02/22/2017 DAB Transcript

Leviticus 13:1-59 ~ Mark 6:1-29 ~ Psalm 39:1-13 ~ Proverbs 10:10

Today is the 22nd day of February.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian.  How are you doing?  How is this day going for you?  I hope whether it’s just getting started or whether it is ending, that it is good. Things are pretty good here in the rolling hills of Tennessee.  Got my nice cup of Windfarm coffee here to my left, which is always a sign of a good morning. And we’ve got the word of God here in front of us, which is a good sign that whatever has been going on, whatever kind of day this has been, whether it has been serene and pleasant or crazy and chaotic, there is a space that we’ve created that we can step into and it’s peaceful and we’re here together around a global campfire and we can release all of that.  It will still be there, but our context and perspective on it may have changed.  We have this space to just let all that go, so that is what we do.  We exhale. We let it go and we focus our affection and our attention on what God will speak to us through his word today. Leviticus chapter 13, verse 1 through 59, and we’re reading from the God’s Word translation today.  

Commentary

In the book of Leviticus we’re in riveting territory – infectious skin diseases, page-turner stuff here.  Isn’t this where if we forged this far in the past, we were like, ‘I just don’t know what is going on here.  Boils, rashes, irritated areas, skin disease in the Bible.  I don’t know how to apply that to my life today.’  I get that because that was my story every time. Every time I tried to read the Bible. And that is where context is so important.  I mean, I have over these years come to believe the Bible, out of its context, I mean, definitely leaves you wondering what is going on and why it is important, which is why we’ve worked so hard to keep the context in front of us.  These people are in the wilderness and everything about them, everything about them is being transformed.  Their spiritual identity, their very presence on the face of the earth, how they conduct themselves toward each other and those who are from the outside, everything is being reframed.  Everything.  

There are practical reasons for where we are in the story.  It is a practical thing to pay attention to something that is infectious among a nomadic people who are traveling around a desert and moving from place to place Bedouin like.  If infection were to spread through the camp, it could be utterly devastating.  So that is very practical.  But everything that is being instituted in this culture is also a constant reminder of their new identity.  

So they go to the priest because this is not just a physical matter.  It could also be a spiritual matter.  Isn’t it interesting when we begin to look at it in that context?  Is this deeper than skin deep?  If this goes below the surface of the skin, this is a bigger deal.  Does this have mold or mildew on it?  Is it growing or is it just present?  Can it be washed away or has it gotten into the fibers of the article?  Is it taking over?  Then it’s unclean and it needs to not be here because it will infect other things, other articles.  Even today you get mold in your house.  That’s a big deal to get rid of.  You’ve got mildew everywhere, you know you have a bit of a problem.  And then you’re looking, right?  How deep does this thing go?  Is this surface?  Is this a bigger deal?  What do we have going on here?  In spiritual terms the implications are so present that we don’t even have to think that long.  All we have to do is begin to invite the Holy Spirit.  Is this skin deep?  Is this deeper than that?  What is going on inside me?  

And then we get into the book of Mark and Jesus goes home.  He goes to his childhood hometown, Nazareth, and teaches in the synagogue.  Everyone is pretty impressed with what he has to say, but they are not buying it because they saw this kid grow up.  So they can’t figure out how he got the wisdom and knowledge and power that he has, but they know who he is and they know his family.  What is interesting is Mark 6:5:  He couldn’t work any miracles there except to lay his hands on a few sick people and cure them.  Their unbelief amazed him.  

If you think about the miracles of Jesus, you can focus on these as supernatural events, but what does he usually say to someone who has been healed in some way?  Go in peace. Your faith has made you well. Which lets us know pretty clearly that the miraculous is a collaboration.  There is a participation involved in the stories of Jesus’ miracles. And we get the other side of that today. He couldn’t work any miracles there. Their unbelief amazed him.  So what is going on here?  Maybe spiritual mildew?  Maybe spiritual infectious disease that is eating away at the fabric of these people’s faith?  Because faith is the activator of all of this.  In fact, it is so important that the Bible says without faith it is impossible to please God.  How can we even know God but through faith and belief?  So even Jesus, faced with a crowd of people who did not believe, could not do what he came to do.  

So what inside of us is more than just a scab on the surface of the skin? What is more than skin deep but has become infected and unclean?  What is covered in mold and mildew that is more than just surface deep?  Because when we invite the Holy Spirit into that question, we’re inviting the Holy Spirit into what is unclean and there is no other way to become clean than by the power of God.  These places of doubt, these patches of doubt that we have and we all do, they are an indicator. They are a symptom of something going on that is deeper.  On those days where we’re ready to chuck our faith altogether and go ‘I just don’t know if I can believe all this,’ that is a symptom, an indicator.  And if we look back at our life, we see the hand of God in it all, but all of a sudden we’re sick.  We’re unclean.  If we look at how we got there, we see that it was systematic choices on our own.  

May our unbelief not be an amazing thing to Jesus in a bad way like the people of Nazareth.  May we invite Jesus, our High Priest.  May we take those things that are infected and moldy and sick and infectious.  And don’t think they’re not just because they’re not on your physical body.  Don’t think that your sickness spiritually can’t be infectious to those around you because it can.  Like the children of Israel in the wilderness, may we take these things to our High Priest and let him examine them.  Because what is the point?  The point is wholeness.  The point is to get well in every way, spirit, mind, will, body, everything. Everything about us set apart and made holy to God.  That is what we were created for.  That is what we are supposed to look like.  And it is available.  

Prayer

Jesus, we see how the portions of scripture that at one time were tedious are vibrant and alive and relevant and speaking to some deep things in us and we’ve spent a couple days on this and we’re looking at these things.  What have we touched that is unclean?  What has become infected and has made us unclean? What is moldy and mildewed and has become unclean?  We can’t fix it so we come to you, our High Priest, and we ask your Holy Spirit to examine us and show us what to do, what to get rid of and burn because it is not supposed to be a part of our lives anymore, it is perpetually unclean and it needs to be gone.  Or places that you need to touch and we need to let you touch those soft places of doubt and fear and anxiety and depression, all of the things that lead back to one place, fear.  Fear that we can’t trust you.  We’re trusting you now.  We’re coming with these things to you and inviting you to examine them.  Show us what needs to be removed and touch us in the places that need to be healed.  Come Holy Spirit, we pray.  In the name of Jesus, and by his authority we ask.  Amen.  

Announcements

Www.DailyAudioBible.com – that’s home.  I guess that is where the global campfire is burning, although it is burning wherever we are, but I guess that is home base.  It is home base.  It is where you find out what is going on around here, what people are posting on the Prayer Wall, things people need prayer for and the encouragement that comes from that.  Resources are available there.  All the information about the More Gathering for Women that we’ve been talking about is there, so check it out.  

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible in the mission of our community that we share, the family that we are, to bring God’s spoken word to whoever will listen, anywhere on this planet, any time of day or night, and to build community around that rhythm so that we know we’re not alone, if that resonates, then thank you for your partnership.  There is a link on the home page.  If you’re using the app, you can press the More button in the lower right-hand corner.  Or if you prefer, the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, TN 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, (877) 942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that’s it for today.  I’m Brian. I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

Hey, this call is for Charles in Florida, the brother who just lost his wife. I just want you to know, man, I’m here for you.  I’m praying for you.  We all love you and are praying for you and lifting you and your family up.  Keep us updated and stay strong.  We’re here for you and God’s got you, brother.  God bless you.  Love you and I will talk to you guys all later.  Bye.  

Hi, this is Lou from Minnesota and a year since I called, but I listen every day and I lift everybody up in prayer.  I am just calling because the Daily Audio Bible changed my life.  When I first started to listen, oh maybe six or seven years ago, I was very broken emotionally and physically.  Just by listening to the word of God every day has healed me, has made me feel like a complete person.  I have Daily Audio Bible cards in my purse and I give them out to everyone. I never give my name and address or telephone number without sharing a Daily Audio Bible card.  I just know that if people listen to God’s word and apply it, don’t even think about applying it because it will happen automatically, God is so good and I’m just so thankful for the Daily Audio Bible.  So I just wanted to share that tonight.  I’ve been meaning to call for quite a while.  I’m one of those silent pray-ers, but I lift people up in prayer.  I’ve been praying for the woman who has lost both her legs.  She has been on my mind and I have told my friends about her and I just admire her courage and know that God is going to lift her into an even more higher place and closer place in him.  Thank you everyone who makes Daily Audio Bible possible.  I love you and I lift you up in prayer.  God bless you.  Louella.  

Hello Daily Audio Bible.  This is Nathan, Gift of God from Bloomington, IL.  Hey, I want to thank you, Brian, for waking me up.  In Leviticus and part of Exodus, I listened to it and I’m thinking ‘Okay, I’m listening.  This really isn’t my most favorite part of the Bible, blah-blah-blah.’  I would grow complacent, but I would listen and I listened to, okay, for this kind of sin, sacrifice this, do this, sprinkle the blood there, burn the body there, if you can’t afford this, then buy this and do this, and it seems like they were doing something to atone for their sins, so I’ve got to do something to atone for my sin, for my this or for my that, and then Brian said something that put it all together and I think it was because the Old Testament and the New Testament kind of went together.  That when Jesus died on the cross, I no longer have to do that. I didn’t have to atone for my sins. I had to account for them, of course, ask for forgiveness, but Jesus was that sacrifice. And yes, I’ve heard that before, but it was the transition from me having to do the sacrificing, providing this for my sacrifice and this for that sacrifice to now God being that offering on the altar for me, for my sin.  I know that is so, you know…  I mean, everyone knows that, but it just hit me so different – that I didn’t have to do it. I have to accept it, though.  I just thought I would share that with my family. Have a great day.  Make it a great day.  

This is Doneen K. and I just heard Patrick S. call and my heart is broken and I want to pray for him right now.  Lord Jesus, Father in Heaven, I pray that you’ll heal this man like you did the man on the mat. Lord, I pray for his healing from his head to his toes.  God, I pray that you will help his wife and his son.  Help him deal with this whole issue.  God, he has been a member of this family for five years and he has only called twice and he has so much going on.  Lord, please hear our prayers.  I beg of you, Lord.  Heal this man’s body.  In your precious name, amen.  

Hi family.  Today is the 19th of February.  I’m just listening to the 18th of February podcast, because being in Australia, I always have to listen a day behind because we’re a day ahead.  I just wanted to pray for the gentleman who called in and said he has been suffering from depression and you said it’s been a bad bout for about four months.  I just wanted to let you know you’re in my prayers.  My heart goes out to all people who suffer depression, so I just want to let you know that I’m lifting you up in my prayers.  I’m trusting and believing that God will help you defeat this bout and you will walk into great victory and joy and fullness of life. You’re in my prayers and may God bless you and shine his light upon you.  Have a good day.

Hi DAB family.  It’s James here from the UK.  It’s been a long time since I’ve called, but I just wanted to connect in and catch up with you guys and just let you know that I’m just so blessed right now.  I’m so…  I’m just on fire.  The Holy Spirit is just pulsing through.  He’s coursing through my veins.  The blessings of just seeing him at work is amazing and yesterday we went on a men’s retreat at Ascot Priory and I guess there was about 14 of us there and just listening to the stories of these guys and what is going on in their lives, their marriages, their families, the challenges that we all face.  We followed the story of the prodigal son and just Jesus showed up big time.  The Holy Spirit took us places where, wow, I just wasn’t even sure we could go as guys in terms of sharing our challenges, our struggles.  You know, Brian, I want to say a big thank you personally because I just didn’t think I would be able to get to this place maybe a few years ago after my dad had his stroke.  Two years ago we actually did the same session together, my dad led, and it was painful in some ways to lead the session this time without him there, but I don’t even know how to say it.  Jesus has taken me on to the next level, I guess, and I was up so early this morning just praying about the guys that were there and thinking about the things that had been shared and just…

.