O. Addison Gethers
e-mail address [email protected] [email protected] twitter URL http//:twitter.com/OAddisonGethers Messenger contact window live/msn messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS rs ----- Original Message ----- From: "Donnie Parrett" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 11:19 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Monday August 3 > Day 215 > > Isaiah 43-45 (The Message) > > Isaiah 43 > When You're Between a Rock and a Hard Place > 1-4 But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, > Jacob, > the One who got you started, Israel: > "Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. > I've called your name. You're mine. > When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. > When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. > When you're between a rock and a hard place, > it won't be a dead end- > Because I am God, your personal God, > The Holy of Israel, your Savior. > I paid a huge price for you: > all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! > That's how much you mean to me! > That's how much I love you! > I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, > trade the creation just for you. > 5-7"So don't be afraid: I'm with you. > I'll round up all your scattered children, > pull them in from east and west. > I'll send orders north and south: > 'Send them back. > Return my sons from distant lands, > my daughters from faraway places. > I want them back, every last one who bears my name, > every man, woman, and child > Whom I created for my glory, > yes, personally formed and made each one.'" > > 8-13Get the blind and deaf out here and ready- > the blind (though there's nothing wrong with their eyes) > and the deaf (though there's nothing wrong with their ears). > Then get the other nations out here and ready. > Let's see what they have to say about this, > how they account for what's happened. > Let them present their expert witnesses > and make their case; > let them try to convince us what they say is true. > "But you are my witnesses." God's Decree. > "You're my handpicked servant > So that you'll come to know and trust me, > understand both that I am and who I am. > Previous to me there was no such thing as a god, > nor will there be after me. > I, yes I, am God. > I'm the only Savior there is. > I spoke, I saved, I told you what existed > long before these upstart gods appeared on the scene. > And you know it, you're my witnesses, > you're the evidence." God's Decree. > "Yes, I am God. > I've always been God > and I always will be God. > No one can take anything from me. > I make; who can unmake it?" > > You Didn't Even Do the Minimum > 14-15God, your Redeemer, > The Holy of Israel, says: > "Just for you, I will march on Babylon. > I'll turn the tables on the Babylonians. > Instead of whooping it up, > they'll be wailing. > I am God, your Holy One, > Creator of Israel, your King." > 16-21This is what God says, > the God who builds a road right through the ocean, > who carves a path through pounding waves, > The God who summons horses and chariots and armies- > they lie down and then can't get up; > they're snuffed out like so many candles: > "Forget about what's happened; > don't keep going over old history. > Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. > It's bursting out! Don't you see it? > There it is! I'm making a road through the desert, > rivers in the badlands. > Wild animals will say 'Thank you!' > -the coyotes and the buzzards- > Because I provided water in the desert, > rivers through the sun-baked earth, > Drinking water for the people I chose, > the people I made especially for myself, > a people custom-made to praise me. > > 22-24"But you didn't pay a bit of attention to me, Jacob. > You so quickly tired of me, Israel. > You wouldn't even bring sheep for offerings in worship. > You couldn't be bothered with sacrifices. > It wasn't that I asked that much from you. > I didn't expect expensive presents. > But you didn't even do the minimum- > so stingy with me, so closefisted. > Yet you haven't been stingy with your sins. > You've been plenty generous with them-and I'm fed up. > > 25"But I, yes I, am the one > who takes care of your sins-that's what I do. > I don't keep a list of your sins. > > 26-28"So, make your case against me. Let's have this out. > Make your arguments. Prove you're in the right. > Your original ancestor started the sinning, > and everyone since has joined in. > That's why I had to disqualify the Temple leaders, > repudiate Jacob and discredit Israel." > > Isaiah 44 > Proud to Be Called Israel > 1-5 "But for now, dear servant Jacob, listen- > yes, you, Israel, my personal choice. > God who made you has something to say to you; > the God who formed you in the womb wants to help you. > Don't be afraid, dear servant Jacob, > Jeshurun, the one I chose. > For I will pour water on the thirsty ground > and send streams coursing through the parched earth. > I will pour my Spirit into your descendants > and my blessing on your children. > They shall sprout like grass on the prairie, > like willows alongside creeks. > This one will say, 'I am God's,' > and another will go by the name Jacob; > That one will write on his hand 'God's property'- > and be proud to be called Israel." > 6-8God, King of Israel, > your Redeemer, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, says: > "I'm first, I'm last, and everything in between. > I'm the only God there is. > Who compares with me? > Speak up. See if you measure up. > From the beginning, who else has always announced what's coming? > So what is coming next? Anybody want to venture a try? > Don't be afraid, and don't worry: > Haven't I always kept you informed, told you what was going on? > You're my eyewitnesses: > Have you ever come across a God, a real God, other than me? > There's no Rock like me that I know of." > > Lover of Emptiness > 9-11All those who make no-god idols don't amount to a thing, and what they > work so hard at making > is nothing. Their little puppet-gods see nothing and know nothing-they're > total embarrassments! Who > would bother making gods that can't do anything, that can't "god"? Watch > all the no-god worshipers > hide their faces in shame. Watch the no-god makers slink off humiliated > when their idols fail them. > Get them out here in the open. Make them face God-reality. > 12The blacksmith makes his no-god, works it over in his forge, hammering > it on his anvil-such hard > work! He works away, fatigued with hunger and thirst. > > 13-17The woodworker draws up plans for his no-god, traces it on a block of > wood. He shapes it with > chisels and planes into human shape-a beautiful woman, a handsome man, > ready to be placed in a > chapel. He first cuts down a cedar, or maybe picks out a pine or oak, and > lets it grow strong in the > forest, nourished by the rain. Then it can serve a double purpose: Part he > uses as firewood for > keeping warm and baking bread; from the other part he makes a god that he > worships-carves it into a > god shape and prays before it. With half he makes a fire to warm himself > and barbecue his supper. He > eats his fill and sits back satisfied with his stomach full and his feet > warmed by the fire: "Ah, > this is the life." And he still has half left for a god, made to his > personal design-a handy, > convenient no-god to worship whenever so inclined. Whenever the need > strikes him he prays to it, > "Save me. You're my god." > > 18-19Pretty stupid, wouldn't you say? Don't they have eyes in their heads? > Are their brains working > at all? Doesn't it occur to them to say, "Half of this tree I used for > firewood: I baked bread, > roasted meat, and enjoyed a good meal. And now I've used the rest to make > an abominable no-god. Here > I am praying to a stick of wood!" > > 20This lover of emptiness, of nothing, is so out of touch with reality, so > far gone, that he can't > even look at what he's doing, can't even look at the no-god stick of wood > in his hand and say, "This > is crazy." > > 21-22"Remember these things, O Jacob. > Take it seriously, Israel, that you're my servant. > I made you, shaped you: You're my servant. > O Israel, I'll never forget you. > I've wiped the slate of all your wrongdoings. > There's nothing left of your sins. > Come back to me, come back. > I've redeemed you." > > 23High heavens, sing! > God has done it. > Deep earth, shout! > And you mountains, sing! > A forest choir of oaks and pines and cedars! > God has redeemed Jacob. > God's glory is on display in Israel. > > 24God, your Redeemer, > who shaped your life in your mother's womb, says: > "I am God. I made all that is. > With no help from you I spread out the skies > and laid out the earth." > > 25-28He makes the magicians look ridiculous > and turns fortunetellers into jokes. > He makes the experts look trivial > and their latest knowledge look silly. > But he backs the word of his servant > and confirms the counsel of his messengers. > He says to Jerusalem, "Be inhabited," > and to the cities of Judah, "Be rebuilt," > and to the ruins, "I raise you up." > He says to Ocean, "Dry up. > I'm drying up your rivers." > He says to Cyrus, "My shepherd- > everything I want, you'll do it." > He says to Jerusalem, "Be built," > and to the Temple, "Be established." > > Isaiah 45 > The God Who Forms Light and Darkness > 1-7 God's Message to his anointed, to Cyrus, whom he took by the hand > To give the task of taming the nations, > of terrifying their kings- > He gave him free rein, > no restrictions: > "I'll go ahead of you, > clearing and paving the road. > I'll break down bronze city gates, > smash padlocks, kick down barred entrances. > I'll lead you to buried treasures, > secret caches of valuables- > Confirmations that it is, in fact, I, God, > the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. > It's because of my dear servant Jacob, > Israel my chosen, > That I've singled you out, called you by name, > and given you this privileged work. > And you don't even know me! > I am God, the only God there is. > Besides me there are no real gods. > I'm the one who armed you for this work, > though you don't even know me, > So that everyone, from east to west, will know > that I have no god-rivals. > I am God, the only God there is. > I form light and create darkness, > I make harmonies and create discords. > I, God, do all these things. > 8-10"Open up, heavens, and rain. > Clouds, pour out buckets of my goodness! > Loosen up, earth, and bloom salvation; > sprout right living. > I, God, generate all this. > But doom to you who fight your Maker- > you're a pot at odds with the potter! > Does clay talk back to the potter: > 'What are you doing? What clumsy fingers!' > Would a sperm say to a father, > 'Who gave you permission to use me to make a baby?' > Or a fetus to a mother, > 'Why have you cooped me up in this belly?'" > > 11-13Thus God, The Holy of Israel, Israel's Maker, says: > "Do you question who or what I'm making? > Are you telling me what I can or cannot do? > I made earth, > and I created man and woman to live on it. > I handcrafted the skies > and direct all the constellations in their turnings. > And now I've got Cyrus on the move. > I've rolled out the red carpet before him. > He will build my city. > He will bring home my exiles. > I didn't hire him to do this. I told him. > I, God-of-the-Angel-Armies." > > 14God says: > > "The workers of Egypt, the merchants of Ethiopia, > and those statuesque Sabeans > Will all come over to you-all yours. > Docile in chains, they'll follow you, > Hands folded in reverence, praying before you: > 'Amazing! God is with you! > There is no other God-none.'" > > Look at the Evidence > 15-17Clearly, you are a God who works behind the scenes, > God of Israel, Savior God. > Humiliated, all those others > will be ashamed to show their faces in public. > Out of work and at loose ends, the makers of no-god idols > won't know what to do with themselves. > The people of Israel, though, are saved by you, God, > saved with an eternal salvation. > They won't be ashamed, > they won't be at loose ends, ever. > 18-24God, Creator of the heavens- > he is, remember, God. > Maker of earth- > he put it on its foundations, built it from scratch. > He didn't go to all that trouble > to just leave it empty, nothing in it. > He made it to be lived in. > > This God says: > > "I am God, > the one and only. > I don't just talk to myself > or mumble under my breath. > I never told Jacob, > 'Seek me in emptiness, in dark nothingness.' > I am God. I work out in the open, > saying what's right, setting things right. > So gather around, come on in, > all you refugees and castoffs. > They don't seem to know much, do they- > those who carry around their no-god blocks of wood, > praying for help to a dead stick? > So tell me what you think. Look at the evidence. > Put your heads together. Make your case. > Who told you, and a long time ago, what's going on here? > Who made sense of things for you? > Wasn't I the one? God? > It had to be me. I'm the only God there is- > The only God who does things right > and knows how to help. > So turn to me and be helped-saved!- > everyone, whoever and wherever you are. > I am God, > the only God there is, the one and only. > I promise in my own name: > Every word out of my mouth does what it says. > I never take back what I say. > Everyone is going to end up kneeling before me. > Everyone is going to end up saying of me, > 'Yes! Salvation and strength are in God!'" > > 24-25All who have raged against him > will be brought before him, > disgraced by their unbelief. > And all who are connected with Israel > will have a robust, praising, good life in God! > > > > > > > Please join us on Skype Monday thru Friday at 8:00 EST for our Morning > Skype Prayer Time. > > > Contact Me At: > Donnie Parrett > 1956 Asa Flat Road > Annville, Kentucky 40402 > Home Phone: 606-364-3321 > Church Phone: 606-364-PRAY > Skype Name: Donnie1261 > Email: [email protected] > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
