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: Thursday, August 13, 2009 10:21 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Friday August 14 > Day 226 > > Jeremiah 10-12 (The Message) > > Jeremiah 10 > The Stick Gods > 1-5 Listen to the Message that God is sending your way, House of Israel. > Listen most carefully: > "Don't take the godless nations as your models. > Don't be impressed by their glamour and glitz, > no matter how much they're impressed. > The religion of these peoples > is nothing but smoke. > An idol is nothing but a tree chopped down, > then shaped by a woodsman's ax. > They trim it with tinsel and balls, > use hammer and nails to keep it upright. > It's like a scarecrow in a cabbage patch-can't talk! > Dead wood that has to be carried-can't walk! > Don't be impressed by such stuff. > It's useless for either good or evil." > > 6-9All this is nothing compared to you, O God. > You're wondrously great, famously great. > Who can fail to be impressed by you, King of the nations? > It's your very nature to be worshiped! > Look far and wide among the elite of the nations. > The best they can come up with is nothing compared to you. > Stupidly, they line them up-a lineup of sticks, > good for nothing but making smoke. > Gilded with silver foil from Tarshish, > covered with gold from Uphaz, > Hung with violet and purple fabrics- > no matter how fancy the sticks, they're still sticks. > > 10But God is the real thing- > the living God, the eternal King. > When he's angry, Earth shakes. > Yes, and the godless nations quake. > > 11-15"Tell them this, 'The stick gods > who made nothing, neither sky nor earth, > Will come to nothing > on the earth and under the sky.'" > But it is God whose power made the earth, > whose wisdom gave shape to the world, > who crafted the cosmos. > He thunders, and rain pours down. > He sends the clouds soaring. > He embellishes the storm with lightnings, > launches wind from his warehouse. > Stick-god worshipers looking mighty foolish, > god-makers embarrassed by their handmade gods! > Their gods are frauds-dead sticks, > deadwood gods, tasteless jokes. > When the fires of judgment come, they'll be ashes. > > 16But the Portion-of-Jacob is the real thing. > He put the whole universe together > And pays special attention to Israel. > His name? God-of-the-Angel-Armies! > > 17-18Grab your bags, > all you who are under attack. > God has given notice: > "Attention! I'm evicting > Everyone who lives here, > And right now-yes, right now! > I'm going to press them to the limit, > squeeze the life right out of them." > > 19-20But it's a black day for me! > Hopelessly wounded, > I said, "Why, oh why > did I think I could bear it?" > My house is ruined- > the roof caved in. > Our children are gone- > we'll never see them again. > No one left to help in rebuilding, > no one to make a new start! > > 21It's because our leaders are stupid. > They never asked God for counsel, > And so nothing worked right. > The people are scattered all over. > > 22But listen! Something's coming! > A big commotion from the northern borders! > Judah's towns about to be smashed, > left to all the stray dogs and cats! > > 23-25I know, God, that mere mortals > can't run their own lives, > That men and women > don't have what it takes to take charge of life. > So correct us, God, as you see best. > Don't lose your temper. That would be the end of us. > Vent your anger on the godless nations, > who refuse to acknowledge you, > And on the people > who won't pray to you- > The very ones who've made hash out of Jacob, > yes, made hash > And devoured him whole, > people and pastures alike. > > Jeremiah 11 > The Terms of This Covenant > 1The Message that came to Jeremiah from God: > 2-4"Preach to the people of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem. Tell them > this: 'This is God's > Message, the Message of Israel's God to you. Anyone who does not keep the > terms of this covenant is > cursed. The terms are clear. I made them plain to your ancestors when I > delivered them from Egypt, > out of the iron furnace of suffering. > > 4-5"'Obey what I tell you. Do exactly what I command you. Your obedience > will close the deal. > You'll be mine and I'll be yours. This will provide the conditions in > which I will be able to do > what I promised your ancestors: to give them a fertile and lush land. And, > as you know, that's what > I did.'" > > "Yes, God," I replied. "That's true." > > 6-8God continued: "Preach all this in the towns of Judah and the streets > of Jerusalem. Say, 'Listen > to the terms of this covenant and carry them out! I warned your ancestors > when I delivered them from > Egypt and I've kept up the warnings. I haven't quit warning them for a > moment. I warned them from > morning to night: "Obey me or else!" But they didn't obey. They paid no > attention to me. They did > whatever they wanted to do, whenever they wanted to do it, until finally I > stepped in and ordered > the punishments set out in the covenant, which, despite all my warnings, > they had ignored.'" > > 9-10Then God said, "There's a conspiracy among the people of Judah and the > citizens of Jerusalem. > They've plotted to reenact the sins of their ancestors-the ones who > disobeyed me and decided to go > after other gods and worship them. Israel and Judah are in this together, > mindlessly breaking the > covenant I made with their ancestors." > > 11-13"Well, your God has something to say about this: Watch out! I'm about > to visit doom on you, > and no one will get out of it. You're going to cry for help but I won't > listen. Then all the people > in Judah and Jerusalem will start praying to the gods you've been > sacrificing to all these years, > but it won't do a bit of good. You've got as many gods as you have > villages, Judah! And you've got > enough altars for sacrifices to that impotent sex god Baal to put one on > every street corner in > Jerusalem!" > > 14"And as for you, Jeremiah, I don't want you praying for this people. > Nothing! Not a word of > petition. Indeed, I'm not going to listen to a single syllable of their > crisis-prayers." > > Promises and Pious Programs > 15-16"What business do the ones I love have figuring out > how to get off the hook? And right in the house of worship! > Do you think making promises and devising pious programs > will save you from doom? > Do you think you can get out of this > by becoming more religious? > A mighty oak tree, majestic and glorious- > that's how I once described you. > But it will only take a clap of thunder and a bolt of lightning > to leave you a shattered wreck. > 17"I, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who planted you-yes, I have pronounced doom > on you. Why? Because of > the disastrous life you've lived, Israel and Judah alike, goading me to > anger with your continuous > worship and offerings to that sorry god Baal." > > 18-19God told me what was going on. That's how I knew. > You, God, opened my eyes to their evil scheming. > I had no idea what was going on-naive as a lamb > being led to slaughter! > I didn't know they had it in for me, > didn't know of their behind-the-scenes plots: > "Let's get rid of the preacher. > That will stop the sermons! > Let's get rid of him for good. > He won't be remembered for long." > > 20Then I said, "God-of-the-Angel-Armies, > you're a fair judge. > You examine and cross-examine > human actions and motives. > I want to see these people shown up and put down! > I'm an open book before you. Clear my name." > > 21-23That sent a signal to God, who spoke up: "Here's what I'll do to the > men of Anathoth who are > trying to murder you, the men who say, 'Don't preach to us in God's name > or we'll kill you.' Yes, > it's God-of-the-Angel-Armies speaking. Indeed! I'll call them to account: > Their young people will > die in battle, their children will die of starvation, and there will be no > one left at all, none. > I'm visiting the men of Anathoth with doom. Doomsday!" > > Jeremiah 12 > What Makes You Think You Can Race Against Horses? > 1-4 You are right, O God, and you set things right. I can't argue with > that. But I do have some > questions: > Why do bad people have it so good? > Why do con artists make it big? > You planted them and they put down roots. > They flourished and produced fruit. > They talk as if they're old friends with you, > but they couldn't care less about you. > Meanwhile, you know me inside and out. > You don't let me get by with a thing! > Make them pay for the way they live, > pay with their lives, like sheep marked for slaughter. > How long do we have to put up with this- > the country depressed, the farms in ruin- > And all because of wickedness, these wicked lives? > Even animals and birds are dying off > Because they'll have nothing to do with God > and think God has nothing to do with them. > 5-6"So, Jeremiah, if you're worn out in this footrace with men, > what makes you think you can race against horses? > And if you can't keep your wits during times of calm, > what's going to happen when troubles break loose like the Jordan in > flood? > Those closest to you, your own brothers and cousins, > are working against you. > They're out to get you. They'll stop at nothing. > Don't trust them, especially when they're smiling. > > 7-11"I will abandon the House of Israel, > walk away from my beloved people. > I will turn over those I most love > to those who are her enemies. > She's been, this one I held dear, > like a snarling lion in the jungle, > Growling and baring her teeth at me- > and I can't take it anymore. > Has this one I hold dear become a preening peacock? > But isn't she under attack by vultures? > Then invite all the hungry animals at large, > invite them in for a free meal! > Foreign, scavenging shepherds > will loot and trample my fields, > Turn my beautiful, well-cared-for fields > into vacant lots of tin cans and thistles. > They leave them littered with junk- > a ruined land, a land in lament. > The whole countryside is a wasteland, > and no one will really care. > > 12-13"The barbarians will invade, > swarm over hills and plains. > The judgment sword of God will take its toll > from one end of the land to the other. > Nothing living will be safe. > They will plant wheat and reap weeds. > Nothing they do will work out. > They will look at their meager crops and wring their hands. > All this the result of God's fierce anger!" > > 14-17God's Message: "Regarding all the bad neighbors who abused the land I > gave to Israel as their > inheritance: I'm going to pluck them out of their lands, and then pluck > Judah out from among them. > Once I've pulled the bad neighbors out, I will relent and take them > tenderly to my heart and put > them back where they belong, put each of them back in their home country, > on their family farms. > Then if they will get serious about living my way and pray to me as well > as they taught my people to > pray to that god Baal, everything will go well for them. But if they won't > listen, then I'll pull > them out of their land by the roots and cart them off to the dump. Total > destruction!" God's Decree. > > > > > > > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
