Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 02 September 2017

1st Saturday of the month means that the local fire stations "test" their sirens.  So we were treated to all of that earlier today.  We live near some manufacturing operations that also have a variety of siren systems, there for other purposes, and near a navigable waterway (to use the EPA terminology) that is the heart of the line between two states, so we also get to hear the sirens and whistles, etc. from over there.  The world being what it is, and our backgrounds being what they are, we always pay attention to all of the alarms, and always make a point of reassuring each other that it's just the required monthly test of the systems.  And then we go on-line to verify that someone hasn't chosen this particular moment to sneak a missile over the horizon.
And, of course, it hasn't escaped our attention that we are only a week + a few days from 9/11.  As some people, though of course none of the LameStreamMedia types, are aware, the choice of 9/11 in 2001 was not a random date for the Islamo-heathens to launch their attack upon the United States.

• it is the date of the Battle of Zenta (now Senta) now in Serbia, back in 1697, in which event the Ottoman Empire's army suffered a terrible blow, including the death of the Grand Vizier, forcing the Sultan to sue for peace.  This led to the Treaty of Karlowitz, and ceded control of Hungary and most of Transylvania to the Hapsburgs, which reduced the territory groaning under the boot of the Moslems greatly.  They're still mad.  (note the Transylvanian connection here.  Vlad Tepes, a name you might recall, used psychological warfare, as well as more conventional approaches, in fending off the heathens).
• It also marks the date of the announcement of the Moslem expulsion from Spain, back in 1699.   The Spanish, you might recall, had been occupied by these heathens for 800 years, ending in 1492 (remember that date?).  But that had left a Moslem population embedded.  Finally, after 200+years of the sort of thing we're now seeing in Europe from their co-religionists, the Spaniards had had enough, and kicked them ALL out.  And the heathens believe that, once Moslem, always Moslem, and intend to take it back.  Look up, some time, the term "al-Andalusia".  And, yes, they're serious.
• It marks the date of the Siege of Vienna, back in 1683.  Volumes have been written on this, the siege marked the "high water" point of the Moslem expansions into Europe.  Yes, they lost.  And are still mad.  Go read up on it.
• And, finally, it matches the date of the Great Siege of Malta, back in 1565.  200 ships, sent by Suleiman the Magnificent, off the coast intending to destroy the Knights of Malta, that had been thwarting his expansion plans.  They expected to win handily, then to overrun Sicily and invade Italy.  Except that the Knights of Malta and the Knights of St. John had other ideas.  75% of the Moslem attackers went to Hell.

So the choice of that date was no accident.
And that same date is near unto us now.
Since 9/11/2001, the Moslems have carried out (as of this minute) 31667 deadly attacks worldwide.  For the month of July 2017, that is 179 attacks, leading to 1275 deaths, 932 injuries, in 25 nations worldwide.  For the week of 19 August to 25 August, that is 35 attacks with 190 killed, in 16 countries.  See the website www.thereligionofpeace.com for further details.   So we can expect that the tradition may be continued.

So that is on my mind today.

Tomorrow will be a bit odd.  I am intending to attend church services in the morning.  I may have to cut out a few minutes early:  tomorrow early afternoon my nephew and his wife are having a renewal of their wedding vows at the church I grew up in, right on the southern edge of the county south of us.  I have prevailed upon my one brother to pick us up on his way in from Akron, and we'll ride down and back with him, a favor I greatly appreciate.  I expect that my nephew's dad, my youngest brother, will not attend.  Even if he does, his current wife, who hates his kids, and their wives, and me and my wife, will not.  A bit of a strained relationship there, and I wish to say no more.

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Today's reading in the Old Testament is chapters 1 and 2 of the Proverbs.
I am told that at one time, particularly in colonial America, these were taught, including to kids in the school houses.  Which had, certainly, an impact upon the culture.  Today, they are rarely mentioned even in the churches, and certainly not in the public schools.  Which has had, likewise, a different impact -- or lack of one -- upon the culture. And it shows.

Proverbs 1

1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; 2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; 3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. 5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: 6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. 10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. 19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof. 20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: 21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, 22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Proverbs 2

1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. 10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; 11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: 12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; 13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; 14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; 15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths: 16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; 17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. 18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. 19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life. 20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. 22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

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Our New Testament reading for today is chapter 12 of 1st Corinthians.
In very many churches today, I hear and see little discussion of the issue.  In others, I hear and see obsession over the matter.  I do believe that the Lord has a purpose and an assignment for each of us, we are not called to be mere spectators.  Or back-seat drivers either. 

I Corinthians 12

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.