This is very good reading. Romans seems to be the book of the Bible most preached out of.
-------------------------------------------------- From: "O.Addison Gethers" <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 7:51 AM To: "Deaf-blind inspirational life groups" <[email protected]> Subject: {dbilg} Fw: Daily Bible Reading For Tuesday November 17 > > 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 16, 2009 10:07 PM > Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Tuesday November 17 > > >> Day 321 >> >> Romans 1 >> 1I, Paul, am a devoted slave of Jesus Christ on assignment, authorized as >> an apostle to proclaim >> God's words and acts. I write this letter to all the believers in Rome, >> God's friends. 2-7The sacred >> writings contain preliminary reports by the prophets on God's Son. His >> descent from David roots him >> in history; his unique identity as Son of God was shown by the Spirit >> when >> Jesus was raised from the >> dead, setting him apart as the Messiah, our Master. Through him we >> received both the generous gift >> of his life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it >> by entering into obedient >> trust in Jesus. You are who you are through this gift and call of Jesus >> Christ! And I greet you now >> with all the generosity of God our Father and our Master Jesus, the >> Messiah. >> 8-12I thank God through Jesus for every one of you. That's first. People >> everywhere keep telling me >> about your lives of faith, and every time I hear them, I thank him. And >> God, whom I so love to >> worship and serve by spreading the good news of his Son-the >> Message!-knows >> that every time I think >> of you in my prayers, which is practically all the time, I ask him to >> clear the way for me to come >> and see you. The longer this waiting goes on, the deeper the ache. I so >> want to be there to deliver >> God's gift in person and watch you grow stronger right before my eyes! >> But >> don't think I'm not >> expecting to get something out of this, too! You have as much to give me >> as I do to you. >> >> 13-15Please don't misinterpret my failure to visit you, friends. You have >> no idea how many times >> I've made plans for Rome. I've been determined to get some personal >> enjoyment out of God's work >> among you, as I have in so many other non-Jewish towns and communities. >> But something has always >> come up and prevented it. Everyone I meet-it matters little whether >> they're mannered or rude, smart >> or simple-deepens my sense of interdependence and obligation. And that's >> why I can't wait to get to >> you in Rome, preaching this wonderful good news of God. >> >> 16-17It's news I'm most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of >> God's powerful plan to >> rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to >> everyone else! God's way of >> putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what >> Scripture has said all along: >> "The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives." >> >> Ignoring God Leads to a Downward Spiral >> 18-23But God's angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and >> wrongdoing and lying >> accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic >> reality of God is plain enough. >> Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at >> what God has created, people >> have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal >> power, for instance, and the >> mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened >> was this: People knew God >> perfectly well, but when they didn't treat him like God, refusing to >> worship him, they trivialized >> themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense >> nor direction left in their >> lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. >> They traded the glory of >> God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can >> buy >> at any roadside stand. >> 24-25So God said, in effect, "If that's what you want, that's what you >> get." It wasn't long before >> they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out. >> And all this because they >> traded the true God for a fake god, and worshiped the god they made >> instead of the God who made >> them-the God we bless, the God who blesses us. Oh, yes! >> >> 26-27Worse followed. Refusing to know God, they soon didn't know how to >> be >> human either-women >> didn't know how to be women, men didn't know how to be men. Sexually >> confused, they abused and >> defiled one another, women with women, men with men-all lust, no love. >> And >> then they paid for it, >> oh, how they paid for it-emptied of God and love, godless and loveless >> wretches. >> >> 28-32Since they didn't bother to acknowledge God, God quit bothering them >> and let them run loose. >> And then all hell broke loose: rampant evil, grabbing and grasping, >> vicious backstabbing. They made >> life hell on earth with their envy, wanton killing, bickering, and >> cheating. Look at them: >> mean-spirited, venomous, fork-tongued God-bashers. Bullies, swaggerers, >> insufferable windbags! They >> keep inventing new ways of wrecking lives. They ditch their parents when >> they get in the way. >> Stupid, slimy, cruel, cold-blooded. And it's not as if they don't know >> better. They know perfectly >> well they're spitting in God's face. And they don't care-worse, they hand >> out prizes to those who do >> the worst things best! >> >> Romans 2 >> God Is Kind, but Not Soft >> 1-2 Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that >> leaves you on the high ground >> where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you >> criticize someone, you >> condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of >> others >> is a well-known way of >> escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. But God isn't so >> easily diverted. He sees >> right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you've done. >> 3-4You didn't think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others >> you would distract God >> from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did >> you think that because he's >> such a nice God, he'd let you off the hook? Better think this one through >> from the beginning. God is >> kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and >> leads us into a radical >> life-change. >> >> 5-8You're not getting by with anything. Every refusal and avoidance of >> God >> adds fuel to the fire. >> The day is coming when it's going to blaze hot and high, God's fiery and >> righteous judgment. Make no >> mistake: In the end you get what's coming to you-Real Life for those who >> work on God's side, but to >> those who insist on getting their own way and take the path of least >> resistance, Fire! >> >> 9-11If you go against the grain, you get splinters, regardless of which >> neighborhood you're from, >> what your parents taught you, what schools you attended. But if you >> embrace the way God does things, >> there are wonderful payoffs, again without regard to where you are from >> or >> how you were brought up. >> Being a Jew won't give you an automatic stamp of approval. God pays no >> attention to what others say >> (or what you think) about you. He makes up his own mind. >> >> 12-13If you sin without knowing what you're doing, God takes that into >> account. But if you sin >> knowing full well what you're doing, that's a different story entirely. >> Merely hearing God's law is >> a waste of your time if you don't do what he commands. Doing, not >> hearing, >> is what makes the >> difference with God. >> >> 14-16When outsiders who have never heard of God's law follow it more or >> less by instinct, they >> confirm its truth by their obedience. They show that God's law is not >> something alien, imposed on us >> from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation. There is >> something deep within them >> that echoes God's yes and no, right and wrong. Their response to God's >> yes >> and no will become public >> knowledge on the day God makes his final decision about every man and >> woman. The Message from God >> that I proclaim through Jesus Christ takes into account all these >> differences. >> >> Religion Can't Save You >> 17-24If you're brought up Jewish, don't assume that you can lean back in >> the arms of your religion >> and take it easy, feeling smug because you're an insider to God's >> revelation, a connoisseur of the >> best things of God, informed on the latest doctrines! I have a special >> word of caution for you who >> are sure that you have it all together yourselves and, because you know >> God's revealed Word inside >> and out, feel qualified to guide others through their blind alleys and >> dark nights and confused >> emotions to God. While you are guiding others, who is going to guide you? >> I'm quite serious. While >> preaching "Don't steal!" are you going to rob people blind? Who would >> suspect you? The same with >> adultery. The same with idolatry. You can get by with almost anything if >> you front it with eloquent >> talk about God and his law. The line from Scripture, "It's because of you >> Jews that the outsiders >> are down on God," shows it's an old problem that isn't going to go away. >> 25-29Circumcision, the surgical ritual that marks you as a Jew, is great >> if you live in accord with >> God's law. But if you don't, it's worse than not being circumcised. The >> reverse is also true: The >> uncircumcised who keep God's ways are as good as the circumcised-in fact, >> better. Better to keep >> God's law uncircumcised than break it circumcised. Don't you see: It's >> not >> the cut of a knife that >> makes a Jew. You become a Jew by who you are. It's the mark of God on >> your >> heart, not of a knife on >> your skin, that makes a Jew. And recognition comes from God, not >> legalistic critics. >> >> Romans 3 >> 1-2So what difference does it make who's a Jew and who isn't, who has >> been >> trained in God's ways >> and who hasn't? As it turns out, it makes a lot of difference-but not the >> difference so many have >> assumed. 2-6First, there's the matter of being put in charge of writing >> down and caring for God's >> revelation, these Holy Scriptures. So, what if, in the course of doing >> that, some of those Jews >> abandoned their post? God didn't abandon them. Do you think their >> faithlessness cancels out his >> faithfulness? Not on your life! Depend on it: God keeps his word even >> when >> the whole world is lying >> through its teeth. Scripture says the same: >> >> Your words stand fast and true; >> Rejection doesn't faze you. >> But if our wrongdoing only underlines and confirms God's rightdoing, >> shouldn't we be commended >> for helping out? Since our bad words don't even make a dent in his good >> words, isn't it wrong of God >> to back us to the wall and hold us to our word? These questions come up. >> The answer to such >> questions is no, a most emphatic No! How else would things ever get >> straightened out if God didn't >> do the straightening? >> >> 7-8It's simply perverse to say, "If my lies serve to show off God's truth >> all the more gloriously, >> why blame me? I'm doing God a favor." Some people are actually trying to >> put such words in our >> mouths, claiming that we go around saying, "The more evil we do, the more >> good God does, so let's >> just do it!" That's pure slander, as I'm sure you'll agree. >> >> We're All in the Same Sinking Boat >> 9-20So where does that put us? Do we Jews get a better break than the >> others? Not really. >> Basically, all of us, whether insiders or outsiders, start out in >> identical conditions, which is to >> say that we all start out as sinners. Scripture leaves no doubt about it: >> >> There's nobody living right, not even one, >> nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God. >> They've all taken the wrong turn; >> they've all wandered down blind alleys. >> No one's living right; >> I can't find a single one. >> Their throats are gaping graves, >> their tongues slick as mudslides. >> Every word they speak is tinged with poison. >> They open their mouths and pollute the air. >> They race for the honor of sinner-of-the-year, >> litter the land with heartbreak and ruin, >> Don't know the first thing about living with others. >> They never give God the time of day. >> This makes it clear, doesn't it, that whatever is written in these >> Scriptures is not what God says >> about others but to us to whom these Scriptures were addressed in the >> first place! And it's clear >> enough, isn't it, that we're sinners, every one of us, in the same >> sinking >> boat with everybody else? >> Our involvement with God's revelation doesn't put us right with God. What >> it does is force us to >> face our complicity in everyone else's sin. >> God Has Set Things Right >> 21-24But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the >> prophets witnessed to all >> those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about >> has become >> Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone >> who believes in him. For >> there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we've compiled >> this long and sorry record >> as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of >> living the glorious lives >> God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in >> right standing with >> himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us >> to where he always wanted >> us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. >> 25-26God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world >> of >> sin. Having faith in him >> sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view >> of >> the public-to set the >> world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally >> taking care of the sins he >> had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it's now-this is >> current history! God sets >> things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness. >> >> 27-28So where does that leave our proud Jewish insider claims and >> counter-claims? Canceled? Yes, >> canceled. What we've learned is this: God does not respond to what we do; >> we respond to what God >> does. We've finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and >> all >> others by letting him set >> the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade. >> >> 29-30And where does that leave our proud Jewish claim of having a corner >> on God? Also canceled. God >> is the God of outsider non-Jews as well as insider Jews. How could it be >> otherwise since there is >> only one God? God sets right all who welcome his action and enter into >> it, >> both those who follow our >> religious system and those who have never heard of our religion. >> >> 31But by shifting our focus from what we do to what God does, don't we >> cancel out all our careful >> keeping of the rules and ways God commanded? Not at all. What happens, in >> fact, is that by putting >> that entire way of life in its proper place, we confirm it. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ~~~~~ >> 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]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/dbilg?hl=. > > > -- 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]. 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