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: Saturday, August 08, 2009 12:01 AM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Saturday August 8 > Day 220 > > Isaiah 58-60 (The Message) > > Isaiah 58 > Your Prayers Won't Get Off the Ground > 1-3 "Shout! A full-throated shout! Hold nothing back-a trumpet-blast > shout! > Tell my people what's wrong with their lives, > face my family Jacob with their sins! > They're busy, busy, busy at worship, > and love studying all about me. > To all appearances they're a nation of right-living people- > law-abiding, God-honoring. > They ask me, 'What's the right thing to do?' > and love having me on their side. > But they also complain, > 'Why do we fast and you don't look our way? > Why do we humble ourselves and you don't even notice?' > > 3-5"Well, here's why: > "The bottom line on your 'fast days' is profit. > You drive your employees much too hard. > You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight. > You fast, but you swing a mean fist. > The kind of fasting you do > won't get your prayers off the ground. > Do you think this is the kind of fast day I'm after: > a day to show off humility? > To put on a pious long face > and parade around solemnly in black? > Do you call that fasting, > a fast day that I, God, would like? > > 6-9"This is the kind of fast day I'm after: > to break the chains of injustice, > get rid of exploitation in the workplace, > free the oppressed, > cancel debts. > What I'm interested in seeing you do is: > sharing your food with the hungry, > inviting the homeless poor into your homes, > putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, > being available to your own families. > Do this and the lights will turn on, > and your lives will turn around at once. > Your righteousness will pave your way. > The God of glory will secure your passage. > Then when you pray, God will answer. > You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.' > > A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places > 9-12"If you get rid of unfair practices, > quit blaming victims, > quit gossiping about other people's sins, > If you are generous with the hungry > and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, > Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, > your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight. > I will always show you where to go. > I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places- > firm muscles, strong bones. > You'll be like a well-watered garden, > a gurgling spring that never runs dry. > You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, > rebuild the foundations from out of your past. > You'll be known as those who can fix anything, > restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, > make the community livable again. > 13-14"If you watch your step on the Sabbath > and don't use my holy day for personal advantage, > If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy, > God's holy day as a celebration, > If you honor it by refusing 'business as usual,' > making money, running here and there- > Then you'll be free to enjoy God! > Oh, I'll make you ride high and soar above it all. > I'll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob." > Yes! God says so! > > Isaiah 59 > We Long for Light but Sink into Darkness > 1-8 Look! Listen! God's arm is not amputated-he can still save. > God's ears are not stopped up-he can still hear. > There's nothing wrong with God; the wrong is in you. > Your wrongheaded lives caused the split between you and God. > Your sins got between you so that he doesn't hear. > Your hands are drenched in blood, > your fingers dripping with guilt, > Your lips smeared with lies, > your tongue swollen from muttering obscenities. > No one speaks up for the right, > no one deals fairly. > They trust in illusion, they tell lies, > they get pregnant with mischief and have sin-babies. > They hatch snake eggs and weave spider webs. > Eat an egg and die; break an egg and get a snake! > The spider webs are no good for shirts or shawls. > No one can wear these weavings! > They weave wickedness, > they hatch violence. > They compete in the race to do evil > and run to be the first to murder. > They plan and plot evil, think and breathe evil, > and leave a trail of wrecked lives behind them. > They know nothing about peace > and less than nothing about justice. > They make tortuously twisted roads. > No peace for the wretch who walks down those roads! > 9-11Which means that we're a far cry from fair dealing, > and we're not even close to right living. > We long for light but sink into darkness, > long for brightness but stumble through the night. > Like the blind, we inch along a wall, > groping eyeless in the dark. > We shuffle our way in broad daylight, > like the dead, but somehow walking. > We're no better off than bears, groaning, > and no worse off than doves, moaning. > We look for justice-not a sign of it; > for salvation-not so much as a hint. > > 12-15Our wrongdoings pile up before you, God, > our sins stand up and accuse us. > Our wrongdoings stare us down; > we know in detail what we've done: > Mocking and denying God, > not following our God, > Spreading false rumors, inciting sedition, > pregnant with lies, muttering malice. > Justice is beaten back, > Righteousness is banished to the sidelines, > Truth staggers down the street, > Honesty is nowhere to be found, > Good is missing in action. > Anyone renouncing evil is beaten and robbed. > > 15-19God looked and saw evil looming on the horizon- > so much evil and no sign of Justice. > He couldn't believe what he saw: > not a soul around to correct this awful situation. > So he did it himself, took on the work of Salvation, > fueled by his own Righteousness. > He dressed in Righteousness, put it on like a suit of armor, > with Salvation on his head like a helmet, > Put on Judgment like an overcoat, > and threw a cloak of Passion across his shoulders. > He'll make everyone pay for what they've done: > fury for his foes, just deserts for his enemies. > Even the far-off islands will get paid off in full. > In the west they'll fear the name of God, > in the east they'll fear the glory of God, > For he'll arrive like a river in flood stage, > whipped to a torrent by the wind of God. > > 20"I'll arrive in Zion as Redeemer, > to those in Jacob who leave their sins." > God's Decree. > > 21"As for me," God says, "this is my covenant with them: My Spirit that > I've placed upon you and > the words that I've given you to speak, they're not going to leave your > mouths nor the mouths of > your children nor the mouths of your grandchildren. You will keep > repeating these words and won't > ever stop." God's orders. > > Isaiah 60 > People Returning for the Reunion > 1-7 "Get out of bed, Jerusalem! Wake up. Put your face in the sunlight. > God's bright glory has risen for you. > The whole earth is wrapped in darkness, > all people sunk in deep darkness, > But God rises on you, > his sunrise glory breaks over you. > Nations will come to your light, > kings to your sunburst brightness. > Look up! Look around! > Watch as they gather, watch as they approach you: > Your sons coming from great distances, > your daughters carried by their nannies. > When you see them coming you'll smile-big smiles! > Your heart will swell and, yes, burst! > All those people returning by sea for the reunion, > a rich harvest of exiles gathered in from the nations! > And then streams of camel caravans as far as the eye can see, > young camels of nomads in Midian and Ephah, > Pouring in from the south from Sheba, > loaded with gold and frankincense, > preaching the praises of God. > And yes, a great roundup > of flocks from the nomads in Kedar and Nebaioth, > Welcome gifts for worship at my altar > as I bathe my glorious Temple in splendor. > What's That We See in the Distance? > 8-22"What's that we see in the distance, > a cloud on the horizon, like doves darkening the sky? > It's ships from the distant islands, > the famous Tarshish ships > Returning your children from faraway places, > loaded with riches, with silver and gold, > And backed by the name of your God, The Holy of Israel, > showering you with splendor. > Foreigners will rebuild your walls, > and their kings assist you in the conduct of worship. > When I was angry I hit you hard. > It's my desire now to be tender. > Your Jerusalem gates will always be open > -open house day and night!- > Receiving deliveries of wealth from all nations, > and their kings, the delivery boys! > Any nation or kingdom that doesn't deliver will perish; > those nations will be totally wasted. > The rich woods of Lebanon will be delivered > -all that cypress and oak and pine- > To give a splendid elegance to my Sanctuary, > as I make my footstool glorious. > The descendants of your oppressor > will come bowing and scraping to you. > All who looked down at you in contempt > will lick your boots. > They'll confer a title on you: City of God, > Zion of The Holy of Israel. > Not long ago you were despised refuse- > out-of-the-way, unvisited, ignored. > But now I've put you on your feet, > towering and grand forever, a joy to look at! > When you suck the milk of nations > and the breasts of royalty, > You'll know that I, God, am your Savior, > your Redeemer, Champion of Jacob. > I'll give you only the best-no more hand-me-downs! > Gold instead of bronze, silver instead of iron, > bronze instead of wood, iron instead of stones. > I'll install Peace to run your country, > make Righteousness your boss. > There'll be no more stories of crime in your land, > no more robberies, no more vandalism. > You'll name your main street Salvation Way, > and install Praise Park at the center of town. > You'll have no more need of the sun by day > nor the brightness of the moon at night. > God will be your eternal light, > your God will bathe you in splendor. > Your sun will never go down, > your moon will never fade. > I will be your eternal light. > Your days of grieving are over. > All your people will live right and well, > in permanent possession of the land. > They're the green shoot that I planted, > planted with my own hands to display my glory. > The runt will become a great tribe, > the weakling become a strong nation. > I am God. > At the right time I'll make it happen." > > > > > > > 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. 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