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Daily Transcripts
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07/14/2015
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1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17 ~ Romans 2:1-24 ~ Psalm 10:16-18 ~ Proverbs 19:8-9
Today is July… I was going to say 17th, but it's not. I'm ahead of myself this morning. Today is July 14th. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It's wonderful to be here with you today on a beautiful summer day in the rolling hills of Tennessee. I hope it is a beautiful summer day wherever you are unless you are in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case I hope it is a beautiful winter day, because if it was a beautiful summer day something would be wrong. So I hope that it is a beautiful day however it is wherever you are. We’re reading from the New International Version this week, continuing our journey through 1 Chronicles today.
Commentary:
I don’t even know where to jump off with what Paul is saying in the book of Romans today because it is so true and so seldomly lived out. In effect, he is simply talking about hypocrisy through the lens of the way that we judge one another. Obviously, none of us who are alive today lived in Paul's time, but it is so present right now that Paul could have penned the letter and posted it on his “Paul Blog” yesterday. “You have no excuse,” he says. “You pass judgment on someone else. When you do that, you're condemning yourself because the same thing is inside of you.”
It just mimics perfectly the way Jesus was and the things that he said. While we would agree with the sentiment, if you just go through this day, just walk through this day being very aware of the subtle judgments against most everybody, whether spoken or unspoken, it is unbelievably revealing and unbelievably disruptive.
Why is it that we do this? We live our lives cloaked in a personality that we give out to the world while there is a different, deeper, more honest, more true interior life going on. While some of it is beautiful, also some of it is dark and greasy. We’ll cast all kinds of judgment, even if it is unspoken, at all kinds of situations on top of all kinds of people without knowing their story at all.
It really boils down to this. We have a bit of an identity problem. Seriously, because we’re spending most of our lives trying to get an identity based on comparison to each other so we cast all this judgment trying to identify ourselves with what we are not far more than by what we are. We all feel like we have to somehow cloak ourselves, somehow protect ourselves, somehow portray ourselves in ways that may or may not really be accurate. I mean, what would it be like just to live true which is what Paul is talking about? What would it look like to just be true and not be obsessed with everyone else's journey?
Everyone else is on a journey. We so deeply need grace in our lives and we’ll partake of grace and we’ll preach grace, but we’re not always the best at extending grace. Yet, how else do we expect the kingdom to come overflowing out of our lives and into this world but to be Christ-like and have mercy and grace just exude from the pores of Jesus as did when he walked this earth? We’ve live through this while we read the gospels and we experience it every day in our lives.
We’re lost without an identity. We look to each other for it and so we gather our tribe and judge everyone that is not in it. The thing is we’re not going to ever find identity that way. There is only one place to find true identity. There is only one place to become who we really are and that is within an intimate, life-giving, conversational relationship with God. The people we feel akin to and the people we feel repelled by and the people that we give grace to and the people that we judge harshly, they didn’t create us. Neither can they give us our identity, not if we want to be true.
Being true isn’t just laying it out there and going, “well, heck with it. I'm just going to say what I feel.” That is just a disaster waiting to happen. It is inviting the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives to the point that we have been radically and irreversibly changed from the inside out so that there is no need for a false self. What is coming out of us is what is true, to the point that everything we touch is as if Jesus were touching it and everything we say is as if Jesus were saying it and everything that we do is as if Jesus were doing it. That is what the body of Christ is supposed to operate like.
It is very revealing because the personality, the image that we put out of ourselves is something that is more palatable, is something that we want people to think about us, even though inside it is not always true. The conflict and all of the judgment and all the things we heap on each other are really our own struggles with ourselves, our own attempts to find an identity outside of God and there just isn’t one.
Paul is saying what Jesus was saying. It just isn’t going to work. Not now. Not ever. Paul is saying if you're self-seeking and rejecting the truth and following evil, then that is going to end badly. It is glory and good and honor and immortality, seeking those things, the reward for that is eternal life.
May we do that until the Holy Spirit has penetrated our hearts and identities to the point that we don’t need a false self, we don’t need an image. What is inside of us has overflowed to the outside of us and it is good and it is godly and it is full of glory and it is seeking honor and immortality and we join in God's hope for all of his creation that it be redeemed. May that be our aspiration for this day and every day. May we not judge people for what we do. May we not heap false assumptions upon God and blame him for what we do. May we invite him to redeem those broken parts in us and may we allow him to bestow our true identity – children of God. If we believed that and we really are God's children, then we would have the identity we are looking for and we wouldn’t have the need to define ourselves by what we’re not.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, we invite you into this. We ask you to come into all of these places and speak our true identity to our broken hearts because it is so much of our brokenness that is what defines us. We want what defines us to be the fact that you have rescued us and extended mercy and grace and patience and kindness and goodness to us. We ask that we might in turn be a reflection of your glory in this world and that we might do the same to everyone around us. We ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.
Announcements:
Www.DailyAudioBible.com is the website. It is home base. It is where you find out what is going on around here. What's going on around here is preparation to leave out again and head for Minnesota, so looking forward to seeing you at the Sonshine Festival. If you are attending, be sure to come, say “hello.” Love to see you.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, if the community that you are a part of, this great big family wrapped around the world is life-giving to you, then thank you for your partnership in allowing it to exist at all. Thank you for your partnership here in the summer months. The link is on the home page: www.DailyAudioBible.com, upper right-hand corner. 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 a comment, (877) 942-4253 is the number to call.
That’s it for today. I’m Brian. I love you. I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayers and Praise Reports:
Hello, this is Kathryn in Maryland. This is my first time calling. I just started listening this year. I just wanted to call in response to a brief prayer. It was so easy to miss. Soft but so heartfelt from, I think it is Bill in Mississippi, who was needing prayer for the suffering that he endures since his mother was verbally abusive. He asked for healing for himself and for prayers for his mother. I think probably for help in forgiving and moving on from that. He just touched my heart. I'm so sorry your mother failed you in this way and didn’t show you the love and respect that you deserve, but you know that your Heavenly Father and your Creator, and I might even dare say your Heavenly Mother (I don’t know that God is really male or female), but anyway, he loves you. You can get all the love you need from him and you should turn to him. He will help you to forgive your mother because he wants you to and he wants you to be restored. He only wants the best for you and he only wants the best for your mother and when you want that too, when you turn to him, he will support you. I just wanted to let you know I'm praying for you. I'm a mother and I know I haven’t always used my words to speak life, but for the most part I have and it breaks my heart to think that your mother didn’t do that for you. So anyway, I'm sure she loves you and there are her own reasons and suffering and hurt to why she wasn’t able to give you that. Anyway, all the best to you and you remain in my prayers. Amen.
Good morning family. This is Shannon from Seattle and today is the day – I'm putting my house on the market. I want to thank you all for praying for me and ask that you would continue to pray for me, that it goes well. I got it all ready, been working hard. Brian, your comment after scripture today just really hit home (its July 10th) about calming the storm and the shipwreck and just all the storms and trials and tribulations of our life and who we cling to. It was wonderful. It couldn’t have come at a better time, so thank you so much. You know, I have to say, I feel good. I mean, yes, this is a sad thing, but there is a lot of good that has come through this. So I just praise God for that. Again, thank you for your prayers. When my car broke down, my son who we haven’t had…we’ve kind of been in a semi-estranged relationship and such, he's coming around more and more. He called and offered to take me anywhere I wanted to go. I mean, what a blessing. All you parents who are praying for estranged children, keep praying. I am praying with you because God has worked a miracle for me and continues to, so praise God. I continue to pray for all of you. Cherry like pie, I'm praying for your niece and her eyes. And for Malcolm as well, continue to lift him up. I loved the praise report. I'm sorry, I don’t remember your name, the man. You were talking about trying to get to the festival and hitchhiking and walking 10 miles and getting picked up. Praise God. Thank you so much for calling in and sharing that story. Thank you all for calling in and sharing your stories. I just love them. I can’t do without it every day. I love you all. Take care.
James, my brother from LA, I'm so sorry to hear about your father. Sounds like you all had a tough relationship, huh? But I'm glad you know he was a saved man and the most important part of your whole relationship is coming up. I can tell you that your father will be in heaven. He's going to be looking out for you now. He's going to be made whole and he's going to be healed and he's happy up there praising the Lord. Can you imagine that? He and Darlene are probably up there swapping stories about all of us right now. I know it is hard to not feel guilty, but your father knows. He knows how you feel now, so it is not a problem, brother. Okay? You just keep on keeping on. Don’t let that devil guy get you down, alright? Guilt is from the devil. It is not from the Lord. We know that. I love you. I love you very much and I'm praying for your family and I'm holding you guys up, alright? This is Annette from Oklahoma City. My brother Joe, Joe the police officer, well, look at you. You are behind the scenes taking care of us all still. I'm sure that all the gang would tell you get back in the Word and fight this guy. You can win. You're not there alone. You're not by yourself. You’ve got us here right behind you and we’re here and we’re standing up for you, alright? You can lick this dude, okay? So keep on keeping on, brother. We’re right here for you. I love you guys. This is Annette in Oklahoma City. Love you all. Bye-bye.
Hey Brian, this is David in California. Daily Audio Bible family, appreciate your ministry. I just wanted to share my heart today. I came home and found that my wife had moved out. She came back to tell me in person that she wanted to try a temporary separation for 3 months and for both of us to get counseling and see how that goes. I just know that she was made for me and I know that we were meant to be together and so with all my heart, Daily Audio Bible, please, community, please pray for me. Pray for healing and just pray for that I have the strength to endure this, that God's Holy Spirit grants her peace and that through it all, that he is with my wife, Lord. That she deals with herself. I pray that God just changes me and molds me into the man that I need to be to save this marriage. I pray that you guys will just lift that up for me and pray for me. Thank you so much. Bye.
Hi fellow Dabbers. It’s Joe, the police officer from Georgia here. It is July 11th at approximately 3:58 in the morning. Just finished listening to the July 11th podcast and wanted to call in some prayer requests. Brother Jay from New Jersey, I just want to lift you up and encourage you in your prayers and enthusiasm and joy that you give out. May you continue your prayers and never allow the cares of this world choke them or you out or allow the fiery darts of Satan to extinguish your passion for Christ. Walta from Charlotte, we pray over your son and his departure. We pray that these demonic spirits that are overtaking our children are uprooted and cast far away. We pray that they are transfused with the blood of Jesus and washed by his living water. We also lift you up as you reminisce about your childhood experience that no one should have to endure. However, as you said, you prayed then that it is how God made you and you are who you are today. John from South Alabama, we do pray over you and lift you up as fellow intercessors and allies in Christ. I pray that God shields you with his favor daily and guards you from any evil oppression or attack and pours his wisdom upon you. Claudia from Southern California, we pray over your son, his daughter, and her mother over the issue of selfishness that is dwelling within her and ask that the Lord __________ of living upon her. Annette Allison from Oklahoma, we pray and lift up your son as he is trying to obtain work and is cleaning all his legal issues up. We ask God's favor upon him so he is shown the right doors to walk through and follow. Love you all.
Hello my Daily Audio Bible family. This is __________ in Kentucky. Today I'm calling for a prayer request for my grandson, Solomon. He is scheduled for biopsy surgery, a colon biopsy, this coming Tuesday, July 14th. They are expecting one of two results from this surgery. One is that he has chronic constipation or the second is he has something called Hirschsprung's disease. I would just like prayer for him, that it turns out that it is the former and not the latter, that he does not have the Hirschsprung's disease and also that God will heal his little colon to where he no longer has the chronic constipation. He is just an adorable little 3-year-old boy but he's not thriving and they are trying to find out why. If you would join with me in praying for my little Solomon, I would appreciate it. I love you all. I hear your requests and I pray for you all and I appreciate you all. Thank you. Bye.
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Tamarie 07/14/2015 14:46 |
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