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: Monday, November 09, 2009 10:09 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Tuesday November 10 > Day 314 > > Acts 7 > Stephen, Full of the Holy Spirit > 1Then the Chief Priest said, "What do you have to say for yourself?" > 2-3Stephen replied, "Friends, fathers, and brothers, the God of glory > > appeared to our father Abraham when he was still in Mesopotamia, before > the move to Haran, and > told him, 'Leave your country and family and go to the land I'll show > you.' 4-7"So he left the > country of the Chaldees and moved to Haran. After the death of his father, > he immigrated to this > country where you now live, but God gave him nothing, not so much as a > foothold. He did promise to > give the country to him and his son later on, even though Abraham had no > son at the time. God let > him know that his offspring would move to an alien country where they > would be enslaved and > brutalized for four hundred years. 'But,' God said, 'I will step in and > take care of those > slaveholders and bring my people out so they can worship me in this > place.' > > 8"Then he made a covenant with him and signed it in Abraham's flesh by > circumcision. When Abraham > had his son Isaac, within eight days he reproduced the sign of > circumcision in him. Isaac became > father of Jacob, and Jacob father of twelve 'fathers,' each faithfully > passing on the covenant sign. > > 9-10"But then those 'fathers,' burning up with jealousy, sent Joseph off > to Egypt as a slave. God > was right there with him, though-he not only rescued him from all his > troubles but brought him to > the attention of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He was so impressed with Joseph > that he put him in charge > of the whole country, including his own personal affairs. > > 11-15"Later a famine descended on that entire region, stretching from > Egypt to Canaan, bringing > terrific hardship. Our hungry fathers looked high and low for food, but > the cupboard was bare. Jacob > heard there was food in Egypt and sent our fathers to scout it out. Having > confirmed the report, > they went back to Egypt a second time to get food. On that visit, Joseph > revealed his true identity > to his brothers and introduced the Jacob family to Pharaoh. Then Joseph > sent for his father, Jacob, > and everyone else in the family, seventy-five in all. That's how the Jacob > family got to Egypt. > > 15-16"Jacob died, and our fathers after him. They were taken to Shechem > and buried in the tomb for > which Abraham paid a good price to the sons of Hamor. > > 17-19"When the four hundred years were nearly up, the time God promised > Abraham for deliverance, > the population of our people in Egypt had become very large. And there was > now a king over Egypt who > had never heard of Joseph. He exploited our race mercilessly. He went so > far as forcing us to > abandon our newborn infants, exposing them to the elements to die a cruel > death. > > 20-22"In just such a time Moses was born, a most beautiful baby. He was > hidden at home for three > months. When he could be hidden no longer, he was put outside-and > immediately rescued by Pharaoh's > daughter, who mothered him as her own son. Moses was educated in the best > schools in Egypt. He was > equally impressive as a thinker and an athlete. > > 23-26"When he was forty years old, he wondered how everything was going > with his Hebrew kin and > went out to look things over. He saw an Egyptian abusing one of them and > stepped in, avenging his > underdog brother by knocking the Egyptian flat. He thought his brothers > would be glad that he was on > their side, and even see him as an instrument of God to deliver them. But > they didn't see it that > way. The next day two of them were fighting and he tried to break it up, > told them to shake hands > and get along with each other: 'Friends, you are brothers, why are you > beating up on each other?' > > 27-29"The one who had started the fight said, 'Who put you in charge of > us? Are you going to kill > me like you killed that Egyptian yesterday?' When Moses heard that, > realizing that the word was out, > he ran for his life and lived in exile over in Midian. During the years of > exile, two sons were born > to him. > > 30-32"Forty years later, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, an angel > appeared to him in the guise of > flames of a burning bush. Moses, not believing his eyes, went up to take a > closer look. He heard > God's voice: 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and > Jacob.' Frightened nearly > out of his skin, Moses shut his eyes and turned away. > > 33-34"God said, 'Kneel and pray. You are in a holy place, on holy ground. > I've seen the agony of my > people in Egypt. I've heard their groans. I've come to help them. So get > yourself ready; I'm sending > you back to Egypt.' > > 35-39"This is the same Moses whom they earlier rejected, saying, 'Who put > you in charge of us?' > This is the Moses that God, using the angel flaming in the burning bush, > sent back as ruler and > redeemer. He led them out of their slavery. He did wonderful things, > setting up God-signs all > through Egypt, down at the Red Sea, and out in the wilderness for forty > years. This is the Moses who > said to his congregation, 'God will raise up a prophet just like me from > your descendants.' This is > the Moses who stood between the angel speaking at Sinai and your fathers > assembled in the wilderness > and took the life-giving words given to him and handed them over to us, > words our fathers would have > nothing to do with. > > 39-41"They craved the old Egyptian ways, whining to Aaron, 'Make us gods > we can see and follow. > This Moses who got us out here miles from nowhere-who knows what's > happened to him!' That was the > time when they made a calf-idol, brought sacrifices to it, and > congratulated each other on the > wonderful religious program they had put together. > > 42-43"God wasn't at all pleased; but he let them do it their way, worship > every new god that came > down the pike-and live with the consequences, consequences described by > the prophet Amos: > > Did you bring me offerings of animals and grains > those forty wilderness years, O Israel? > Hardly. You were too busy building shrines > to war gods, to sex goddesses, > Worshiping them with all your might. > That's why I put you in exile in Babylon. > > 44-47"And all this time our ancestors had a tent shrine for true worship, > made to the exact > specifications God provided Moses. They had it with them as they followed > Joshua, when God cleared > the land of pagans, and still had it right down to the time of David. > David asked God for a > permanent place for worship. But Solomon built it. > > 48-50"Yet that doesn't mean that Most High God lives in a building made by > carpenters and masons. > The prophet Isaiah put it well when he wrote, > > "Heaven is my throne room; > I rest my feet on earth. > So what kind of house > will you build me?" says God. > "Where I can get away and relax? > It's already built, and I built it." > > 51-53"And you continue, so bullheaded! Calluses on your hearts, flaps on > your ears! Deliberately > ignoring the Holy Spirit, you're just like your ancestors. Was there ever > a prophet who didn't get > the same treatment? Your ancestors killed anyone who dared talk about the > coming of the Just One. > And you've kept up the family tradition-traitors and murderers, all of > you. You had God's Law handed > to you by angels-gift-wrapped!-and you squandered it!" > > 54-56At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles > and invective. But > Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed-he only had eyes for God, > whom he saw in all his > glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, "Oh! I see heaven wide > open and the Son of Man > standing at God's side!" > > 57-58Yelling and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, > they dragged him out of > town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and > asked a young man named > Saul to watch them. > > 59-60As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, "Master Jesus, take my > life." Then he knelt down, > praying loud enough for everyone to hear, "Master, don't blame them for > this sin"-his last words. > Then he died. > > Acts 7 > 1Saul was right there, congratulating the killers. > Acts 8 > Simon the Wizard > 1-2That set off a terrific persecution of the church in Jerusalem. The > believers were all scattered > throughout Judea and Samaria. All, that is, but the apostles. Good and > brave men buried Stephen, > giving him a solemn funeral-not many dry eyes that day! > 3-8And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after > house after house, > dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home base, the > followers of Jesus all became > missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message > about Jesus. Going down to a > Samaritan city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah. When the > people heard what he had to > say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God's action, they hung on > his every word. Many who > could neither stand nor walk were healed that day. The evil spirits > protested loudly as they were > sent on their way. And what joy in the city! > > 9-11Previous to Philip's arrival, a certain Simon had practiced magic in > the city, posing as a > famous man and dazzling all the Samaritans with his wizardry. He had them > all, from little children > to old men, eating out of his hand. They all thought he had supernatural > powers, and called him "the > Great Wizard." He had been around a long time and everyone was more or > less in awe of him. > > 12-13But when Philip came to town announcing the news of God's kingdom and > proclaiming the name of > Jesus Christ, they forgot Simon and were baptized, becoming believers > right and left! Even Simon > himself believed and was baptized. From that moment he was like Philip's > shadow, so fascinated with > all the God-signs and miracles that he wouldn't leave Philip's side. > > 14-17When the apostles in Jerusalem received the report that Samaria had > accepted God's Message, > they sent Peter and John down to pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit. > Up to this point they had > only been baptized in the name of the Master Jesus; the Holy Spirit hadn't > yet fallen on them. Then > the apostles laid their hands on them and they did receive the Holy > Spirit. > > 18-19When Simon saw that the apostles by merely laying on hands conferred > the Spirit, he pulled out > his money, excited, and said, "Sell me your secret! Show me how you did > that! How much do you want? > Name your price!" > > 20-23Peter said, "To hell with your money! And you along with it. Why, > that's unthinkable-trying to > buy God's gift! You'll never be part of what God is doing by striking > bargains and offering bribes. > Change your ways-and now! Ask the Master to forgive you for trying to use > God to make money. I can > see this is an old habit with you; you reek with money-lust." > > 24"Oh!" said Simon, "pray for me! Pray to the Master that nothing like > that will ever happen to > me!" > > 25And with that, the apostles were on their way, continuing to witness and > spread the Message of > God's salvation, preaching in every Samaritan town they passed through on > their return to Jerusalem. > > The Ethiopian Eunuch > 26-28Later God's angel spoke to Philip: "At noon today I want you to walk > over to that desolate > road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza." He got up and went. He met an > Ethiopian eunuch coming > down the road. The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was > returning to Ethiopia, where > he was minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, queen of the > Ethiopians. He was riding in > a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah. > 29-30The Spirit told Philip, "Climb into the chariot." Running up > alongside, Philip heard the > eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, "Do you understand what you're reading?" > > 31-33He answered, "How can I without some help?" and invited Philip into > the chariot with him. The > passage he was reading was this: > > As a sheep led to slaughter, > and quiet as a lamb being sheared, > He was silent, saying nothing. > He was mocked and put down, never got a fair trial. > But who now can count his kin > since he's been taken from the earth? > > 34-35The eunuch said, "Tell me, who is the prophet talking about: himself > or some other?" Philip > grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to > him. > > 36-39As they continued down the road, they came to a stream of water. The > eunuch said, "Here's > water. Why can't I be baptized?" He ordered the chariot to stop. They both > went down to the water, > and Philip baptized him on the spot. When they came up out of the water, > the Spirit of God suddenly > took Philip off, and that was the last the eunuch saw of him. But he > didn't mind. He had what he'd > come for and went on down the road as happy as he could be. > > 40Philip showed up in Azotus and continued north, preaching the Message in > all the villages along > that route until he arrived at Caesarea. > > Acts 9 > The Blinding of Saul > 1-2 All this time Saul was breathing down the necks of the Master's > disciples, out for the kill. He > went to the Chief Priest and got arrest warrants to take to the meeting > places in Damascus so that > if he found anyone there belonging to the Way, whether men or women, he > could arrest them and bring > them to Jerusalem. > 3-4He set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was suddenly > dazed by a blinding flash > of light. As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice: "Saul, Saul, why are > you out to get me?" > > 5-6He said, "Who are you, Master?" > > "I am Jesus, the One you're hunting down. I want you to get up and enter > the city. In the city > you'll be told what to do next." > > 7-9His companions stood there dumbstruck-they could hear the sound, but > couldn't see anyone-while > Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone-blind. They > had to take him by the hand > and lead him into Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate > nothing, drank nothing. > > 10There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master > spoke to him in a vision: > "Ananias." > > "Yes, Master?" he answered. > > 11-12"Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for > a man from Tarsus. His > name is Saul. He's there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw > a man named Ananias enter > the house and lay hands on him so he could see again." > > 13-14Ananias protested, "Master, you can't be serious. Everybody's talking > about this man and the > terrible things he's been doing, his reign of terror against your people > in Jerusalem! And now he's > shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to > do the same to us." > > 15-16But the Master said, "Don't argue. Go! I have picked him as my > personal representative to > non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I'm about to show him what he's in > for-the hard suffering that > goes with this job." > > 17-19So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, > and said, "Brother Saul, > the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so > you could see again and > be filled with the Holy Spirit." No sooner were the words out of his mouth > than something like > scales fell from Saul's eyes-he could see again! He got to his feet, was > baptized, and sat down with > them to a hearty meal. > > Plots Against Saul > 19-21Saul spent a few days getting acquainted with the Damascus disciples, > but then went right to > work, wasting no time, preaching in the meeting places that this Jesus was > the Son of God. They were > caught off guard by this and, not at all sure they could trust him, they > kept saying, "Isn't this > the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem among the believers? And didn't he > come here to do the same > thing-arrest us and drag us off to jail in Jerusalem for sentencing by the > high priests?" > 22But their suspicions didn't slow Saul down for even a minute. His > momentum was up now and he > plowed straight into the opposition, disarming the Damascus Jews and > trying to show them that this > Jesus was the Messiah. > > 23-25After this had gone on quite a long time, some Jews conspired to kill > him, but Saul got wind > of it. They were watching the city gates around the clock so they could > kill him. Then one night the > disciples engineered his escape by lowering him over the wall in a basket. > > 26-27Back in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all > afraid of him. They didn't > trust him one bit. Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He introduced > him to the apostles and > stood up for him, told them how Saul had seen and spoken to the Master on > the Damascus Road and how > in Damascus itself he had laid his life on the line with his bold > preaching in Jesus' name. > > 28-30After that he was accepted as one of them, going in and out of > Jerusalem with no questions > asked, uninhibited as he preached in the Master's name. But then he ran > afoul of a group called > Hellenists-he had been engaged in a running argument with them-who plotted > his murder. When his > friends learned of the plot, they got him out of town, took him to > Caesarea, and then shipped him > off to Tarsus. > > 31Things calmed down after that and the church had smooth sailing for a > while. All over the > country-Judea, Samaria, Galilee-the church grew. They were permeated with > a deep sense of reverence > for God. The Holy Spirit was with them, strengthening them. They prospered > wonderfully. > > Tabitha > 32-35Peter went off on a mission to visit all the churches. In the course > of his travels he arrived > in Lydda and met with the believers there. He came across a man-his name > was Aeneas-who had been in > bed eight years paralyzed. Peter said, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. > Get up and make your bed!" > And he did it-jumped right out of bed. Everybody who lived in Lydda and > Sharon saw him walking > around and woke up to the fact that God was alive and active among them. > 36-37Down the road a way in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, > "Gazelle" in our language. > She was well-known for doing good and helping out. During the time Peter > was in the area she became > sick and died. Her friends prepared her body for burial and put her in a > cool room. > > 38-40Some of the disciples had heard that Peter was visiting in nearby > Lydda and sent two men to > ask if he would be so kind as to come over. Peter got right up and went > with them. They took him > into the room where Tabitha's body was laid out. Her old friends, most of > them widows, were in the > room mourning. They showed Peter pieces of clothing the Gazelle had made > while she was with them. > Peter put the widows all out of the room. He knelt and prayed. Then he > spoke directly to the body: > "Tabitha, get up." > > 40-41She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up. He took her hand > and helped her up. Then > he called in the believers and widows, and presented her to them alive. > > 42-43When this became known all over Joppa, many put their trust in the > Master. Peter stayed on a > long time in Joppa as a guest of Simon the Tanner. > > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
