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 16, 2009 10:31 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Saturday October 17 > Day 290 > > Matthew 22-24 (The Message) > > Matthew 22 > The Story of the Wedding Banquet > 1-3 Jesus responded by telling still more stories. "God's kingdom," he > said, "is like a king who > threw a wedding banquet for his son. He sent out servants to call in all > the invited guests. And > they wouldn't come! > 4"He sent out another round of servants, instructing them to tell the > guests, 'Look, everything is > on the table, the prime rib is ready for carving. Come to the feast!' > > 5-7"They only shrugged their shoulders and went off, one to weed his > garden, another to work in his > shop. The rest, with nothing better to do, beat up on the messengers and > then killed them. The king > was outraged and sent his soldiers to destroy those thugs and level their > city. > > 8-10"Then he told his servants, 'We have a wedding banquet all prepared > but no guests. The ones I > invited weren't up to it. Go out into the busiest intersections in town > and invite anyone you find > to the banquet.' The servants went out on the streets and rounded up > everyone they laid eyes on, > good and bad, regardless. And so the banquet was on-every place filled. > > 11-13"When the king entered and looked over the scene, he spotted a man > who wasn't properly > dressed. He said to him, 'Friend, how dare you come in here looking like > that!' The man was > speechless. Then the king told his servants, 'Get him out of here-fast. > Tie him up and ship him to > hell. And make sure he doesn't get back in.' > > 14"That's what I mean when I say, 'Many get invited; only a few make it.'" > > Paying Taxes > 15-17That's when the Pharisees plotted a way to trap him into saying > something damaging. They sent > their disciples, with a few of Herod's followers mixed in, to ask, > "Teacher, we know you have > integrity, teach the way of God accurately, are indifferent to popular > opinion, and don't pander to > your students. So tell us honestly: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or > not?" > 18-19Jesus knew they were up to no good. He said, "Why are you playing > these games with me? Why are > you trying to trap me? Do you have a coin? Let me see it." They handed him > a silver piece. > > 20"This engraving-who does it look like? And whose name is on it?" > > 21They said, "Caesar." > > "Then give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his." > > 22The Pharisees were speechless. They went off shaking their heads. > > Marriage and Resurrection > 23-28That same day, Sadducees approached him. This is the party that > denies any possibility of > resurrection. They asked, "Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies > childless, his brother is > obligated to marry his widow and get her with child. Here's a case where > there were seven brothers. > The first brother married and died, leaving no child, and his wife passed > to his brother. The second > brother also left her childless, then the third-and on and on, all seven. > Eventually the wife died. > Now here's our question: At the resurrection, whose wife is she? She was a > wife to each of them." > 29-33Jesus answered, "You're off base on two counts: You don't know your > Bibles, and you don't know > how God works. At the resurrection we're beyond marriage. As with the > angels, all our ecstasies and > intimacies then will be with God. And regarding your speculation on > whether the dead are raised or > not, don't you read your Bibles? The grammar is clear: God says, 'I am-not > was-the God of Abraham, > the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.' The living God defines himself not as > the God of dead men, but > of the living." Hearing this exchange the crowd was much impressed. > > The Most Important Command > 34-36When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they > gathered their forces for an > assault. One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question > they hoped would show him > up: "Teacher, which command in God's Law is the most important?" > 37-40Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer > and intelligence.' This > is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set > alongside it: 'Love > others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; > everything in God's Law and the > Prophets hangs from them." > > David's Son and Master > 41-42As the Pharisees were regrouping, Jesus caught them off balance with > his own test question: > "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said, "David's > son." > 43-45Jesus replied, "Well, if the Christ is David's son, how do you > explain that David, under > inspiration, named Christ his 'Master'? > > God said to my Master, > "Sit here at my right hand > until I make your enemies your footstool." > "Now if David calls him 'Master,' how can he at the same time be his son?" > > 46That stumped them, literalists that they were. Unwilling to risk losing > face again in one of > these public verbal exchanges, they quit asking questions for good. > > Matthew 23 > Religious Fashion Shows > 1-3 Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that > had gathered with them. > "The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. > You won't go wrong in > following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. > They talk a good line, but > they don't live it. They don't take it into their hearts and live it out > in their behavior. It's all > spit-and-polish veneer. > 4-7"Instead of giving you God's Law as food and drink by which you can > banquet on God, they package > it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to > take pleasure in watching > you stagger under these loads, and wouldn't think of lifting a finger to > help. Their lives are > perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery > prayers the next. They love > to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent > positions, preening in the > radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting > called 'Doctor' and 'Reverend.' > > 8-10"Don't let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You > all have a single > Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don't set people up as experts over > your life, letting them > tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to > do. No one else should > carry the title of 'Father'; you have only one Father, and he's in heaven. > And don't let people > maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for > you and them-Christ. > > 11-12"Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff > yourself up, you'll get > the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, > your life will count for > plenty. > > Frauds! > 13"I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you religion scholars, you > Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives > are roadblocks to God's kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won't let anyone > else in either. > 15"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go > halfway around the world to > make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of > yourselves, double-damned. > > 16-22"You're hopeless! What arrogant stupidity! You say, 'If someone makes > a promise with his > fingers crossed, that's nothing; but if he swears with his hand on the > Bible, that's serious.' What > ignorance! Does the leather on the Bible carry more weight than the skin > on your hands? And what > about this piece of trivia: 'If you shake hands on a promise, that's > nothing; but if you raise your > hand that God is your witness, that's serious'? What ridiculous > hairsplitting! What difference does > it make whether you shake hands or raise hands? A promise is a promise. > What difference does it make > if you make your promise inside or outside a house of worship? A promise > is a promise. God is > present, watching and holding you to account regardless. > > 23-24"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You > keep meticulous account > books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's > Law, things like fairness > and compassion and commitment-the absolute basics!-you carelessly take it > or leave it. Careful > bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any > idea how silly you look, > writing a life story that's wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over > commas and semicolons? > > 25-26"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You > burnish the surface of your > cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty > with your greed and > gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming > surface will mean something. > > 27-28"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You're > like manicured grave > plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it's all > rotting bones and worm-eaten > flesh. People look at you and think you're saints, but beneath the skin > you're total frauds. > > 29-32"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You > build granite tombs for > your prophets and marble monuments for your saints. And you say that if > you had lived in the days of > your ancestors, no blood would have been on your hands. You protest too > much! You're cut from the > same cloth as those murderers, and daily add to the death count. > > 33-34"Snakes! Reptilian sneaks! Do you think you can worm your way out of > this? Never have to pay > the piper? It's on account of people like you that I send prophets and > wise guides and scholars > generation after generation-and generation after generation you treat them > like dirt, greeting them > with lynch mobs, hounding them with abuse. > > 35-36"You can't squirm out of this: Every drop of righteous blood ever > spilled on this earth, > beginning with the blood of that good man Abel right down to the blood of > Zechariah, Barachiah's > son, whom you murdered at his prayers, is on your head. All this, I'm > telling you, is coming down on > you, on your generation. > > 37-39"Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the ones who > brought you God's news! > How often I've ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her > chicks under her wings, and > you wouldn't let me. And now you're so desolate, nothing but a ghost town. > What is there left to > say? Only this: I'm out of here soon. The next time you see me you'll say, > 'Oh, God has blessed him! > He's come, bringing God's rule!'" > > Matthew 24 > Routine History > 1-2 Jesus then left the Temple. As he walked away, his disciples pointed > out how very impressive > the Temple architecture was. Jesus said, "You're not impressed by all this > sheer size, are you? The > truth of the matter is that there's not a stone in that building that is > not going to end up in a > pile of rubble." > 3Later as he was sitting on Mount Olives, his disciples approached and > asked him, "Tell us, when > are these things going to happen? What will be the sign of your coming, > that the time's up?" > > 4-8Jesus said, "Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going > to show up with forged > identities, claiming, 'I am Christ, the Messiah.' They will deceive a lot > of people. When reports > come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don't panic. This is > routine history; this is > no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over > and over. Famines and > earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to what > is coming. > > 9-10"They are going to throw you to the wolves and kill you, everyone > hating you because you carry > my name. And then, going from bad to worse, it will be dog-eat-dog, > everyone at each other's throat, > everyone hating each other. > > 11-12"In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a > lot of people. For many > others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in-nothing left of > their love but a mound of > ashes. > > 13-14"Staying with it-that's what God requires. Stay with it to the end. > You won't be sorry, and > you'll be saved. All during this time, the good news-the Message of the > kingdom-will be preached all > over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end > will come. > > The Monster of Desecration > 15-20"But be ready to run for it when you see the monster of desecration > set up in the Temple > sanctuary. The prophet Daniel described this. If you've read Daniel, > you'll know what I'm talking > about. If you're living in Judea at the time, run for the hills; if you're > working in the yard, > don't return to the house to get anything; if you're out in the field, > don't go back and get your > coat. Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. Hope and > pray this won't happen > during the winter or on a Sabbath. > 21-22"This is going to be trouble on a scale beyond what the world has > ever seen, or will see > again. If these days of trouble were left to run their course, nobody > would make it. But on account > of God's chosen people, the trouble will be cut short. > > The Arrival of the Son of Man > 23-25"If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, 'Here's the Messiah!' > or points, 'There he > is!' don't fall for it. Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop > up everywhere. Their > impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over > the eyes of even those who > ought to know better. But I've given you fair warning. > 26-28"So if they say, 'Run to the country and see him arrive!' or, 'Quick, > get downtown, see him > come!' don't give them the time of day. The Arrival of the Son of Man > isn't something you go to see. > He comes like swift lightning to you! Whenever you see crowds gathering, > think of carrion vultures > circling, moving in, hovering over a rotting carcass. You can be quite > sure that it's not the living > Son of Man pulling in those crowds. > > 29"Following those hard times, > > Sun will fade out, > moon cloud over, > Stars fall out of the sky, > cosmic powers tremble. > > 30-31"Then, the Arrival of the Son of Man! It will fill the skies-no one > will miss it. Unready > people all over the world, outsiders to the splendor and power, will raise > a huge lament as they > watch the Son of Man blazing out of heaven. At that same moment, he'll > dispatch his angels with a > trumpet-blast summons, pulling in God's chosen from the four winds, from > pole to pole. > > 32-35"Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds > form, the merest hint of > green, you know summer's just around the corner. So it is with you: When > you see all these things, > you'll know he's at the door. Don't take this lightly. I'm not just saying > this for some future > generation, but for all of you. This age continues until all these things > take place. Sky and earth > will wear out; my words won't wear out. > > 36"But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven's > angels, not even the Son. Only > the Father knows. > > 37-39"The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah's. > Before the great flood > everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day > Noah boarded the ark. They > knew nothing-until the flood hit and swept everything away. > > 39-44"The Son of Man's Arrival will be like that: Two men will be working > in the field-one will be > taken, one left behind; two women will be grinding at the mill-one will be > taken, one left behind. > So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. > But you do know this: You > know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would > arrive, he would have been > there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. > You have no idea when the > Son of Man is going to show up. > > 45-47"Who here qualifies for the job of overseeing the kitchen? A person > the Master can depend on > to feed the workers on time each day. Someone the Master can drop in on > unannounced and always find > him doing his job. A God-blessed man or woman, I tell you. It won't be > long before the Master will > put this person in charge of the whole operation. > > 48-51"But if that person only looks out for himself, and the minute the > Master is away does what he > pleases-abusing the help and throwing drunken parties for his friends-the > Master is going to show up > when he least expects it and make hash of him. He'll end up in the dump > with the hypocrites, out in > the cold shivering, teeth chattering." > > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
