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 31, 2009 11:46 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Sunday November 1 > Day 305 > > > John 1-3 (The Message) > > John 1 > The Life-Light > 1-2 The Word was first, > the Word present to God, > God present to the Word. > The Word was God, > in readiness for God from day one. > 3-5Everything was created through him; > nothing-not one thing!- > came into being without him. > What came into existence was Life, > and the Life was Light to live by. > The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; > the darkness couldn't put it out. > > 6-8There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way > to the Life-Light. He came > to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself > the Light; he was there to > show the way to the Light. > > 9-13The Life-Light was the real thing: > Every person entering Life > he brings into Light. > He was in the world, > the world was there through him, > and yet the world didn't even notice. > He came to his own people, > but they didn't want him. > But whoever did want him, > who believed he was who he claimed > and would do what he said, > He made to be their true selves, > their child-of-God selves. > These are the God-begotten, > not blood-begotten, > not flesh-begotten, > not sex-begotten. > > 14The Word became flesh and blood, > and moved into the neighborhood. > We saw the glory with our own eyes, > the one-of-a-kind glory, > like Father, like Son, > Generous inside and out, > true from start to finish. > > 15John pointed him out and called, "This is the One! The One I told you > was coming after me but in > fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the > first word." > > 16-18We all live off his generous bounty, > gift after gift after gift. > We got the basics from Moses, > and then this exuberant giving and receiving, > This endless knowing and understanding- > all this came through Jesus, the Messiah. > No one has ever seen God, > not so much as a glimpse. > This one-of-a-kind God-Expression, > who exists at the very heart of the Father, > has made him plain as day. > > Thunder in the Desert > 19-20When Jews from Jerusalem sent a group of priests and officials to ask > John who he was, he was > completely honest. He didn't evade the question. He told the plain truth: > "I am not the Messiah." > 21They pressed him, "Who, then? Elijah?" > > "I am not." > > "The Prophet?" > > "No." > > 22Exasperated, they said, "Who, then? We need an answer for those who sent > us. Tell us > something-anything!-about yourself." > > 23"I'm thunder in the desert: 'Make the road straight for God!' I'm doing > what the prophet Isaiah > preached." > > 24-25Those sent to question him were from the Pharisee party. Now they had > a question of their own: > "If you're neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, why do you > baptize?" > > 26-27John answered, "I only baptize using water. A person you don't > recognize has taken his stand > in your midst. He comes after me, but he is not in second place to me. I'm > not even worthy to hold > his coat for him." > > 28These conversations took place in Bethany on the other side of the > Jordan, where John was > baptizing at the time. > > The God-Revealer > 29-31The very next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and yelled out, > "Here he is, God's Passover > Lamb! He forgives the sins of the world! This is the man I've been talking > about, 'the One who comes > after me but is really ahead of me.' I knew nothing about who he was-only > this: that my task has > been to get Israel ready to recognize him as the God-Revealer. That is why > I came here baptizing > with water, giving you a good bath and scrubbing sins from your life so > you can get a fresh start > with God." > 32-34John clinched his witness with this: "I watched the Spirit, like a > dove flying down out of the > sky, making himself at home in him. I repeat, I know nothing about him > except this: The One who > authorized me to baptize with water told me, 'The One on whom you see the > Spirit come down and stay, > this One will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' That's exactly what I saw > happen, and I'm telling you, > there's no question about it: This is the Son of God." > > Come, See for Yourself > 35-36The next day John was back at his post with two disciples, who were > watching. He looked up, > saw Jesus walking nearby, and said, "Here he is, God's Passover Lamb." > 37-38The two disciples heard him and went after Jesus. Jesus looked over > his shoulder and said to > them, "What are you after?" > > They said, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?" > > 39He replied, "Come along and see for yourself." > > They came, saw where he was living, and ended up staying with him for > the day. It was late > afternoon when this happened. > > 40-42Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard John's > witness and followed Jesus. > The first thing he did after finding where Jesus lived was find his own > brother, Simon, telling him, > "We've found the Messiah" (that is, "Christ"). He immediately led him to > Jesus. > > Jesus took one look up and said, "You're John's son, Simon? From now on > your name is Cephas" (or > Peter, which means "Rock"). > > 43-44The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. When he got there, he > ran across Philip and said, > "Come, follow me." (Philip's hometown was Bethsaida, the same as Andrew > and Peter.) > > 45-46Philip went and found Nathanael and told him, "We've found the One > Moses wrote of in the Law, > the One preached by the prophets. It's Jesus, Joseph's son, the one from > Nazareth!" Nathanael said, > "Nazareth? You've got to be kidding." > > But Philip said, "Come, see for yourself." > > 47When Jesus saw him coming he said, "There's a real Israelite, not a > false bone in his body." > > 48Nathanael said, "Where did you get that idea? You don't know me." > > Jesus answered, "One day, long before Philip called you here, I saw you > under the fig tree." > > 49Nathanael exclaimed, "Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of > Israel!" > > 50-51Jesus said, "You've become a believer simply because I say I saw you > one day sitting under the > fig tree? You haven't seen anything yet! Before this is over you're going > to see heaven open and > God's angels descending to the Son of Man and ascending again." > > John 2 > From Water to Wine > 1-3 Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in > Galilee. Jesus' mother was > there. Jesus and his disciples were guests also. When they started running > low on wine at the > wedding banquet, Jesus' mother told him, "They're just about out of wine." > 4Jesus said, "Is that any of our business, Mother-yours or mine? This > isn't my time. Don't push > me." > > 5She went ahead anyway, telling the servants, "Whatever he tells you, do > it." > > 6-7Six stoneware water pots were there, used by the Jews for ritual > washings. Each held twenty to > thirty gallons. Jesus ordered the servants, "Fill the pots with water." > And they filled them to the > brim. > > 8"Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host," Jesus said, and they > did. > > 9-10When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn't know > what had just happened but > the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom, > "Everybody I know begins with their > finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap > stuff. But you've saved > the best till now!" > > 11This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first > glimpse of his glory. And > his disciples believed in him. > > 12After this he went down to Capernaum along with his mother, brothers, > and disciples, and stayed > several days. > > Tear Down This Temple . . . > 13-14When the Passover Feast, celebrated each spring by the Jews, was > about to take place, Jesus > traveled up to Jerusalem. He found the Temple teeming with people selling > cattle and sheep and > doves. The loan sharks were also there in full strength. > 15-17Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and chased them > out of the Temple, > stampeding the sheep and cattle, upending the tables of the loan sharks, > spilling coins left and > right. He told the dove merchants, "Get your things out of here! Stop > turning my Father's house into > a shopping mall!" That's when his disciples remembered the Scripture, > "Zeal for your house consumes > me." > > 18-19But the Jews were upset. They asked, "What credentials can you > present to justify this?" Jesus > answered, "Tear down this Temple and in three days I'll put it back > together." > > 20-22They were indignant: "It took forty-six years to build this Temple, > and you're going to > rebuild it in three days?" But Jesus was talking about his body as the > Temple. Later, after he was > raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this. They then > put two and two together > and believed both what was written in Scripture and what Jesus had said. > > 23-25During the time he was in Jerusalem, those days of the Passover > Feast, many people noticed the > signs he was displaying and, seeing they pointed straight to God, > entrusted their lives to him. But > Jesus didn't entrust his life to them. He knew them inside and out, knew > how untrustworthy they > were. He didn't need any help in seeing right through them. > > John 3 > Born from Above > 1-2 There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader > among the Jews. Late one > night he visited Jesus and said, "Rabbi, we all know you're a teacher > straight from God. No one > could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren't in > on it." > 3Jesus said, "You're absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is > born from above, it's > not possible to see what I'm pointing to-to God's kingdom." > > 4"How can anyone," said Nicodemus, "be born who has already been born and > grown up? You can't > re-enter your mother's womb and be born again. What are you saying with > this 'born-from-above' > talk?" > > 5-6Jesus said, "You're not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person > submits to this original > creation-the 'wind-hovering-over-the-water' creation, the invisible moving > the visible, a baptism > into a new life-it's not possible to enter God's kingdom. When you look at > a baby, it's just that: a > body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is > formed by something you > can't see and touch-the Spirit-and becomes a living spirit. > > 7-8"So don't be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be 'born > from above'-out of this > world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and > that. You hear it rustling > through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it's > headed next. That's the > way it is with everyone 'born from above' by the wind of God, the Spirit > of God." > > 9Nicodemus asked, "What do you mean by this? How does this happen?" > > 10-12Jesus said, "You're a respected teacher of Israel and you don't know > these basics? Listen > carefully. I'm speaking sober truth to you. I speak only of what I know by > experience; I give > witness only to what I have seen with my own eyes. There is nothing > secondhand here, no hearsay. Yet > instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with > questions. If I tell you > things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don't believe > me, what use is there in > telling you of things you can't see, the things of God? > > 13-15"No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who > came down from that > Presence, the Son of Man. In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in > the desert so people > could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son > of Man to be lifted up-and > everyone who looks up to him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real > life, eternal life. > > 16-18"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and > only Son. And this is why: > so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a > whole and lasting life. God > didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an > accusing finger, telling the > world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. > Anyone who trusts in him is > acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the > death sentence without > knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the > one-of-a-kind Son of God > when introduced to him. > > 19-21"This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but > men and women everywhere > ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not > really interested in pleasing > God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and > illusion, hates God-light > and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and > living in truth and > reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it > is." > > The Bridegroom's Friend > 22-26After this conversation, Jesus went on with his disciples into the > Judean countryside and > relaxed with them there. He was also baptizing. At the same time, John was > baptizing over at Aenon > near Salim, where water was abundant. This was before John was thrown into > jail. John's disciples > got into an argument with the establishment Jews over the nature of > baptism. They came to John and > said, "Rabbi, you know the one who was with you on the other side of the > Jordan? The one you > authorized with your witness? Well, he's now competing with us. He's > baptizing, too, and everyone's > going to him instead of us." > 27-29John answered, "It's not possible for a person to succeed-I'm talking > about eternal > success-without heaven's help. You yourselves were there when I made it > public that I was not the > Messiah but simply the one sent ahead of him to get things ready. The one > who gets the bride is, by > definition, the bridegroom. And the bridegroom's friend, his 'best > man'-that's me-in place at his > side where he can hear every word, is genuinely happy. How could he be > jealous when he knows that > the wedding is finished and the marriage is off to a good start? > > 29-30"That's why my cup is running over. This is the assigned moment for > him to move into the > center, while I slip off to the sidelines. > > 31-33"The One who comes from above is head and shoulders over other > messengers from God. The > earthborn is earthbound and speaks earth language; the heavenborn is in a > league of his own. He sets > out the evidence of what he saw and heard in heaven. No one wants to deal > with these facts. But > anyone who examines this evidence will come to stake his life on this: > that God himself is the > truth. > > 34-36"The One that God sent speaks God's words. And don't think he rations > out the Spirit in bits > and pieces. The Father loves the Son extravagantly. He turned everything > over to him so he could > give it away-a lavish distribution of gifts. That is why whoever accepts > and trusts the Son gets in > on everything, life complete and forever! And that is also why the person > who avoids and distrusts > the Son is in the dark and doesn't see life. All he experiences of God is > darkness, and an angry > darkness at that." > > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
