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: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 10:02 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Thursday August 13 > Day 225 > > Jeremiah 7-9 (The Message) > > Jeremiah 7 > The Nation That Wouldn't Obey God > 1-2 The Message from God to Jeremiah: "Stand in the gate of God's Temple > and preach this Message. > 2-3"Say, 'Listen, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to > worship God. > God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel's God, has this to say to you: 3-7"'Clean > up your act-the way you > live, the things you do-so I can make my home with you in this place. > Don't for a minute believe the > lies being spoken here-"This is God's Temple, God's Temple, God's Temple!" > Total nonsense! Only if > you clean up your act (the way you live, the things you do), only if you > do a total spring cleaning > on the way you live and treat your neighbors, only if you quit exploiting > the street people and > orphans and widows, no longer taking advantage of innocent people on this > very site and no longer > destroying your souls by using this Temple as a front for other gods-only > then will I move into your > neighborhood. Only then will this country I gave your ancestors be my > permanent home, my Temple. > > 8-11"'Get smart! Your leaders are handing you a pack of lies, and you're > swallowing them! Use your > heads! Do you think you can rob and murder, have sex with the neighborhood > wives, tell lies nonstop, > worship the local gods, and buy every novel religious commodity on the > market-and then march into > this Temple, set apart for my worship, and say, "We're safe!" thinking > that the place itself gives > you a license to go on with all this outrageous sacrilege? A cave full of > criminals! Do you think > you can turn this Temple, set apart for my worship, into something like > that? Well, think again. > I've got eyes in my head. I can see what's going on.'" God's Decree! > > 12"'Take a trip down to the place that was once in Shiloh, where I met my > people in the early days. > Take a look at those ruins, what I did to it because of the evil ways of > my people Israel. > > 13-15"'So now, because of the way you have lived and failed to listen, > even though time and again I > took you aside and talked seriously with you, and because you refused to > change when I called you to > repent, I'm going to do to this Temple, set aside for my worship, this > place you think is going to > keep you safe no matter what, this place I gave as a gift to your > ancestors and you, the same as I > did to Shiloh. And as for you, I'm going to get rid of you, the same as I > got rid of those old > relatives of yours around Shiloh, your fellow Israelites in that former > kingdom to the north.' > > 16-18"And you, Jeremiah, don't waste your time praying for this people. > Don't offer to make > petitions or intercessions. Don't bother me with them. I'm not listening. > Can't you see what they're > doing in all the villages of Judah and in the Jerusalem streets? Why, > they've got the children > gathering wood while the fathers build fires and the mothers make bread to > be offered to 'the Queen > of Heaven'! And as if that weren't bad enough, they go around pouring out > libations to any other > gods they come across, just to hurt me. > > 19"But is it me they're hurting?" God's Decree! "Aren't they just hurting > themselves? Exposing > themselves shamefully? Making themselves ridiculous? > > 20"Here's what the Master God has to say: 'My white-hot anger is about to > descend on this country > and everything in it-people and animals, trees in the field and vegetables > in the garden-a raging > wildfire that no one can put out.' > > 21-23"The Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel's God: 'Go ahead! > Put your burnt offerings > with all your other sacrificial offerings and make a good meal for > yourselves. I sure don't want > them! When I delivered your ancestors out of Egypt, I never said anything > to them about wanting > burnt offerings and sacrifices as such. But I did say this, commanded > this: "Obey me. Do what I say > and I will be your God and you will be my people. Live the way I tell you. > Do what I command so that > your lives will go well." > > 24-26"'But do you think they listened? Not a word of it. They did just > what they wanted to do, > indulged any and every evil whim and got worse day by day. From the time > your ancestors left the > land of Egypt until now, I've supplied a steady stream of my servants the > prophets, but do you think > the people listened? Not once. Stubborn as mules and worse than their > ancestors!' > > 27-28"Tell them all this, but don't expect them to listen. Call out to > them, but don't expect an > answer. Tell them, 'You are the nation that wouldn't obey God, that > refused all discipline. Truth > has disappeared. There's not a trace of it left in your mouths. > > 29"'So shave your heads. > Go bald to the hills and lament, > For God has rejected and left > this generation that has made him so angry.' > > 30-31"The people of Judah have lived evil lives while I've stood by and > watched." God's Decree. "In > deliberate insult to me, they've set up their obscene god-images in the > very Temple that was built > to honor me. They've constructed Topheth altars for burning babies in > prominent places all through > the valley of Ben-hinnom, altars for burning their sons and daughters > alive in the fire-a shocking > perversion of all that I am and all I command. > > 32-34"But soon, very soon"-God's Decree!-"the names Topheth and Benhinnom > will no longer be used. > They'll call the place what it is: Murder Meadow. Corpses will be stacked > up in Topheth because > there's no room left to bury them! Corpses abandoned in the open air, fed > on by crows and coyotes, > who have the run of the place. And I'll empty both smiles and laughter > from the villages of Judah > and the streets of Jerusalem. No wedding songs, no holiday sounds. Dead > silence." > > Jeremiah 8 > 1-2 "And when the time comes"-God's Decree!-"I'll see to it that they dig > up the bones of the kings > of Judah, the bones of the princes and priests and prophets, and yes, even > the bones of the common > people. They'll dig them up and spread them out like a congregation at > worship before sun, moon, and > stars, all those sky gods they've been so infatuated with all these years, > following their 'lucky > stars' in doglike devotion. The bones will be left scattered and exposed, > to reenter the soil as > fertilizer, like manure. > 3"Everyone left-all from this evil generation unlucky enough to still be > alive in whatever > godforsaken place I will have driven them to-will wish they were dead." > Decree of > God-of-the-Angel-Armies. > > To Know Everything but God's Word > 4-7"Tell them this, God's Message: > "'Do people fall down and not get up? > Or take the wrong road and then just keep going? > So why does this people go backward, > and just keep on going-backward! > They stubbornly hold on to their illusions, > refuse to change direction. > I listened carefully > but heard not so much as a whisper. > No one expressed one word of regret. > Not a single "I'm sorry" did I hear. > They just kept at it, blindly and stupidly > banging their heads against a brick wall. > Cranes know when it's time > to move south for winter. > And robins, warblers, and bluebirds > know when it's time to come back again. > But my people? My people know nothing, > not the first thing of God and his rule. > > 8-9"'How can you say, "We know the score. > We're the proud owners of God's revelation"? > Look where it's gotten you-stuck in illusion. > Your religion experts have taken you for a ride! > Your know-it-alls will be unmasked, > caught and shown up for what they are. > Look at them! They know everything but God's Word. > Do you call that "knowing"? > > 10-12"'So here's what will happen to the know-it-alls: > I'll make them wifeless and homeless. > Everyone's after the dishonest dollar, > little people and big people alike. > Prophets and priests and everyone in between > twist words and doctor truth. > My dear Daughter-my people-broken, shattered, > and yet they put on Band-Aids, > Saying, "It's not so bad. You'll be just fine." > But things are not "just fine"! > Do you suppose they are embarrassed > over this outrage? > Not really. They have no shame. > They don't even know how to blush. > There's no hope for them. They've hit bottom > and there's no getting up. > As far as I'm concerned, > they're finished.'" God has spoken. > > 13"'I went out to see if I could salvage anything'" > -God's Decree- > "'but found nothing: > Not a grape, not a fig, > just a few withered leaves. > I'm taking back > everything I gave them.'" > > 14-16So why are we sitting here, doing nothing? > Let's get organized. > Let's go to the big city > and at least die fighting. > We've gotten God's ultimatum: > We're damned if we do and damned if we don't- > damned because of our sin against him. > We hoped things would turn out for the best, > but it didn't happen that way. > We were waiting around for healing- > and terror showed up! > From Dan at the northern borders > we hear the hooves of horses, > Horses galloping, horses neighing. > The ground shudders and quakes. > They're going to swallow up the whole country. > Towns and people alike-fodder for war. > > 17"'What's more, I'm dispatching > poisonous snakes among you, > Snakes that can't be charmed, > snakes that will bite you and kill you.'" > God's Decree! > > Advancing from One Evil to the Next > 18-22I drown in grief. > I'm heartsick. > Oh, listen! Please listen! It's the cry of my dear people > reverberating through the country. > Is God no longer in Zion? > Has the King gone away? > Can you tell me why they flaunt their plaything-gods, > their silly, imported no-gods before me? > The crops are in, the summer is over, > but for us nothing's changed. > We're still waiting to be rescued. > For my dear broken people, I'm heartbroken. > I weep, seized by grief. > Are there no healing ointments in Gilead? > Isn't there a doctor in the house? > So why can't something be done > to heal and save my dear, dear people? > Jeremiah 9 > 1-2 I wish my head were a well of water and my eyes fountains of tears > So I could weep day and night > for casualties among my dear, dear people. > At times I wish I had a wilderness hut, > a backwoods cabin, > Where I could get away from my people > and never see them again. > They're a faithless, feckless bunch, > a congregation of degenerates. > 3-6"Their tongues shoot out lies > like a bow shoots arrows- > A mighty army of liars, > the sworn enemies of truth. > They advance from one evil to the next, > ignorant of me." > God's Decree. > "Be wary of even longtime neighbors. > Don't even trust your grandmother! > Brother schemes against brother, > like old cheating Jacob. > Friend against friend > spreads malicious gossip. > Neighbors gyp neighbors, > never telling the truth. > They've trained their tongues to tell lies, > and now they can't tell the truth. > They pile wrong upon wrong, stack lie upon lie, > and refuse to know me." > God's Decree. > > 7-9Therefore, God-of-the-Angel-Armies says: > > "Watch this! I'll melt them down > and see what they're made of. > What else can I do > with a people this wicked? > Their tongues are poison arrows! > Deadly lies stream from their mouths. > Neighbor greets neighbor with a smile, > 'Good morning! How're things?' > while scheming to do away with him. > Do you think I'm going to stand around and do nothing?" > God's Decree. > "Don't you think I'll take serious measures > against a people like this? > > 10-11"I'm lamenting the loss of the mountain pastures. > I'm chanting dirges for the old grazing grounds. > They've become deserted wastelands too dangerous for travelers. > No sounds of sheep bleating or cattle mooing. > Birds and wild animals, all gone. > Nothing stirring, no sounds of life. > I'm going to make Jerusalem a pile of rubble, > fit for nothing but stray cats and dogs. > I'm going to reduce Judah's towns to piles of ruins > where no one lives!" > > 12I asked, "Is there anyone around bright enough to tell us what's going > on here? Anyone who has > the inside story from God and can let us in on it? > > "Why is the country wasted? > > "Why no travelers in this desert?" > > 13-15God's answer: "Because they abandoned my plain teaching. They > wouldn't listen to anything I > said, refused to live the way I told them to. Instead they lived any way > they wanted and took up > with the Baal gods, who they thought would give them what they > wanted-following the example of their > parents." And this is the consequence. God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so: > > "I'll feed them with pig slop. > > "I'll give them poison to drink. > > 16"Then I'll scatter them far and wide among godless peoples that neither > they nor their parents > have ever heard of, and I'll send Death in pursuit until there's nothing > left of them." > > A Life That Is All Outside but No Inside > 17-19A Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies: > "Look over the trouble we're in and call for help. > Send for some singers who can help us mourn our loss. > Tell them to hurry- > to help us express our loss and lament, > Help us get our tears flowing, > make tearful music of our crying. > Listen to it! > Listen to that torrent of tears out of Zion: > 'We're a ruined people, > we're a shamed people! > We've been driven from our homes > and must leave our land!'" > > 20-21Mourning women! Oh, listen to God's Message! > Open your ears. Take in what he says. > Teach your daughters songs for the dead > and your friends the songs of heartbreak. > Death has climbed in through the window, > broken into our bedrooms. > Children on the playgrounds drop dead, > and young men and women collapse at their games. > > 22Speak up! "God's Message: > > "'Dead bodies everywhere, scattered at random > like sheep and goat dung in the fields, > Like wheat cut down by reapers > and left to rot where it falls.'" > > 23-24God's Message: > > "Don't let the wise brag of their wisdom. > Don't let heroes brag of their exploits. > Don't let the rich brag of their riches. > If you brag, brag of this and this only: > That you understand and know me. > I'm God, and I act in loyal love. > I do what's right and set things right and fair, > and delight in those who do the same things. > These are my trademarks." > God's Decree. > > 25-26"Stay alert! It won't be long now"-God's Decree!-"when I will > personally deal with everyone > whose life is all outside but no inside: Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab. > All these nations are big > on performance religion-including Israel, who is no better." > > > > > > > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
