1 Kings 8:1-66, Acts 7:51-8:13, Psalms 129:1-8, Proverbs 17:1
Today is the 11th day of June welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is wonderful to be here with you today. It is a joy to be here with you today around the Global Campfire as we take our journey another step forward. So, let’s dive in. We are in the book of first Kings. We are watching Israel reach the culmination of everything that had been worked for over centuries and centuries since the beginning of our journey. And this happens under King Solomon’s rule. This week we’ve been reading from the Good News Translation. Today, first Kings chapter 8.
Commentary:
Okay. So, as we passed through today’s reading, we passed through two pretty monumental moments in the Bible. And that’s…actually that’s kind of an understatement. These are…these are actually huge and very, very pivotal moments. So, in the Old Testament in the book of first Kings we see the dedication of the temple. Like, we’ve been moving toward this place, toward a land that was promised, toward a people that were chosen, toward their own rule and governance, toward them coming under God and being aligned together in the worship of the Lord and established firmly. That’s like what we’re watching here. Solomon, as I’ve said over the last couple of days, brings ancient Israel to the culmination of all her struggles, like from the time that God called Abraham and set him apart and told him to go to a land that he didn’t know. And by the way, Abraham’s obeying a God that he didn’t know, like when this happens. And, so, obviously they get to know one another, they enter into a covenant together and that covenant keeps getting renewed and renewed and renewed over time. These are the same people. And, so, they’re reaching their shining our on the journey that has taken centuries to get to. And, so, yeah, we’ll watch this today and kind of coast through tomorrow, we’ll begin to understand the peak of Solomon’s reign, and we really should enjoy, really enjoy this moment that we pass through because it…it…it’s so brief in the context of things. It’s like they got to the place that they were going, and they had it so briefly, because…well…well…we’ll see why, and we’ll see that it’s the same story we live.
Then when we turn to the book of Acts…and for the last couple of days we’ve been listening to a man who was appointed to be a helper or a deacon or like a proto-deacon in distribution, in caring for God’s people around the church in Jerusalem. So, he had been appointed, but he had also been arrested and he was brought before the council in Jerusalem, where he then had to sort of prove his Hebrew credentials. And, so, he testified, and he told the Hebrew story, which for us, allows us kind of a fast motion review of the different stories that…that we’ve been encountering. We reached the end of that today. We began to reach the end of yesterday where he gets to the point where Jesus intersects with the story and he reveals to these people what they did in…in killing Jesus and they freak out on him. They’re yelling out, they’re covering their ears, they’re screeching at him. Like a mob mentality ensues. And this is the Jewish high council, by the way, but it’s not like we haven’t seen weird things happen in political arenas before on television or whatever. So, anyway their freaking out and they…they rush Stephen, they…they escort him outside the gates of the city and then they stone him to death. This is the first recorded martyrdom. This is the first recorded instance of anyone dying for their faith in Jesus. And we met someone at that execution or at the murder as the Bible calls it, a Pharisee. He held the cloaks of the people, really kind thing to do, to hold their coats because they’re working up a sweat while they’re killing Stephen by throwing rocks at him until he collapses broken. So, Saul, the Pharisee holds onto their cloaks, and watches them do their business and approves of what they’ve done and then he in turn begins to try to root out by capturing and persecuting other Christians in the church at Jerusalem. Saul, you gotta remember that guy. He hates Jesus. He wants to destroy this message and then he goes on to write two thirds of the New Testament. And that story is out in front of us.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for bringing us this far We thank You for all that we have learned and all that we are learning. We thank You for all the shifts that are subtly, slowly, methodically, steadily taking place in our hearts and we see that as those shifts happen our lives fall into different rhythms and alignments. We ask that You continue this work of transformation. And we don’t want to make that a big religious word. You are making us new again. You are changing us from what was old into something new. You are changing us from what we were into what we are becoming. May we not fight You on this. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
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And that is it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Good morning Daily Audio Family this is Denise and I am on a walk right now and I just wanted to give praise for Mitch who called in who is a newer Christian and was just praising the Daily Audio Bible family. And Mitch, welcome. Just welcome. Welcome to the family. Welcome to Christ’s family. Just so happy to hear the joy in your voice. There’s…sometimes the world can feel real heavy for those of us who go to battle in prayer over lots of deep things and when a young Christian, however mature you are in your earthly years, when a young Christian comes it just gives me hope and fills my heart, so thank you Mitch. And gracious heavenly Father I just pray over Mitch. I pray over Mitch’s walk. I pray he comes to us every day to listen to Brian’s voice. I pray for his journey. I pray for his learning. I pray that the fire that I heard his voice is never doused in your Son’s mighty, mighty name. Amen.
[Singing starts] We are one in the spirit we are one in the Lord. We are one in the spirit we are one in the Lord. And we pray that our unity will one day be restored. And they’ll know we are Christians by our love by our love. Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love. We will work with each other we will work side-by-side. We will work with each other we will work side-by-side and we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride. And they’ll know we are Christians by our love by our love. Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love. We will walk with each other we will walk hand in hand. We will walk with each other we will walk hand in hand. And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land and they’ll know we are Christians by our love by our love. Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love [singing stops]. Oh Lord, let us be unified in the body, let us be…let us be unified in heart to heart. Let us be unified in prayer. Let us be unified in your son Jesus Christ and it’s in His name we pray and we love you Lord in Jesus’ name. Treasured Possession.
A family how you doing? This is prodigal. Hey, I have a few things to say. First off thanks Pelham for praying for me. I appreciate that brother. I mean, we’re soulmates, been listening to you before…I think before Molly actually but for a long time. So, as we…as we watch our country…the United States descend into chaos and tribalism and hatred it’s time for the Lord more than ever. And His voice is being drowned out so it’s up to us. So, we all make choices every day as we’re on lockdown. I’ve been on lockdown for over three years with no money, wife leaving, company failing, bankruptcy, IRS…doesn’t matter. Long story…doesn’t make a damn. The point is, I’m still here. Fortunately, the…had to sell all my guns. So, that’s one option that’s off the table finally. So, that’s a good thing I suppose. But I’m really here to tell you that the…the biggest weapon we have is prayer. And yes, those cops did something bad. Okay, got it. And that unravels our entire society? They killed Jesus. Did that unravel their entire society? Ultimately, yeah probably, but it’s gotta be for the greater good. So, not sure where this message is going. Just having a really bad day in a string of really bad days but I love my family. Just hear Walta the Burning Bush, Victoria Soldier, Tony. All you guys are rock stars brothers. So, God bless you all. And make whatever you want out of this. Let’s make it a great day. God bless.
Hi family this is Viola from Maryland I hope you’re all doing well. Brian and Jill God bless you and your family and God bless this wonderful ministry that God has used you to create. You know family when we call in and we say “family”, we’re not just referring to a particular group of people, we’re referring to us children of God have been bought and blood washed by Jesus Christ - white, brown, black - whatever color you decide to call yourself. You know, when God created us in the book of Genesis it said, “let us make man in our own image, in our likeness.” And the Bible said, “male and female He created them.” And afterwards our God of color, our beautiful God, made us all with different colors, bold, beautiful unique. You know, it is man’s sin that has caused us to move around and disunite and just have hatred and injustice in our hearts and…and towards our fellow man. And I pray that God will heal our land and that God will heal every land globally and that justice will prevail, there’ll be no more injustices in the name of Jesus. You know, the Bible says that when we come to Jesus Christ and when we receive Him we have become a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people that we may proclaim the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Family, I want to pray for the families of all those who have lost loved ones. More recently, George Floyd, Brenda Taylor, Michael Brown, Edward Gana, Fred Ugray and many many others, those killed by the police and those killed by private citizens. You know, families __ so on. I want to pray that God will touch their hearts and comfort them and that there will indeed be justice in our land. You know family, I’ve been the subject of racism before when in 2005 my children and I were on the bus and a white man looked at us with hatred in his eyes and said, “get to the back of the bus.” And before I could get up and give him a good tongue lashing that he deserved people like Abby - God bless you, Abby - got up and fought for us and that man was chased off the bus. God bless you family.
Hi this is Emily I’m…I’m a new listener…new listener to this…to the Bible…to the audio Bible. So…and I…and I really like it and am really loving it. And I think that…and I don’t like what’s going on in the world today but I think that people should be following what Peter said. In 1 Peter chapter 3 to verse 5…chapter 5 verses 3 to 5 “don’t be rulers over the people entrusted to you but be examples for the flock to follow. Then when the chief sheppard appears you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. Young people, in a similar way, place yourselves under the authority of spiritual leaders. Furthermore all of you must serve each other with humility because God opposes the arrogant but favors the humble.” I think that’s a really a good verse for today. Okay. This is Emily calling from Humbalita California. Bye.
I turn my life back over to Jesus. I am convicted beyond measure. My marriage is a mess. I’m still having problems quitting smoking. Please pray for Satan to be banished out of my home and out of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Hi family this is Erin from Michigan and I’ve been noticing a lot of people calling in and talking about the racial temperature of America and how we as Christians and the body of Christ can, you know, lift each other up and can advocate for those whose voices are not as prominent in our society. And I just want you to remember that Jesus is close to the brokenhearted and He is the one that will lift us up. As far as it goes for what our place is as Christians to speak out against this, racism is America’s original sin. And there’s a great awakening happening and right now we have a chance to stand up and be counted among those who say we are all God’s children. And anyone who would like to put anybody…part of the body of Christ down needs to be reminded that there’s a consequence. There’s a consequence for pretending that God doesn’t care about social justice, there’s a consequence for believing that God will not set right what we as humans have messed up. So, I lift up America to you Lord God, I lift up our leaders. I lift of the people in position to make laws Lord God and just touch their hearts. Help them to realize that Your love is perfect, Your love is all-consuming and there is no one that is left out of Your love and there’s no one that should be left out of our love as Christians and we should fight, we should stand together in the name of Christ under His blood and…and stand up and say no more. Say that we are one body, one church and we will not be separated by the things that the world would like to separate us for. Thank you, family. I love you. This is Erin from Michigan. Have a great, great day. Peace.