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: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 11:26 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Wednesday October 28 > Day 301 > > Luke 13-15 (The Message) > > Luke 13 > Unless You Turn to God > 1-5About that time some people came up and told him about the Galileans > Pilate had killed while > they were at worship, mixing their blood with the blood of the sacrifices > on the altar. Jesus > responded, "Do you think those murdered Galileans were worse sinners than > all other Galileans? Not > at all. Unless you turn to God, you, too, will die. And those eighteen in > Jerusalem the other day, > the ones crushed and killed when the Tower of Siloam collapsed and fell on > them, do you think they > were worse citizens than all other Jerusalemites? Not at all. Unless you > turn to God, you, too, will > die." > 6-7Then he told them a story: "A man had an apple tree planted in his > front yard. He came to it > expecting to find apples, but there weren't any. He said to his gardener, > 'What's going on here? For > three years now I've come to this tree expecting apples and not one apple > have I found. Chop it > down! Why waste good ground with it any longer?' > > 8-9"The gardener said, 'Let's give it another year. I'll dig around it and > fertilize, and maybe it > will produce next year; if it doesn't, then chop it down.'" > > Healing on the Sabbath > 10-13He was teaching in one of the meeting places on the Sabbath. There > was a woman present, so > twisted and bent over with arthritis that she couldn't even look up. She > had been afflicted with > this for eighteen years. When Jesus saw her, he called her over. "Woman, > you're free!" He laid hands > on her and suddenly she was standing straight and tall, giving glory to > God. > 14The meeting-place president, furious because Jesus had healed on the > Sabbath, said to the > congregation, "Six days have been defined as work days. Come on one of the > six if you want to be > healed, but not on the seventh, the Sabbath." > > 15-16But Jesus shot back, "You frauds! Each Sabbath every one of you > regularly unties your cow or > donkey from its stall, leads it out for water, and thinks nothing of it. > So why isn't it all right > for me to untie this daughter of Abraham and lead her from the stall where > Satan has had her tied > these eighteen years?" > > 17When he put it that way, his critics were left looking quite silly and > redfaced. The congregation > was delighted and cheered him on. > > The Way to God > 18-19Then he said, "How can I picture God's kingdom for you? What kind of > story can I use? It's > like a pine nut that a man plants in his front yard. It grows into a huge > pine tree with thick > branches, and eagles build nests in it." > 20-21He tried again. "How can I picture God's kingdom? It's like yeast > that a woman works into > enough dough for three loaves of bread-and waits while the dough rises." > > 22He went on teaching from town to village, village to town, but keeping > on a steady course toward > Jerusalem. > > 23-25A bystander said, "Master, will only a few be saved?" > > He said, "Whether few or many is none of your business. Put your mind on > your life with God. The > way to life-to God!-is vigorous and requires your total attention. A lot > of you are going to assume > that you'll sit down to God's salvation banquet just because you've been > hanging around the > neighborhood all your lives. Well, one day you're going to be banging on > the door, wanting to get > in, but you'll find the door locked and the Master saying, 'Sorry, you're > not on my guest list.' > > 26-27"You'll protest, 'But we've known you all our lives!' only to be > interrupted with his abrupt, > 'Your kind of knowing can hardly be called knowing. You don't know the > first thing about me.' > > 28-30"That's when you'll find yourselves out in the cold, strangers to > grace. You'll watch Abraham, > Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets march into God's kingdom. You'll watch > outsiders stream in from > east, west, north, and south and sit down at the table of God's kingdom. > And all the time you'll be > outside looking in-and wondering what happened. This is the Great > Reversal: the last in line put at > the head of the line, and the so-called first ending up last." > > 31Just then some Pharisees came up and said, "Run for your life! Herod's > on the hunt. He's out to > kill you!" > > 32-35Jesus said, "Tell that fox that I've no time for him right now. Today > and tomorrow I'm busy > clearing out the demons and healing the sick; the third day I'm wrapping > things up. Besides, it's > not proper for a prophet to come to a bad end outside Jerusalem. > > Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killer of prophets, > abuser of the messengers of God! > How often I've longed to gather your children, > gather your children like a hen, > Her brood safe under her wings- > but you refused and turned away! > And now it's too late: You won't see me again > until the day you say, > 'Blessed is he > who comes in > the name of God.'" > > Luke 14 > 1-3 One time when Jesus went for a Sabbath meal with one of the top > leaders of the Pharisees, all > the guests had their eyes on him, watching his every move. Right before > him there was a man hugely > swollen in his joints. So Jesus asked the religion scholars and Pharisees > present, "Is it permitted > to heal on the Sabbath? Yes or no?" > 4-6They were silent. So he took the man, healed him, and sent him on his > way. Then he said, "Is > there anyone here who, if a child or animal fell down a well, wouldn't > rush to pull him out > immediately, not asking whether or not it was the Sabbath?" They were > stumped. There was nothing > they could say to that. > > Invite the Misfits > 7-9He went on to tell a story to the guests around the table. Noticing how > each had tried to elbow > into the place of honor, he said, "When someone invites you to dinner, > don't take the place of > honor. Somebody more important than you might have been invited by the > host. Then he'll come and > call out in front of everybody, 'You're in the wrong place. The place of > honor belongs to this man.' > Red-faced, you'll have to make your way to the very last table, the only > place left. > 10-11"When you're invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then > when the host comes he may > very well say, 'Friend, come up to the front.' That will give the dinner > guests something to talk > about! What I'm saying is, If you walk around with your nose in the air, > you're going to end up flat > on your face. But if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become > more than yourself." > > 12-14Then he turned to the host. "The next time you put on a dinner, don't > just invite your friends > and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the > favor. Invite some people who > never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. > You'll be-and experience-a > blessing. They won't be able to return the favor, but the favor will be > returned-oh, how it will be > returned!-at the resurrection of God's people." > > The Story of the Dinner Party > 15That triggered a response from one of the guests: "How fortunate the one > who gets to eat dinner > in God's kingdom!" > 16-17Jesus followed up. "Yes. For there was once a man who threw a great > dinner party and invited > many. When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited > guests, saying, 'Come on > in; the food's on the table.' > > 18"Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses. The > first said, 'I bought a > piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.' > > 19"Another said, 'I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to > check them out. Send my > regrets.' > > 20"And yet another said, 'I just got married a nd need to get home to my > wife.' > > 21"The servant went back and told the master what had happened. He was > outraged and told the > servant, 'Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all > who look like they need a > square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your > hands on, and bring them > here.' > > 22"The servant reported back, 'Master, I did what you commanded- and > there's still room.' > > 23-24"The master said, 'Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, > drag them in. I want my > house full! Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going > to get so much as a bite > at my dinner party.'" > > Figure the Cost > 25-27One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, > Jesus turned and told them, > "Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, > children, brothers, > sisters-yes, even one's own self!-can't be my disciple. Anyone who won't > shoulder his own cross and > follow behind me can't be my disciple. > 28-30"Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn't > first sit down and figure > the cost so you'll know if you can complete it? If you only get the > foundation laid and then run out > of money, you're going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will > poke fun at you: 'He started > something he couldn't finish.' > > 31-32"Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king > without first deciding > whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty > thousand troops of the other? > And if he decides he can't, won't he send an emissary and work out a > truce? > > 33"Simply put, if you're not willing to take what is dearest to you, > whether plans or people, and > kiss it good-bye, you can't be my disciple. > > 34"Salt is excellent. But if the salt goes flat, it's useless, good for > nothing. > > "Are you listening to this? Really listening?" > > Luke 15 > The Story of the Lost Sheep > 1-3By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging > around Jesus, listening > intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all > pleased. They growled, > "He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old > friends." Their grumbling > triggered this story. > 4-7"Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn't you > leave the ninety-nine in the > wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you > can be sure you would put > it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your > friends and neighbors, > saying, 'Celebrate with me! I've found my lost sheep!' Count on it-there's > more joy in heaven over > one sinner's rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of > rescue. > > The Story of the Lost Coin > 8-10"Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won't she light a > lamp and scour the house, > looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it > you can be sure she'll > call her friends and neighbors: 'Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!' > Count on it-that's the > kind of party God's angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God." > The Story of the Lost Son > 11-12Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons. The younger > said to his father, 'Father, > I want right now what's coming to me.' > 12-16"So the father divided the property between them. It wasn't long > before the younger son packed > his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and > dissipated, he wasted everything > he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine > all through that country and > he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to > his fields to slop the pigs. > He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no > one would give him any. > > 17-20"That brought him to his senses. He said, 'All those farmhands > working for my father sit down > to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I'm going back to > my father. I'll say to him, > Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve > to be called your son. Take > me on as a hired hand.' He got right up and went home to his father. > > 20-21"When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart > pounding, he ran out, > embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: 'Father, I've > sinned against God, I've > sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.' > > 22-24"But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, > 'Quick. Bring a clean set of > clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on > his feet. Then get a > grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a > wonderful time! My son is > here-given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!' > And they began to have a > wonderful time. > > 25-27"All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day's > work was done he came in. As > he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one > of the houseboys, he asked > what was going on. He told him, 'Your brother came home. Your father has > ordered a feast-barbecued > beef!-because he has him home safe and sound.' > > 28-30"The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join > in. His father came out > and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen. The son said, 'Look how > many years I've stayed > here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever > thrown a party for me and > my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on > whores shows up and you go all > out with a feast!' > > 31-32"His father said, 'Son, you don't understand. You're with me all the > time, and everything that > is mine is yours-but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. > This brother of yours was > dead, and he's alive! He was lost, and he's found!'" > > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
