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 28, 2009 9:33 PM Subject: Daily Bible reading For Thursday October 29 > Day 302 > > Luke 16-18 (The Message) > > Luke 16 > The Story of the Crooked Manager > 1-2Jesus said to his disciples, "There was once a rich man who had a > manager. He got reports that > the manager had been taking advantage of his position by running up huge > personal expenses. So he > called him in and said, 'What's this I hear about you? You're fired. And I > want a complete audit of > your books.' > 3-4"The manager said to himself, 'What am I going to do? I've lost my job > as manager. I'm not > strong enough for a laboring job, and I'm too proud to beg. . . . Ah, I've > got a plan. Here's what > I'll do . . . then when I'm turned out into the street, people will take > me into their houses.' > > 5"Then he went at it. One after another, he called in the people who were > in debt to his master. He > said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' > > 6"He replied, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.' > > "The manager said, 'Here, take your bill, sit down here-quick now- write > fifty.' > > 7"To the next he said, 'And you, what do you owe?' > > "He answered, 'A hundred sacks of wheat.' > > "He said, 'Take your bill, write in eighty.' > > 8-9"Now here's a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And > why? Because he knew how to > look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than > law-abiding citizens. They are > on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you > to be smart in the same > way-but for what is right-using every adversity to stimulate you to > creative survival, to > concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you'll live, really > live, and not complacently > just get by on good behavior." > > God Sees Behind Appearances > 10-13Jesus went on to make these comments: > > If you're honest in small things, > you'll be honest in big things; > If you're a crook in small things, > you'll be a crook in big things. > If you're not honest in small jobs, > who will put you in charge of the store? > No worker can serve two bosses: > He'll either hate the first and love the second > Or adore the first and despise the second. > You can't serve both God and the Bank. > 14-18When the Pharisees, a money-obsessed bunch, heard him say these > things, they rolled their > eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch. So Jesus spoke to them: > "You are masters at making > yourselves look good in front of others, but God knows what's behind the > appearance. > > What society sees and calls monumental, > God sees through and calls monstrous. > God's Law and the Prophets climaxed in John; > Now it's all kingdom of God-the glad news > and compelling invitation to every man and woman. > The sky will disintegrate and the earth dissolve > before a single letter of God's Law wears out. > Using the legalities of divorce > as a cover for lust is adultery; > Using the legalities of marriage > as a cover for lust is adultery. > > The Rich Man and Lazarus > 19-21"There once was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest > fashions, wasting his days in > conspicuous consumption. A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had > been dumped on his > doorstep. All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich > man's table. His best friends > were the dogs who came and licked his sores. > 22-24"Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the > lap of Abraham. The rich > man also died and was buried. In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw > Abraham in the distance > and Lazarus in his lap. He called out, 'Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! > Send Lazarus to dip his > finger in water to cool my tongue. I'm in agony in this fire.' > > 25-26"But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the > good things and Lazarus > the bad things. It's not like that here. Here he's consoled and you're > tormented. Besides, in all > these matters there is a huge chasm set between us so that no one can go > from us to you even if he > wanted to, nor can anyone cross over from you to us.' > > 27-28"The rich man said, 'Then let me ask you, Father: Send him to the > house of my father where I > have five brothers, so he can tell them the score and warn them so they > won't end up here in this > place of torment.' > > 29"Abraham answered, 'They have Moses and the Prophets to tell them the > score. Let them listen to > them.' > > 30"'I know, Father Abraham,' he said, 'but they're not listening. If > someone came back to them from > the dead, they would change their ways.' > > 31"Abraham replied, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the Prophets, > they're not going to be > convinced by someone who rises from the dead.'" > > Luke 17 > A Kernel of Faith > 1-2He said to his disciples, "Hard trials and temptations are bound to > come, but too bad for > whoever brings them on! Better to wear a millstone necklace and take a > swim in the deep blue sea > than give even one of these dear little ones a hard time! > 3-4"Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he > responds, forgive him. Even if > it's personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and > seven times he says, 'I'm > sorry, I won't do it again,' forgive him." > > 5The apostles came up and said to the Master, "Give us more faith." > > 6But the Master said, "You don't need more faith. There is no 'more' or > 'less' in faith. If you > have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a poppy seed, you could say > to this sycamore tree, 'Go > jump in the lake,' and it would do it. > > 7-10"Suppose one of you has a servant who comes in from plowing the field > or tending the sheep. > Would you take his coat, set the table, and say, 'Sit down and eat'? > Wouldn't you be more likely to > say, 'Prepare dinner; change your clothes and wait table for me until I've > finished my coffee; then > go to the kitchen and have your supper'? Does the servant get special > thanks for doing what's > expected of him? It's the same with you. When you've done everything > expected of you, be > matter-of-fact and say, 'The work is done. What we were told to do, we > did.'" > > 11-13It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over > the border between > Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met > him. They kept their distance > but raised their voices, calling out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" > > 14-16Taking a good look at them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the > priests." > > They went, and while still on their way, became clean. One of them, when > he realized that he was > healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying > God. He kneeled at Jesus' > feet, so grateful. He couldn't thank him enough-and he was a Samaritan. > > 17-19Jesus said, "Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be > found to come back and give > glory to God except this outsider?" Then he said to him, "Get up. On your > way. Your faith has healed > and saved you." > > When the Son of Man Arrives > 20-21Jesus, grilled by the Pharisees on when the kingdom of God would > come, answered, "The kingdom > of God doesn't come by counting the days on the calendar. Nor when someone > says, 'Look here!' or, > 'There it is!' And why? Because God's kingdom is already among you." > 22-24He went on to say to his disciples, "The days are coming when you are > going to be desperately > homesick for just a glimpse of one of the days of the Son of Man, and you > won't see a thing. And > they'll say to you, 'Look over there!' or, 'Look here!' Don't fall for any > of that nonsense. The > arrival of the Son of Man is not something you go out to see. He simply > comes. > > 24-25"You know how the whole sky lights up from a single flash of > lightning? That's how it will be > on the Day of the Son of Man. But first it's necessary that he suffer many > things and be turned down > by the people of today. > > 26-27"The time of the Son of Man will be just like the time of Noah- > everyone carrying on as usual, > having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ship. They > suspected nothing until the flood > hit and swept everything away. > > 28-30"It was the same in the time of Lot-the people carrying on, having a > good time, business as > usual right up to the day Lot walked out of Sodom and a firestorm swept > down and burned everything > to a crisp. That's how it will be-sudden, total-when the Son of Man is > revealed. > > 31-33"When the Day arrives and you're out working in the yard, don't run > into the house to get > anything. And if you're out in the field, don't go back and get your coat. > Remember what happened to > Lot's wife! If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you'll lose it, > but if you let that life > go, you'll get life on God's terms. > > 34-35"On that Day, two men will be in the same boat fishing-one taken, the > other left. Two women > will be working in the same kitchen-one taken, the other left." > > 37Trying to take all this in, the disciples said, "Master, where?" > > He told them, "Watch for the circling of the vultures. They'll spot the > corpse first. The action > will begin around my dead body." > > Luke 18 > The Story of the Persistent Widow > 1-3Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray > consistently and never > quit. He said, "There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a > thought and cared nothing > for people. A widow in that city kept after him: 'My rights are being > violated. Protect me!' > 4-5"He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he > said to himself, 'I care > nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this > widow won't quit badgering > me, I'd better do something and see that she gets justice-otherwise I'm > going to end up beaten > black-and-blue by her pounding.'" > > 6-8Then the Master said, "Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, > is saying? So what makes > you think God won't step in and work justice for his chosen people, who > continue to cry out for > help? Won't he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag > his feet. But how much of > that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when > he returns?" > > The Story of the Tax Man and the Pharisee > 9-12He told his next story to some who were complacently pleased with > themselves over their moral > performance and looked down their noses at the common people: "Two men > went up to the Temple to > pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man. The Pharisee posed and prayed > like this: 'Oh, God, I > thank you that I am not like other people-robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, > heaven forbid, like this > tax man. I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.' > 13"Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, > not daring to look up, > said, 'God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.'" > > 14Jesus commented, "This tax man, not the other, went home made right with > God. 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." > > 15-17People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. When the > disciples saw it, they > shooed them off. Jesus called them back. "Let these children alone. Don't > get between them and me. > These children are the kingdom's pride and joy. Mark this: Unless you > accept God's kingdom in the > simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." > > The Rich Official > 18One day one of the local officials asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I > do to deserve eternal > life?" > 19-20Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good-only God. > You know the commandments, > don't you? No illicit sex, no killing, no stealing, no lying, honor your > father and mother." > > 21He said, "I've kept them all for as long as I can remember." > > 22When Jesus heard that, he said, "Then there's only one thing left to do: > Sell everything you own > and give it away to the poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come, > follow me." > > 23This was the last thing the official expected to hear. He was very rich > and became terribly sad. > He was holding on tight to a lot of things and not about to let them go. > > 24-25Seeing his reaction, Jesus said, "Do you have any idea how difficult > it is for people who have > it all to enter God's kingdom? I'd say it's easier to thread a camel > through a needle's eye than get > a rich person into God's kingdom." > > 26"Then who has any chance at all?" the others asked. > > 27"No chance at all," Jesus said, "if you think you can pull it off by > yourself. Every chance in > the world if you trust God to do it." > > 28Peter tried to regain some initiative: "We left everything we owned and > followed you, didn't we?" > > 29-30"Yes," said Jesus, "and you won't regret it. No one who has > sacrificed home, spouse, brothers > and sisters, parents, children-whatever-will lose out. It will all come > back multiplied many times > over in your lifetime. And then the bonus of eternal life!" > > I Want to See Again > 31-34Then Jesus took the Twelve off to the side and said, "Listen > carefully. We're on our way up to > Jerusalem. Everything written in the Prophets about the Son of Man will > take place. He will be > handed over to the Romans, jeered at, made sport of, and spit on. Then, > after giving him the third > degree, they will kill him. In three days he will rise, alive." But they > didn't get it, could make > neither heads nor tails of what he was talking about. > 35-37He came to the outskirts of Jericho. A blind man was sitting beside > the road asking for > handouts. When he heard the rustle of the crowd, he asked what was going > on. They told him, "Jesus > the Nazarene is going by." > > 38He yelled, "Jesus! Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!" > > 39Those ahead of Jesus told the man to shut up, but he only yelled all the > louder, "Son of David! > Mercy, have mercy on me!" > > 40Jesus stopped and ordered him to be brought over. When he had come near, > Jesus asked, "What do > you want from me?" > > 41He said, "Master, I want to see again." > > 42-43Jesus said, "Go ahead-see again! Your faith has saved and healed > you!" The healing was > instant: He looked up, seeing-and then followed Jesus, glorifying God. > Everyone in the street joined > in, shouting praise to 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. 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
