6/18/2021 DAB Transcript

1 Kings 19:1-21, Acts 12:1-23, Psalm 136:1-26, Proverbs 17:14-15

Today is the 18th day of June welcome to the Daily Audio Bible, I’m Brian, it is great to be here with you today as we move toward another weekend and finish up another week. So, let’s dive in, we’ve been reading from the New Living Translation this week. In the Old Testament we’re in the Book of 1 Kings and we’re getting to know this prophet who has come onto the scene named Elijah who has had a confrontation with the prophets of Baal and the prophets of Ashera and they’re, well, they’re dead, he’s still alive, fire has come from heaven, rain that has been withheld for years has now come back to the land. King Ahab is racing back towards Jezreel in the rain and Elijah is running faster that he can ride on his chariot. And that’s kind of where we’re at, Ahab is arriving back in Jezreel. He’s about to tell his wife, her name is Jezebel, that her prophets are no more. So, let’s pick up the story, 1 Kings chapter 19.

Commentary:

Okay, let’s talk about 1 Kings for a minute. Like we kind of recapped the story before we started reading so, there was this showdown and Elijah was involved and prophets of Baal were killed and rain came. So, Ahab the King tells his wife Jezebel that her prophets are dead and she sends a note to Elijah and this is like, I talk about this every single year we come by this territory, it’s so riveting to me, it’s so challenging to me. I just…it’s incredible. It’s incredible how human Elijah is in that moment. It’s like…so like us. He got a nasty a note and it was a threatening note that changed the complexion of his entire day. Actually, got him moving because the note brought up fear, that got him moving and he ran away. It’s like, how many times have we got a nasty text like that? Or a nasty post on social media like that? Until we’re obsessing about it, it’s in our every thought, it’s derailed our day, in fact it’s derailed our lives, at least temporarily and then we’re hiding and running. And this is Elijah, this is what he’s doing and this is right after fire has fallen from heaven consuming a sacrifice that brought the demise of the pagan prophets and restored the people’s hearts toward God and God unleashed the rain. So, remember Elijah is on top of Mount Carmel praying until there’s a cloud coming out of the ocean the size of a fist and this rain is released back upon the land. So, God has been moving mightily and powerfully through Elijah until he gets this nasty note. And we can do the same thing so often, we can see God moving mightily in so many ways in our lives until the nasty note shows up, the nasty post shows up. And then it’s just erased, is it so weird how that can happen. It’s just erased and we’re confused and we’re on the run. And this is Elijah’s story and he didn’t run a little way. Like, he’s in Jezreel and goes all the way to Beersheba which it’s a pretty…I think it’s probably 100 miles, pretty far on foot and then all the way to Mount Sinai which is like hundreds of miles out into the desert so he traveled a long way. Interesting that he would go to the mountain of God back to Mount Sinai, right? He, he has been very, very much shaken by this Jezebel thing. But, he had also been like, on the run and hiding during the famine and so he’s exhausted and he’s just crying out to God “I’m the only one left.” And so, for him to kind of go back to where the story begins and just seek, we can all kind of understand that. And we know this story now we just read it. God invites Elijah to come out and meet with Him on the mountain and this huge wind and God isn’t in that mighty powerful wind, He’s not in it. And there’s an earthquake and He’s not in it and there’s fire and He’s not in it. And then there’s this still small gentle whisper and that is God and He’s in it. And He asks Elijah just like He asks us sometimes “What are you doing here?, What are you doing here?”, Elijah’s like I’m the only one. And God’s like, go back the way you came, you have a couple of kings to anoint. You’re not the only one and you’re going to meet you’re…you’re replacement. You’re going to mentor Elisha up and then you can be done. You’ve asked to be done, then you can be done but for now you’re not the only one, go back the way you came, you have some kings to anoint. There’s just so much there for us to think about on our own path, on our own journey. How we go on the run, how God is not finished. How so often we run away and God is like, no, go back the way you came, or what are you doing here? And so, as we go into this weekend let’s carry this with us, let’s ponder, contemplate, invite God into these things.

Prayer:

And so, Father, that’s what we do, we invite You into this and into this story. Cause we can find ourselves into this story of Elijah on so many levels and so Holy Spirit come. Minster healing to us, minister that we’re not the only ones and we’re not finished. We pray this in the name of Jesus. 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.  

Prayers and Encouragements:

Hi, this message is for Shinae from South Africa. I listened to your message today and I just felt moved to call in and share my story because so much sounded similar to yours. I don’t know how much it’s similar and this may not apply to you but I just felt moved to share. I…when I was in college I experienced crippling anxiety and depression as well and a lot of what you said resonated with me. I remember feeling like a ghost, like a shell of myself I just cried all the time. I was a professing Christian my whole life, read my bible, attended church every week, prayed every day and was just a slave to the anxiety and depression. And I would read my bible almost superstitiously hoping that just by reading comforting passages somehow magically the words would come true. And I was reading in Psalm 34 where it says The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. And as I read that I just felt some one asking me do you really believe that? And I stopped and thought about it and I thought well, no I don’t, He feels a million miles away, He does not feel close. I am the definition of the broken hearted. He does not feel close at all. But then I realized if I can’t hold onto this as true can I believe any of it. And so, I thought about it for a while and I finally decided, in faith, I said yes Lord, I believe you’re close even though I can’t feel you. In that moment my depression melted away, the anxiety was a battle that I fought over the years but it was at that moment that I truly gave my life to Christ before then I wanted Jesus to have a part of my life. I didn’t want him as the center of my life, I wanted to be in control I didn’t want Him in control and I hadn’t fully given myself to Him. And that…I’m so thankful for that trial because it’s what brought me to the Lord.

Hi DABers this is Emily in Seattle again. And this message and prayer is for Andrew and I just wanted to encourage you. I got saved when I was 20 and the first thing I did was try to find shows and broadcasts that keep me in touch with the word cause Psalms 1 says that those who are planted by…like trees planted by rivers living water will always thrive and when you listen to the Daily Audio Bible every day and seek and ask God for help then He always and He will make sure that you will go from glory to glory and grow up in Him. And I just wanted to encourage you to stay close to God, stay close to the Daily Audio Bible and be encouraged that we’re praying for you every day. And Lord Jesus I lift up Andrew to You right now and I ask You Lord to help him to find Christian communities like this one in his school, in his town, in his community where he can find some Christians who will give him encouragement, pray for him and we just ask you Lord that the word would come alive to him when he seeks Your face and he seeks Your word and that everything he does will prosper and succeed and that he will go from glory to glory as he partakes of Your grace and Your wisdom in the word and the Daily Audio Bible. In Jesus name we thank You Lord for Andrew, bless him today Lord. Make everything that he does a successful endeavor. In Jesus name we thank You for Andrew Lord. Hallelujah. Amen.

Hi everybody, this is Megan from Sydney, Australia and I’m calling today to ask for prayer. I’ve been listening for a long time, I love, love hearing your prayer requests and prayers and encouragements. I’ve been offered a pastoral role in my church in a different city, that’s really exciting. But I’m still praying about it and I would love if you would pray for me as well. I would be leaving a relationship probably behind and as well as work community, family and it’s a big ask and I just want to make sure that it’s what God has. Anyway, I love you all. Thank you, bye.

Hey family, this is Meleesa from Aborville, Alabama. It’s 4am on June 15th. I’m awake because I sometimes go in early to work. But I got a call a few minutes ago from my sister. She said there’s been a active shooter at a plant that’s right down the road from where I work. As of right now, 3 people are shot and I’m shook. I am shook. So, I need ya’ll to pray. I don’t know the situation yet. I’m pretty sure the road is probably blocked and I can’t get to work anyway but ya’ll we need the Lord. We are in perilous times. I know Jesus is coming back but I know it’s gonna get darker and darker before he does come back. So ya’ll pray for each other, love on each other. I love you Brian, I love you Jill. Thank you for this podcast. It is such a lifesaver. Congratulations China/Ben on baby Reagon. I hadn’t called in, been real busy but I want ya’ll to know that I love ya’ll and I pray for you all the time. Pray for us in my town. I love you family. Bye Bye.

Hello, good morning my DAB family. This is Tim Tickle from the Corn State. I am calling to ask for some prayer requests for my father. We just found out that his cancer has gotten to stage 4. And so just the stress on the family and my mother and my dad has been escalated as of lately. I know that all things work for God’s glory so we can count the wonderful deeds that he does for us. So, I know that everything is gonna be okay no matter which direction the Lord takes us. But if we can just be praying for my father, his name’s Jeff and be praying for my mom that’d be tight dudes. Alright, well I love each and every one of you. I’m praying for you all I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful day. If you woke up this morning then today is a gift you opened your eyes, it’s a gift. You smell the air, it’s a gift. Things go wrong, things look dark but you know we’re alchemists and magicians given power from the Almighty to transform that darkness into a light for the whole world to see. I thank you all. God Bless you all and thank you for this wonderful, wonderful community. Have a wonderful day.