|
|
Daily Transcripts
|
09/08/2015
|
|
Isaiah 1:1-2:22 ~ 2 Corinthians 10:1-18 ~ Psalm 52:1-9 ~ Proverbs 22:26-27
Today is September 8th. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. Always and every day a pleasure and an honor to be here with you today. Today she is my son, Maxwell's birthday so happy birthday, Max. Let's see, we’ve spent the last couple of days reading from the Song of Solomon with Jill along and that has been fun, which brings us today to a brand new book.
Introduction of a New Book:
We move into one of the books of prophesy, the book of Isaiah, one of the longer books of the Bible. It has 66 chapters. We’ll see Isaiah was a very passionate Old Testament prophet being quoted by Jesus himself.
Isaiah lived in the second half of the 8th century BC and it appears that he was part of the upper class, the aristocracy because he had access to royalty. He was able to deliver prophesies to the kings. So he wasn’t just some crazy peasant coming in from the countryside with a message from God. He appears to be a man of culture, well spoken and of the upper class himself but with a heart for the downtrodden.
Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of the five kings: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah who he was very close to, very loyal to even though they had disagreements, and then during the reign of Manasseh where Jewish tradition holds that he was martyred by being sawn in half with a wooden saw at the order of King Manasseh.
The book is divided almost evenly in its content. The first 39 chapters deal with God's judgment and it is very sobering and then chapters 40 through 66 deal with God's comfort and restoration. So we’ll find the major themes that come to the surface are that God is sovereign, the fact that he is Lord over all the earth, as well as the fact that his heavenly kingdom is to be established upon this earth.
Social justice is also a major theme. Hypocrisy is not allowed by God. He will not accept the sacrifice of those who are living a double life and are cruel behind the scenes. When Jesus lays out his central mission to heal the brokenhearted and to set the captives free, he is quoting from the book of Isaiah.
If you’ll realize that it is not a book of history, that it is a book of prophesy, speaking to things that we have going on in our world today, you’ll see that it is every bit as relevant to our lives right now as it was when it was written these thousands of years ago. So we begin, reading from The Good News Translation this week, Isaiah chapter 1, verse 1 through 2:22 today.
Prayer:
Father, we thank you for your Word and even as we now move into the books of prophesy and get to know some of the ancient prophets of old, we invite your Holy Spirit, even as we look at the terrain that they were walking and the people and the lives that they were speaking into and what was going on, may we not just try to overlay that and see the similarities in our world today. May we actually take it deeper and invite your Holy Spirit now to show us the terrain of our own hearts, what it is you are after in us, what you may be rooting out in us so that we might be whole. Father, we thank you for your love, a true love, a love that is willing to disrupt, a love that is willing to press in and actually speak the truth into our hearts so that we might be whole. This is what you wanted, that we might live as we were created and we’ve settled for less. We’ve lived subhuman when you’ve created us to be fully awake, alert and alive as your creation, created in your image. So as we begin to move into this season and these books and these pages and chapters, we fully invite your Holy Spirit to speak to us words of rebuke and discipline if necessary and words of comfort as we turn to you. Come Holy Spirit, we pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Announcements:
Www.DailyAudioBible.com is the home base for all of us that are a part of this community. It is the website. It is where you go to find out what is going on around here. A couple weeks from now looking forward to being in Fort Smith, AR. That will take place on the 27th of this month, a Sunday. You can go to www.1Pres.org for more information and then I’ll be doing a little talk at the Story Conference which is taking place in Nashville this year on October 1st, the day that Reframe officially launches. We’ve been talking about Reframe all year, but now we’re just a couple weeks away and so we’re just praying, “Lord, bring this message to as many people as need to hear it,” and thank you for your joining in that prayer.
We’ve been talking about Promised Land and it is something else that represents this community and our constant effort to point people to the heart of God by using the lens of scripture to get us there. A lot of times we can get stuck on scripture and never get to God but we are orienting ourselves to God through the scriptures so that we can be in this relationship with God. The Bible is full of relationships with God and with each other, with people and these things that we read of in the Bible, they happened in places. So to be able to visit those places, knowing the stories, feeling connected to the stories makes the whole thing explode into a new dimension where you realize, “Wow, my spiritual ancestry is intact.” This goes back so far. We’re looking at what we’ve only imagined. That is Promised Land. There is no replacing actually standing in the land of the Bible, but the whole mission of Promised Land was to be the next best thing. I mean, you can never replace actually being there, but this is as close as it gets without being there. So check that out as well.
You can check both of those out at www.DailyAudioBible.com. There is a banner at the top, but we do have a September thing going on where if you’ll pre-order Reframe, you will get the audio book of Passages, my first book and $10 off Promised Land which is essentially like giving you Reframe and Passages when you buy Promised Land. That is the best we can do at giving more than we ask. So check it out: www.ReframeBook.com.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, www.DailyAudioBible.com is the place to go. Thank you profoundly for keeping everything moving, all of the servers churning, all of the web technology that it takes every day to do what we do and all the engagement to be a community like this. Thank you for your partnership. There is a link on the home page. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, TN 37174.
As always, if you have a prayer request or 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 Prayer Requests and Praise Reports:
Good day, Dabbers! This is Nathan, formerly spray paint artist, but now Gift of God, which is my Hebrew name or meaning. Hey, I just want to throw out a few words. I want you really to think about what these words mean and mean to you or mean to those around you. Restless. Worthless. Helpless. Hopeless. I'm sure many of us have felt those words, felt those things, and we are really fixated on feeling hopeless, like there is no hope, we’re not getting any help, God doesn’t listen, I don’t hear my call, but I want you to challenge how you think about this in hopes that it brings maybe a glimmer of hope. The root word of these words are (and listen to this) rest, worth, help, hope. Now, that seems like the opposite to me, but we’re focusing on the less part as opposed to what it really means, the root word. I want you to ultimately focus on the root of these things is God. Jesus said in one of the passages of the New Testament, and I want you to take this to heart, he says, “Come to me, all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest. I just pray that you find that rest, you find that hope and that help and the worth that God intended you to find. Go and make it a great day. Thank you.
Hey Daily Audio Bible community. This is Jeffrey B. Jr., from Virginia Tech and I just want to say how great God has been in my life recently. This is a praise report. I just love how God is moving through me and how I have seen him in my time since coming back to campus. God, I love you so much and I thank you for all you have given me, my friends, my house, my dorm room (sorry) and just all the opportunities that await me during this fall semester. Lord, I want to pray for some of the folks that I have heard on the prayer request line. Blind Tony, I’m so sorry about you grandson who was shot and I just pray for him. Andrew, you talked about depression. Anyone who is involved with depression, I pray, Lord, that you reveal yourself to them and that you just raise them up, in Jesus’ name. Thanks guys. This is Jeff from Virginia and I love you. Bye.
Good morning, Dabbers. This is Walta. I'm a burning bush that will not be consumed for the glory of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Today I'm just calling. A caller from yesterday, the 2nd of September, she sang Count Your Blessings, her mom's favorite song, and that really ministered to me to remind me that whatsoever I focus on, I empower that thing to have complete control of my emotions, my thoughts, my will and my overall being and that counting your blessings, it just really touched me because then I start to focus on God's blessings in my life and I just want to encourage you all, as I was thinking about that, I thought about the parable of the sower and how the Word of God is sown into many hearts and as soon as it hits ground, it starts to get under attack either by the cares of this world or the pleasures of this world and just try to choke it up. So I just pray for all of our hearts right now and I pray that our hearts will remember our first love. This is amazing. Today's reading says “God is in Heaven and here we are on earth so we should let our words be few.” And that just confirmed what I heard from Job, basically God saying “who are you to question my Word?” Father God, I just commit us all into your hands, Lord, and I thank you that we matter to you, each and every one of us. Help us to focus on your blessings and focus on your love for us and let us walk in that love. We love you, Lord. In Jesus’ name. I pray that you all will have beautiful days walking in his love today. Each of you matter. I love each and every one of you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you.
Hello Daily Audio Bible family. This is Carla from North Carolina. I started to call in for a selfish prayer this morning because of my heartache and struggles that I'm going through, but as I prayed this morning and asked God to get me through it, my spirit was moved not to pray for myself, but to pray for others who are going through heartbreak and going through struggle in relationships. So will you please join me in praying right now? Lord, Father God, I pray right now in the name of Jesus, God, that you bless us with your presence, your strength, and your comfort, God. Only you know how hard it is to deal with heartbreak and only you know the pain that we’re suffering right now. I pray in the name of Jesus, God, that you look past our thoughts and our sins, God, and look into our hearts and our spirits and know that we desire to be more like you. I pray, Father, in the name of Jesus, God, that you bless our hearts and strengthen us where we’re weak and where we’re torn down and where we’ve been hurt, God. Your Word says weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. We ask you, Lord, right now for that joy to come right now. Give us peace. Give us comfort beyond understanding, Lord. We know you're the only one that can provide it, Father. You are our Father. You are our Daddy. We ask you to come to our rescue and put your arms around us, Lord, and comfort us and let us know that there is a brighter day ahead and our sickness is going to fall way. Lord, we need you right now. We need your comfort, your peace. Strengthen us as we go through this day, to this moment, this second in our lives, God, and let us be mindful to give you glory every step of the way.
Hello, this is Linda in Alberta calling in. I have been away for a little while, so I'm just getting caught up on listening to the Daily Audio Bible and all the prayer requests. I did call in April but my message was really full of static and electricity, so I wanted to call back in again and just mention to Andrew that I was praying for him with regard to his parents and his brother's trial. Bill in Kansas, with regard to your son and his depression. Brad, with your 15-year-old son who has some behavioral issues and your wife and your wife and your autistic children. And Joe the Protector, for your __________ network and your financial difficulties. I really am grateful for the people that have prayed for me for my daughter who suffers from depression and anxiety and other things. I really appreciate Laura, Joe the police officer, and Barb for praying for her. Not Ashamed, I heard your message when you prayed. You actually spoke directly to me. I feel that your words went to a very deep part of my soul and I want to thank you so much for your prayers for my daughter and telling me that you would commit to pray for her. And also your words of just giving me some advice about my behavior. I want to thank you so much for that. I will call in when I have an update about my daughter because I have been away, but I wanted to leave the scripture Isaiah 58:11: The Lord will guide you always. He will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will rise up the age-old foundation. You will be called repairer of broken walls, restorer of streets with dwellings. I just hope that this scripture ministers to some of you today. Thank you very much. God bless.
Hi Daily Audio Bible community. This is Allen. I called in probably about four years ago when I was going through a very difficult time after a divorce. Since then I have met a wonderful woman and we have been married for almost four years now. She was a breast cancer survivor when I first met her and I love her more than life itself. We have recently found out that she has metastatic breast cancer to her liver and though I know God has us in his hands, it is hard to let go. It is hard to let go of the control. I'm asking for the Daily Audio Bible's prayers, that God may heal her, that he may fix something that seems like it is not fixable. We trust that God will heal no matter what happens. Thank you very much. Bye-bye.
Hi family. It's Rumbii. Today is the 4th of September. I just wanted to give you an update. I'm feeling much better. Thank you for your prayers, all glory and honor to God. I also wanted to let you know that my friend is doing better, the one woman who lost her baby. May you please continue to put her in your prayers so that she does eventually get to have her own family, a healthy family. I also ask you for your continued prayers for myself, my family, my brother and my mom. My brother, whom I always say has basically done nothing with his life for the past seven or eight years. He has given up and to tell you the truth, it really does affect me and my happiness because this is my twin brother. I’ve become such a bitter and cynical person because of what happened with my brother. He's just not moving forward in his life. What is happening with my mom because she struggles with this whole situation and also the fact that I'm single has made me become resentful because I feel like I'm done…if there is a rule book, and I know this is part of the whole Reframe process, but if there is a rule book, I’ve done everything. I’ve tried to live in a way that pleases God and I still haven’t met someone who would want to share their life with me. It just doesn’t make sense to the point that my mom thinks that all these things that are going wrong with our family is because we’ve been cursed by my father's family who didn’t want anything to do with us. I know it is a highly personal matter and we don’t discuss it with friends, but please continue to pray for us so that if there is a curse, it is removed. And may you please pray for me so that all bitterness, anger, resentment and insecurities and jealousness are removed from me __________ as part of the whole Reframe process. Thank you for your prayers and God bless you.
Hello Daily Audio Bible family. This is Humbled in Texas. Today is September 4th and I just heard Chris’ call today and my heart goes out to you, Chris. Thank you for your humble and broken spirit. It really reminded me of Psalm 51, so I wanted to pray that over you today and encourage you that the Lord does not despise a broken and contrite heart. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love, according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my inequity and cleanse me from my sin, for I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only have I sinned and have done what is evil in your sight so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in inequity and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth, in the inward being and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Encourage me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness. Let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my inequities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise, for you will not delight in sacrifice or I will give it. You will not be pleased with the burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good design in your good pleasure. Build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. The bulls will be offered on your altar. Amen.
|
|
Tamarie 09/09/2015 13:29 |
|
|
