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: "Donnie Parrett" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2009 11:59 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Friday August 21 > Day 233 > > Jeremiah 31-33 (The Message) > > Jeremiah 31 > 1 "And when that happens"-God's Decree- "it will be plain as the sun at > high noon: > I'll be the God of every man, woman, and child in Israel > and they shall be my very own people." > 2-6This is the way God put it: > > "They found grace out in the desert, > these people who survived the killing. > Israel, out looking for a place to rest, > met God out looking for them!" > God told them, "I've never quit loving you and never will. > Expect love, love, and more love! > And so now I'll start over with you and build you up again, > dear virgin Israel. > You'll resume your singing, > grabbing tambourines and joining the dance. > You'll go back to your old work of planting vineyards > on the Samaritan hillsides, > And sit back and enjoy the fruit- > oh, how you'll enjoy those harvests! > The time's coming when watchmen will call out > from the hilltops of Ephraim: > 'On your feet! Let's go to Zion, > go to meet our God!'" > > 7Oh yes, God says so: > > "Shout for joy at the top of your lungs for Jacob! > Announce the good news to the number-one nation! > Raise cheers! Sing praises. Say, > 'God has saved his people, > saved the core of Israel.' > > 8"Watch what comes next: "I'll bring my people back > from the north country > And gather them up from the ends of the earth, > gather those who've gone blind > And those who are lame and limping, > gather pregnant women, > Even the mothers whose birth pangs have started, > bring them all back, a huge crowd! > > 9"Watch them come! They'll come weeping for joy > as I take their hands and lead them, > Lead them to fresh flowing brooks, > lead them along smooth, uncluttered paths. > Yes, it's because I'm Israel's Father > and Ephraim's my firstborn son! > > 10-14"Hear this, nations! God's Message! > Broadcast this all over the world! > Tell them, 'The One who scattered Israel > will gather them together again. > From now on he'll keep a careful eye on them, > like a shepherd with his flock.' > I, God, will pay a stiff ransom price for Jacob; > I'll free him from the grip of the Babylonian bully. > The people will climb up Zion's slopes shouting with joy, > their faces beaming because of God's bounty- > Grain and wine and oil, > flocks of sheep, herds of cattle. > Their lives will be like a well-watered garden, > never again left to dry up. > Young women will dance and be happy, > young men and old men will join in. > I'll convert their weeping into laughter, > lavishing comfort, invading their grief with joy. > I'll make sure that their priests get three square meals a day > and that my people have more than enough.'" God's Decree. > > 15-17Again, God's Message: > > "Listen to this! Laments coming out of Ramah, > wild and bitter weeping. > It's Rachel weeping for her children, > Rachel refusing all solace. > Her children are gone, > gone-long gone into exile." > But God says, "Stop your incessant weeping, > hold back your tears. > Collect wages from your grief work." God's Decree. > "They'll be coming back home! > There's hope for your children." God's Decree. > > 18-19"I've heard the contrition of Ephraim. > Yes, I've heard it clearly, saying, > 'You trained me well. > You broke me, a wild yearling horse, to the saddle. > Now put me, trained and obedient, to use. > You are my God. > After those years of running loose, I repented. > After you trained me to obedience, > I was ashamed of my past, my wild, unruly past. > Humiliated, I beat on my chest. > Will I ever live this down?' > > 20"Oh! Ephraim is my dear, dear son, > my child in whom I take pleasure! > Every time I mention his name, > my heart bursts with longing for him! > Everything in me cries out for him. > Softly and tenderly I wait for him." God's Decree. > > 21-22"Set up signposts to mark your trip home. > Get a good map. > Study the road conditions. > The road out is the road back. > Come back, dear virgin Israel, > come back to your hometowns. > How long will you flit here and there, indecisive? > How long before you make up your fickle mind? > God will create a new thing in this land: > A transformed woman will embrace the transforming God!" > > 23-24A Message from Israel's God-of-the-Angel-Armies: "When I've turned > everything around and > brought my people back, the old expressions will be heard on the streets: > 'God bless you!'...'O True > Home!'...'O Holy Mountain!' All Judah's people, whether in town or > country, will get along just fine > with each other. > 25I'll refresh tired bodies; > I'll restore tired souls. > > 26Just then I woke up and looked around-what a pleasant and satisfying > sleep! > > 27-28"Be ready. The time's coming"-God's Decree-"when I will plant people > and animals in Israel and > Judah, just as a farmer plants seed. And in the same way that earlier I > relentlessly pulled up and > tore down, took apart and demolished, so now I am sticking with them as > they start over, building > and planting. > > 29"When that time comes you won't hear the old proverb anymore, > Parents ate the green apples, their children got the stomachache. > 30"No, each person will pay for his own sin. You eat green apples, you're > the one who gets sick. > > 31-32"That's right. The time is coming when I will make a brand-new > covenant with Israel and Judah. > It won't be a repeat of the covenant I made with their ancestors when I > took their hand to lead them > out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant even though I did my > part as their Master." God's > Decree. > > 33-34"This is the brand-new covenant that I will make with Israel when the > time comes. I will put > my law within them-write it on their hearts!-and be their God. And they > will be my people. They will > no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about God. > They'll know me firsthand, the > dull and the bright, the smart and the slow. I'll wipe the slate clean for > each of them. I'll forget > they ever sinned!" God's Decree. > > If This Ordered Cosmos Ever Fell to Pieces > 35God's Message, from the God who lights up the day with sun and > brightens the night with moon and stars, > Who whips the ocean into a billowy froth, > whose name is God-of-the-Angel-Armies: > 36"If this ordered cosmos ever fell to pieces, > fell into chaos before me"-God's Decree- > "Then and only then might Israel fall apart > and disappear as a nation before me." > > 37God's Message: > > "If the skies could be measured with a yardstick > and the earth explored to its core, > Then and only then would I turn my back on Israel, > disgusted with all they've done." God's Decree. > > 38-40"The time is coming"-it's God's Decree-"when God's city will be > rebuilt, rebuilt all the way > from the Citadel of Hanamel to the Corner Gate. The master plan will > extend west to Gareb Hill and > then around to Goath. The whole valley to the south where incinerated > corpses are dumped-a death > valley if there ever was one!-and all the terraced fields out to the Brook > Kidron on the east as far > north as the Horse Gate will be consecrated to me as a holy place. > > "This city will never again be torn down or destroyed." > > Jeremiah 32 > Killing and Disease Are on Our Doorstep > 1-5 The Message Jeremiah received from God in the tenth year of Zedekiah > king of Judah. It was the > eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. At that time the army of the king of > Babylon was holding > Jerusalem under siege. Jeremiah was shut up in jail in the royal palace. > Zedekiah, king of Judah, > had locked him up, complaining, "How dare you preach, saying, 'God says, > I'm warning you: I will > hand this city over to the king of Babylon and he will take it over. > Zedekiah king of Judah will be > handed over to the Chaldeans right along with the city. He will be handed > over to the king of > Babylon and forced to face the music. He'll be hauled off to Babylon where > he'll stay until I deal > with him. God's Decree. Fight against the Babylonians all you want-it > won't get you anywhere.'" > 6-7Jeremiah said, "God's Message came to me like this: Prepare yourself! > Hanamel, your uncle > Shallum's son, is on his way to see you. He is going to say, 'Buy my field > in Anathoth. You have the > legal right to buy it.' > > 8"And sure enough, just as God had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me > while I was in jail and said, > 'Buy my field in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin, for you have the > legal right to keep it in > the family. Buy it. Take it over.' "That did it. I knew it was God's > Message. > > 9-12"So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel. I paid him > seventeen silver shekels. > I followed all the proper procedures: In the presence of witnesses I wrote > out the bill of sale, > sealed it, and weighed out the money on the scales. Then I took the deed > of purchase-the sealed copy > that contained the contract and its conditions and also the open copy-and > gave them to Baruch son of > Neriah, the son of Mahseiah. All this took place in the presence of my > cousin Hanamel and the > witnesses who had signed the deed, as the Jews who were at the jail that > day looked on. > > 13-15"Then, in front of all of them, I told Baruch, 'These are orders from > God-of-the-Angel-Armies, > the God of Israel: Take these documents-both the sealed and the open > deeds-and put them for > safekeeping in a pottery jar. For God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of > Israel, says, "Life is going > to return to normal. Homes and fields and vineyards are again going to be > bought in this country."' > > 16-19"And then, having handed over the legal documents to Baruch son of > Neriah, I prayed to God, > 'Dear God, my Master, you created earth and sky by your great power-by > merely stretching out your > arm! There is nothing you can't do. You're loyal in your steadfast love to > thousands upon > thousands-but you also make children live with the fallout from their > parents' sins. Great and > powerful God, named God-of-the-Angel-Armies, determined in purpose and > relentless in following > through, you see everything that men and women do and respond > appropriately to the way they live, to > the things they do. > > 20-23"'You performed signs and wonders in the country of Egypt and > continue to do so right into the > present, right here in Israel and everywhere else, too. You've made a > reputation for yourself that > doesn't diminish. You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs > and wonders-a powerful > deliverance!-by merely stretching out your arm. You gave them this land > and solemnly promised to > their ancestors a bountiful and fertile land. But when they entered the > land and took it over, they > didn't listen to you. They didn't do what you commanded. They wouldn't > listen to a thing you told > them. And so you brought this disaster on them. > > 24-25"'Oh, look at the siege ramps already set in place to take the city. > Killing and starvation > and disease are on our doorstep. The Babylonians are attacking! The Word > you spoke is coming to > pass-it's daily news! And yet you, God, the Master, even though it is > certain that the city will be > turned over to the Babylonians, also told me, Buy the field. Pay for it in > cash. And make sure there > are witnesses.'" > > 26-30Then God's Message came again to Jeremiah: "Stay alert! I am God, the > God of everything > living. Is there anything I can't do? So listen to God's Message: No doubt > about it, I'm handing > this city over to the Babylonians and Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. > He'll take it. The attacking > Chaldeans will break through and burn the city down: All those houses > whose roofs were used as > altars for offerings to Baal and the worship of who knows how many other > gods provoked me. It isn't > as if this were the first time they had provoked me. The people of Israel > and Judah have been doing > this for a long time-doing what I hate, making me angry by the way they > live." God's Decree. > > 31-35"This city has made me angry from the day they built it, and now I've > had my fill. I'm > destroying it. I can't stand to look any longer at the wicked lives of the > people of Israel and > Judah, deliberately making me angry, the whole lot of them-kings and > leaders and priests and > preachers, in the country and in the city. They've turned their backs on > me-won't even look me in > the face!-even though I took great pains to teach them how to live. They > refused to listen, refused > to be taught. Why, they even set up obscene god and goddess statues in the > Temple built in my > honor-an outrageous desecration! And then they went out and built shrines > to the god Baal in the > valley of Hinnom, where they burned their children in sacrifice to the god > Molech-I can hardly > conceive of such evil!-turning the whole country into one huge act of sin. > > 36"But there is also this Message from me, the God of Israel, to this city > of which you have said, > 'In killing and starvation and disease this city will be delivered up to > the king of Babylon': > > 37-40"'Watch for this! I will collect them from all the countries to which > I will have driven them > in my anger and rage and indignation. Yes, I'll bring them all back to > this place and let them live > here in peace. They will be my people, I will be their God. I'll make them > of one mind and heart, > always honoring me, so that they can live good and whole lives, they and > their children after them. > What's more, I'll make a covenant with them that will last forever, a > covenant to stick with them no > matter what, and work for their good. I'll fill their hearts with a deep > respect for me so they'll > not even think of turning away from me. > > 41"'Oh how I'll rejoice in them! Oh how I'll delight in doing good things > for them! Heart and soul, > I'll plant them in this country and keep them here!' > > 42-44"Yes, this is God's Message: 'I will certainly bring this huge > catastrophe on this people, but > I will also usher in a wonderful life of prosperity. I promise. Fields are > going to be bought here > again, yes, in this very country that you assume is going to end up > desolate-gone to the dogs, > unlivable, wrecked by the Babylonians. Yes, people will buy farms again, > and legally, with deeds of > purchase, sealed documents, proper witnesses-and right here in the > territory of Benjamin, and in the > area around Jerusalem, around the villages of Judah and the hill country, > the Shephelah and the > Negev. I will restore everything that was lost.' God's Decree." > > Jeremiah 33 > Things You Could Never Figure Out on Your Own > 1 While Jeremiah was still locked up in jail, a second Message from God > was given to him: 2-3"This > is God's Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, > known everywhere as God: > 'Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous > things that you could never > figure out on your own.' 4-5"This is what God, the God of Israel, has to > say about what's going on > in this city, about the homes of both people and kings that have been > demolished, about all the > ravages of war and the killing by the Chaldeans, and about the streets > littered with the dead bodies > of those killed because of my raging anger-about all that's happened > because the evil actions in > this city have turned my stomach in disgust. > 6-9"But now take another look. I'm going to give this city a thorough > renovation, working a true > healing inside and out. I'm going to show them life whole, life brimming > with blessings. I'll > restore everything that was lost to Judah and Jerusalem. I'll build > everything back as good as new. > I'll scrub them clean from the dirt they've done against me. I'll forgive > everything they've done > wrong, forgive all their rebellions. And Jerusalem will be a center of joy > and praise and glory for > all the countries on earth. They'll get reports on all the good I'm doing > for her. They'll be in awe > of the blessings I am pouring on her. > > 10-11"Yes, God's Message: 'You're going to look at this place, these empty > and desolate towns of > Judah and streets of Jerusalem, and say, "A wasteland. Unlivable. Not even > a dog could live here." > But the time is coming when you're going to hear laughter and celebration, > marriage festivities, > people exclaiming, "Thank God-of-the-Angel-Armies. He's so good! His love > never quits," as they > bring thank offerings into God's Temple. I'll restore everything that was > lost in this land. I'll > make everything as good as new.' I, God, say so. > > 12-13"God-of-the-Angel-Armies says: 'This coming desolation, unfit for > even a stray dog, is once > again going to become a pasture for shepherds who care for their flocks. > You'll see flocks > everywhere-in the mountains around the towns of the Shephelah and Negev, > all over the territory of > Benjamin, around Jerusalem and the towns of Judah-flocks under the care of > shepherds who keep track > of each sheep.' God says so. > > A Fresh and True Shoot from the David-Tree > 14-18"'Watch for this: The time is coming'-God's Decree-'when I will keep > the promise I made to the > families of Israel and Judah. When that time comes, I will make a fresh > and true shoot sprout from > the David-Tree. He will run this country honestly and fairly. He will set > things right. That's when > Judah will be secure and Jerusalem live in safety. The motto for the city > will be, "God Has Set > Things Right for Us." God has made it clear that there will always be a > descendant of David ruling > the people of Israel and that there will always be Levitical priests on > hand to offer burnt > offerings, present grain offerings, and carry on the sacrificial worship > in my honor.'" > 19-22God's Message to Jeremiah: "God says, 'If my covenant with day and my > covenant with night ever > fell apart so that day and night became haphazard and you never knew which > was coming and when, then > and only then would my covenant with my servant David fall apart and his > descendants no longer rule. > The same goes for the Levitical priests who serve me. Just as you can't > number the stars in the sky > nor measure the sand on the seashore, neither will you be able to account > for the descendants of > David my servant and the Levites who serve me.'" > > 23-24God's Message to Jeremiah: "Have you heard the saying that's making > the rounds: 'The two > families God chose, Israel and Judah, he disowned'? And have you noticed > that my people are treated > with contempt, with rumors afoot that there's nothing to them anymore? > > 25-26"Well, here's God's response: 'If my covenant with day and night > wasn't in working order, if > sky and earth weren't functioning the way I set them going, then, but only > then, you might think I > had disowned the descendants of Jacob and of my servant David, and that I > wouldn't set up any of > David's descendants over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But > as it is, I will give > them back everything they've lost. The last word is, I will have mercy on > them.'" > > > > ~~~~~ > Please join us on Skype Monday thru Friday at 8:00 EST for our Morning > Skype Prayer Time. > Also, follow my tweets on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/Donnie1261 > > > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
