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: Thursday, December 03, 2009 8:58 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Friday December 4 > Day 338 > > Ephesians 4 > To Be Mature > 1-3In light of all this, here's what I want you to do. While I'm locked up > here, a prisoner for the > Master, I want you to get out there and walk-better yet, run!-on the road > God called you to travel. > I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone > strolling off, down some > path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and > discipline-not in fits and > starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of > love, alert at noticing > differences and quick at mending fences. > 4-6You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same > direction, so stay together, both > outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one > God and Father of all, who > rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you > are and think and do is > permeated with Oneness. > > 7-13But that doesn't mean you should all look and speak and act the same. > Out of the generosity of > Christ, each of us is given his own gift. The text for this is, > > He climbed the high mountain, > He captured the enemy and seized the booty, > He handed it all out in gifts to the people. > Is it not true that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the > valley of earth? And the > One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to highest heaven. > He handed out gifts above > and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He > handed out gifts of > apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ's > followers in skilled servant > work, working within Christ's body, the church, until we're all moving > rhythmically and easily with > each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature > adults, fully developed > within and without, fully alive like Christ. > > 14-16No prolonged infancies among us, please. We'll not tolerate babes in > the woods, small children > who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the > whole truth and tell it in > love-like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the > source of everything we do. > He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow > through us, nourishing us so > that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love. > > The Old Way Has to Go > 17-19And so I insist-and God backs me up on this-that there be no going > along with the crowd, the > empty-headed, mindless crowd. They've refused for so long to deal with God > that they've lost touch > not only with God but with reality itself. They can't think straight > anymore. Feeling no pain, they > let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of > perversion. > 20-24But that's no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that > you have paid careful > attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have > it in Jesus. Since, then, > we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything-and I do mean > everything-connected with that old > way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And > then take on an entirely > new way of life-a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and > working itself into your > conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. > > 25What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. > Tell your neighbor the > truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When > you lie to others, you > end up lying to yourself. > > 26-27Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry-but don't use your > anger as fuel for revenge. > And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the Devil that > kind of foothold in your > life. > > 28Did you use to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest > job so that you can help > others who can't work. > > 29Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your > mouth. Say only what helps, > each word a gift. > > 30Don't grieve God. Don't break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and > breathing in you, is the > most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don't take > such a gift for granted. > > 31-32Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be > gentle with one another, > sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ > forgave you. > > Ephesians 5 > Wake Up from Your Sleep > 1-2Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper > behavior from their > parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn > a life of love. Observe > how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't > love in order to get > something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. > 3-4Don't allow love to turn into lust, setting off a downhill slide into > sexual promiscuity, filthy > practices, or bullying greed. Though some tongues just love the taste of > gossip, those who follow > Jesus have better uses for language than that. Don't talk dirty or silly. > That kind of talk doesn't > fit our style. Thanksgiving is our dialect. > > 5You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you > can get out of them-the > usual variations on idolatry-will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere > near the kingdom of Christ, > the kingdom of God. > > 6-7Don't let yourselves get taken in by religious smooth talk. God gets > furious with people who are > full of religious sales talk but want nothing to do with him. Don't even > hang around people like > that. > > 8-10You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You're out > in the open now. The > bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. > Get on with it! The good, > the right, the true-these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. > Figure out what will > please Christ, and then do it. > > 11-16Don't waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren > pursuits of darkness. Expose > these things for the sham they are. It's a scandal when people waste their > lives on things they must > do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds > and see how attractive they > look in the light of Christ. > > Wake up from your sleep, > Climb out of your coffins; > Christ will show you the light! > So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. > These are desperate times! > > 17Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the > Master wants. > > 18-20Don't drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit > of God, huge draughts of > him. Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to > Christ. Sing praises over > everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our > Master, Jesus Christ. > > Relationships > 21Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another. > 22-24Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your > support for Christ. The > husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, > not by domineering but by > cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such > leadership, wives should > likewise submit to their husbands. > > 25-28Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ > did for the church-a love > marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His > words evoke her beauty. > Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, > dressing her in dazzling white > silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their > wives. They're really > doing themselves a favor-since they're already "one" in marriage. > > 29-33No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it. > That's how Christ treats us, > the church, since we are part of his body. And this is why a man leaves > father and mother and > cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become "one flesh." This is a huge > mystery, and I don't > pretend to understand it all. What is clearest to me is the way Christ > treats the church. And this > provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving > himself in loving her, and > how each wife is to honor her husband. > > Ephesians 6 > 1-3 Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right. "Honor > your father and mother" is > the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, "so you > will live well and have a > long life." 4Fathers, don't exasperate your children by coming down hard > on them. Take them by the > hand and lead them in the way of the Master. > 5-8Servants, respectfully obey your earthly masters but always with an eye > to obeying the real > master, Christ. Don't just do what you have to do to get by, but work > heartily, as Christ's servants > doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face, always > keeping in mind that no > matter who happens to be giving the orders, you're really serving God. > Good work will get you good > pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are slave or free. > > 9Masters, it's the same with you. No abuse, please, and no threats. You > and your servants are both > under the same Master in heaven. He makes no distinction between you and > them. > > A Fight to the Finish > 10-12And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. > So take everything the > Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And > put them to use so you will > be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no > afternoon athletic contest > that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is > for keeps, a life-or-death > fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. > 13-18Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your > own. Take all the help you > can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the > shouting you'll still be on > your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than > words. Learn how to apply > them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an > indispensable weapon. In the same way, > prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for > your brothers and sisters. > Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls > behind or drops out. > > 19-20And don't forget to pray for me. Pray that I'll know what to say and > have the courage to say > it at the right time, telling the mystery to one and all, the Message that > I, jailbird preacher that > I am, am responsible for getting out. > > 21-22Tychicus, my good friend here, will tell you what I'm doing and how > things are going with me. > He is certainly a dependable servant of the Master! I've sent him not only > to tell you about us but > to cheer you on in your faith. > > 23-24Good-bye, friends. Love mixed with faith be yours from God the Father > and from the Master, > Jesus Christ. Pure grace and nothing but grace be with all who love our > Master, Jesus Christ. > > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > 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.
