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 20, 2009 12:31 AM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Sunday December 20 > Day 354 > > 1 Peter 1 > 1-2I, Peter, am an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to > exiles scattered to the > four winds. Not one is missing, not one forgotten. God the Father has his > eye on each of you, and > has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the > sacrifice of Jesus. May > everything good from God be yours! > A New Life > 3-5What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father > of our Master Jesus! > Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life > and have everything to > live for, including a future in heaven-and the future starts now! God is > keeping careful watch over > us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all-life healed > and whole. > 6-7I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up > with every kind of > aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it > proved pure; genuine faith > put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this > all up, it's your faith, > not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. > > 8-9You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don't see him, yet you > trust him-with laughter > and singing. Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking > forward to: total > salvation. > > 10-12The prophets who told us this was coming asked a lot of questions > about this gift of life God > was preparing. The Messiah's Spirit let them in on some of it-that the > Messiah would experience > suffering, followed by glory. They clamored to know who and when. All they > were told was that they > were serving you, you who by orders from heaven have now heard for > yourselves-through the Holy > Spirit-the Message of those prophecies fulfilled. Do you realize how > fortunate you are? Angels would > have given anything to be in on this! > > A Future in God > 13-16So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to > receive the gift that's > coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves > of evil, doing just what > you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. As > obedient children, let > yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life > energetic and blazing with > holiness. God said, "I am holy; you be holy." > 17You call out to God for help and he helps-he's a good Father that way. > But don't forget, he's > also a responsible Father, and won't let you get by with sloppy living. > > 18-21Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of > God. It cost God plenty to > get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid > with Christ's sacred blood, > you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no > afterthought. Even though > it has only lately-at the end of the ages-become public knowledge, God > always knew he was going to > do this for you. It's because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then > raised from the dead and > glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God. > > 22-25Now that you've cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love > one another as if your > lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. Your old > birth came from mortal > sperm; your new birth comes from God's living Word. Just think: a life > conceived by God himself! > That's why the prophet said, > > The old life is a grass life, > its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers; > Grass dries up, flowers droop, > God's Word goes on and on forever. > This is the Word that conceived the new life in you. > > 1 Peter 2 > 1-3So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and > hurtful talk. You've had a > taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God's pure > kindness. Then you'll grow > up mature and whole in God. > The Stone > 4-8Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one > look and threw it out; God > set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for > the construction of a > sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you'll serve as holy priests > offering Christ-approved lives up > to God. The Scriptures provide precedent: > > Look! I'm setting a stone in Zion, > a cornerstone in the place of honor. > Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation > will never have cause to regret it. > To you who trust him, he's a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse > to trust him, > > The stone the workmen threw out > is now the chief foundation stone. > For the untrusting it's > .. . a stone to trip over, > a boulder blocking the way. > They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted. > 9-10But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of > priestly work, chosen to be > a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to > tell others of the > night-and-day difference he made for you-from nothing to something, from > rejected to accepted. > > 11-12Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy > in it. Don't indulge your > ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives > so that your actions will > refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be > there to join in the > celebration when he arrives. > > 13-17Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the > authorities, whatever their > level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that > by doing good, you might > cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. > Exercise your freedom by > serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with > dignity. Love your spiritual > family. Revere God. Respect the government. > > The Kind of Life He Lived > 18-20You who are servants, be good servants to your masters-not just to > good masters, but also to > bad ones. What counts is that you put up with it for God's sake when > you're treated badly for no > good reason. There's no particular virtue in accepting punishment that you > well deserve. But if > you're treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a > good servant, that is > what counts with God. > 21-25This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life > Christ lived. He suffered > everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and > also know how to do it, > step-by-step. > > He never did one thing wrong, > Not once said anything amiss. > They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He > suffered in silence, content to > let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to > the Cross so we could be rid > of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You > were lost sheep with no idea > who you were or where you were going. Now you're named and kept for good > by the Shepherd of your > souls. > > 1 Peter 3 > Cultivate Inner Beauty > 1-4The same goes for you wives: Be good wives to your husbands, responsive > to their needs. There > are husbands who, indifferent as they are to any words about God, will be > captivated by your life of > holy beauty. What matters is not your outer appearance-the styling of your > hair, the jewelry you > wear, the cut of your clothes-but your inner disposition. > 4-6Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. > The holy women of old > were beautiful before God that way, and were good, loyal wives to their > husbands. Sarah, for > instance, taking care of Abraham, would address him as "my dear husband." > You'll be true daughters > of Sarah if you do the same, unanxious and unintimidated. > > 7The same goes for you husbands: Be good husbands to your wives. Honor > them, delight in them. As > women they lack some of your advantages. But in the new life of God's > grace, you're equals. Treat > your wives, then, as equals so your prayers don't run aground. > > Suffering for Doing Good > 8-12Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, > be humble. That goes for > all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. > Instead, bless-that's your job, > to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing. > > Whoever wants to embrace life > and see the day fill up with good, > Here's what you do: > Say nothing evil or hurtful; > Snub evil and cultivate good; > run after peace for all you're worth. > God looks on all this with approval, > listening and responding well to what he's asked; > But he turns his back > on those who do evil things. > 13-18If with heart and soul you're doing good, do you think you can be > stopped? Even if you suffer > for it, you're still better off. Don't give the opposition a second > thought. Through thick and thin, > keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be > ready to speak up and > tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with > the utmost courtesy. Keep a > clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of > it will stick. They'll end > up realizing that they're the ones who need a bath. It's better to suffer > for doing good, if that's > what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That's what Christ did > definitively: suffered > because of others' sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He > went through it all-was put > to death and then made alive-to bring us to God. > > 19-22He went and proclaimed God's salvation to earlier generations who > ended up in the prison of > judgment because they wouldn't listen. You know, even though God waited > patiently all the days that > Noah built his ship, only a few were saved then, eight to be exact-saved > from the water by the > water. The waters of baptism do that for you, not by washing away dirt > from your skin but by > presenting you through Jesus' resurrection before God with a clear > conscience. Jesus has the last > word on everything and everyone, from angels to armies. He's standing > right alongside God, and what > he says goes. > > 1 Peter 4 > Learn to Think Like Him > 1-2Since Jesus went through everything you're going through and more, > learn to think like him. > Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always > expecting to get your own > way. Then you'll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God > wants instead of being > tyrannized by what you want. > 3-5You've already put in your time in that God-ignorant way of life, > partying night after night, a > drunken and profligate life. Now it's time to be done with it for good. Of > course, your old friends > don't understand why you don't join in with the old gang anymore. But you > don't have to give an > account to them. They're the ones who will be called on the carpet-and > before God himself. > > 6Listen to the Message. It was preached to those believers who are now > dead, and yet even though > they died (just as all people must), they will still get in on the life > that God has given in Jesus. > > 7-11Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for > granted. Stay wide-awake > in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. > Love makes up for > practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the > homeless-cheerfully. Be > generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so > all get in on it: if words, > let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help. That way, > God's bright presence will be > evident in everything through Jesus, and he'll get all the credit as the > One mighty in > everything-encores to the end of time. Oh, yes! > > Glory Just Around the Corner > 12-13Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the > conclusion that God isn't on the > job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ > experienced. This is a spiritual > refining process, with glory just around the corner. > 14-16If you're abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It's > the Spirit of God and his > glory in you that brought you to the notice of others. If they're on you > because you broke the law > or disturbed the peace, that's a different matter. But if it's because > you're a Christian, don't > give it a second thought. Be proud of the distinguished status reflected > in that name! > > 17-19It's judgment time for God's own family. We're first in line. If it > starts with us, think what > it's going to be like for those who refuse God's Message! > > If good people barely make it, > What's in store for the bad? > So if you find life difficult because you're doing what God said, take it > in stride. Trust him. He > knows what he's doing, and he'll keep on doing it. > > 1 Peter 5 > He'll Promote You at the Right Time > 1-3 I have a special concern for you church leaders. I know what it's like > to be a leader, in on > Christ's sufferings as well as the coming glory. Here's my concern: that > you care for God's flock > with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because > you want to please God. > Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously. Not > bossily telling others > what to do, but tenderly showing them the way. > 4-5When God, who is the best shepherd of all, comes out in the open with > his rule, he'll see that > you've done it right and commend you lavishly. And you who are younger > must follow your leaders. But > all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each > other, for- > > God has had it with the proud, > But takes delight in just plain people. > > 6-7So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong > hand is on you; he'll > promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most > careful with you. > > He Gets the Last Word > 8-11Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would > like nothing better than > to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged > into these hard times. > It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on > the faith. The suffering > won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has > great plans for us in > Christ-eternal and glorious plans they are!-will have you put together and > on your feet for good. He > gets the last word; yes, he does. > 12I'm sending this brief letter to you by Silas, a most dependable > brother. I have the highest > regard for him. > > I've written as urgently and accurately as I know how. This is God's > generous truth; embrace it > with both arms! > > 13-14The church in exile here with me-but not for a moment forgotten by > God-wants to be remembered > to you. Mark, who is like a son to me, says hello. Give holy embraces all > around! Peace to you-to > all who walk in Christ's ways. > > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > 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.
