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: Sunday, October 11, 2009 10:12 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Monday October 12 > Day 285 > > Matthew 7 > A Simple Guide for Behavior > 1-5 "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults- > unless, of course, you > want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. > It's easy to see a smudge > on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do > you have the nerve to > say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by > contempt? It's this whole > traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou > part instead of just living > your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to > offer a washcloth to your > neighbor. > 6"Don't be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to > God. Don't reduce holy > mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you're only being cute and > inviting sacrilege. > > 7-11"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't > a cat-and-mouse, > hide-and-seek game we're in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick > him with sawdust? If he asks > for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you > are, you wouldn't think of > such a thing. You're at least decent to your own children. So don't you > think the God who conceived > you in love will be even better? > > 12"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what > you want people to do for > you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and > Prophets and this is what you > get. > > Being and Doing > 13-14"Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with > surefire, easygoing formulas for > a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for > that stuff, even though > crowds of people do. The way to life-to God!-is vigorous and requires > total attention. > 15-20"Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced > sincerity. Chances are > they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don't be impressed with > charisma; look for character. > Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader > will never exploit your > emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples > are going to be chopped down > and burned. > > 21-23"Knowing the correct password-saying 'Master, Master,' for instance- > isn't going to get you > anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience-doing what my > Father wills. I can see it > now-at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, > 'Master, we preached the Message, > we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' > And do you know what I am > going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make > yourselves important. You don't > impress me one bit. You're out of here.' > > 24-25"These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your > life, homeowner improvements > to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a > life on. If you work these > words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house > on solid rock. Rain poured > down, the river flooded, a tornado hit-but nothing moved that house. It > was fixed to the rock. > > 26-27"But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them > into your life, you are > like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a > storm rolled in and the waves > came up, it collapsed like a house of cards." > > 28-29When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They > had never heard teaching > like this. It was apparent that he was living everything he was > saying-quite a contrast to their > religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard. > > Matthew 8 > He Carried Our Diseases > 1-2 Jesus came down the mountain with the cheers of the crowd still > ringing in his ears. Then a > leper appeared and went to his knees before Jesus, praying, "Master, if > you want to, you can heal my > body." > 3-4Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, "I want to. Be clean." Then > and there, all signs of > the leprosy were gone. Jesus said, "Don't talk about this all over town. > Just quietly present your > healed body to the priest, along with the appropriate expressions of > thanks to God. Your cleansed > and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done." > > 5-6As Jesus entered the village of Capernaum, a Roman captain came up in a > panic and said, "Master, > my servant is sick. He can't walk. He's in terrible pain." > > 7Jesus said, "I'll come and heal him." > > 8-9"Oh, no," said the captain. "I don't want to put you to all that > trouble. Just give the order > and my servant will be fine. I'm a man who takes orders and gives orders. > I tell one soldier, 'Go,' > and he goes; to another, 'Come,' and he comes; to my slave, 'Do this,' and > he does it." > > 10-12Taken aback, Jesus said, "I've yet to come across this kind of simple > trust in Israel, the > very people who are supposed to know all about God and how he works. This > man is the vanguard of > many outsiders who will soon be coming from all directions-streaming in > from the east, pouring in > from the west, sitting down at God's kingdom banquet alongside Abraham, > Isaac, and Jacob. Then those > who grew up 'in the faith' but had no faith will find themselves out in > the cold, outsiders to grace > and wondering what happened." > > 13Then Jesus turned to the captain and said, "Go. What you believed could > happen has happened." At > that moment his servant became well. > > 14-15By this time they were in front of Peter's house. On entering, Jesus > found Peter's > mother-in-law sick in bed, burning up with fever. He touched her hand and > the fever was gone. No > sooner was she up on her feet than she was fixing dinner for him. > > 16-17That evening a lot of demon-afflicted people were brought to him. He > relieved the inwardly > tormented. He cured the bodily ill. He fulfilled Isaiah's well-known > sermon: > > He took our illnesses, > He carried our diseases. > > Your Business Is Life, Not Death > 18-19When Jesus saw that a curious crowd was growing by the minute, he > told his disciples to get > him out of there to the other side of the lake. As they left, a religion > scholar asked if he could > go along. "I'll go with you, wherever," he said. > 20Jesus was curt: "Are you ready to rough it? We're not staying in the > best inns, you know." > > 21Another follower said, "Master, excuse me for a couple of days, please. > I have my father's > funeral to take care of." > > 22Jesus refused. "First things first. Your business is life, not death. > Follow me. Pursue life." > > 23-25Then he got in the boat, his disciples with him. The next thing they > knew, they were in a > severe storm. Waves were crashing into the boat-and he was sound asleep! > They roused him, pleading, > "Master, save us! We're going down!" > > 26Jesus reprimanded them. "Why are you such cowards, such faint-hearts?" > Then he stood up and told > the wind to be silent, the sea to quiet down: "Silence!" The sea became > smooth as glass. > > 27The men rubbed their eyes, astonished. "What's going on here? Wind and > sea come to heel at his > command!" > > The Madmen and the Pigs > 28-31They landed in the country of the Gadarenes and were met by two > madmen, victims of demons, > coming out of the cemetery. The men had terrorized the region for so long > that no one considered it > safe to walk down that stretch of road anymore. Seeing Jesus, the madmen > screamed out, "What > business do you have giving us a hard time? You're the Son of God! You > weren't supposed to show up > here yet!" Off in the distance a herd of pigs was browsing and rooting. > The evil spirits begged > Jesus, "If you kick us out of these men, let us live in the pigs." > 32-34Jesus said, "Go ahead, but get out of here!" Crazed, the pigs > stampeded over a cliff into the > sea and drowned. Scared to death, the swineherds bolted. They told > everyone back in town what had > happened to the madmen and the pigs. Those who heard about it were angry > about the drowned pigs. A > mob formed and demanded that Jesus get out and not come back. > > Matthew 9 > Who Needs a Doctor? > 1-3 Back in the boat, Jesus and the disciples recrossed the sea to Jesus' > hometown. They were > hardly out of the boat when some men carried a paraplegic on a stretcher > and set him down in front > of them. Jesus, impressed by their bold belief, said to the paraplegic, > "Cheer up, son. I forgive > your sins." Some religion scholars whispered, "Why, that's blasphemy!" > 4-8Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, "Why this gossipy > whispering? Which do you think > is simpler: to say, 'I forgive your sins,' or, 'Get up and walk'? Well, > just so it's clear that I'm > the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both. . . ." At this he > turned to the paraplegic and > said, "Get up. Take your bed and go home." And the man did it. The crowd > was awestruck, amazed and > pleased that God had authorized Jesus to work among them this way. > > 9Passing along, Jesus saw a man at his work collecting taxes. His name was > Matthew. Jesus said, > "Come along with me." Matthew stood up and followed him. > > 10-11Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew's house with his close > followers, a lot of > disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him > keeping this kind of > company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus' followers. "What kind of > example is this from your > Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riffraff?" > > 12-13Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or > the sick? Go figure out > what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to > invite outsiders, not coddle > insiders." > > Kingdom Come > 14A little later John's followers approached, asking, "Why is it that we > and the Pharisees > rigorously discipline body and spirit by fasting, but your followers > don't?" > 15Jesus told them, "When you're celebrating a wedding, you don't skimp on > the cake and wine. You > feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but not now. No one throws > cold water on a friendly > bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!" > > 16-17He went on, "No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work > clothes; you want fabrics that > match. And you don't put your wine in cracked bottles." > > Just a Touch > 18-19As he finished saying this, a local official appeared, bowed > politely, and said, "My daughter > has just now died. If you come and touch her, she will live." Jesus got up > and went with him, his > disciples following along. > 20-22Just then a woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years slipped in > from behind and lightly > touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, "If I can just put a finger > on his robe, I'll get > well." Jesus turned-caught her at it. Then he reassured her: "Courage, > daughter. You took a risk of > faith, and now you're well." The woman was well from then on. > > 23-26By now they had arrived at the house of the town official, and pushed > their way through the > gossips looking for a story and the neighbors bringing in casseroles. > Jesus was abrupt: "Clear out! > This girl isn't dead. She's sleeping." They told him he didn't know what > he was talking about. But > when Jesus had gotten rid of the crowd, he went in, took the girl's hand, > and pulled her to her > feet-alive. The news was soon out, and traveled throughout the region. > > Become What You Believe > 27-28As Jesus left the house, he was followed by two blind men crying out, > "Mercy, Son of David! > Mercy on us!" When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus > said to them, "Do you > really believe I can do this?" They said, "Why, yes, Master!" > 29-31He touched their eyes and said, "Become what you believe." It > happened. They saw. Then Jesus > became very stern. "Don't let a soul know how this happened." But they > were hardly out the door > before they started blabbing it to everyone they met. > > 32-33Right after that, as the blind men were leaving, a man who had been > struck speechless by an > evil spirit was brought to Jesus. As soon as Jesus threw the evil > tormenting spirit out, the man > talked away just as if he'd been talking all his life. The people were up > on their feet applauding: > "There's never been anything like this in Israel!" > > 34The Pharisees were left sputtering, "Hocus-pocus. It's nothing but > hocus-pocus. He's probably > made a pact with the Devil." > > 35-38Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in > their meeting places, > reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their > bruised and hurt lives. When > he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless > they were, like sheep with > no shepherd. "What a huge harvest!" he said to his disciples. "How few > workers! On your knees and > pray for harvest hands!" > > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
