Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 14 August 2017

Good day (or night) to all who stop by.  Welcome.

Dear Wife is still horizontal and out of it.  The last few days have been rough on her.  I don't know what she's down with, could be anything from a summer cold to sinus infection to pneumonia or Something Else.  I do think that the UTI, the bladder/kidney infection has finally left.  I hope so.  She slept fitfully Saturday night, and even went back to sleep after I left for church services yesterday morning.  And she felt rotten from time I got back.  She went back to bed for a while but couldn't sleep, so went into the living room and stretched out on recliner, under blankets and with an orange cat on her lap.  And they both fell asleep, which is probably what they both needed.  So heavy duty REM sleep during the night last night was probably not to be expected, but she got some.  Tomorrow the Social Security check hits (we hope), therefore we can afford to pay the co-pay for a doctor visit. So, depending on how she feels, we may be making the call trying to set that up later on today.

I'd planned to start some home repair/remodeling stuff today, but I don't want to make any noise to disturb her, so I'm in the We Shall See mode.  Perhaps this afternoon.  The early part of this will be more in the nature of disassembly and clearance than anything else.

In any event, my sister and her husband are scheduled to meet us at a local donut shop by the nearby Interstate exit around 09:30. so I can't really get going on anything major.  In fact, I'll need to wake her real soon to see if she's able to come with me.  I'd like her to do so, but even that may be beyond what she is up to.

One of my own sorrows is the relationships with my own family.  We live next door to her niece, see her sister several times a week generally, spend time with niece's daughter and new baby boy, etc.  But on my side, not much.  My middle brother came by about 5 months ago to have her do some computer work.  And we had a get-together last summer at my nephew's house with both my brothers and my sister,and her husband.  Dear Wife was able to attend.  But the younger brother's wife despises us and wouldn't come, and that was the last time I saw him, living all of 20 miles away in the house I once lived in that he bought from my parents.  Sister and her husband, the ones coming, live in central Virginia, so their limitation to perhaps 2 visits of 80-90 minutes each, once or twice a year, is not surprising.  But in between, no cards, no letters, no phone calls, no e-mails.  Guess I'm a pariah or something. And, frankly, having lived far outside the area for 22 years or so, with very limited face-to-face possible during that time, and limited contact for the 10 years before -- owing to balancing two or three jobs, college studies, and towards the end my own family - didn't help.  Nor did having lived 200 miles away for several years before that.  So there has naturally been some estrangement.  We moved back here at least in part to try to remedy that, but it's not been very successful.





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Our attention this morning in the Old Testament is Psalms 99, 100, 101, and 102.
When I was a kid, our church "encouraged" the kids to do Bible memorization.  Now, I'm glad we did, that bit about "Thy Word have I hid in my heart" (Psalm 119:11) has a lot of truth, and has served me well,even in the days I was rejecting the Lord.  Psalm 100 was one of the ones I chose.  Not only is it good, it's also short.  We got very good at finding short passages, as kids will do.  It was one of them.  (So, incidentally, was John 11:35 "Jesus wept", the shortest verse in the Bible, but it counted on the chart).
And it is good.  There are several problems that I see in the modern church.  One is the lack of discipleship.  Another is embarrassingly poor knowledge of, and attention to, Scripture.  Another is the missing 'Joy of the Lord'.  Lots of glum, serious faces.  Not a whole lot of joy evident.  And I am very often guilty of that as well, joy being one of those things that's not in my background, and not in my nature.  But it really should be:  the Lord has done great things in my life and the lives of others that I have seen.  We really should come into His presence with singing.  Need to get used to it, there are no tears in Heaven.   (Dottie Rambo had it right, Tears Will Never Stain the Streets of That City )

Psalm 99

1 The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. 2 The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people. 3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy. 4 The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy. 6 Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them. 7 He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them. 8 Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions. 9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.

Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Psalm 101

1 I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. 2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. 3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. 4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person. 5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. 6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. 7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. 8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.

Psalm 102

1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee. 2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily. 3 For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. 4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. 5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin. 6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. 7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top. 8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me. 9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping. 10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. 11 My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass. 12 But thou, O LORD, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations. 13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. 14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. 15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. 16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. 18 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. 19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; 20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; 21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem; 22 When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. 23 He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days. 24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. 25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: 27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. 28 The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.

  




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 Our passage in the New Testament is chapter 13 in the Epistle to the Romans.


Romans 13

1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. 8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.