Nehemiah 11:1-12:26; 1 Corinthians 10:14-33; Psalms 34:11-22; Proverbs 21:14-16
Today is the 16th day of August. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it is great to be here with you today as we approach the middle of the week. And we’ve already passed the center of the book of Nehemiah that we’ve been reading for last few days. So, we’ll be in the book of Nehemiah from our old testament reading today and we will conclude it tomorrow. So, from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Nehemiah chapter 11 verse 1 through 12 verse 26 today.
Commentary:
Ok. So, Paul’s making some distinctions today because there’s an underlying question that he’s answering. And the question is basically, ‘can we eat food that has come through a temple that is not to God, that has been sacrificed to a false God? Does the fact that it has been sacrificed to a false God do anything to the meat that we shouldn’t eat it? And if we do then were participating in idolatry?’ So, the way Paul answered this question creates a distinction. So, what we have to understand is that meat would find its way into the meat market after it had gone through a temple and been sacrificed to whatever deity that the person sacrificing was worshiping. So, that meat could sometimes find its way back into the meat market. And, so, people were worried. Like, what do you do about meat that was sacrificed to an idol? And how would we even know? And, so, Paul’s making a little bit of a distinction by saying, look, the meat is the meat. The idol isn’t a real thing. But the people who have given their hearts over in worship to this false thing, that’s real and you do not want to be wrapped up in that. You’re part of a different covenant. You’re part of a body - the body of Christ. And you can’t have one foot there and one foot in the worship of another god. So, in the end, the question isn’t really about the meat. Paul says, eat everything and sold in the me market. You don’t need to ask questions about where it came from. I’m laughing because it’s like…of course…you want to know where it came from. But the point is, you don’t have to ask, ‘hey which is the meat that was not sacrificed to an idol?’ So, what this shows us is that the Corinthian people were, obviously, in a mixed culture and believers in Jesus had interaction and even friendships with people who did not believe in Jesus but who believed in another god and worshiped another god. And were they allowed to continue with that interaction and even go over to other people’s houses and eat without asking those kind of questions – ‘wait a minute, wait a minute, I worship Jesus, you worship Artemis, I just need to make sure that this lamb chop was not sacrificed to Artemis because if it was than I can’t eat it.’ Which would create incredible awkward social interactions and destruction of friendships. Which would be kind of like if we’re like a really, really, really food conscious and we go over to a friend’s house and start asking whether or not everything on the table is organic and grain fed and all that. Which is totally fine, but awkward if you impose how you do what you do as a guest in someone else’s house. And Paul’s instructions are that we should be looking out for the good of the other person. Paul says it like this, if one of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that’s set before you without raising questions of conscience but if someone says to you, this food has been offered to an idol, because they know your convictions and they’re giving you the heads up and the warning, then don’t eat it because they’ve warned you. You’re being considerate for them at that point and considerate for yourself. So, this organic analogy that we were just using a second ago, your sitting down at somebody’s dinner table and they say to you, ‘oh listen I know how conscious you are about certain things and you need to know that this, this, and this is not organic’. Well, then they’ve given you permission and a heads up. So, you can follow your own conscience and you are being considerate to them in the process. So, Paul’s answering a specific question but the answer applies in all kinds of contexts in our lives. That it is not we who are trying to super impose our style of doing things on somebody else but we are thinking of them the whole time, especially with our friends who are unbelievers. Which harkens back to Paul’s ministry posture of being all things to all people - being able to move in and out of all kinds of circumstances. And, so, Paul boils the whole thing down in a way that applies to any kind of scenario like this one. He says, ‘listen whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory. Give no offense to the Jews who do things this way or the Greeks who do things this other way or the people of God who do things another way. Do everything that you do for God’s glory. Just as I also try to please all people in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of many so that they may be saved, so that they may come to understand the good news of Jesus.’
Prayer:
Jesus, we enter into that space with You because we do have our lists of do’s and don'ts and our lists of rules and allot of times they don’t have anything to do with anyone else other than for us to superimpose what we think that we know and what we think is right on them. And this is kind of a counterproductive posture. So, we invite Your Holy Spirit to come and help us to continue to develop the eyes of grace, the ears of mercy, and the lips of the Kingdom. Help us in all things to look at how it’s going to impact the person that we are interacting with. Help us to look at the other and become their servants as opposed to trying to superimpose what we think we know upon them. Help us to be like You because that’s really the bottom line. How is it that in any situation we can be Christ-like, we can be You in this world as Your body in this world? How is it we can interact exactly as You do because You are in us? 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 you here tomorrow.
Community Prayers and Praise Reports:
Good morning DAB. I pray that each and every one of you are well. Just know that all of you are always in my prayers. But today the God that we serve has prompted me to call in for Lee from NJ, I was just listening to you in regard to your twin sister whose lost in the world and I just want you to know that right there with you brother. I’m praying for her. I know exactly what it’s like to be lost. I know what it’s like to feel hopeless and I don’t her story, exactly, and I’m sure it’s not like mine and I cannot imagine what she’s been through but I will tell you this, that I am lifting her up in prayer. I am lifting you up in prayer and your entire family in the name of Jesus. She will be found, in the name of Jesus. Also, pastor Gene, I know that your husband going to be fine. The Lord that we serve, Pastor Gene, and you know that as well as I do, that God is a God of miracles. And God is our healer. God will restore him, in the name of Jesus. I am believing in all of this. Asia from Munich, I’m still there with you sister, praying for you, and know that God is listening to you. Victoria S., you are amazing. I just want you to know that. We love you and we need you to call in. Blind Tony, I can’t even say Blind Tony because you have a vision far beyond many that are those that I have connected with, in the name of Jesus. Salvation is mine, you are truly saved, in the name of Jesus. And I am believing in all of you. I thank you for being a part of the family. I thank you for calling in. I thank you even when you don’t call in because I know that you’re there listening in the background and praying for each and every one of us. Jill and Brian, may God bless you in this ministry, in Jesus’ name. The is Ester from Flushing, NY. God bless you.
Lord, as I walk in Your spirit
today
Please keep my pride and my
ego at bay
They often times surface and get
in the way
Negatively affecting the
things that I say
Lead me and guide me I don’t
want to stray
I long to Yours Lord I want to
obey
Because Satan is watching just
waiting to slay
Being cut off from You God is too
much to pay
Help me stay humble and
spiritually led
It’s not just the words Lord it’s
how they are said
And not just the how, Lord teach
me when
If the timing not right then
the words get in
The flow from my lips to
listeners ear
May inflate my ego but the
listener won’t hear
He’ll just get resentful and
throw my words back
Anger will enter in and we’ll
both go off track
Lord what is my purpose as I
go through this day
That’s a rhetorical question
Lord show me the way
Help me keep ego and pride out
of the way
Place on my lips Lord the
right words to say
Help me walk upright and continually
pray
I want to yours Lord come whatever
may
blindtony1016@gmail.com. I’d like to give a shout out to Byron in FL. Hope you’re well my brother…and also Slave of Jesus. I love the both of ya’ll. And, also, once again I’d like to give a shout out of love to Brian Harding and his entire family, that they may continue in the good work. And let the Holy Spirit keep flowin’. It is flowin’, ya’ll. Let it flow. Alright…bye-bye.
By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned but whoever does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. I believe. Help my unbelief. Whoever keeps His word in Him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in Him. Faith working through love. Faith apart from works is useless. We walk by faith not sight. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. Though you have not seen Him you love Him. Though you do not know see Him you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. DAB family, this is something that I am telling myself. It’s called The Fruit of the Spirit is Faithfulness. I read this on August 1st in my daily devotional and I just want to encourage anyone who is going through this depression or sadness, battling sickness, going through a divorce, going through a trial, just to remember, we walk by faith and not by sight. I am feeling led, like Jay in NJ, to just pray for all of those who are just truggling with depression. It’s such a stronghold. It is a disease, like any other disease. And I just want to encourage anyone out there that you know you are loved, you’re not alone, God is with you, we are with you. Brian and Jill Hardin, thank you so much for this community. Thank you for this body of prayer warriors and everyone behind the scenes who makes DAB our special home. Cheers. Asia in Munich.
Hi. this is Elaine from Victoria. I was just to a wedding last night and there was a lot of drinking and things going on but they were happy and nobody was causing problems. But I choose not to drink. Also, I took my little grandchildren to that wedding and expected to take them back but it was ok. A relative who was not drinking either brought them home. But I checked my phone this morning and found out that the table were I was sitting at….it’s my son-in-law’s brother, Mike, and his wife, Shanna, their son and their niece were in a head on collision. But they came out of it! It was a miracle of God and I shared God with them. I said God is in the protection business. He loves all He creates. And…ah…I just said…I pray they weren’t hurt. And…I…just…I’ve been praying for these people. Is this a sign Lord, that you’ve answered my prayer, that they woke up to a God that loves all His creation? Praise God today! Even though I am praying too for my daughter to stop drinking, will this be a wakeup call for her? So, anyway, love you guys. I love this program…Brian. Just…bless you all today. In God’s’ name I pray. In Jesus that redeemed us from the curse and the Holy Spirit that lives. Amen.
Hello Daily Audio Bible listeners. To precious Brian Hardin. This is Diana B. from Newburgh Indiana and I’m joining in praying for Sam, for him be out of that wheel chair. I am letting him down from the roof. I have another friend I’m adding and I’ve been praying for Lenny. And also, Danny. And so, I include Sam with my prayers, letting him down through the roof to Jesus feet to be free from that wheelchair. And I also want to say to all those in depression. I went through that. I had depression…great depression. And I know what you’re going through. And just remember this, God is never blind to your tears, never deaf to your prayers and never silent to your pain. He sees, He hears, and He will deliver. And, so, I encourage. Continue to listen every day to Brian read the Daily Audio Bible and listen to his encouraging prayer afterwards. And get on and encourage someone or even leave a prayer request. Because this community is very precious to me. God bless. Shalom. Shalom. Nothing is missing and nothing is broken.