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: Friday, September 04, 2009 10:32 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Saturday September 5 > Day 248 > > Ezekiel 19-21 (The Message) > > Ezekiel 19 > A Story of Two Lions > 1-4 Sing the blues over the princes of Israel. Say: > What a lioness was your mother among lions! > She crouched in a pride of young lions. > Her cubs grew large. > She reared one of her cubs to maturity, > a robust young lion. > He learned to hunt. > He ate men. > Nations sounded the alarm. > He was caught in a trap. > They took him with hooks > and dragged him to Egypt. > > 5-9When the lioness saw she was luckless, > that her hope for that cub was gone, > She took her other cub > and made him a strong young lion. > He prowled with the lions, > a robust young lion. > He learned to hunt. > He ate men. > He rampaged through their defenses, > left their cities in ruins. > The country and everyone in it > was terrorized by the roars of the lion. > The nations got together to hunt him. > Everyone joined the hunt. > They set out their traps > and caught him. > They put a wooden collar on him > and took him to the king of Babylon. > No more would that voice be heard > disturbing the peace in the mountains of Israel! > > 10-14Here's another way to put it: > Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard, > transplanted alongside streams of water, > Luxurious in branches and grapes > because of the ample water. > It grew sturdy branches > fit to be carved into a royal scepter. > It grew high, reaching into the clouds. > Its branches filled the horizon, > and everyone could see it. > Then it was ripped up in a rage > and thrown to the ground. > The hot east wind shriveled it up > and stripped its fruit. > The sturdy branches dried out, > fit for nothing but kindling. > Now it's a stick stuck out in the desert, > a bare stick in a desert of death, > Good for nothing but making fires, > campfires in the desert. > Not a hint now of those sturdy branches > fit for use as a royal scepter! > (This is a sad song, a text for singing the blues.) > > Ezekiel 20 > Get Rid of All the Things You've Become Addicted To > 1 In the seventh year, the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, > some of the leaders of > Israel came to ask for guidance from God. They sat down before me. > 2-3 Then God's Message came to me: "Son of man, talk with the leaders of > Israel. Tell them, 'God, > the Master, says, "Have you come to ask me questions? As sure as I am the > living God, I'll not put > up with questions from you. Decree of God, the Master."' > > 4-5 "Son of man, why don't you do it? Yes, go ahead. Hold them > accountable. Confront them with the > outrageous obscenities of their parents. Tell them that God, the Master, > says: > > 5-6 "'On the day I chose Israel, I revealed myself to them in the country > of Egypt, raising my hand > in a solemn oath to the people of Jacob, in which I said, "I am God, your > personal God." On the same > day that I raised my hand in the solemn oath, I promised them that I would > take them out of the > country of Egypt and bring them into a country that I had searched out > just for them, a country > flowing with milk and honey, a jewel of a country. > > 7 "'At that time I told them, "Get rid of all the vile things that you've > become addicted to. Don't > make yourselves filthy with the Egyptian no-god idols. I alone am God, > your God." > > 8-10 "'But they rebelled against me, wouldn't listen to a word I said. > None got rid of the vile > things they were addicted to. They held on to the no-gods of Egypt as if > for dear life. I seriously > considered inflicting my anger on them in force right there in Egypt. Then > I thought better of it. I > acted out of who I was, not by how I felt. And I acted in a way that would > evoke honor, not > blasphemy, from the nations around them, nations who had seen me reveal > myself by promising to lead > my people out of Egypt. And then I did it: I led them out of Egypt into > the desert. > > 11-12 "'I gave them laws for living, showed them how to live well and > obediently before me. I also > gave them my weekly holy rest days, my "Sabbaths," a kind of signpost > erected between me and them to > show them that I, God, am in the business of making them holy. > > 13-17 "'But Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They didn't follow > my statutes. They despised > my laws for living well and obediently in the ways I had set out. And they > totally desecrated my > holy Sabbaths. I seriously considered unleashing my anger on them right > there in the desert. But I > thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt, so > that I might be honored and > not blasphemed by the nations who had seen me bring them out. But I did > lift my hand in a solemn > oath there in the desert and promise them that I would not bring them into > the country flowing with > milk and honey that I had chosen for them, that jewel among all lands. I > canceled my promise because > they despised my laws for living obediently, wouldn't follow my statutes, > and went ahead and > desecrated my holy Sabbaths. They preferred living by their no-god idols. > But I didn't go all the > way: I didn't wipe them out, didn't finish them off in the desert. > > 18-20 "'Then I addressed myself to their children in the desert: "Don't do > what your parents did. > Don't take up their practices. Don't make yourselves filthy with their > no-god idols. I myself am > God, your God: Keep my statutes and live by my laws. Keep my Sabbaths as > holy rest days, signposts > between me and you, signaling that I am God, your God." > > 21-22 "'But the children also rebelled against me. They neither followed > my statutes nor kept my > laws for living upright and well. And they desecrated my Sabbaths. I > seriously considered dumping my > anger on them, right there in the desert. But I thought better of it and > acted out of who I was, not > by what I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the > nations who had seen me bring > them out. > > 23-26 "'But I did lift my hand in solemn oath there in the desert, and > swore that I would scatter > them all over the world, disperse them every which way because they didn't > keep my laws nor live by > my statutes. They desecrated my Sabbaths and remained addicted to the > no-god idols of their parents. > Since they were determined to live bad lives, I myself gave them statutes > that could not produce > goodness and laws that did not produce life. I abandoned them. Filthy in > the gutter, they perversely > sacrificed their firstborn children in the fire. The very horror should > have shocked them into > recognizing that I am God.' > > 27-29 "Therefore, speak to Israel, son of man. Tell them that God says, > 'As if that wasn't enough, > your parents further insulted me by betraying me. When I brought them into > that land that I had > solemnly promised with my upraised hand to give them, every time they saw > a hill with a > sex-and-religion shrine on it or a grove of trees where the sacred whores > practiced, they were > there, buying into the whole pagan system. I said to them, "What hill do > you go to?"' (It's still > called "Whore Hills.") > > 30-31 "Therefore, say to Israel, 'The Message of God, the Master: You're > making your lives filthy > by copying the ways of your parents. In repeating their vile practices, > you've become whores > yourselves. In burning your children as sacrifices, you've become as > filthy as your no-god idols-as > recently as today! > > "'Am I going to put up with questions from people like you, Israel? As > sure as I am the living > God, I, God, the Master, refuse to be called into question by you! > > 32 "'What you're secretly thinking is never going to happen. You're > thinking, "We're going to be > like everybody else, just like the other nations. We're going to worship > gods we can make and > control." > > 33-35 "'As sure as I am the living God, says God, the Master, think again! > With a mighty show of > strength and a terrifying rush of anger, I will be King over you! I'll > bring you back from the > nations, collect you out of the countries to which you've been scattered, > with a mighty show of > strength and a terrifying rush of anger. I'll bring you to the desert of > nations and haul you into > court, where you'll be face-to-face with judgment. > > 36-38 "'As I faced your parents with judgment in the desert of Egypt, so > I'll face you with > judgment. I'll scrutinize and search every person as you arrive, and I'll > bring you under the bond > of the covenant. I'll cull out the rebels and traitors. I'll lead them out > of their exile, but I > won't bring them back to Israel. > > "'Then you'll realize that I am God. > > 39-43 "'But you, people of Israel, this is the Message of God, the Master, > to you: Go ahead, serve > your no-god idols! But later, you'll think better of it and quit throwing > filth and mud on me with > your pagan offerings and no-god idols. For on my holy mountain, the high > mountain of Israel, I, God, > the Master, tell you that the entire people of Israel will worship me. > I'll receive them there with > open arms. I'll demand your best gifts and offerings, all your holy > sacrifices. What's more, I'll > receive you as the best kind of offerings when I bring you back from all > the lands and countries in > which you've been scattered. I'll demonstrate in the eyes of the world > that I am The Holy. When I > return you to the land of Israel, the land that I solemnly promised with > upraised arm to give to > your parents, you'll realize that I am God. Then and there you'll remember > all that you've done, the > way you've lived that has made you so filthy-and you'll loathe yourselves. > > 44 "'But, dear Israel, you'll also realize that I am God when I respond to > you out of who I am, not > by what I feel about the evil lives you've lived, the corrupt history > you've compiled. Decree of > God, the Master.'" > > Nobody Will Put Out the Fire > 45-46 God's Message came to me: "Son of man, face south. Let the Message > roll out against the > south. Prophesy against the wilderness forest of the south. > 47-48 "Tell the forest of the south, 'Listen to the Message of God! God, > the Master, says, I'll set > a fire in you that will burn up every tree, dead trees and live trees > alike. Nobody will put out the > fire. The whole country from south to north will be blackened by it. > Everyone is going to see that > I, God, started the fire and that it's not going to be put out.'" > > 49 And I said, "O God, everyone is saying of me, 'He just makes up > stories.'" > > Ezekiel 21 > A Sword! A Sword! > 1-5 God's Message came to me: "Son of man, now face Jerusalem and let the > Message roll out against > the Sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel. Say, 'God's Message: > I'm against you. I'm > pulling my sword from its sheath and killing both the wicked and the > righteous. Because I'm treating > everyone the same, good and bad, everyone from south to north is going to > feel my sword! Everyone > will know that I mean business.' > 6 "So, son of man, groan! Double up in pain. Make a scene! > > 7 "When they ask you, 'Why all this groaning, this carrying on?' say, > 'Because of the news that's > coming. It'll knock the breath out of everyone. Hearts will stop cold, > knees turn to rubber. Yes, > it's coming. No stopping it. Decree of God, the Master.'" > > 8-10 God's Message to me: "Son of man, prophesy. Tell them, 'The Master > says: > > "'A sword! A sword! > razor-sharp and polished, > Sharpened to kill, > polished to flash like lightning! > > "'My child, you've despised the scepter of Judah > by worshiping every tree-idol. > > 11"'The sword is made to glisten, > to be held and brandished. > It's sharpened and polished, > ready to be brandished by the killer.' > > 12"Yell out and wail, son of man. > The sword is against my people! > The princes of Israel > and my people-abandoned to the sword! > Wring your hands! > Tear out your hair! > > 13"'Testing comes. > Why have you despised discipline? > You can't get around it. > Decree of God, the Master.' > > 14-17"So, prophesy, son of man! > Clap your hands. Get their attention. > Tell them that the sword's coming down > once, twice, three times. > It's a sword to kill, > a sword for a massacre, > A sword relentless, > a sword inescapable- > People collapsing right and left, > going down like dominoes. > I've stationed a murderous sword > at every gate in the city, > Flashing like lightning, > brandished murderously. > Cut to the right, thrust to the left, > murderous, sharp-edged sword! > Then I'll clap my hands, > a signal that my anger is spent. > I, God, have spoken." > > 18-22 God's Message came to me: "Son of man, lay out two roads for the > sword of the king of Babylon > to take. Start them from the same place. Place a signpost at the beginning > of each road. Post one > sign to mark the road of the sword to Rabbah of the Ammonites. Post the > other to mark the road to > Judah and Fort Jerusalem. The king of Babylon stands at the fork in the > road and he decides by > divination which of the two roads to take. He draws straws, he throws > god-dice, he examines a goat > liver. He opens his right hand: The omen says, 'Head for Jerusalem!' So > he's on his way with > battering rams, roused to kill, sounding the battle cry, pounding down > city gates, building siege > works. > > 23 "To the Judah leaders, who themselves have sworn oaths, it will seem > like a false divination, > but he will remind them of their guilt, and so they'll be captured. > > 24 "So this is what God, the Master, says: 'Because your sin is now out in > the open so everyone can > see what you've been doing, you'll be taken captive. > > 25-27 "'O Zedekiah, blasphemous and evil prince of Israel: Time's up. It's > "punishment payday." God > says, Take your royal crown off your head. No more "business as usual." > The underdog will be > promoted and the top dog will be demoted. Ruins, ruins, ruins! I'll turn > the whole place into ruins. > And ruins it will remain until the one comes who has a right to it. Then > I'll give it to him.' > > 28-32 "But, son of man, your job is to prophesy. Tell them, 'This is the > Message from God, the > Master, against the Ammonites and against their cruel taunts: > > "'A sword! A sword! > Bared to kill, > Sharp as a razor, > flashing like lightning. > Despite false sword propaganda > circulated in Ammon, > The sword will sever Ammonite necks, > for whom it's punishment payday. > Return the sword to the sheath! I'll judge you in your home country, > in the land where you grew up. > I'll empty out my wrath on you, > breathe hot anger down your neck. > I'll give you to vicious men > skilled in torture. > You'll end up as stove-wood. > Corpses will litter your land. > Not so much as a memory will be left of you. > I, God, have said so.'" > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > 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. 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