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, November 28, 2009 11:47 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Sunday November 29 > Day 333 > > 2 Corinthians 7 > 1 With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let's make a clean > break with everything > that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let's make our > entire lives fit and holy > temples for the worship of God. > More Passionate, More Responsible > 2-4Trust us. We've never hurt a soul, never exploited or taken advantage > of anyone. Don't think I'm > finding fault with you. I told you earlier that I'm with you all the way, > no matter what. I have, in > fact, the greatest confidence in you. If only you knew how proud I am of > you! I am overwhelmed with > joy despite all our troubles. > 5-7When we arrived in Macedonia province, we couldn't settle down. The > fights in the church and the > fears in our hearts kept us on pins and needles. We couldn't relax because > we didn't know how it > would turn out. Then the God who lifts up the downcast lifted our heads > and our hearts with the > arrival of Titus. We were glad just to see him, but the true reassurance > came in what he told us > about you: how much you cared, how much you grieved, how concerned you > were for me. I went from > worry to tranquility in no time! > > 8-9I know I distressed you greatly with my letter. Although I felt awful > at the time, I don't feel > at all bad now that I see how it turned out. The letter upset you, but > only for a while. Now I'm > glad-not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things > around. You let the > distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all > gain, no loss. > > 10Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us > back in the way of > salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress > drive them away from God > are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets. > > 11-13And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has > goaded you closer to God? > You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more > human, more passionate, more > responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity > of heart. And that is > what I was hoping for in the first place when I wrote the letter. My > primary concern was not for the > one who did the wrong or even the one wronged, but for you-that you would > realize and act upon the > deep, deep ties between us before God. That's what happened-and we felt > just great. > > 13-16And then, when we saw how Titus felt-his exuberance over your > response-our joy doubled. It was > wonderful to see how revived and refreshed he was by everything you did. > If I went out on a limb in > telling Titus how great I thought you were, you didn't cut off that limb. > As it turned out, I hadn't > exaggerated one bit. Titus saw for himself that everything I had said > about you was true. He can't > quit talking about it, going over again and again the story of your prompt > obedience, and the > dignity and sensitivity of your hospitality. He was quite overwhelmed by > it all! And I couldn't be > more pleased-I'm so confident and proud of you. > > 2 Corinthians 8 > The Offering > 1-4Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in > which God is working in > the churches in Macedonia province. Fierce troubles came down on the > people of those churches, > pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They > were incredibly happy, > though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally > unexpected: an outpouring of pure > and generous gifts. I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings > of whatever they > could-far more than they could afford!-pleading for the privilege of > helping out in the relief of > poor Christians. > 5-7This was totally spontaneous, entirely their own idea, and caught us > completely off guard. What > explains it was that they had first given themselves unreservedly to God > and to us. The other giving > simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives. That's > what prompted us to ask > Titus to bring the relief offering to your attention, so that what was so > well begun could be > finished up. You do so well in so many things-you trust God, you're > articulate, you're insightful, > you're passionate, you love us-now, do your best in this, too. > > 8-9I'm not trying to order you around against your will. But by bringing > in the Macedonians' > enthusiasm as a stimulus to your love, I am hoping to bring the best out > of you. You are familiar > with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave > it all away for us-in one > stroke he became poor and we became rich. > > 10-20So here's what I think: The best thing you can do right now is to > finish what you started last > year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart's been in > the right place all along. > You've got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. Once the commitment > is clear, you do what you > can, not what you can't. The heart regulates the hands. This isn't so > others can take it easy while > you sweat it out. No, you're shoulder to shoulder with them all the way, > your surplus matching their > deficit, their surplus matching your deficit. In the end you come out > even. As it is written, > > Nothing left over to the one with the most, > Nothing lacking to the one with the least. > I thank God for giving Titus the same devoted concern for you that I have. > He was most considerate > of how we felt, but his eagerness to go to you and help out with this > relief offering is his own > idea. We're sending a companion along with him, someone very popular in > the churches for his > preaching of the Message. But there's far more to him than popularity. > He's rock-solid trustworthy. > The churches handpicked him to go with us as we travel about doing this > work of sharing God's gifts > to honor God as well as we can, taking every precaution against scandal. > > 20-22We don't want anyone suspecting us of taking one penny of this money > for ourselves. We're > being as careful in our reputation with the public as in our reputation > with God. That's why we're > sending another trusted friend along. He's proved his dependability many > times over, and carries on > as energetically as the day he started. He's heard much about you, and > liked what he's heard-so much > so that he can't wait to get there. > > 23-24I don't need to say anything further about Titus. We've been close > associates in this work of > serving you for a long time. The brothers who travel with him are > delegates from churches, a real > credit to Christ. Show them what you're made of, the love I've been > talking up in the churches. Let > them see it for themselves! > > 2 Corinthians 9 > 1-2If I wrote any more on this relief offering for the poor Christians, > I'd be repeating myself. I > know you're on board and ready to go. I've been bragging about you all > through Macedonia province, > telling them, "Achaia province has been ready to go on this since last > year." Your enthusiasm by now > has spread to most of them. > 3-5Now I'm sending the brothers to make sure you're ready, as I said you > would be, so my bragging > won't turn out to be just so much hot air. If some Macedonians and I > happened to drop in on you and > found you weren't prepared, we'd all be pretty red-faced-you and us-for > acting so sure of ourselves. > So to make sure there will be no slipup, I've recruited these brothers as > an advance team to get you > and your promised offering all ready before I get there. I want you to > have all the time you need to > make this offering in your own way. I don't want anything forced or > hurried at the last minute. > > 6-7Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a > lavish crop. I want each > of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind > what you will give. That > will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when > the giver delights in the > giving. > > 8-11God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready > for anything and > everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one > psalmist puts it, > > He throws caution to the winds, > giving to the needy in reckless abandon. > His right-living, right-giving ways > never run out, never wear out. > This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for > your meals is more than > extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which > grows into full-formed > lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in > every way, producing with > us great praise to God. > > 12-15Carrying out this social relief work involves far more than helping > meet the bare needs of > poor Christians. It also produces abundant and bountiful thanksgivings to > God. This relief offering > is a prod to live at your very best, showing your gratitude to God by > being openly obedient to the > plain meaning of the Message of Christ. You show your gratitude through > your generous offerings to > your needy brothers and sisters, and really toward everyone. Meanwhile, > moved by the extravagance of > God in your lives, they'll respond by praying for you in passionate > intercession for whatever you > need. Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough! > > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > 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.
