07 February 2015

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 07 February 2015

a day above freezing!  Amazing!!
Of course, with snow melting, the absolute humidity has gone up, so it FEELS colder than it did yesterday though the thermometer is higher.  Dear Wife has been throwing up most of the day, but seems to be holding down something she ate 45 minutes ago.  So we shall see.
I've been laundering blankets all day:  the gas fireplace we have that provides ALL our heat needs to be getting a thorough cleaning, putting an awful lot of soot into the air which settles on everything.  The cleaning will have to wait until Spring.  We have two of those "fuzzy" blankets on our bed, and both of them required two full cycles in the wash to get it all out.  Have a "throw" of the same material in the washer right now, waiting for one of the big blankets to complete the dryer cycle.  Such fun we have these days.  But it does keep the fingers busy, and that allows the mind to work unimpeded.
Cats are at either end of the place, yelling challenges at each other.  They woke me this morning around 04:00 to break up a major fight in the kitchen, which is pretty much No-Cats-Land.  Starting to wish I could ethically toss them out into the nearest snow drift.

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

The Old Testament reading today begins the book of Leviticus.  Chapters 1, 2, and 3.  This gets into a lot of stuff that seems strange to us, but it was important to the Lord, and important to them.  So it should count for something with us as well, and some of it can be seen as a shadow of what was to come.


1
And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
2
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
3
If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
4
And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
5
And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
6
And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.
7
And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:
8
And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
9
But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.
10
And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.
11
And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.
12
And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
13
But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.
14
And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.
15
And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar:
16
And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:
17
And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.


1
And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:
2
And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD:
3
And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.
4
And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
5
And if thy oblation be a meat offering baked in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.
6
Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a meat offering.
7
And if thy oblation be a meat offering baked in the frying pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
8
And thou shalt bring the meat offering that is made of these things unto the LORD: and when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it unto the altar.
9
And the priest shall take from the meat offering a memorial thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.
10
And that which is left of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.
11
No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.
12
As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the LORD: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savor.
13
And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.
14
And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the LORD, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears.
15
And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meat offering.
16
And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.


Leviticus 3
1
And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD.
2
And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
3
And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
4
And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
5
And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.
6
And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the LORD be of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.
7
If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall he offer it before the LORD.
8
And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar.
9
And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat thereof, and the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the backbone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
10
And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
11
And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD.
12
And if his offering be a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD.
13
And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about.
14
And he shall offer thereof his offering, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
15
And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
16
And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savor: all the fat is the LORD's.
17
It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.





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

The New Testament reading is verses 23-39 of the 24th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
It should count for something that Jesus made time to speak on this subject in the last few days of His earthly presence.

23
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25
Behold, I have told you before.
26
Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27
For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28
For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33
So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37
But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39
And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.


06 February 2015

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 06 February, 2015

early afternoon here, and the tmep is all the way up to 23 degrees, if you can imagine it.  Our former home in the Deep South is now registering 48.  Not hot, but not freezing.  

I had to run to bank this morning -- had a bill that needed to be paid by noon and had to put some money in the account to do it -- and found the car doors frozen shut.  Climbed in through back hatch, crawled over seats, and was able to bang the driver door enough to get it open.  Scraped a whole lot of snow and ice off the windows so I could see, made the trip, and came back.  Main roads in pretty good shape as far as snow and ice.

The roads themselves, meaning the roadway surface, not so much.  Craters and potholes, some quite large, everywhere.  Part of living around here.  And that's not completely a function just of the awful weather.  As some know, my background is as a mechanical engineer, with emphasis on manufacturing systems, with some design work in matters directed specifically to that.  So I haven't designed, say, pumps or engines or furnaces or such.  What I have done is design and optimize systems incorporating such and more into larger systems and means to employ them efficiently towards manufacturing other products. 
But my original dream was to be a Civil Engineer, to design and construct bridges, roads, buildings, water systems, and the like.  Not being from a wealthy family, I had to work while in school.  Not just to pay tuition and books and all of that, but to pay rent, buy a car and maintain it, buy food and clothes and pay the electric bill and all of that.  Took a while.  In the course of that, I found some employment with local operations that were involved in some aspects of the construction side of civil engineering projects in this region, and got a close-up view of How Things Are Done Here.  Having seen far more than I wished of the utter corruption, bribery, nepotism, incompetence, union thugs, Mafia thugs (literally), Democrat Party thugs (with considerable overlap with the two groups previous), and bad practices, I went down and changed my declared major.

Now, the reason I stuck that in there has to do with the roads and their condition.  Due in very large part to all the corruption, the money allocated for road construction and upkeep has some unusual if not well recorded expenses.  Like to pay off the Powers That Be to get the contract. Like to pay off the Inspectors so that the contractors et al can recoup their losses by skimping on the specs.  Like paying for the "featherbedding" of union workers.  Like a whole lot of similar things.  The methods and techniques and Best Practices for building and maintaining roads and bridges in this climate are fairly well known and documented.  And ignored.  The old joke, and it's not a joke, was that for example on a road surfacing project, the inspector would be a college student (I knew a few) there to ensure, for example, that the contract specification of 3" of asphaltic cement rolled and compacted to a thickness of 1-1/2", would be handed a hundred dollar bill at the start of the day's work, and be "asked" to get coffee for the crew, and no need to hurry back.  In other words, "take a hike and we'll see you tomorrow".  So a few minutes later, the asphalting machine would have the outlet opening cranked down to 2",  and off they'd go.  Joke was that the surfacing was so thin that the pavement at the start end of the overall job would be breaking up before the job was done at the far end.  And that was too often true.  Now factor in substandard road base, which among other things is part of the sub-surface drainage and support, and you have dips and stress fractures.  Which in turn provide a neat place for water to intrude.  Now add in the freeze-thaw cycle.  And you get awful roads with huge craters.  Now on top of all of that, add in the overweight trucks that ply the roads, leading to per-wheel loads greatly in excess of the roadway's capacity, and everything gets much worse, fast.
And this is accepted as "just the way it is here". 
And this is why culture counts and morals matter.  Bad character leads to a lot of things.

Dear Wife was supposed to accompany me on the trip to the bank.  Went outside to get in car and she started throwing up in the driveway.  So she's back in bed.  Has a big plastic bowl beside her in case the heaves come around again.  Such a life we have.

I drove by miles and miles of snow-covered woods and fields, no green or leaves or signs of life anywhere.  Under a gray and dismal sky, for which this area is justly noted.  It is easy to see why so many people, sometimes including me, get despondent and discouraged during this season.  They have no hope.  Occasional happiness, often alcohol induced, but joy is very rare.  And that includes in the churches.  Lots of "cultural Christians", though fewer every year.  But very few "on fire" ones.  Doesn't take many, but we seem to be below the critical level.  Is that why we were sent here?

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

The Old Testament reading is chapters 39 and 40 of the Exodus.  More on the construction and furnishing of the Tabernacle and the system of worship to be carried out by the Lord's people in their journey and, indeed, until the Temple.  And even then, in that far-distant time, the pattern was set.  By the Lord, This was not a time for "do your own thing", this was a time to pay close attention to what the Lord said.
Note something here, something we rarely notice.  There are commands here about washing their clothes and themselves.  Remember where they were?  In the desert!!  No laundromats around, no boxes of Tide or whatever, no hot showers.  Not much water either, which is normal in deserts.  The water to be used for this was precious and guarded.  And this use would probably make it unsuitable for drinking or any other normal use.  Think the Lord didn't know that?  Yet it was commanded, and I have to regard the use of it here as an act of worship.  But then, Who provided that water in the first place?  I think He's good for it.


1
And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses.
2
And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
3
And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.
4
They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together.
5
And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses.
6
And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.
7
And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses.
8
And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9
It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled.
10
And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row.
11
And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
12
And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
13
And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
14
And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.
15
And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathed work of pure gold.
16
And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate.
17
And they put the two wreathed chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
18
And the two ends of the two wreathed chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it.
19
And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward.
20
And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
21
And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.
22
And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
23
And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend.
24
And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
25
And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
26
A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.
27
And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,
28
And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen,
29
And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.
30
And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
31
And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses.
32
Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.
33
And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets,
34
And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering,
35
The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat,
36
The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the showbread,
37
The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,
38
And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,
39
The brazen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
40
The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
41
The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons' garments, to minister in the priest's office.
42
According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.
43
And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.


1
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2
On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.
3
And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.
4
And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof.
5
And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.
6
And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.
7
And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.
8
And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.
9
And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.
10
And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy.
11
And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it.
12
And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.
13
And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
14
And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:
15
And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.
16
Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.
17
And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up.
18
And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars.
19
And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the LORD commanded Moses.
20
And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:
21
And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded Moses.
22
And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail.
23
And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.
24
And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.
25
And he lighted the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.
26
And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail:
27
And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the LORD commanded Moses.
28
And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.
29
And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the LORD commanded Moses.
30
And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash withal.
31
And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat:
32
When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses.
33
And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
34
Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
35
And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
36
And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:
37
But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
38
For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.





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

The New Testament reading is verses 1-22 of the 24th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.  Jesus is talking about some things that are of interest to all of us, the prophetic future. 

1
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2
And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8
All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
15
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16
Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17
Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18
Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19
And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20
But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

05 February 2015

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 05 February 2015

another snowstorm last night, though we "only" got about 2 inches here, not the 6 - 8 inches the weathercasters foretold.  Bitter cold though, it's 3:00 p.m. and we're all the way up to almost 15 degrees, with tonight's low predicted to be +3.  Last night was below zero.  The next wwek or so predicts a couple "high" temps atually above freezing, with lows dipping below zero.  I hate cold and snow and northern winters. 
Our living conditions are, to be brief, well less than optimum.  This is a 20-year-old mobile home, with several broken windows covered with plastic film and heavy drapes.  The floors are cold, the exterior walls are cold at the floor joint, and the floors are a bit soft in places.  It's also all we could afford.  W have both lived in worse circumstances, and there are places in this country, including some not far from here, that still have dirt floors.  We had a warm bed last night, toilets and showers that worked, a clothes washer that's operating right now, electric lights, and food in the cupboard and refrigerator.  We are ahead of the game.  Thank You Lord for all of it.  We don't have all we want, but we do have all we need.

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

The Old Testament reading today is chapters 37 and 38 of the Exodus.  This is the description of the construction of the Ark of the Covenant and the Altar, both for the Tabernacle. 
For those who do not know, there is a serious movement within sections of the Jewish community, particularly in Israel;, to duplicate the Ark and to, somehow, retake the Temple Mount, rebuild the Temple, and recover the system of worship described in the Torah.


1
And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:
2
And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.
3
And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.
4
And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
5
And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.
6
And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
7
And he made two cherubim of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;
8
One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubim on the two ends thereof.
9
And the cherubim spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubim.
10
And he made the table of shittim wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof:
11
And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.
12
Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.
13
And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the four feet thereof.
14
Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.
15
And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.
16
And he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold.
17
And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:
18
And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof:
19
Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.
20
And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers:
21
And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it.
22
Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.
23
And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold.
24
Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.
25
And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.
26
And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.
27
And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.
28
And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
29
And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.


1
And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.
2
And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass.
3
And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basins, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.
4
And he made for the altar a brazen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it.
5
And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.
6
And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.
7
And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards.
8
And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
9
And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits:
10
Their pillars were twenty, and their brazen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.
11
And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
12
And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
13
And for the east side eastward fifty cubits.
14
The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
15
And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
16
All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.
17
And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.
18
And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.
19
And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver.
20
And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.
21
This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.
22
And Bezaleel the son Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses.
23
And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.
24
All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
25
And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
26
A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.
27
And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the vail; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.
28
And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them.
29
And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.
30
And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brazen altar, and the brazen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar,
31
And the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.





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

The New Testament reading is verses 23-39 from the 23rd chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.  This is not the sort of message intended to "make nice" with the religious authorities of the day.  I think about that when I hear the "can't we all just get along" spiels of those who want to paper over the very real disagreements within the overall Christian movement. 

23
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24
Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30
And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31
Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32
Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34
Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
35
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36
Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39
For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.