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, October 14, 2009 11:16 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Thursday October 15 > Day 288 > > Matthew 16-18 (The Message) > > Matthew 16 > Some Bad Yeast > 1-4 Some Pharisees and Sadducees were on him again, pressing him to prove > himself to them. He told > them, "You have a saying that goes, 'Red sky at night, sailor's delight; > red sky at morning, sailors > take warning.' You find it easy enough to forecast the weather-why can't > you read the signs of the > times? An evil and wanton generation is always wanting signs and wonders. > The only sign you'll get > is the Jonah sign." Then he turned on his heel and walked away. > 5-6On their way to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered > they had forgotten to bring > along bread. In the meantime, Jesus said to them, "Keep a sharp eye out > for Pharisee-Sadducee > yeast." > > 7-12Thinking he was scolding them for forgetting bread, they discussed in > whispers what to do. > Jesus knew what they were doing and said, "Why all these worried whispers > about forgetting the > bread? Runt believers! Haven't you caught on yet? Don't you remember the > five loaves of bread and > the five thousand people, and how many baskets of fragments you picked up? > Or the seven loaves that > fed four thousand, and how many baskets of leftovers you collected? > Haven't you realized yet that > bread isn't the problem? The problem is yeast, Pharisee-Sadducee yeast." > Then they got it: that he > wasn't concerned about eating, but teaching-the Pharisee-Sadducee kind of > teaching. > > Son of Man, Son of God > 13When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his > disciples, "What are people > saying about who the Son of Man is?" > 14They replied, "Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some > Jeremiah or one of the > other prophets." > > 15He pressed them, "And how about you? Who do you say I am?" > > 16Simon Peter said, "You're the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living > God." > > 17-18Jesus came back, "God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn't get > that answer out of books > or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this > secret of who I really am. > And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a > rock. This is the rock on > which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy > that not even the gates of > hell will be able to keep it out. > > 19"And that's not all. You will have complete and free access to God's > kingdom, keys to open any > and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and > heaven. A yes on earth is yes > in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven." > > 20He swore the disciples to secrecy. He made them promise they would tell > no one that he was the > Messiah. > > You're Not in the Driver's Seat > 21-22Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary > for him to go to > Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious > leaders, be killed, and > then on the third day be raised up alive. Peter took him in hand, > protesting, "Impossible, Master! > That can never be!" > 23But Jesus didn't swerve. "Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You > have no idea how God > works." > > 24-26Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come > with me has to let me > lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; > embrace it. Follow me and > I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, > my way, to finding > yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you > want but lose yourself? What > could you ever trade your soul for? > > 27-28"Don't be in such a hurry to go into business for yourself. Before > you know it the Son of Man > will arrive with all the splendor of his Father, accompanied by an army of > angels. You'll get > everything you have coming to you, a personal gift. This isn't pie in the > sky by and by. Some of you > standing here are going to see it take place, see the Son of Man in > kingdom glory." > > Matthew 17 > Sunlight Poured from His Face > 1-3 Six days later, three of them saw that glory. Jesus took Peter and the > brothers, James and > John, and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the > inside out, right before > their eyes. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with > light. Then they realized > that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him. > 4Peter broke in, "Master, this is a great moment! What would you think if > I built three memorials > here on the mountain-one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah?" > > 5While he was going on like this, babbling, a light-radiant cloud > enveloped them, and sounding from > deep in the cloud a voice: "This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my > delight. Listen to him." > > 6-8When the disciples heard it, they fell flat on their faces, scared to > death. But Jesus came over > and touched them. "Don't be afraid." When they opened their eyes and > looked around all they saw was > Jesus, only Jesus. > > 9Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. "Don't breathe a > word of what you've seen. > After the Son of Man is raised from the dead, you are free to talk." > > 10The disciples, meanwhile, were asking questions. "Why do the religion > scholars say that Elijah > has to come first?" > > 11-13Jesus answered, "Elijah does come and get everything ready. I'm > telling you, Elijah has > already come but they didn't know him when they saw him. They treated him > like dirt, the same way > they are about to treat the Son of Man." That's when the disciples > realized that all along he had > been talking about John the Baptizer. > > With a Mere Kernel of Faith > 14-16At the bottom of the mountain, they were met by a crowd of waiting > people. As they approached, > a man came out of the crowd and fell to his knees begging, "Master, have > mercy on my son. He goes > out of his mind and suffers terribly, falling into seizures. Frequently he > is pitched into the fire, > other times into the river. I brought him to your disciples, but they > could do nothing for him." > 17-18Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your > lives! How many times do I > have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with > this? Bring the boy here." He > ordered the afflicting demon out-and it was out, gone. From that moment on > the boy was well. > > 19When the disciples had Jesus off to themselves, they asked, "Why > couldn't we throw it out?" > > 20"Because you're not yet taking God seriously," said Jesus. "The simple > truth is that if you had a > mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, > 'Move!' and it would move. > There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle." > > 22-23As they were regrouping in Galilee, Jesus told them, "The Son of Man > is about to be betrayed > to some people who want nothing to do with God. They will murder him-and > three days later he will be > raised alive." The disciples felt terrible. > > 24When they arrived at Capernaum, the tax men came to Peter and asked, > "Does your teacher pay > taxes?" > > 25Peter said, "Of course." > > But as soon as they were in the house, Jesus confronted him. "Simon, > what do you think? When a > king levies taxes, who pays-his children or his subjects?" > > 26-27He answered, "His subjects." > > Jesus said, "Then the children get off free, right? But so we don't > upset them needlessly, go > down to the lake, cast a hook, and pull in the first fish that bites. Open > its mouth and you'll find > a coin. Take it and give it to the tax men. It will be enough for both of > us." > > Matthew 18 > Whoever Becomes Simple Again > 1 At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, "Who gets > the highest rank in God's > kingdom?" > 2-5For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of > the room, and said, "I'm > telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and > start over like children, > you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. > Whoever becomes simple and > elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom. What's > more, when you receive the > childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me. 6-7"But if you > give them a hard time, > bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you'll soon wish you > hadn't. You'd be better off > dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck. Doom > to the world for giving > these God-believing children a hard time! Hard times are inevitable, but > you don't have to make it > worse-and it's doomsday to you if you do. > > 8-9"If your hand or your foot gets in the way of God, chop it off and > throw it away. You're better > off maimed or lame and alive than the proud owners of two hands and two > feet, godless in a furnace > of eternal fire. And if your eye distracts you from God, pull it out and > throw it away. You're > better off one-eyed and alive than exercising your twenty-twenty vision > from inside the fire of > hell. > > 10"Watch that you don't treat a single one of these childlike believers > arrogantly. You realize, > don't you, that their personal angels are constantly in touch with my > Father in heaven? > > Work It Out Between You > 12-14"Look at it this way. If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them > wanders off, doesn't he > leave the ninety-nine and go after the one? And if he finds it, doesn't he > make far more over it > than over the ninety-nine who stay put? Your Father in heaven feels the > same way. He doesn't want to > lose even one of these simple believers. > 15-17"If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him-work it out between > the two of you. If he > listens, you've made a friend. If he won't listen, take one or two others > along so that the presence > of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won't > listen, tell the church. If > he won't listen to the church, you'll have to start over from scratch, > confront him with the need > for repentance, and offer again God's forgiving love. > > 18-20"Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on > earth is no in heaven. > What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get > together on anything at all > on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. > And when two or three of you > are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there." > > A Story About Forgiveness > 21At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, "Master, how many times do > I forgive a brother or > sister who hurts me? Seven?" > 22Jesus replied, "Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven. > > 23-25"The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts > with his servants. As he got > under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a > hundred thousand dollars. > He couldn't pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, > children, and goods, to be > auctioned off at the slave market. > > 26-27"The poor wretch threw himself at the king's feet and begged, 'Give > me a chance and I'll pay > it all back.' Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt. > > 28"The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his > fellow servants who owed > him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, 'Pay up. Now!' > > 29-31"The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, 'Give me a chance and > I'll pay it all back.' > But he wouldn't do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt > was paid. When the other > servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed > report to the king. > > 32-35"The king summoned the man and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave > your entire debt when you > begged me for mercy. Shouldn't you be compelled to be merciful to your > fellow servant who asked for > mercy?' The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid > back his entire debt. And > that's exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you > who doesn't forgive > unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy." > > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
