01 February 2014

Today's Readings and Stuff - Saturday, 01 February, 2014

another month has ended and a new one begun.  Another mile marker past en route to Spring.  Can't come soon enough.  Am told we'll have a high this weekend above 40 degrees.  And by midweek, highs in the teens once again.  Guess that next time the Old Farmer's Almanac predicts a bitter winter, people will pay attention, right?  I know that it flew in the face of the "we'll never again see snow" wails of the "Catastrophic Global Warming" flaks, which might be why the prediction was given so little attention on the cameras of the LameStream Media, the CNN-NBC-CBS-ABC-HLN-MSNBC or the pages of the New York Slimes, the Washington Post, the McClatchy papers, et al.  But given the very poor record of their predictions and models, perhaps just a bit of skepticism might have crept in.  No?  No.  Their groupthink continues.
Dear Wife has oral surgeon appointment Tuesday to plan major work.  As in, yank ALL the teeth in the upper jaw, all of which are diseased as is the jawbone itself, and most of the teeth in the lower jaw.  Which are no better.  But her insurance card, the one for the coverage that begins today, has not yet arrived and we will need to present it upon arrival.  Called the carrier and they assured us that "it's in the mail", which is a sort-of-funny line when you use it, less so when someone uses it on you.  If the card does not get here today or Monday, we'll have to reschedule, and the next opening is at the end of February.
While she was into making phone calls, decided to call the Social Security office to find where her Disability check is, the one we were promised back in early November.  After some head scratching at their end, they told us to go to the nearest SS office and work it out.  So we went on an un-budgeted run to the office, a 29 mile round trip, and sat in their waiting room for several hours.  Finally got to meet with one of their functionaries, a very nice lady, who had actually -- thank You Lord!! - been processing this very case yesterday morning.  It seems that when we did our relocation, we notified SS, but SS never bothered to notify this local office.  So everything got held up for several months apparently until we started making calls.  The good parts are that it is in the flow now, and also the monthly amount actually went up by about $30.  The bad news is that it's not going out to us until the end of February, fully four months after we were given to understand Real Soon Now.
Which makes money an issue.  Will be doing an intensive search through the couch cushions looking for change.  On the radar is a 32 mile trip for the oral surgeon appointment, plus co-pay for the visit.  An upcoming 8-mile trip to local physician for initial intake (and hopefully, scrips written to cover the meds she's running out of).  VERY low on dry cat food.  Low on coffee too, one of those basic food groups.  And barely a quarter tank of gas in a 14-year-old vehicle with over 200,000 miles on it.
And with $17 and loose change to cover it all.  Just not sure this works.  My check won't arrive until the 19th. a long way off.  Had her Disability arrived when promised, we'd be (and should be) in OK shape.  Now, not so much.
I know the Lord can do something, but do admit to some apprehension on my part.  Could get "interesting", along the lines of the Chinese curse.  a couple of miracles would be nice about now.

==================================

The Old Testament passage today is chapters 27 and 28 of the Exodus.  The Lord is speaking, and giving some very explicit instructions.  Don't think that the little things don't matter.  He may have a very different opinion on what is important.  By the way, note that this work, these items of construction and cabinetry, of jeweler's work and weavers, of seamstresses and metalworkers and all the rest, these are not things to be done by a priestly clan.  This is to be done by the people, the people who work in those areas.  Doing what they know to do, but doing it for the Lord, and knowing it too.   A lesson, a good one, right there.  Are we just working for a payday, or are we carrying out the Lord's mission at the same time?


Exodus 27
1
“You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits.
2
“And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze.
3
“You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze.
4
“You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners.
5
“And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar.
6
“And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.
7
“And the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried.
8
“You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made.
9
“You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side.
10
“Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.
11
“And likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.
12
“And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases.
13
“The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits.
14
“The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases.
15
“On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases.
16
“For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases.
17
“All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze.
18
“The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze.
19
“All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze.
20
“You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn.
21
“In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.


Exodus 28
1
“Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests–Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
2
“And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
3
“You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood.
4
“These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests.
5
“They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.
6
“And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked.
7
“It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together.
8
“And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.
9
“You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,
10
“six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth.
11
“As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree.
12
“And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance.
13
“You shall make settings of gold filigree,
14
“and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings.
15
“You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it–of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it.
16
“It shall be square and doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth.
17
“You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row;
18
“and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;
19
“and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
20
“and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree.
21
“There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.
22
“You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold.
23
“And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece.
24
“And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece.
25
“The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod.
26
“You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod.
27
“And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.
28
“And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod.
29
“So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord.
30
“And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly.
31
“You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
32
“It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment, so that it may not tear.
33
“On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them,
34
“a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe.
35
“And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die.
36
“You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’
37
“And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban.
38
“It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.
39
“You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework.
40
“For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty.
41
“And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.
42
“You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs;
43
“and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him.







 ====================

The New Testament reading is verses 23-46 of Matthew 21.
Jesus has just had the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the event we call Palm Sunday.  And then goes into the temple and gets into a wrangle with the Jewish religious leaders.  Their blood pressure spiked on them in a major way I don't doubt.  Messing up their arrangement or something.

23
And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”
24
Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25
The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
26
“But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
27
So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
28
“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’
29
“And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went.
30
“And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go.
31
Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.
32
“For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
33
“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country.
34
“When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit.
35
“And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
36
“Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them.
37
“Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
38
“But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’
39
“And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40
“When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41
They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
42
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43
“Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.
44
“And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
45
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them.
46
And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

31 January 2014

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 31 January 2014

running more than a bit late today.  Enjoying a "balmy" 31 degrees out there right now.  Considering that the local high the other day was +2 degrees F, 31 is a heat wave.  People hav survived worse than this in the past, we will take it as a blessing.  Our friends in SE Alabama, down near Dothan, ar laughing at us.  Ah well.

I was not doing too well last night, and am not today either.  Trying to keep going in an effort to take care of Dear Wife.  Not doing too well.  Has doctor appointment for Tuesday morning, but the new insurance cards, for the plan that takes effect at midnight tonight, has still not arrived and the doctor will not accept anything but a physical card.  Can't blame them, really, given all the fraud going on, but the delay has real and serious effects upon the truly ill.  Which she is.
I just brought the mail delivery in, the card was not in it.  Nor was the long-overdue  SS Disability check that was promised in early November.  Nor, for that matter, was the tax statement from my previous employer.  Don't know what the hold up is, and hate to call today as they've had about that whole town and the county roads outside the city limits, closed for most of the last four days due to a thick layer of ice on the roads.

---------------------------------

The Old Testament reading for the day is chapters 25 and 26 from the Exodus.


Exodus 25
1
The Lord said to Moses,
2
“Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.
3
“And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze,
4
“blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair,
5
“tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood,
6
“oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense,
7
“onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece.
8
“And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.
9
“Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.
10
“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.
11
“You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it.
12
“You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.
13
“You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
14
“And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them.
15
“The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.
16
“And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.
17
“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth.
18
“And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat.
19
“Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends.
20
“The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.
21
“And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you.
22
“There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.
23
“You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.
24
“You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it.
25
“And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the rim.
26
“And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs.
27
“Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table.
28
“You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these.
29
“And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold.
30
“And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.
31
“You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it.
32
“And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it;
33
“three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch–so for the six branches going out of the lampstand.
34
“And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers,
35
“and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand.
36
“Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold.
37
“You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it.
38
“Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold.
39
“It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent of pure gold.
40
“And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.


1
“Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them.
2
“The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be the same size.
3
“Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another.
4
“And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set. Likewise you shall make loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set.
5
“Fifty loops you shall make on the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite one another.
6
“And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to the other with the clasps, so that the tabernacle may be a single whole.
7
“You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; eleven curtains shall you make.
8
“The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains shall be the same size.
9
“You shall couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and the sixth curtain you shall double over at the front of the tent.
10
“You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set.
11
“You shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together that it may be a single whole.
12
“And the part that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle.
13
“And the extra that remains in the length of the curtains, the cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and that side, to cover it.
14
“And you shall make for the tent a covering of tanned rams’ skins and a covering of goatskins on top.
15
“You shall make upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood.
16
“Ten cubits shall be the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame.
17
“There shall be two tenons in each frame, for fitting together. So shall you do for all the frames of the tabernacle.
18
“You shall make the frames for the tabernacle: twenty frames for the south side;
19
“and forty bases of silver you shall make under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons;
20
“and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side twenty frames,
21
“and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame, and two bases under the next frame.
22
“And for the rear of the tabernacle westward you shall make six frames.
23
“And you shall make two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear;
24
“they shall be separate beneath, but joined at the top, at the first ring. Thus shall it be with both of them; they shall form the two corners.
25
“And there shall be eight frames, with their bases of silver, sixteen bases; two bases under one frame, and two bases under another frame.
26
“You shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle,
27
“and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the side of the tabernacle at the rear westward.
28
“The middle bar, halfway up the frames, shall run from end to end.
29
“You shall overlay the frames with gold and shall make their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and you shall overlay the bars with gold.
30
“Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you were shown on the mountain.
31
“And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it.
32
“And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, on four bases of silver.
33
“And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.
34
“You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place.
35
“And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side.
36
“You shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework.
37
“And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five bases of bronze for them.







===========

The New Testament reading is verses 1-22 of Matthew 22.  This is the even we commemorate on Palm Sunday, Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.  A lot of excitement.  The events of the week following are the most momentous in history.

1
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
2
saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.
3
If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.
4
This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5
Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”
6
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
7
They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them.
8
Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
10
And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”
11
And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
12
And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.
13
He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
14
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
15
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant,
16
and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”
17
And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.
18
In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry.
19
And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
20
When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?”
21
And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
22
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

30 January 2014

Today's Radings and Stuff -- Thursday, 30 January, 2014

I am please to note that we have very nearly completed the month of January.  Today's High temperature is actually predicted to get out of the teens!  Considering that our HIGH the other day was about +2 degrees, that represents progress of a sort.  Would be happier if the high was around 50, but no such luck.  Small improvements are still improvements, so we'll take it.

Desperately hoping that Dear Wife's Disability check gets here.  She has an appointment Monday morning with an oral surgeon to arrange the removal of all the teeth in her upper jaw, all of which are infected, as is the jawbone into which they anchor.  But we have barely the required co-pay, and the insurance card that we will need to present still has not arrived.  Should have been here already, but the Disability check was announced in early November, confirmed in early January, and still not here.  Things are, to be frank, just a bit tight.  As in, go through the couch cushions hoping to find some change tight.

But we shall get through, somehow.

The Old Testament reading for the day continues in the Exodus, chapters 22, 23, and 24.  This is primarily the Lord giving some instructions about how His people are to live.  Much of it isn't "politically correct" these days, even to mention.
And giving some specific directions as to WHERE they are supposed to live.  The Islamo-fascists wouldn't be happy with that, but when you bow to a demon as the Muslims do, not much will make you happy.


1
If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
2
If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.
3
If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
4
If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.
5
If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.
6
If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
7
If a man shall deliver unto his neighbor money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double.
8
If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbor's goods.
9
For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbor.
10
If a man deliver unto his neighbor an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it:
11
Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbor's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good.
12
And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof.
13
If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn.
14
And if a man borrow ought of his neighbor, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good.
15
But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire.
16
And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.
17
If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.
18
Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
19
Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.
20
He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.
21
Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
22
Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
23
If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;
24
And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
25
If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.
26
If thou at all take thy neighbor's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down:
27
For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.
28
Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
29
Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.
30
Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me.
31
And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.


1
Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
2
Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:
3
Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.
4
If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
5
If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
6
Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
7
Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
8
And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
9
Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
10
And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof:
11
But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.
12
Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
13
And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
14
Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
15
Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
16
And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labors, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labors out of the field.
17
Three items in the year all thy males shall appear before the LORD God.
18
Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.
19
The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
20
Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
21
Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.
22
But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.
23
For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
24
Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
25
And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
26
There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.
27
I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.
28
And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.
29
I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
30
By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.
31
And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.
32
Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
33
They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.


1
And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
2
And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.
3
And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
4
And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
5
And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.
6
And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
7
And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.
8
And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
9
Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
10
And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
11
And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.
12
And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
13
And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.
14
And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.
15
And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
16
And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
17
And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
18
And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights


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The New Testament reading is verses 17-34 in Matthew 20.

17
And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,
18
Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,
19
And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
20
Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
21
And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
22
But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
23
And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
24
And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
25
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26
But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27
And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
29
And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
30
And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
31
And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
32
And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
33
They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
34
So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.