Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 18 August 2017

The month is racing past, so is the year, and so is the day.  Dear Wife has had us out and about today, running errands around the county.  Had to have several meeting with people selling some items we need via social media, so they meet in very public places in order to minimize the risk of robbery to either party.  I understand and appreciate that.  So, we got an essentially-new shower stall AND the brand-new Moen control valve thingie for about  $100, which is FAR less than list price for either of them.  And we need it bad.  So, Lord willing, I'll be spending this next week doing what I'd intended to do this week, demo and rework of stuff in the back bathroom so that we can have a shower we can use without danger of falling through the floor and have a second toilet, which would be quite useful.  Especially with her ulcerative colitis and some of the unfortunate symptoms of same.
She's crashed out hard on the living room recliner now: sometimes that improves her breathing enough to encourage good sleep for her. So, of course, I have to be very very quiet, which in turn means no demo of that adjacent room.  Or much else. 
The main bookshelf is blocked by her recliner, so that's out.  We "cut the cable" on the TV, no loss and a good saving of money there, so that option is out.  And so I'm here at the desk.
The news is lousy pretty much without exception.  Muslims running over people and trying to set off bombs in Spain.  Muslims stabbing people to death in Finland.  Muslims stabbing people in Germany.  Muslims ........  you get the picture.  Meanwhile, I get angry messages from people who should know better, claiming that Allah is just another name for the Lord ( a lie if there ever was one), or that Christians are the ones to blame as their consumption of bacon and having pet dogs is a deadly affront to devout Muslims, or that -- despite pages in the Koran to the contrary -- Islam is a religion of peace (or pieces), or that mentioning 1400 years of Muslim barbarity makes outreach difficult, so I am the "bad guy".  And they're serious.  At least one of them I've known for more than 50 years, and he's a leader in a rather-liberal church in this region.
I have now lived far longer than I had ever expected.  If death arrives at the door in the next few minutes, I've had more life and far more blessings from the Lord than deserved.  Far more.  But there are times that I'm glad that we have no grandchildren, for the world they would come into is likely to be an awful place.  What happens after that is beyond our control.  And the Lord has often surprised me.  But as a pretty good situation analyst, I can say that it appears that Dark Days are about here.  And we, my generation to be sure, have not held up out duty to leave the world a better place than we found it.  Quite the contrary.  I don't think that I in particular am going to be getting one of those "Well done! good and faithful servant" receptions on the Other Side.  John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, described himself as a coal snatched from the burning.  He was not alone in that.
(nor did he originate the phrase, though it correctly describes many of us.
Zechariah 3:2  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?
Also, Amos 4:11 , and Jude 1:23 )

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

The Old Testament passage here is Psalms  109, 110, and 111

Psalm 109

1 Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise; 2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. 3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. 4 For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. 5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6 Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand. 7 When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin. 8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office. 9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. 10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places. 11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour. 12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children. 13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out. 14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. 15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth. 16 Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart. 17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. 18 As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones. 19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually. 20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul. 21 But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. 22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. 23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. 24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness. 25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads. 26 Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy: 27 That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it. 28 Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice. 29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle. 30 I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude. 31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.

Psalm 110

1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. 4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. 5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. 6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. 7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

Psalm 111

1 Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. 2 The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. 3 His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever. 4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. 5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant. 6 He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen. 7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. 8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. 9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. 10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

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

this inspires my entry for "song of the day".  Yes, "He Knows My Name".  

Chapter 16 of the Epistle to the Romans is the New Testament reading today, completing this epistle, one of my favorites.
Mostly, this is greetings and recommendations and, perhaps, farewells to faithful and brave and helpful people in the church receiving the message.
Look at the names!  I never heard of most of them.  Their faces, their individuals stories and challenges, service and testimony, pains, and, yes, their deaths, are mostly unknown to us.  But not unknown to the Lord.
It is easy, all too easy, to become discouraged, to think that what we do, our service, our prayers, our little gestures, our testimony including in the lives we lead, just don't matter.  
WRONG!
Not all of us will have a seminary named in our memory.  Few of us will delivery an invitation to a arena of thousands, or write a book that inspires others.  Few of us will do "great things" as the world sees them.  Many, if not most of us (me included), may think that our soon departure from this world will be largely unnoticed, that the world would have been unchanged had we never been here.
But the Lord knows.
I don't know who Epaenetus was or what he did.  But the Lord does.  I don't know the details of most believers.  But I do know that I am where I am today, in large part because people that the world ignores, were there at the right time and place, and that they said and did what the Lord inspired them to do. That's a record going back more than 2000 years now.  I think that the Lord has this stuff figured out.  What I need to do is to be available to His leading.  
He Knows My Name.  What else matters, really?



Romans 16

1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: 2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: 4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us. 7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord. 9 Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. 10 Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household. 11 Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. 12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord. 13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them. 15 Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them. 16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you. 17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. 21 Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord. 23 Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother. 24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: 27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.