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: Saturday, October 24, 2009 9:55 AM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Saturday October 24 > Day 297 > > Luke 1-3 (The Message) > > Luke 1 > 1-4So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the > wonderful harvest of > Scripture and history that took place among us, using reports handed down > by the original > eyewitnesses who served this Word with their very lives. Since I have > investigated all the reports > in close detail, starting from the story's beginning, I decided to write > it all out for you, most > honorable Theophilus, so you can know beyond the shadow of a doubt the > reliability of what you were > taught. > A Childless Couple Conceives > 5-7During the rule of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest assigned > service in the regiment of > Abijah. His name was Zachariah. His wife was descended from the daughters > of Aaron. Her name was > Elizabeth. Together they lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to > the ways of the > commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God. But they were > childless because Elizabeth > could never conceive, and now they were quite old. > 8-12It so happened that as Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties > before God, working the > shift assigned to his regiment, it came his one turn in life to enter the > sanctuary of God and burn > incense. The congregation was gathered and praying outside the Temple at > the hour of the incense > offering. Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the > altar of incense. Zachariah > was paralyzed in fear. > > 13-15But the angel reassured him, "Don't fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has > been heard. Elizabeth, > your wife, will bear a son by you. You are to name him John. You're going > to leap like a gazelle for > joy, and not only you-many will delight in his birth. He'll achieve great > stature with God. > > 15-17"He'll drink neither wine nor beer. He'll be filled with the Holy > Spirit from the moment he > leaves his mother's womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel > back to their God. He will > herald God's arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the > hearts of parents to children, > and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics-he'll get the > people ready for God." > > 18Zachariah said to the angel, "Do you expect me to believe this? I'm an > old man and my wife is an > old woman." > > 19-20But the angel said, "I am Gabriel, the sentinel of God, sent > especially to bring you this glad > news. But because you won't believe me, you'll be unable to say a word > until the day of your son's > birth. Every word I've spoken to you will come true on time-God's time." > > 21-22Meanwhile, the congregation waiting for Zachariah was getting > restless, wondering what was > keeping him so long in the sanctuary. When he came out and couldn't speak, > they knew he had seen a > vision. He continued speechless and had to use sign language with the > people. > > 23-25When the course of his priestly assignment was completed, he went > back home. It wasn't long > before his wife, Elizabeth, conceived. She went off by herself for five > months, relishing her > pregnancy. "So, this is how God acts to remedy my unfortunate condition!" > she said. > > A Virgin Conceives > 26-28In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel > Gabriel to the Galilean > village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended > from David. His name was > Joseph, and the virgin's name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: > > Good morning! > You're beautiful with God's beauty, > Beautiful inside and out! > God be with you. > 29-33She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like > that. But the angel > assured her, "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: > You will become pregnant > and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. > > He will be great, > be called 'Son of the Highest.' > The Lord God will give him > the throne of his father David; > He will rule Jacob's house forever- > no end, ever, to his kingdom." > > 34Mary said to the angel, "But how? I've never slept with a man." > > 35The angel answered, > > The Holy Spirit will come upon you, > the power of the Highest hover over you; > Therefore, the child you bring to birth > will be called Holy, Son of God. > > 36-38"And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as > she is? Everyone called > her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is > impossible with God." > > And Mary said, > > Yes, I see it all now: > I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve. > Let it be with me > just as you say. > > Then the angel left her. > > Blessed Among Women > 39-45Mary didn't waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in > Judah in the hill country, > straight to Zachariah's house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard > Mary's greeting, the baby > in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and sang out > exuberantly, > > You're so blessed among women, > and the babe in your womb, also blessed! > And why am I so blessed that > the mother of my Lord visits me? > The moment the sound of your > greeting entered my ears, > The babe in my womb > skipped like a lamb for sheer joy. > Blessed woman, who believed what God said, > believed every word would come true! > 46-55And Mary said, > > I'm bursting with God-news; > I'm dancing the song of my Savior God. > God took one good look at me, and look what happened- > I'm the most fortunate woman on earth! > What God has done for me will never be forgotten, > the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. > His mercy flows in wave after wave > on those who are in awe before him. > He bared his arm and showed his strength, > scattered the bluffing braggarts. > He knocked tyrants off their high horses, > pulled victims out of the mud. > The starving poor sat down to a banquet; > the callous rich were left out in the cold. > He embraced his chosen child, Israel; > he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high. > It's exactly what he promised, > beginning with Abraham and right up to now. > > 56Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then went back to her > own home. > > The Birth of John > 57-58When Elizabeth was full-term in her pregnancy, she bore a son. Her > neighbors and relatives, > seeing that God had overwhelmed her with mercy, celebrated with her. > 59-60On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child and were calling > him Zachariah after his > father. But his mother intervened: "No. He is to be called John." > > 61-62"But," they said, "no one in your family is named that." They used > sign language to ask > Zachariah what he wanted him named. > > 63-64Asking for a tablet, Zachariah wrote, "His name is to be John." That > took everyone by > surprise. Surprise followed surprise-Zachariah's mouth was now open, his > tongue loose, and he was > talking, praising God! > > 65-66A deep, reverential fear settled over the neighborhood, and in all > that Judean hill country > people talked about nothing else. Everyone who heard about it took it to > heart, wondering, "What > will become of this child? Clearly, God has his hand in this." > > 67-79Then Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, > > Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; > he came and set his people free. > He set the power of salvation in the center of our lives, > and in the very house of David his servant, > Just as he promised long ago > through the preaching of his holy prophets: > Deliverance from our enemies > and every hateful hand; > Mercy to our fathers, > as he remembers to do what he said he'd do, > What he swore to our father Abraham- > a clean rescue from the enemy camp, > So we can worship him without a care in the world, > made holy before him as long as we live. > > And you, my child, "Prophet of the Highest," > will go ahead of the Master to prepare his ways, > Present the offer of salvation to his people, > the forgiveness of their sins. > Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, > God's Sunrise will break in upon us, > Shining on those in the darkness, > those sitting in the shadow of death, > Then showing us the way, one foot at a time, > down the path of peace. > > 80The child grew up, healthy and spirited. He lived out in the desert > until the day he made his > prophetic debut in Israel. > > Luke 2 > The Birth of Jesus > 1-5About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout > the Empire. This was the > first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel > to his own ancestral > hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of > Nazareth up to Bethlehem in > Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to > go there. He went with > Mary, his fiancee, who was pregnant. > 6-7While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave > birth to a son, her > firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because > there was no room in the > hostel. > > An Event for Everyone > 8-12There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set > night watches over their > sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed > around them. They were > terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great > and joyful event that is > meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's > town, a Savior who is Messiah > and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket > and lying in a manger." > 13-14At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's > praises: > > Glory to God in the heavenly heights, > Peace to all men and women on earth who please him. > > 15-18As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it > over. "Let's get over to > Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to > us." They left, running, > and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was > believing. They told > everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard > the sheepherders were > impressed. > > 19-20Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within > herself. The > sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for > everything they had heard and > seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told! > > Blessings > 21When the eighth day arrived, the day of circumcision, the child was > named Jesus, the name given > by the angel before he was conceived. > 22-24Then when the days stipulated by Moses for purification were > complete, they took him up to > Jerusalem to offer him to God as commanded in God's Law: "Every male who > opens the womb shall be a > holy offering to God," and also to sacrifice the "pair of doves or two > young pigeons" prescribed in > God's Law. > > 25-32In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good > man, a man who lived in the > prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. > The Holy Spirit had shown > him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the > Spirit, he entered the Temple. > As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals > of the Law, Simeon took > him into his arms and blessed God: > > God, you can now release your servant; > release me in peace as you promised. > With my own eyes I've seen your salvation; > it's now out in the open for everyone to see: > A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations, > and of glory for your people Israel. > > 33-35Jesus' father and mother were speechless with surprise at these > words. Simeon went on to bless > them, and said to Mary his mother, > > This child marks both the failure and > the recovery of many in Israel, > A figure misunderstood and contradicted- > the pain of a sword-thrust through you- > But the rejection will force honesty, > as God reveals who they really are. > > 36-38Anna the prophetess was also there, a daughter of Phanuel from the > tribe of Asher. She was by > now a very old woman. She had been married seven years and a widow for > eighty-four. She never left > the Temple area, worshiping night and day with her fastings and prayers. > At the very time Simeon was > praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked > about the child to all who > were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem. > > 39-40When they finished everything required by God in the Law, they > returned to Galilee and their > own town, Nazareth. There the child grew strong in body and wise in > spirit. And the grace of God was > on him. > > They Found Him in the Temple > 41-45Every year Jesus' parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of > Passover. When he was twelve > years old, they went up as they always did for the Feast. When it was over > and they left for home, > the child Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn't know > it. Thinking he was > somewhere in the company of pilgrims, they journeyed for a whole day and > then began looking for him > among relatives and neighbors. When they didn't find him, they went back > to Jerusalem looking for > him. > 46-48The next day they found him in the Temple seated among the teachers, > listening to them and > asking questions. The teachers were all quite taken with him, impressed > with the sharpness of his > answers. But his parents were not impressed; they were upset and hurt. > > His mother said, "Young man, why have you done this to us? Your father > and I have been half out > of our minds looking for you." > > 49-50He said, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I had to > be here, dealing with the > things of my Father?" But they had no idea what he was talking about. > > 51-52So he went back to Nazareth with them, and lived obediently with > them. His mother held these > things dearly, deep within herself. And Jesus matured, growing up in both > body and spirit, blessed > by both God and people. > > Luke 3 > A Baptism of Life-Change > 1-6 In the fifteenth year of the rule of Caesar Tiberius-it was while > Pontius Pilate was governor > of Judea; Herod, ruler of Galilee; his brother Philip, ruler of Iturea and > Trachonitis; Lysanias, > ruler of Abilene; during the Chief-Priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas-John, > Zachariah's son, out in > the desert at the time, received a message from God. He went all through > the country around the > Jordan River preaching a baptism of life-change leading to forgiveness of > sins, as described in the > words of Isaiah the prophet: > > Thunder in the desert! > "Prepare God's arrival! > Make the road smooth and straight! > Every ditch will be filled in, > Every bump smoothed out, > The detours straightened out, > All the ruts paved over. > Everyone will be there to see > The parade of God's salvation." > 7-9When crowds of people came out for baptism because it was the popular > thing to do, John > exploded: "Brood of snakes! What do you think you're doing slithering down > here to the river? Do you > think a little water on your snakeskins is going to deflect God's > judgment? It's your life that must > change, not your skin. And don't think you can pull rank by claiming > Abraham as 'father.' Being a > child of Abraham is neither here nor there-children of Abraham are a dime > a dozen. God can make > children from stones if he wants. What counts is your life. Is it green > and blossoming? Because if > it's deadwood, it goes on the fire." > > 10The crowd asked him, "Then what are we supposed to do?" > > 11"If you have two coats, give one away," he said. "Do the same with your > food." > > 12Tax men also came to be baptized and said, "Teacher, what should we do?" > > 13He told them, "No more extortion-collect only what is required by law." > > 14Soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" > > He told them, "No shakedowns, no blackmail-and be content with your > rations." > > 15The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning > to wonder, "Could this > John be the Messiah?" > > 16-17But John intervened: "I'm baptizing you here in the river. The main > character in this drama, > to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the > Holy Spirit within you, > changing you from the inside out. He's going to clean house-make a clean > sweep of your lives. He'll > place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false > he'll put out with the trash > to be burned." > > 18-20There was a lot more of this-words that gave strength to the people, > words that put heart in > them. The Message! But Herod, the ruler, stung by John's rebuke in the > matter of Herodias, his > brother Philip's wife, capped his long string of evil deeds with this > outrage: He put John in jail. > > 21-22After all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized. As he was > praying, the sky opened up > and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him. And along > with the Spirit, a voice: > "You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life." > > Son of Adam, Son of God > 23-38When Jesus entered public life he was about thirty years old, the son > (in public perception) > of Joseph, who was- > > son of Heli, > son of Matthat, > son of Levi, > son of Melki, > son of Jannai, > son of Joseph, > son of Mattathias, > son of Amos, > son of Nahum, > son of Esli, > son of Naggai, > son of Maath, > son of Mattathias, > son of Semein, > son of Josech, > son of Joda, > son of Joanan, > son of Rhesa, > son of Zerubbabel, > son of Shealtiel, > son of Neri, > son of Melchi, > son of Addi, > son of Cosam, > son of Elmadam, > son of Er, > son of Joshua, > son of Eliezer, > son of Jorim, > son of Matthat, > son of Levi, > son of Simeon, > son of Judah, > son of Joseph, > son of Jonam, > son of Eliakim, > son of Melea, > son of Menna, > son of Mattatha, > son of Nathan, > son of David, > son of Jesse, > son of Obed, > son of Boaz, > son of Salmon, > son of Nahshon, > son of Amminadab, > son of Admin, > son of Arni, > son of Hezron, > son of Perez, > son of Judah, > son of Jacob, > son of Isaac, > son of Abraham, > son of Terah, > son of Nahor, > son of Serug, > son of Reu, > son of Peleg, > son of Eber, > son of Shelah, > son of Kenan, > son of Arphaxad, > son of Shem, > son of Noah, > son of Lamech, > son of Methuselah, > son of Enoch, > son of Jared, > son of Mahalaleel, > son of Kenan, > son of Enos, > son of Seth, > son of Adam, > son of God. > > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > 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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