Numbers 2:1-3:51, Mark 11:27-12:17, Psalms 47:1-9, Proverbs 10:24-25
Today is March 4th welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it’s wonderful to be here with you today. It’s a special day at least in my life. Today is my birthday and it’s been a while now, a long time ago that I decided to not do these birthdays. Like I don’t want to be keep counting my chronological number but I have decided that I will celebrate my Daily Audio Bible birthdays. And this is my 16th birthday. So, that’s hard to believe, that since the time the Daily Audio Bible began, if it were a baby born on January 1st 2006…man…we…we would have a 16-year-old. This thing is looking for its driver’s license now. We’re…we’re in the teen years. So, Lord help us as we continue to move forward. But today will be my 16th birthday that I'm…that I’m celebrating or observing since the Daily Audio Bible began. So, thank God. Thank God for His kindness to me. It is beyond expectations. Okay, but we’re not here to, you know, light a birthday cake. We are here to dive in. And actually we’ll be diving into our second day within the book of Numbers. We began the book of numbers yesterday. And numbers just by way of reminder is a part of a grouping of books in the Old Testament known as the Torah or the Pentateuch - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. And as we began the book of Numbers a census was taken to count all the men that were able to go to battle and that was over 600,000 men. 609,000. And they are preparing now to move toward the promised land. All the different tribes were numbered. The tribe of Levi was not numbered. They were the priests. They’re responsibility is the tabernacle. this the place where God travels. And this is interesting. It’s a portable tabernacle. It can be set up and torn down and God…God is embedding into the people’s understanding that He’s going with them. He’s leading them and He’s going to stay with them and among them, which is what this tabernacle represents. And, so, the tribe of Levi is responsible for that as well as the worship of God and caring for the people, the soul care of the people. So, they’re preparing to move out and there are obstacles in front of them that we will…that we will encounter in due course. Numbers chapters 2 and 3 today.
Commentary:
Okay. In the gospel of Mark, the religious authorities are trying to narrow in on Jesus…like they’re trying to pin Him down they…they want to get rid of him, that’s the plan. That’s what they want to do. And, so, they’re trying to entrap Him or discredit Him in any way…anything that they can do to diminish Him so that they can kinda isolate Him and then get Him out of the way. Like, literally they want to kill Him, which…which they eventually do. Today Jesus is in the temple complex and they come to Him and they say, “by whose authority are you doing these things?” So, like to put maybe a little bit more modern…like, “who gave you the right to do this? Who told you you could do this?” And Jesus sort of answers their question with a question. And this isn't…I mean we’ve talked about as before, but you…you watch the question. Jesus says, “okay I’ll answer your question if you answer one of mine.” The question that Jesus asks forces the truth into the open so that their exposed. They can’t stand this about Jesus. So, He says, “tell me about John. Was he from God or was he not from God? Well, the religious authorities had been against John calling him a fraud. The people believed he was a true prophet. So, they’re in like…there’s no good answer because either way they’re trapped before the people. But it’s even deeper than that. The correct answer to the question Jesus is asking is the same answer to the question they are asking Jesus. “Who told you can do this? Who gave you the right to do this?” If they could or would have answered truthfully that they believe John was a prophet of God, then there would be some common ground there for Jesus to reveal the continuation of that same story and say that He was empowered by God to do the things that He’s doing. But Jesus knows they were against John and He knows that they’re against Him and they’re trying to snuff out His life. These quote unquote things that Jesus is doing are the works of God, His ministry, but also more recently what they would have considered the vandalism of the temple complex because He goes in there and tips over the money changers and lets the birds go and the sacrifice…the commerce that’s going on there. He disrupts the commerce that’s happening in the temple in the holy city of Jerusalem, by the way. So, pretty serious what Jesus is doing. And, so, they’re like, “how…what makes you think you can do this stuff?” All Jesus was doing was restoring some things. He said, “this is to be house of prayer for the nations, not a den of thieves.” And the religious leaders, they don’t, you know, contemplate that and go like, “wow this is time for lament and repentance. We need to figure out a better way to do this. You’re right.” They just get angered at Jesus challenging their authority. They don’t like their authority to be challenged. And, so, they’re asking Him about His authority. I think we could agree that what Jesus did in the temple complex was disruptive to the system, was disruptive to the way of things and would’ve had people talking. And Jesus was clear what He was trying to do. But it was disruptive. Right, here’s where the mirror happens. What about when we ask God to do things in our lives, to reveal things in our lives, to show us the way that we should go or even as we’re observing the season of Lent, to be openhanded and openhearted to allow Him to move things in and out and rearrange things within us. When that’s disruptive or uncomfortable usually we start praying against it. If we understood that it was Jesus doing this our lives might be saying, “who told you you could do this? By what authority are you messing around with my life” even though we’ve claimed allegiance and claimed that we’ve submitted ourselves to him so that He can do whatever He wants with us, take us wherever He wants to take us. Usually if that’s uncomfortable we’re start going like, “no…no…no, that’s not what I was talking about. You…You have full permission to bless me. You can rain it down all you want but who gave you permission to disrupt me?” Ah….ah…now we find ourselves in the story.
Prayer:
Jesus that’s been our story way too many times to count. And we’re sorry. We’re in a season of lament, we’re in a season of repentance, we’re in a season where we’re focusing on these things that You are after in us, the things that we are…that we’re holding on to and we don’t want to let them go, especially control. So, come Holy Spirit and continue with Your kindness and Your patience to show us, to show us the way to go, to show us the next step forward. Then it’s in our hands whether we obey You or whether we don’t, whether we listen or whether we don’t. It’s not Your fault when we disobey You. We like to transfer blame off of us at every turn but it’s not Your fault when we don’t obey You. Come Holy Spirit and let this sink in we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
Announcements:
dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it’s the website, its where you find what’s going on around here. So, definitely stay tuned and stay connected.
I’m going to try to spend some time in reflection today, reflecting back over these 16 birthdays of the Daily Audio Bible. And that’s something going on around here for me. I’m so grateful. I’m so grateful that we’ve been able to share this journey together all these years. It is truly remarkable. My life is indeed forever changed because of this community. And, so, I am deeply grateful and hope you feel the same. So, that’s kind of what’s going on around here at least today but you can always stay tuned and connected to…to an anything…all…relating to the Daily Audio Bible at dailyaudiobible.com or if you’re using the app you can access like the Prayer Wall and the Shop. All that stuff that you can access on the web you can access in the app. So, check that out.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, if…if the mission that we’ve had all these years, just to bring the spoken word of God read fresh every day and just given to the world to anyone who might come across it or encounter it and listen to it anywhere any time day or night, so that it’s just always there creating a rhythm, steps forward every day through a year and definitely through life. If that brings life to you than thank you for your partnership. There’s a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner, or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.
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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 DAB family this is Vonnie in Northern California and it’s March 1st, a new day and a new week a new month and I’m reaching out to anonymous. I just heard your prayer request and my heart breaks for you my dear. I am praying…I’m going to be praying for you all day, all week. As much as God reminds me to pray, I’m thinking of you. This is a tough time for a new mom to have to go through postpartum depression. Oh, Jesus please, please help, please help this Young woman. I’m so thankful that she reached out to her doctor and she got medication. I’m also thankful that she took a step of faith trusting You God to…to answer prayer through the prayers of the family. I pray that many of us many, many, many of us will be just coming to Your throne and laying her before You God everyday, trusting You to lift this…this horrible depression, to protect her mind from these thoughts that she’s been having, to protect her children and her husband, and to come like a flood, restore the joy in her heart, restore to her Lord a sense of peace and calm and trust and confidence and restore the balance in her brain chemistry. Dear Jesus, we ask You to rebuke the enemy and completely put a wall of protection around this Young woman. Thank You, God for what You’re going to do in her life and answer to prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Good morning DAB family this is Judy from Georgia. I want to first thank Brian, Jill, and their family for putting the DAB together. It is great. It’s a great community and I enjoy listening to this every day. And then I want to thank Doctor John from Jordan New York for the feeling groovy tune that’ll be stuck in my head all day. It’s a great uplifting tune and I’m appreciative. We all need that every day. Now I’d like to pray for everyone out there, that please God give them the strength to get through whatever it is they need to get through today and show them the way that they need to go for those that are lost. And anyone fighting addictions please help them get through and show them there’s a better way to live their life. God bless all of you and I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.
This is Kathy from Kentucky. I wanted to give a praise report that I’m 29 years sober. I celebrated on February 23rd and I got a token. A lot of people say I’m an inspiration. So, I…I don’t feel like that but I…I guess I am. But anyways praise God for 29 years clean and sober. Continue to pray for my neighbor and friend Sharon who lost her daughter unexpectedly a couple of weeks ago. She’s still grieving and she’s going through a really hard time. Thank you. Kathy from Kentucky.
Good morning DAB this is Guinn from Texas it is March the 1st and spring is in the air but I’m calling in because I want to pray for the father who called in this morning about his two sons. He…he wanted…he asked for prayer for them. One is Nathan and the other one is Nicholas and I just want to lift them up in prayer because I think Nicholas is in…incarcerated right now and Nathan is…is homeless but their situation can change and it’s going to change because God is able. And, so, I want to say because I also had…had a son that was incarcerated and he got out and he did well and he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and savior and…but he got killed in a motorcycle accident and it’s been almost 10 years but it still feels like yesterday. And then my other son just is working, he’s a hard worker but he needs to be more responsible. He has his own place now and I’m just praying that he keeps it. So…so, I know what you’re going through right now. I feel your pain. So, Father I just lift up this Father to You who…who is praying for his sons Lord, that they will come out Lord doing well Father and I know they will because Father what You did for my sons You will do for his. And…and I just lift him up to give him strength. Your word says in Joshua 1:9 be strong be courageous do not be terrified do not be discouraged for the Lord Your God will be with you with whoever you go and God is with you dad and God is with your sons and He’s going to encourage them and they’re going to come out on the other side and you’re gonna be proud of them. So, I just want you to know that. Hang in there and God loves you and Jesus loves you and we love you. God bless you.
Hi family this is Melissa from Albertville AL I have a prayer request. My dentist who I’ve had for years and my neighbor he lives across the street from me committed suicide this morning. His name is Doctor Kirby and he has children and a wife. I don’t know what he was going through. Just saw him a few weeks ago in the dentist office and I am devastated. I just wonder if I could have said something to him. I…I don’t know. Please, please, please pray for his family. Please pray for his family. I love you family. Y'all hold on to Jesus. Satan is trying to destroy minds during this time but…if…if…you’ve gotta get ahold of Jesus. Hold on to Him and trust in Him. I love you all so much. Thank you. Bye-bye.
Hey guys this is Rachel in KC Missouri. This is March 1st. I’m not sure when you called in. You wanted to be anonymous. You’ve got three children and…and __ daughters. I don’t know. You’re married and you were just diagnosed with severe postpartum depression and you took me all the way back ten years ago when I had my last child Jonah. And darling I know exactly the thoughts that invade your mind, the scary, the creepy, the everything. As…as a sister of yours and you put so much faith and trust in us to share what you’re going through, I started covering you in prayer as soon as I heard your voice because I…as soon as you said my name is…and you said you want to remain anonymous I knew, I knew something. So, I just want to go ahead and pray now so I don’t lose any more time. But just know that I’m praying for you every time you come to mind darling. Heavenly Father thank You so much for this beautiful sister, this beautiful woman of God Lord. The trust and the faith that she’s sharing and just reaching out and crying out to her family Lord. Father, please touch her right now this instant Lord, give her peace, cover her with Your feathers of protection. Lord every time she has a negative thought Lord please get her to…to remember something that Brian has said or one of us has said or a scripture Father…