27 December 2014

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 27 December 2014

Last Saturday in December, last month of the year.  Lord willing, a week from now we will be in the year 2015.  It seems impossible, somehow.  My parents were born nearly a century ago, in 1918.  Seems like a glimpse into unimaginable antiquity, now.  A very different era.  They've both gone on before us, I expect to see them again, some day, but not on this earth.  Meanwhile, my children, their husbands, cousins, friends, and, often, THEIR kids, will (Lord willing) some day think of the time of my birth, and theirs too sometimes, as a glimpse into unimaginable antiquity too.  As I, ah, mature, I get more and more introspective at this time, and increasingly less optimistic about the future.  We have no grandchildren and I doubt much that we shall.  And there are times I am glad of that.  I don't think that the world of our grandchildren will be a good one.

Yet we have a Hope.  That is worth a lot.  This time of year we also recall that, some 2000 years ago, in a dark and hopeless world, Hope arrived in the form of a baby.  My Catholic friends tell me that Despair is a Sin.  Perhaps that is true.

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The Old Testament reading for the day is chapters 4, 5, and 6 of the book of Zechariah.  The name of the prophet means "Yahweh has remembered".  Worth noting.


1
And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.
2
And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
3
And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
4
So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
5
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
6
Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
7
Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
8
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
9
The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
10
For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
11
Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
12
And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
13
And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
14
Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.


1
Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.
2
And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.
3
Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.
4
I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.
5
Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
6
And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.
7
And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
8
And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
9
Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.
10
Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?
11
And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.


1
And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.
2
In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
3
And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.
4
Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?
5
And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the LORD of all the earth.
6
The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country.
7
And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.
8
Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.
9
And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
10
Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah;
11
Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;
12
And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:
13
Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
14
And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the LORD.
15
And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.




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The New Testament reading is chapter 18 of the Revelation.


1
And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3
For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5
For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6
Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7
How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11
And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
12
The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13
And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14
And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
15
The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16
And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
17
For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
18
And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
19
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
20
Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
21
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
22
And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24
And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

26 December 2014

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 26 December 2014

a recovery day today.  Yesterday's festivities began at around 06:00 when the alarm went off, through the food preparations that could only be done at that time (following the preparations done before a too-short night), and through the family get-together, meal, gift exchanges, excited kids, cleanup, and return home to complete the cleanup there.  We flopped down, she on couch, me on recliner, and lay there like dead things for a while.  Got up, did some e-mail catchups, etc., hit the refrigerator for some reheatable leftovers, and eventually tottered off to bed.  Back up around 06:00 due to insistent cats, and we've done very little all day.  Dear Wife had her meds "adjusted" in such a way as to further diminish her energy levels (I've grown to have remarkably little regard for endocrinologists) so I am pretty much full-time caregiver and housekeeper too. Not much skill in either, frankly, but we do what we can.
TV is going, some of her awful crime stories, etc.  I hate Paula Zahn's voice, and have zero regard for the kind of production that employs her.  So there are times I sit at the computer near Dear Wife, plug in earphones, and listen to all kinds of music and talk, drowning out the circumstances.  We've been in worse situations, at least no one is shooting at us right now and we are warm, dry, and fed.

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The Old Testament reading is chapters 1, 2, 3 of Zechariah.

1
In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
2
The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
3
Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
4
Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.
5
Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
6
But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
7
Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
8
I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.
9
Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
10
And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
11
And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.
12
Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?
13
And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
14
So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
15
And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
16
Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
17
Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
18
Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.
19
And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
20
And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.
21
Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.


1
I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.
2
Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.
3
And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,
4
And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:
5
For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.
6
Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.
7
Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.
8
For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
9
For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.
10
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.
11
And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.
12
And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.
13
Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.


1
And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
2
And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3
Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
4
And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
5
And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
6
And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,
7
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
8
Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
9
For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
10
In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.


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The New Testament reading is chapter 17 of the Revelation.


1
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10
And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11
And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13
These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17
For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.


Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 25 December CHRISTMAS DAY

CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas, all.
Very brief.  Dear Wife is getting some things around as we prepare to head out, in another hour or so, to go to niece's place for the Great Family Gathering, Meal, and Gift Exchange.  Yay, and all that.
Things are a bit, a tiny but real bit, improved from last year's gathering and for that we are grateful.
So we shall go do that festive stuff.  She's not up to a great deal, but she has been looking forward to this for a good while, so we shall go and A Good Time Shall Be Had By All.  Ah, well.

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The Old Testament reading is the book of Haggai.  Another of those names rarely heard these days.


1
In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,
2
Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD's house should be built.
3
Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,
4
Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?
5
Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
6
Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
7
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
8
Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.
9
Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.
10
Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.
11
And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.
12
Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.
13
Then spake Haggai the LORD's messenger in the LORD's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.
14
And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,
15
In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.


1
In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying,
2
Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,
3
Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?
4
Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:
5
According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.
6
For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
7
And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
8
The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
9
The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
10
In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,
11
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,
12
If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.
13
Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
14
Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.
15
And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD:
16
Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.
17
I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.
18
Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid, consider it.
19
Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.
20
And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,
21
Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;
22
And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.
23
In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.






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The New Testament reading is chapter 16 of the Revelation.

1
And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
2
And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
3
And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
4
And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5
And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
7
And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8
And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9
And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
10
And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
11
And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
12
And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14
For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16
And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17
And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
18
And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
19
And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20
And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21
And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.




24 December 2014

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 24 December, 2014 --- Christmas Eve day

actually planning to be a nice day outside, high 50's for the temperature.  HIGH wind warnings for tonight, gusts up to 50 mph.  And tomorrow's high expected to be in the mid-30's, with "highs" for the next week likely to be in the upper 20's.  But considering that our former home area in mid-Alabama was hit yesterday, last night, and today with hideous rainstorms and tornadoes.  Last I saw, there are at least four fatalities and numerous injuries.  Snow here the rest of the week, but I've seen snow before, though I hate the sight of it.
Yet this is still the day, the week, that we designate to commemorate the birth of the incarnate God, the One who came into a dark and dying world to BE the light.  And because of that, we have hope and confidence no matter how dark the day and night.  That's worth a lot.
We have to make a brief, hopefully VERY brief, foray in just a bit, but we don't expect to leave the neighborhood for the next several days afterward.  Tomorrow we are set to walk across the driveway to the house next door where Dear Niece and Husband and great-niece will host a get-together with us, nephew with his wife and kids, sister-in-law and her husband, and a family friend and his son.  And perhaps others -- niece's father-in-law and mother-in-law live two doors further up and a cousin lives on the street behind, abutting the above.  Sounds positively European.  Should be quite something.
we shall see.

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The Old Testament reading here is the book of Zephaniah.


1
The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.
2
I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3
I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
4
I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;
5
And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;
6
And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.
7
Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.
8
And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.
9
In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.
10
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.
11
Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.
12
And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.
13
Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.
14
The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
15
That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16
A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
17
And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.
18
Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.


1
Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;
2
Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD's anger come upon you.
3
Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger.
4
For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
5
Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.
6
And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.
7
And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.
8
I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.
9
Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
10
This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.
11
The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.
12
Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.
13
And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.
14
And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds; for he shall uncover the cedar work.
15
This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.


1
Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
2
She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.
3
Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
4
Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
5
The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.
6
I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.
7
I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.
8
Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
9
For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.
10
From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
11
In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.
12
I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.
13
The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
14
Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
15
The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.
16
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
17
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
18
I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.
19
Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.
20
At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.





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The New Testament reading is chapter 15 of the Revelation.

1
And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
2
And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
3
And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
4
Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
5
And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
6
And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
7
And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
8
And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.