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: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 11:16 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Thursday October 1 > Day 274 > > Habakkuk 1-3 (The Message) > > Habakkuk 1 > Justice Is a Joke > 1-4 The problem as God gave Habakkuk to see it: God, how long do I have to > cry out for help > before you listen? > How many times do I have to yell, "Help! Murder! Police!" > before you come to the rescue? > Why do you force me to look at evil, > stare trouble in the face day after day? > Anarchy and violence break out, > quarrels and fights all over the place. > Law and order fall to pieces. > Justice is a joke. > The wicked have the righteous hamstrung > and stand justice on its head. > God Says, "Look!" > 5-11"Look around at the godless nations. > Look long and hard. Brace yourself for a shock. > Something's about to take place > and you're going to find it hard to believe. > I'm about to raise up Babylonians to punish you, > Babylonians, fierce and ferocious- > World-conquering Babylon, > grabbing up nations right and left, > A dreadful and terrible people, > making up its own rules as it goes. > Their horses run like the wind, > attack like bloodthirsty wolves. > A stampede of galloping horses > thunders out of nowhere. > They descend like vultures > circling in on carrion. > They're out to kill. Death is on their minds. > They collect victims like squirrels gathering nuts. > They mock kings, > poke fun at generals, > Spit on forts, > and leave them in the dust. > They'll all be blown away by the wind. > Brazen in sin, they call strength their god." > Why Is God Silent Now? > 12-13God, you're from eternity, aren't you? > Holy God, we aren't going to die, are we? > God, you chose Babylonians for your judgment work? > Rock-Solid God, you gave them the job of discipline? > But you can't be serious! > You can't condone evil! > So why don't you do something about this? > Why are you silent now? > This outrage! Evil men swallow up the righteous > and you stand around and watch! > 14-16You're treating men and women > as so many fish in the ocean, > Swimming without direction, > swimming but not getting anywhere. > Then this evil Babylonian arrives and goes fishing. > He pulls in a good catch. > He catches his limit and fills his creel- > a good day of fishing! He's happy! > He praises his rod and reel, > piles his fishing gear on an altar and worships it! > It's made his day, > and he's going to eat well tonight! > > 17Are you going to let this go on and on? > Will you let this Babylonian fisherman > Fish like a weekend angler, > killing people as if they're nothing but fish? > > Habakkuk 2 > 1 What's God going to say to my questions? I'm braced for the worst. I'll > climb to the lookout > tower and scan the horizon. > I'll wait to see what God says, > how he'll answer my complaint. > Full of Self, but Soul-Empty > 2-3And then God answered: "Write this. > Write what you see. > Write it out in big block letters > so that it can be read on the run. > This vision-message is a witness > pointing to what's coming. > It aches for the coming-it can hardly wait! > And it doesn't lie. > If it seems slow in coming, wait. > It's on its way. It will come right on time. > 4"Look at that man, bloated by self-importance- > full of himself but soul-empty. > But the person in right standing before God > through loyal and steady believing > is fully alive, really alive. > > 5-6"Note well: Money deceives. > The arrogant rich don't last. > They are more hungry for wealth > than the grave is for cadavers. > Like death, they always want more, > but the 'more' they get is dead bodies. > They are cemeteries filled with dead nations, > graveyards filled with corpses. > Don't give people like this a second thought. > Soon the whole world will be taunting them: > > 6-8"'Who do you think you are- > getting rich by stealing and extortion? > How long do you think > you can get away with this?' > Indeed, how long before your victims wake up, > stand up and make you the victim? > You've plundered nation after nation. > Now you'll get a taste of your own medicine. > All the survivors are out to plunder you, > a payback for all your murders and massacres. > > 9-11"Who do you think you are- > recklessly grabbing and looting, > Living it up, acting like king of the mountain, > acting above it all, above trials and troubles? > You've engineered the ruin of your own house. > In ruining others you've ruined yourself. > You've undermined your foundations, > rotted out your own soul. > The bricks of your house will speak up and accuse you. > The woodwork will step forward with evidence. > > 12-14"Who do you think you are- > building a town by murder, a city with crime? > Don't you know that God-of-the-Angel-Armies > makes sure nothing comes of that but ashes, > Makes sure the harder you work > at that kind of thing, the less you are? > Meanwhile the earth fills up > with awareness of God's glory > as the waters cover the sea. > > 15-17"Who do you think you are- > inviting your neighbors to your drunken parties, > Giving them too much to drink, > roping them into your sexual orgies? > You thought you were having the time of your life. > Wrong! It's a time of disgrace. > All the time you were drinking, > you were drinking from the cup of God's wrath. > You'll wake up holding your throbbing head, hung over- > hung over from Lebanon violence, > Hung over from animal massacres, > hung over from murder and mayhem, > From multiple violations > of place and people. > > 18-19"What's the use of a carved god > so skillfully carved by its sculptor? > What good is a fancy cast god > when all it tells is lies? > What sense does it make to be a pious god-maker > who makes gods that can't even talk? > Who do you think you are- > saying to a stick of wood, 'Wake up,' > Or to a dumb stone, 'Get up'? > Can they teach you anything about anything? > There's nothing to them but surface. > There's nothing on the inside. > > 20"But oh! God is in his holy Temple! > Quiet everyone-a holy silence. Listen!" > > Habakkuk 3 > God Racing on the Crest of the Waves > 1-2 A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk, with orchestra: God, I've heard what > our ancestors say about > you, > and I'm stopped in my tracks, down on my knees. > Do among us what you did among them. > Work among us as you worked among them. > And as you bring judgment, as you surely must, > remember mercy. > 3-7God's on his way again, > retracing the old salvation route, > Coming up from the south through Teman, > the Holy One from Mount Paran. > Skies are blazing with his splendor, > his praises sounding through the earth, > His cloud-brightness like dawn, exploding, spreading, > forked-lightning shooting from his hand- > what power hidden in that fist! > Plague marches before him, > pestilence at his heels! > He stops. He shakes Earth. > He looks around. Nations tremble. > The age-old mountains fall to pieces; > ancient hills collapse like a spent balloon. > The paths God takes are older > than the oldest mountains and hills. > I saw everyone worried, in a panic: > Old wilderness adversaries, > Cushan and Midian, were terrified, > hoping he wouldn't notice them. > > 8-16God, is it River you're mad at? > Angry at old River? > Were you raging at Sea when you rode > horse and chariot through to salvation? > You unfurled your bow > and let loose a volley of arrows. > You split Earth with rivers. > Mountains saw what was coming. > They twisted in pain. > Flood Waters poured in. > Ocean roared and reared huge waves. > Sun and Moon stopped in their tracks. > Your flashing arrows stopped them, > your lightning-strike spears impaled them. > Angry, you stomped through Earth. > Furious, you crushed the godless nations. > You were out to save your people, > to save your specially chosen people. > You beat the stuffing > out of King Wicked, > Stripped him naked > from head to toe, > Set his severed head on his own spear > and blew away his army. > Scattered they were to the four winds- > and ended up food for the sharks! > You galloped through the Sea on your horses, > racing on the crest of the waves. > When I heard it, my stomach did flips. > I stammered and stuttered. > My bones turned to water. > I staggered and stumbled. > I sit back and wait for Doomsday > to descend on our attackers. > > 17-19Though the cherry trees don't blossom > and the strawberries don't ripen, > Though the apples are worm-eaten > and the wheat fields stunted, > Though the sheep pens are sheepless > and the cattle barns empty, > I'm singing joyful praise to God. > I'm turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God. > Counting on God's Rule to prevail, > I take heart and gain strength. > I run like a deer. > I feel like I'm king of the mountain! > > (For congregational use, with a full orchestra.) > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > 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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