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: Sunday, November 29, 2009 9:38 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Monday November 30 > Day 334 > > 2 Corinthians 10 > Tearing Down Barriers > 1-2And now a personal but most urgent matter; I write in the gentle but > firm spirit of Christ. I > hear that I'm being painted as cringing and wishy-washy when I'm with you, > but harsh and demanding > when at a safe distance writing letters. Please don't force me to take a > hard line when I'm present > with you. Don't think that I'll hesitate a single minute to stand up to > those who say I'm an > unprincipled opportunist. Then they'll have to eat their words. > 3-6The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world > doesn't fight fair. But we > don't live or fight our battles that way-never have and never will. The > tools of our trade aren't > for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire > massively corrupt culture. > We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing > down barriers erected > against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and > impulse into the structure of > life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground > of every obstruction and > building lives of obedience into maturity. > > 7-8You stare and stare at the obvious, but you can't see the forest for > the trees. If you're > looking for a clear example of someone on Christ's side, why do you so > quickly cut me out? Believe > me, I am quite sure of my standing with Christ. You may think I overstate > the authority he gave me, > but I'm not backing off. Every bit of my commitment is for the purpose of > building you up, after > all, not tearing you down. > > 9-11And what's this talk about me bullying you with my letters? "His > letters are brawny and potent, > but in person he's a weakling and mumbles when he talks." Such talk won't > survive scrutiny. What we > write when away, we do when present. We're the exact same people, absent > or present, in letter or in > person. > > 12We're not, understand, putting ourselves in a league with those who > boast that they're our > superiors. We wouldn't dare do that. But in all this comparing and grading > and competing, they quite > miss the point. > > 13-14We aren't making outrageous claims here. We're sticking to the limits > of what God has set for > us. But there can be no question that those limits reach to and include > you. We're not moving into > someone else's "territory." We were already there with you, weren't we? We > were the first ones to > get there with the Message of Christ, right? So how can there be any > question of overstepping our > bounds by writing or visiting you? > > 15-18We're not barging in on the rightful work of others, interfering with > their ministries, > demanding a place in the sun with them. What we're hoping for is that as > your lives grow in faith, > you'll play a part within our expanding work. And we'll all still be > within the limits God sets as > we proclaim the Message in countries beyond Corinth. But we have no > intention of moving in on what > others have done and taking credit for it. "If you want to claim credit, > claim it for God." What you > say about yourself means nothing in God's work. It's what God says about > you that makes the > difference. > > 2 Corinthians 11 > Pseudo-Servants of God > 1-3Will you put up with a little foolish aside from me? Please, just for a > moment. The thing that > has me so upset is that I care about you so much-this is the passion of > God burning inside me! I > promised your hand in marriage to Christ, presented you as a pure virgin > to her husband. And now I'm > afraid that exactly as the Snake seduced Eve with his smooth patter, you > are being lured away from > the simple purity of your love for Christ. > 4-6It seems that if someone shows up preaching quite another Jesus than we > preached-different > spirit, different message-you put up with him quite nicely. But if you put > up with these big-shot > "apostles," why can't you put up with simple me? I'm as good as they are. > It's true that I don't > have their voice, haven't mastered that smooth eloquence that impresses > you so much. But when I do > open my mouth, I at least know what I'm talking about. We haven't kept > anything back. We let you in > on everything. > > 7-12I wonder, did I make a bad mistake in proclaiming God's Message to you > without asking for > something in return, serving you free of charge so that you wouldn't be > inconvenienced by me? It > turns out that the other churches paid my way so that you could have a > free ride. Not once during > the time I lived among you did anyone have to lift a finger to help me > out. My needs were always > supplied by the believers from Macedonia province. I was careful never to > be a burden to you, and I > never will be, you can count on it. With Christ as my witness, it's a > point of honor with me, and > I'm not going to keep it quiet just to protect you from what the neighbors > will think. It's not that > I don't love you; God knows I do. I'm just trying to keep things open and > honest between us. > > 12-15And I'm not changing my position on this. I'd die before taking your > money. I'm giving nobody > grounds for lumping me in with those money-grubbing "preachers," vaunting > themselves as something > special. They're a sorry bunch-pseudo-apostles, lying preachers, crooked > workers-posing as Christ's > agents but sham to the core. And no wonder! Satan does it all the time, > dressing up as a beautiful > angel of light. So it shouldn't surprise us when his servants masquerade > as servants of God. But > they're not getting by with anything. They'll pay for it in the end. > > Many a Long and Lonely Night > 16-21Let me come back to where I started-and don't hold it against me if I > continue to sound a > little foolish. Or if you'd rather, just accept that I am a fool and let > me rant on a little. I > didn't learn this kind of talk from Christ. Oh, no, it's a bad habit I > picked up from the three-ring > preachers that are so popular these days. Since you sit there in the > judgment seat observing all > these shenanigans, you can afford to humor an occasional fool who happens > along. You have such > admirable tolerance for impostors who rob your freedom, rip you off, steal > you blind, put you > down-even slap your face! I shouldn't admit it to you, but our stomachs > aren't strong enough to > tolerate that kind of stuff. > 21-23Since you admire the egomaniacs of the pulpit so much (remember, this > is your old friend, the > fool, talking), let me try my hand at it. Do they brag of being Hebrews, > Israelites, the pure race > of Abraham? I'm their match. Are they servants of Christ? I can go them > one better. (I can't believe > I'm saying these things. It's crazy to talk this way! But I started, and > I'm going to finish.) > > 23-27I've worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times > than I can count, and at > death's door time after time. I've been flogged five times with the Jews' > thirty-nine lashes, beaten > by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked > three times, and immersed > in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year > out, I've had to ford > rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I've > been at risk in the city, > at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and > betrayed by those I thought were > my brothers. I've known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely > night without sleep, many a > missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather. > > 28-29And that's not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures > and anxieties of all the > churches. When someone gets to the end of his rope, I feel the desperation > in my bones. When someone > is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut. > > 30-33If I have to "brag" about myself, I'll brag about the humiliations > that make me like Jesus. > The eternal and blessed God and Father of our Master Jesus knows I'm not > lying. Remember the time I > was in Damascus and the governor of King Aretas posted guards at the city > gates to arrest me? I > crawled through a window in the wall, was let down in a basket, and had to > run for my life. > > 2 Corinthians 12 > Strength from Weakness > 1-5You've forced me to talk this way, and I do it against my better > judgment. But now that we're at > it, I may as well bring up the matter of visions and revelations that God > gave me. For instance, I > know a man who, fourteen years ago, was seized by Christ and swept in > ecstasy to the heights of > heaven. I really don't know if this took place in the body or out of it; > only God knows. I also know > that this man was hijacked into paradise-again, whether in or out of the > body, I don't know; God > knows. There he heard the unspeakable spoken, but was forbidden to tell > what he heard. This is the > man I want to talk about. But about myself, I'm not saying another word > apart from the humiliations. > 6If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking > ridiculous, and I'd still > be speaking plain truth all the way. But I'll spare you. I don't want > anyone imagining me as > anything other than the fool you'd encounter if you saw me on the street > or heard me talk. > > 7-10Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't > get a big head, I was given > the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. > Satan's angel did his best > to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger > then of walking around high > and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to > remove it. Three times I did > that, and then he told me, > > My grace is enough; it's all you need. > My strength comes into its own in your weakness. > Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the > handicap and began > appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my > weakness. Now I take > limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me > down to size-abuse, > accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the > weaker I get, the > stronger I become. > > 11-13Well, now I've done it! I've made a complete fool of myself by going > on like this. But it's > not all my fault; you put me up to it. You should have been doing this for > me, sticking up for me > and commending me instead of making me do it for myself. You know from > personal experience that even > if I'm a nobody, a nothing, I wasn't second-rate compared to those > big-shot apostles you're so taken > with. All the signs that mark a true apostle were in evidence while I was > with you through both good > times and bad: signs of portent, signs of wonder, signs of power. Did you > get less of me or of God > than any of the other churches? The only thing you got less of was less > responsibility for my > upkeep. Well, I'm sorry. Forgive me for depriving you. > > 14-15Everything is in readiness now for this, my third visit to you. But > don't worry about it; you > won't have to put yourselves out. I'll be no more of a bother to you this > time than on the other > visits. I have no interest in what you have-only in you. Children > shouldn't have to look out for > their parents; parents look out for the children. I'd be most happy to > empty my pockets, even > mortgage my life, for your good. So how does it happen that the more I > love you, the less I'm loved? > > 16-18And why is it that I keep coming across these whiffs of gossip about > how my self-support was a > front behind which I worked an elaborate scam? Where's the evidence? Did I > cheat or trick you > through anyone I sent? I asked Titus to visit, and sent some brothers > along. Did they swindle you > out of anything? And haven't we always been just as aboveboard, just as > honest? > > 19I hope you don't think that all along we've been making our defense > before you, the jury. You're > not the jury; God is the jury-God revealed in Christ-and we make our case > before him. And we've gone > to all the trouble of supporting ourselves so that we won't be in the way > or get in the way of your > growing up. > > 20-21I do admit that I have fears that when I come you'll disappoint me > and I'll disappoint you, > and in frustration with each other everything will fall to > pieces-quarrels, jealousy, flaring > tempers, taking sides, angry words, vicious rumors, swelled heads, and > general bedlam. I don't look > forward to a second humiliation by God among you, compounded by hot tears > over that crowd that keeps > sinning over and over in the same old ways, who refuse to turn away from > the pigsty of evil, sexual > disorder, and indecency in which they wallow. > > 2 Corinthians 13 > He's Alive Now! > 1-4Well, this is my third visit coming up. Remember the Scripture that > says, "A matter becomes > clear after two or three witnesses give evidence"? On my second visit I > warned that bunch that keeps > sinning over and over in the same old ways that when I came back I > wouldn't go easy on them. Now, > preparing for the third, I'm saying it again from a distance. If you > haven't changed your ways by > the time I get there, look out. You who have been demanding proof that > Christ speaks through me will > get more than you bargained for. You'll get the full force of Christ, > don't think you won't. He was > sheer weakness and humiliation when he was killed on the cross, but oh, > he's alive now-in the mighty > power of God! We weren't much to look at, either, when we were humiliated > among you, but when we > deal with you this next time, we'll be alive in Christ, strengthened by > God. > 5-9Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift > along taking everything for > granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, > not mere hearsay, that Jesus > Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about > it. I hope the test won't > show that we have failed. But if it comes to that, we'd rather the test > showed our failure than > yours. We're rooting for the truth to win out in you. We couldn't possibly > do otherwise. > > We don't just put up with our limitations; we celebrate them, and then > go on to celebrate every > strength, every triumph of the truth in you. We pray hard that it will all > come together in your > lives. > > 10I'm writing this to you now so that when I come I won't have to say > another word on the subject. > The authority the Master gave me is for putting people together, not > taking them apart. I want to > get on with it, and not have to spend time on reprimands. > > 11-13And that's about it, friends. Be cheerful. Keep things in good > repair. Keep your spirits up. > Think in harmony. Be agreeable. Do all that, and the God of love and peace > will be with you for > sure. Greet one another with a holy embrace. All the brothers and sisters > here say hello. > > 14The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of > God, the intimate > friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you. > > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > 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.
