08 March 2014

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 08 March, 2014

yesterday had our temps hit 50 degrees.  Warmest day in months.   It does cause me to wonder if one of the local traditions will hold true this year.  In another 9 days is St. Patrick's Day.  And one of the local expectations is that there will be a blizzard on that day.  Hardly pays to schedule a parade, despite a very large population of Irish heritage.  Everyone expects heavy snow, and it happens often enough that it has become an expectation. 

Would have done some work outside our little hovel, but ....  Dear Wife got call in mid-morning, a time when the temp was still a bit below freezing, from her sister.  S-i-L needed a ride to the tax office by the county courthouse this very morning and had no other way to get there.  Seems the mortgage company hadn't been releasing the amount in escrow for the property taxes.  Lawyer got most of it pried loose this week, but the current payment was due two days ago, and if she could get it in this morning, they'd forego any late fees.  So, we changed clothes, got on the road, picked up s-i-l and headed off on our mission.  Dropped her off and drove around the block again and again (all the parking around there is taken up by "official" vehicles) and then retrieved her.  She bought us lunch at a local dive, then she & Dear Wife expressed a great need to check out a flea market nearby.  They roamed around there for an hour and a half and then we trekked back home.  By time we're home, it's in the latter part of the afternoon and my chance for any work today   And by dusk, Dear Wife was ill again. 
This is our life.

Wife has an old friend whose husband plays in a band and the band is playing in a "club" near here.  There is a tentative plan to visit that joint tonight, for a little while anyway, to hear the band.  Hope they don't mind us sipping coca-cola rather than booze.  We shall see  --  Wife may not be up to it.

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

Old Testament reading today is chapters 5, 6, and 7 of Deuteronomy.  It's said that we more often need to be reminded of something than we need to learn something new.  And that is what is going on here:  Moses is going through the record and reminding the people of all that the Lord has done and what He has instructed them in.  Never hurts for us to do likewise, to purposefully recall all that the Lord has done for us and for those around us including our heritage, the blessings He's provided and the lessons we've learned through it all.


1
And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.
2
The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
3
The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
4
The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,
5
(I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to show you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,
6
I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
7
Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
8
Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
9
Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
10
And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
11
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
12
Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
13
Six days thou shalt labor, and do all thy work:
14
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
15
And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
16
Honor thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
17
Thou shalt not kill.
18
Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
19
Neither shalt thou steal.
20
Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor.
21
Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbor's.
22
These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.
23
And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;
24
And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath showed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.
25
Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.
26
For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
27
Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.
28
And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.
29
O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
30
Go say to them, Get you into your tents again.
31
But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.
32
Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
33
Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.


1
Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:
2
That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
3
Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
4
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9
And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
10
And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,
11
And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;
12
Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
13
Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
14
Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
15
(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
16
Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
17
Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.
18
And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers.
19
To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.
20
And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you?
21
Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:
22
And the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:
23
And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.
24
And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.
25
And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.


1
When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
2
And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them:
3
Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
4
For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
5
But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
6
For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
7
The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
8
But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
9
Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
10
And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
11
Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.
12
Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:
13
And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
14
Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.
15
And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.
16
And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.
17
If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?
18
Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;
19
The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out: so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.
20
Moreover the LORD thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.
21
Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.
22
And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.
23
But the LORD thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.
24
And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.
25
The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.
26
Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.






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The New Testament reading is verses 1-27 in the 12th chapter of the Gospel of Mark.  As a reminder, this is taking place in the few days before Jesus is crucified.  He knew what was coming, so read these verses with that in mind.  None of this was lightly said.

1
And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.
2
And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
3
And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
4
And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.
5
And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.
6
Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.
7
But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be our's.
8
And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
9
What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.
10
And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:
11
This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
12
And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.
13
And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.
14
And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?
15
Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.
16
And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's.
17
And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.
18
Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,
19
Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
20
Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.
21
And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.
22
And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.
23
In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.
24
And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?
25
For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.
26
And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
27
He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

07 March 2014

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 07 March, 2014

Happy Friday, all.  And greetings as well.

Dear Wife has been doing a bit better the last two days.  That may be related to moderating weather, or it may be related to the continuing healing from her oral surgery two weeks ago.  Or it may be something other, or perhaps a combination of things.  Whatever, we are grateful for it.  The other night I was very close to finding some sort of Urgent Dare walk-in clinic that would accept her insurance because she was in awful pain in that shoulder with the damage from her fall nearly two years ago, damage that has never healed.  It is hard, terribly terribly hard, to see someone you love in pain, and to be unable to do anything to address it. 

Had a contact from a recruiter Wednesday wanting to know my interest in a couple of jobs.  All were a minimum hour's drive under the best of conditions.meaning not in winter's ice and snow.  Had to decline, with thanks.  Then got call from another just yesterday, wanting to know my interest in a position about half hour drive from here, it is even in the same county.  A contract job, with no benefits but a gross pay about 20% more than I had been making the last five years.  Gave my assent to show the resume to the employer, and they did tell me the name of the company, which is rather unusual.  They're talking about interview late next week, so we shall see.  I'm in no real urgency to go back to work, though it might be financially advantageous.  And I'm not really very good at sitting around, it is not my nature.  But we shall see.

====================
The Old Testament reading today is chapters 3 and 4 of the book of Deuteronomy.

1
Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.
2
And the LORD said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.
3
So the LORD our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people: and we smote him until none was left to him remaining.
4
And we took all his cities at that time, there was not a city which we took not from them, threescore cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
5
All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many.
6
And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city.
7
But all the cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we took for a prey to ourselves.
8
And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that was on this side Jordan, from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon;
9
(Which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion; and the Amorites call it Shenir;)
10
All the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, unto Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
11
For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.
12
And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites.
13
And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants.
14
Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob unto the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi; and called them after his own name, Bashanhavothjair, unto this day.
15
And I gave Gilead unto Machir.
16
And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley, and the border even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;
17
The plain also, and Jordan, and the coast thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, under Ashdothpisgah eastward.
18
And I commanded you at that time, saying, The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it: ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all that are meet for the war.
19
But your wives, and your little ones, and your cattle, (for I know that ye have much cattle,) shall abide in your cities which I have given you;
20
Until the LORD have given rest unto your brethren, as well as unto you, and until they also possess the land which the LORD your God hath given them beyond Jordan: and then shall ye return every man unto his possession, which I have given you.
21
And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest.
22
Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.
23
And I besought the LORD at that time, saying,
24
O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to show thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?
25
I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.
26
But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter.
27
Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
28
But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.
29
So we abode in the valley over against Bethpeor.


1
Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.
2
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
3
Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you.
4
But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.
5
Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
6
Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
7
For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
8
And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
9
Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;
10
Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.
11
And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.
12
And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.
13
And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
14
And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.
15
Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:
16
Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
17
The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
18
The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:
19
And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
20
But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.
21
Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and sware that I should not go over Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance:
22
But I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan: but ye shall go over, and possess that good land.
23
Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.
24
For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
25
When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:
26
I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
27
And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.
28
And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
29
But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
30
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
31
(For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
32
For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?
33
Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?
34
Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
35
Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.
36
Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he showed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.
37
And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt;
38
To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day.
39
Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.
40
Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.
41
Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;
42
That the slayer might flee thither, which should kill his neighbor unawares, and hated him not in times past; and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live:
43
Namely, Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, of the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, of the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, of the Manassites.
44
And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel:
45
These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses spake unto the children of Israel, after they came forth out of Egypt.
46
On this side Jordan, in the valley over against Bethpeor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote, after they were come forth out of Egypt:
47
And they possessed his land, and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, which were on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;
48
From Aroer, which is by the bank of the river Arnon, even unto mount Sion, which is Hermon,
49
And all the plain on this side Jordan eastward, even unto the sea of the plain, under the springs of Pisgah.




====

The New Testament reading is verses 20-33 of Mark chapter 11.
This is the week between Palm Sunday and the Crucifixion.  Everything in this period has, for me, even more meaning.

20
And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21
And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
22
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
25
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
27
And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,
28
And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?
29
And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
30
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.
31
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
32
But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.
33
And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

06 March 2014

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 06 March, 2014

Thursday already.  Supposed to actually hit a degree or two above freezing today.  First time in a week or so.  May actually get close to 40 tomorrow and Saturday.  Of course, that's this morning's estimation.  May change drastically by mid-afternoon.  Happened last week.  Seems that the ones who confidently tell you the earth's temperature to a tenth of a degree a century from now, can't reliably estimate a snowfall 36 hours away -- last week we went from a confident forecast of nearly a foot of snow to about an inch or two.  Are they using a Ouija board that needs to be overhauled?

Got a hurry-up call yesterday from Dear Wife, had to drop everything and drive Sister-in-Law to doctor's office.  Not a terrible problem but this is part of what comes with living near family -- we call upon each other.  Good to be able to give back, some. 

Hearing the last few days from some of the people in the company I retired from late last  year.  Four people that I know of have left just that one small department.  And heard just yesterday from one who'd left another department.  As one put it, " working at (company X) is damaging to your well-being".  Which is true, and a substantial part of why I left.  I note, though, that only one of that four had bothered to support me at all, or even give a word of encouragement privately, leaving me in a tough situation that I couldn't handle a minute longer.  Glad to be out of there.

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

The Old Testament reading for the day is chapters 1 and 2 of the book of Deuteronomy.  This, the last of the five books of the Law, is sometimes called the Second Law, a reiteration of the principles of the previous.

Deuteronomy 1
1
These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.
2
(There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)
3
And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them;
4
After he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei:
5
On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,
6
The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:
7
Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.
8
Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.
9
And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:
10
The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.
11
(The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!)
12
How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?
13
Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.
14
And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.
15
So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.
16
And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.
17
Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.
18
And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.
19
And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadeshbarnea.
20
And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our God doth give unto us.
21
Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.
22
And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.
23
And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:
24
And they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out.
25
And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the LORD our God doth give us.
26
Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God:
27
And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.
28
Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.
29
Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.
30
The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;
31
And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.
32
Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God,
33
Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to show you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.
34
And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,
35
Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers.
36
Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD.
37
Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.
38
But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
39
Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.
40
But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.
41
Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all that the LORD our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill.
42
And the LORD said unto me, Say unto them. Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.
43
So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill.
44
And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.
45
And ye returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.
46
So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there.


1
Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days.
2
And the LORD spake unto me, saying,
3
Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.
4
And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore:
5
Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.
6
Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink.
7
For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.
8
And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Eziongaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.
9
And the LORD said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.
10
The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims;
11
Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites called them Emims.
12
The Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the LORD gave unto them.
13
Now rise up, said I, and get you over the brook Zered. And we went over the brook Zered.
14
And the space in which we came from Kadeshbarnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the LORD sware unto them.
15
For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed.
16
So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,
17
That the LORD spake unto me, saying,
18
Thou art to pass over through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day:
19
And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.
20
(That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims;
21
A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead:
22
As he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day:
23
And the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah, the Caphtorims, which came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.)
24
Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.
25
This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.
26
And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,
27
Let me pass through thy land: I will go along by the high way, I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left.
28
Thou shalt sell me meat for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, that I may drink: only I will pass through on my feet;
29
(As the children of Esau which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar, did unto me;) until I shall pass over Jordan into the land which the LORD our God giveth us.
30
But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.
31
And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land.
32
Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.
33
And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people.
34
And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:
35
Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took.
36
From Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us: the LORD our God delivered all unto us:
37
Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not, nor unto any place of the river Jabbok, nor unto the cities in the mountains, nor unto whatsoever the LORD our God forbade us.







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

The New Testament reading is verses 1-19 of the 11th chapter of the Gospel of Mark.  We normally refer to this as Palm Sunday.

1
And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples,
2
And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.
3
And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.
4
And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.
5
And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?
6
And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.
7
And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.
8
And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9
And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:
10
Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
11
And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.
12
And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13
And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14
And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
15
And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
16
And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
17
And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
18
And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.
19
And when even was come, he went out of the city.