honest, we could just look around now and say things are still pretty upside down and backward but now we don’t really have an excuse because there is a way. This bloody scene that we’re seeing play out on a cross and the gasps of an innocent man, His blood was shed on our behalf and we were restored to God in the process for those of us who believe. We have no business and no excuse for living backward and upside down anymore. It’s not supposed to be our reality anymore. So, if there’s a thought, if there’s something for us to live into today, it would be to sit with the brutal scene that is before us and what it cost to bring freedom into our lives and then to consider the ways that we’re living far less than free.
Prayer:
Jesus, thank You. And even as we say it the words fall flat because what can we say? We had no way to untangle the mess in our species created in Your image. We were irreversibly lost and then You came and rescued us and we didn’t earn it and there’s nothing that we can do. You’re giving it to us as a gift and so often we find ourselves not even taking the gift that cost You Your life and living into it and being transformed by it and being shaped into Your likeness. So, often we’re busy trying to make You in our image and make You do the things that we need done instead of the other way around and we’re repenting and were sitting with the starkness of the scene that the Scripture has brought into our lives today and contemplating it because there is no other story to tell. And, so, we invite Your Holy Spirit, come. Make this scene matter to us. Show us how to embrace it and show us how it is to transform us because of the work that was accomplished there, the victory that was won. Come Holy Spirit and let us sit with the weightiness of what we’ve read today and appreciate with a heart of gratitude and help us to look at the world through Your eyes. You looked at the world and loved it even though that hated You. You died for people who wanted You dead. What kind of love is that? Lead us deeper into that love 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 you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Hi, this is Amber from California. I’m a new listener and I just wanted to call in and say that the Daily Audio Bible has really blessed my life. I tend to have difficulties finding the time to sit down and just soak in the word and it’s really been an awesome experience for me to listen to Scripture and then reflect and have my own study. So, just wanted to call in and say what a blessing it was. I also wanted to share a prayer request with you all. I’ve been married for some time and have children with my husband and I’m just calling to ask our community to reach out and pray for my husband who has been struggling with a sleepwalk and really just a lot of spiritual warfare within our home and marriage and specifically with him. So, just wanted to call and ask the brothers and sisters to lift him up prayer and me up in prayer. Really trying to strive to be the mom and life that God has called me to be. So, thanks so much for listening and I look forward too much more in this community.
Hello everyone, this is Peggy in Texas. And first I want to thank Brian for doing an excellent job day after day, such a blessing to me personally. I’m calling…I’m asking for prayer for my precious grandson Xander. This is…I’ve called before, and he’s troubled, he’s alone, he’s manic-depressive, he’s drinking, he doesn’t have a doctor. So, he’s not getting any help. He hasn’t sought Christian friends. In fact, I don’t think he has one. Today he called, and he was frightened and afraid something might happen to him and afraid someone was out to cause him trouble. And I think he’s trying to reach out and say a call for help and yet I don’t know for sure. He’s in school and is working, an engineer student. So, as a grandmother I’, trying to keep the lines open to him and I’m trying to communicate love and guidance and, you know, personally I think he needs to be in a treatment center but financially that’s…that’s not possible. Anyway, you’ve got the picture. I’m a very concerned person, a very concerned grand mom. I don’t want to be a worrier, I want to trust the Lord, but I’m week. And, so…and I don’t have a great support system right now and I’m just calling on someone to pray with me. So, anyway I’m feeling a tad lonely and I just need you all too. And, so, I’m turning to you. Sometimes it’s just hard to pray. Maybe all of you have experienced that at some time but I’m in that boat tonight. And, so, I’m asking for you precious people to pray for my precious grandson, Xander. Thank you.
Hi, this is Victoria Soldier just calling. Wanted to say thank you Brian for all the fire that you’ve been putting out on the web and through your word and it’s been really blessing my soul and I just wanted to call and bless some of the other souls more abundantly. And I just wanted to pray for Prodigal and Rebecca and I wanted to pray for Hamm and Jamie and Tyler and I wanted to pray for the lady who wanted a friend and she was going through. I wanted to pray for those who have gone through depression and trying to help them to take away that precious life of the precious life through wanting to commit suicide. Lord, I just ask You to fill them with so much joy that they will see what You have before them, that the enemy is trying to take away them feeling not only the joy but knowing that they have salvation in You, knowing that they are going to be with You. Oh Lord You’re coming back soon. The world act like they don’t remember that You said You were coming back, they don’t remember that You are the way the truth and the light, but Lord You said You’re coming back __ without spot or wrinkle. You said we shall not all sleep but we shall be all changed in the moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the sound is gonna sound and You gonna hear…and the mighty archangels…and the dead in Christ will arise first and we that are alive will be caught up to meet Him in the air. Lord I pray for my brothers and sisters today that the enemy’s trying to trick. You fill them with Your joy, You equip them with what You need to make this mighty journey. Oh Lord You bless those that need a friend, You bless those that need a spouse, You bless the one who is looking to have a baby and they couldn’t conceive but God You are…it all comes from You. Lord I just ask You to bless that womb Lord, that they will produce the baby that You have…
Hi this is Tony from Germany. I’m actually in Minnesota visiting my family and I just wanted to call in to….I’ve been listening to the Daily Audio Bible during my commute to their place…they’re in a nursing home, my parents. So, but for Tito, I want to tell you that I have tithed for many many years and I’m gonna tell you that the Lord has opened amazing doors for me and I believe that is because I tithe. For example, even going to Germany, it was just very miraculous and many many other things. And I just wanted to relay that to you because I wanted to give you a little bit of hope so you can continue onward. And then for Pelham, you know what __ ice. Not ICE but EIS, as you know, is just amazing amazing Italian ice cream. And, so I feel the Lord is steering you in the right business and perhaps at some point in time in planting a seed you will travel to Italy to learn different recipes, experiment with different recipes so one day you could do your own, come up with your own Italian ice recipe. So, remember you are not alone. I know that you’re reaching some low points. We are your family and we do love you. So, just remember that. Thanks for sharing your story with us and your faith and your faith journey. The other thing I wanted to say is I have played the Daily Audio Bible to my parents. My dad keeps his eyes closed a lot but when I have played the Daily Audio Bible his eyes open and he listens and at one point he took off his glasses, laid them down and blessed himself with this big…