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, December 06, 2009 11:13 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Monday December 7 > Day 341 > > 1 Thessalonians 1 > 1I, Paul, together here with Silas and Timothy, send greetings to the > church at Thessalonica, > Christians assembled by God the Father and by the Master, Jesus Christ. > God's amazing grace be with > you! God's robust peace! > Convictions of Steel > 2-5Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you're > in our prayers as we call > to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope > in following our Master, > Jesus Christ, before God our Father. It is clear to us, friends, that God > not only loves you very > much but also has put his hand on you for something special. When the > Message we preached came to > you, it wasn't just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit put > steel in your convictions. > 5-6You paid careful attention to the way we lived among you, and > determined to live that way > yourselves. In imitating us, you imitated the Master. Although great > trouble accompanied the Word, > you were able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit!-taking the trouble > with the joy, the joy with > the trouble. > > 7-10Do you know that all over the provinces of both Macedonia and Achaia > believers look up to you? > The word has gotten around. Your lives are echoing the Master's Word, not > only in the provinces but > all over the place. The news of your faith in God is out. We don't even > have to say anything > anymore-you're the message! People come up and tell us how you received us > with open arms, how you > deserted the dead idols of your old life so you could embrace and serve > God, the true God. They > marvel at how expectantly you await the arrival of his Son, whom he raised > from the dead-Jesus, who > rescued us from certain doom. > > 1 Thessalonians 2 > 1-2So, friends, it's obvious that our visit to you was no waste of time. > We had just been given > rough treatment in Philippi, as you know, but that didn't slow us down. We > were sure of ourselves in > God, and went right ahead and said our piece, presenting God's Message to > you, defiant of the > opposition. > No Hidden Agendas > 3-5God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted > with this Message. Be > assured that when we speak to you we're not after crowd approval-only God > approval. Since we've been > put through that battery of tests, you're guaranteed that both we and the > Message are free of error, > mixed motives, or hidden agendas. We never used words to butter you up. No > one knows that better > than you. And God knows we never used words as a smoke screen to take > advantage of you. > 6-8Even though we had some standing as Christ's apostles, we never threw > our weight around or tried > to come across as important, with you or anyone else. We weren't aloof > with you. We took you just as > you were. We were never patronizing, never condescending, but we cared for > you the way a mother > cares for her children. We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass on > the Message, we wanted to > give you our hearts. And we did. > > 9-12You remember us in those days, friends, working our fingers to the > bone, up half the night, > moonlighting so you wouldn't have the burden of supporting us while we > proclaimed God's Message to > you. You saw with your own eyes how discreet and courteous we were among > you, with keen sensitivity > to you as fellow believers. And God knows we weren't freeloaders! You > experienced it all firsthand. > With each of you we were like a father with his child, holding your hand, > whispering encouragement, > showing you step-by-step how to live well before God, who called us into > his own kingdom, into this > delightful life. > > 13And now we look back on all this and thank God, an artesian well of > thanks! When you got the > Message of God we preached, you didn't pass it off as just one more human > opinion, but you took it > to heart as God's true word to you, which it is, God himself at work in > you believers! > > 14-16Friends, do you realize that you followed in the exact footsteps of > the churches of God in > Judea, those who were the first to follow in the footsteps of Jesus > Christ? You got the same bad > treatment from your countrymen as they did from theirs, the Jews who > killed the Master Jesus (to say > nothing of the prophets) and followed it up by running us out of town. > They make themselves > offensive to God and everyone else by trying to keep us from telling > people who've never heard of > our God how to be saved. They've made a career of opposing God, and have > gotten mighty good at it. > But God is fed up, ready to put an end to it. > > 17-20Do you have any idea how very homesick we became for you, dear > friends? Even though it hadn't > been that long and it was only our bodies that were separated from you, > not our hearts, we tried our > very best to get back to see you. You can't imagine how much we missed > you! I, Paul, tried over and > over to get back, but Satan stymied us each time. Who do you think we're > going to be proud of when > our Master Jesus appears if it's not you? You're our pride and joy! > > 1 Thessalonians 3 > 1-2So when we couldn't stand being separated from you any longer and could > find no way to visit you > ourselves, we stayed in Athens and sent Timothy to get you up and about, > cheering you on so you > wouldn't be discouraged by these hard times. He's a brother and companion > in the faith, God's man in > spreading the Message, preaching Christ. > 3-5Not that the troubles should come as any surprise to you. You've always > known that we're in for > this kind of thing. It's part of our calling. When we were with you, we > made it quite clear that > there was trouble ahead. And now that it's happened, you know what it's > like. That's why I couldn't > quit worrying; I had to know for myself how you were doing in the faith. I > didn't want the Tempter > getting to you and tearing down everything we had built up together. > > 6-8But now that Timothy is back, bringing this terrific report on your > faith and love, we feel a > lot better. It's especially gratifying to know that you continue to think > well of us, and that you > want to see us as much as we want to see you! In the middle of our trouble > and hard times here, just > knowing how you're doing keeps us going. Knowing that your faith is alive > keeps us alive. > > 9-10What would be an adequate thanksgiving to offer God for all the joy we > experience before him > because of you? We do what we can, praying away, night and day, asking for > the bonus of seeing your > faces again and doing what we can to help when your faith falters. > > 11-13May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to > you! And may the Master pour > on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around > you, just as it does from us > to you. May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with > confidence in the presence of God > our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers. > > 1 Thessalonians 4 > You're God-Taught > 1-3 One final word, friends. We ask you-urge is more like it-that you keep > on doing what we told > you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, > spirited dance. You know > the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to > live a pure life. > Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity. > > 4-5Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body, not abusing it, as > is so common among those > who know nothing of God. > > 6-7Don't run roughshod over the concerns of your brothers and sisters. > Their concerns are God's > concerns, and he will take care of them. We've warned you about this > before. God hasn't invited us > into a disorderly, unkempt life but into something holy and beautiful-as > beautiful on the inside as > the outside. > > 8If you disregard this advice, you're not offending your neighbors; you're > rejecting God, who is > making you a gift of his Holy Spirit. > > 9-10Regarding life together and getting along with each other, you don't > need me to tell you what > to do. You're God-taught in these matters. Just love one another! You're > already good at it; your > friends all over the province of Macedonia are the evidence. Keep it up; > get better and better at > it. > > 11-12Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job. You've heard all > this from us before, but > a reminder never hurts. We want you living in a way that will command the > respect of outsiders, not > lying around sponging off your friends. > > The Master's Coming > 13-14And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what > happens to those already dead > and buried, we don't want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must > not carry on over them > like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the > last word. Since Jesus > died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to > life those who died in > Jesus. > 15-18And then this: We can tell you with complete confidence-we have the > Master's word on it-that > when the Master comes again to get us, those of us who are still alive > will not get a jump on the > dead and leave them behind. In actual fact, they'll be ahead of us. The > Master himself will give the > command. Archangel thunder! God's trumpet blast! He'll come down from > heaven and the dead in Christ > will rise-they'll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the > time will be caught up > with them into the clouds to meet the Master. Oh, we'll be walking on air! > And then there will be > one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with > these words. > > 1 Thessalonians 5 > 1-3I don't think, friends, that I need to deal with the question of when > all this is going to > happen. You know as well as I that the day of the Master's coming can't be > posted on our calendars. > He won't call ahead and make an appointment any more than a burglar would. > About the time > everybody's walking around complacently, congratulating each other-"We've > sure got it made! Now we > can take it easy!"-suddenly everything will fall apart. It's going to come > as suddenly and > inescapably as birth pangs to a pregnant woman. > 4-8But friends, you're not in the dark, so how could you be taken off > guard by any of this? You're > sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know > where we stand. So let's not > sleepwalk through life like those others. Let's keep our eyes open and be > smart. People sleep at > night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we're creatures of Day, > let's act like it. Walk out > into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of > salvation. > > 9-11God didn't set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our > Master, Jesus Christ. He > died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we're awake with the > living or asleep with the > dead, we're alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. > Build up hope so you'll all > be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you're > already doing this; just > keep on doing it. > > The Way He Wants You to Live > 12-13And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard > for you, who have been > given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your > obedience. Overwhelm them with > appreciation and love! > 13-15Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel > is that you warn the > freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach > out for the exhausted, > pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to > individual needs. And be > careful that when you get on each other's nerves you don't snap at each > other. Look for the best in > each other, and always do your best to bring it out. > > 16-18Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter > what happens. This is the > way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. > > 19-22Don't suppress the Spirit, and don't stifle those who have a word > from the Master. On the > other hand, don't be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what's > good. Throw out anything > tainted with evil. > > 23-24May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make > you holy and whole, put you > together-spirit, soul, and body-and keep you fit for the coming of our > Master, Jesus Christ. The One > who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! > > 25-27Friends, keep up your prayers for us. Greet all the followers of > Jesus there with a holy > embrace. And make sure this letter gets read to all the brothers and > sisters. Don't leave anyone > out. > > 28The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with 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.
