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, October 02, 2009 1:00 AM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Friday October 2 > Day 275 > > Zephaniah 1-3 (The Message) > > Zephaniah 1 > No Longer Giving God a Thought or a Prayer > 1 God's Message to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of > Amariah, son of Hezekiah. It > came during the reign of Josiah son of Amon, who was king of Judah: > 2"I'm going to make a clean sweep of the earth, > a thorough housecleaning." God's Decree. > > 3"Men and women and animals, > including birds and fish- > Anything and everything that causes sin-will go, > but especially people. > > 4-6"I'll start with Judah > and everybody who lives in Jerusalem. > I'll sweep the place clean of every trace > of the sex-and-religion Baal shrines and their priests. > I'll get rid of the people who sneak up to their rooftops at night > to worship the star gods and goddesses; > Also those who continue to worship God > but cover their bases by worshiping other king-gods as well; > Not to mention those who've dumped God altogether, > no longer giving him a thought or offering a prayer. > > 7-13"Quiet now! > Reverent silence before me, God, the Master! > Time's up. My Judgment Day is near: > The Holy Day is all set, the invited guests made holy. > On the Holy Day, God's Judgment Day, > I will punish the leaders and the royal sons; > I will punish those who dress up like foreign priests and priestesses, > Who introduce pagan prayers and practices; > And I'll punish all who import pagan superstitions > that turn holy places into hellholes. > Judgment Day!" God's Decree! > "Cries of panic from the city's Fish Gate, > Cries of terror from the city's Second Quarter, > sounds of great crashing from the hills! > Wail, you shopkeepers on Market Street! > Moneymaking has had its day. The god Money is dead. > On Judgment Day, > I'll search through every closet and alley in Jerusalem. > I'll find and punish those who are sitting it out, fat and lazy, > amusing themselves and taking it easy, > Who think, 'God doesn't do anything, good or bad. > He isn't involved, so neither are we.' > But just wait. They'll lose everything they have, > money and house and land. > They'll build a house and never move in. > They'll plant vineyards and never taste the wine. > > A Day of Darkness at Noon > 14-18"The Great Judgment Day of God is almost here. > It's countdown time:...seven, six, five, four... > Bitter and noisy cries on my Judgment Day, > even strong men screaming for help. > Judgment Day is payday-my anger paid out: > a day of distress and anguish, > a day of catastrophic doom, > a day of darkness at noon, > a day of black storm clouds, > a day of bloodcurdling war cries, > as forts are assaulted, > as defenses are smashed. > I'll make things so bad they won't know what hit them. > They'll walk around groping like the blind. > They've sinned against God! > Their blood will be poured out like old dishwater, > their guts shoveled into slop buckets. > Don't plan on buying your way out. > Your money is worthless for this. > This is the Day of God's Judgment-my wrath! > I care about sin with fiery passion- > A fire to burn up the corrupted world, > a wildfire finish to the corrupting people." > Zephaniah 2 > Seek God > 1-2 So get yourselves together. Shape up! > You're a nation without a clue about what it wants. > Do it before you're blown away > like leaves in a windstorm, > Before God's Judgment-anger > sweeps down on you, > Before God's Judgment Day wrath > descends with full force. > 3Seek God, all you quietly disciplined people > who live by God's justice. > Seek God's right ways. Seek a quiet and disciplined life. > Perhaps you'll be hidden on the Day of God's anger. > > All Earth-Made Gods Will Blow Away > 4-5Gaza is scheduled for demolition, > Ashdod will be cleaned out by high noon, > Ekron pulled out by the roots. > Doom to the seaside people, > the seafaring people from Crete! > The Word of God is bad news for you > who settled Canaan, the Philistine country: > "You're slated for destruction- > no survivors!" > 6-7The lands of the seafarers > will become pastureland, > A country for shepherds and sheep. > What's left of the family of Judah will get it. > Day after day they'll pasture by the sea, > and go home in the evening to Ashkelon to sleep. > Their very own God will look out for them. > He'll make things as good as before. > > 8-12"I've heard the crude taunts of Moab, > the mockeries flung by Ammon, > The cruel talk they've used to put down my people, > their self-important strutting along Israel's borders. > Therefore, as sure as I am the living God," says God-of-the-Angel-Armies, > Israel's personal God, > "Moab will become a ruin like Sodom, > Ammon a ghost town like Gomorrah, > One a field of rocks, the other a sterile salt flat, > a moonscape forever. > What's left of my people will finish them off, > will pick them clean and take over. > This is what they get for their bloated pride, > their taunts and mockeries of the people > of God-of-the-Angel-Armies. > God will be seen as truly terrible-a Holy Terror. > All earth-made gods will shrivel up and blow away; > And everyone, wherever they are, far or near, > will fall to the ground and worship him. > Also you Ethiopians, > you, too, will die-I'll see to it." > > 13-15Then God will reach into the north > and destroy Assyria. > He will waste Nineveh, > leave her dry and treeless as a desert. > The ghost town of a city, > the haunt of wild animals, > Nineveh will be home to raccoons and coyotes- > they'll bed down in its ruins. > Owls will hoot in the windows, ravens will croak in the doorways- > all that fancy woodwork now a perch for birds. > Can this be the famous Fun City > that had it made, > That boasted, "I'm the Number-One City! > I'm King of the Mountain!" > So why is the place deserted, > a lair for wild animals? > Passersby hardly give it a look; > they dismiss it with a gesture. > > Zephaniah 3 > Sewer City > 1-5 Doom to the rebellious city, the home of oppressors-Sewer City! > The city that wouldn't take advice, > wouldn't accept correction, > Wouldn't trust God, > wouldn't even get close to her own god! > Her very own leaders > are rapacious lions, > Her judges are rapacious timber wolves > out every morning prowling for a fresh kill. > Her prophets are out for what they can get. > They're opportunists-you can't trust them. > Her priests desecrate the Sanctuary. > They use God's law as a weapon to maim and kill souls. > Yet God remains righteous in her midst, > untouched by the evil. > He stays at it, day after day, meting out justice. > At evening he's still at it, strong as ever. > But evil men and women, without conscience > and without shame, persist in evil. > 6"So I cut off the godless nations. > I knocked down their defense posts, > Filled her roads with rubble > so no one could get through. > Her cities were bombed-out ruins, > unlivable and unlived in. > > 7"I thought, 'Surely she'll honor me now, > accept my discipline and correction, > Find a way of escape from the trouble she's in, > find relief from the punishment I'm bringing.' > But it didn't faze her. Bright and early > she was up at it again, doing the same old things. > > 8"Well, if that's what you want, stick around." > God's Decree. > "Your day in court is coming, > but remember I'll be there to bring evidence. > I'll bring all the nations to the courtroom, > round up all the kingdoms, > And let them feel the brunt of my anger, > my raging wrath. > My zeal is a fire > that will purge and purify the earth. > > God Is in Charge at the Center > 9-13"In the end I will turn things around for the people. > I'll give them a language undistorted, unpolluted, > Words to address God in worship > and, united, to serve me with their shoulders to the wheel. > They'll come from beyond the Ethiopian rivers, > they'll come praying- > All my scattered, exiled people > will come home with offerings for worship. > You'll no longer have to be ashamed > of all those acts of rebellion. > I'll have gotten rid of your arrogant leaders. > No more pious strutting on my holy hill! > I'll leave a core of people among you > who are poor in spirit- > What's left of Israel that's really Israel. > They'll make their home in God. > This core holy people > will not do wrong. > They won't lie, > won't use words to flatter or seduce. > Content with who they are and where they are, > unanxious, they'll live at peace." > 14-15So sing, Daughter Zion! > Raise the rafters, Israel! > Daughter Jerusalem, > be happy! celebrate! > God has reversed his judgments against you > and sent your enemies off chasing their tails. > From now on, God is Israel's king, > in charge at the center. > There's nothing to fear from evil > ever again! > > God Is Present Among You > 16-17Jerusalem will be told: > "Don't be afraid. > Dear Zion, > don't despair. > Your God is present among you, > a strong Warrior there to save you. > Happy to have you back, he'll calm you with his love > and delight you with his songs. > 18-20"The accumulated sorrows of your exile > will dissipate. > I, your God, will get rid of them for you. > You've carried those burdens long enough. > At the same time, I'll get rid of all those > who've made your life miserable. > I'll heal the maimed; > I'll bring home the homeless. > In the very countries where they were hated > they will be venerated. > On Judgment Day > I'll bring you back home-a great family gathering! > You'll be famous and honored > all over the world. > You'll see it with your own eyes- > all those painful partings turned into reunions!" > God's Promise. > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > 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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