Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 22 February 2018

Tuesday, we had a high here of around 67°.  Yesterday, it was around 61° in the morning, falling steadily throughout the day to 32°.  Today's high said to be 44° and low of 38.  Tomorrow's high 57 and Sunday 59.  High next Friday of 40.  At least it's mostly above freezing and above zero.  And we're getting close to running out of February.  The "day today is 10 hours 57 minutes, so we're nearly to the 11 hour "day".  The change to "Daylight Savings Time" is March 11.  The first day of Spring is soon after that, the 20th.  So we're "getting there".  But official spring doesn't mean warm weather in these parts, I've seen Snow for weeks thereafter.  But we have hope.  It does play games with the sinuses and the joints.

Wife is next door with the great-niece and great-nephew.  Much fun for all.  I'm here doing dishes by hand, arranging wet clothes on a drying rack, and other domestic joys.
More "fun" a bit ago.  Last spring, I replaced the entry lock set  on our most-frequently-used door.  Worked find.  Until this morning.  Then, suddenly, it wouldn't latch.  At all.  There's something seriously askew inside it, and nothing that I did would work to get it operating at all.  So I took the $20 in 'emergency" funds that I'd set aside Tuesday, and made the run to the hardware store.  Lockset is now replaced, with one that has lever handles on both sides, which will be MUCH easier for Wife: she can no longer manipulate a knob, especially a recalcitrant one, to open.  Now she'll be able to, and they had them on sale at that.  So it worked out.
We (she) placed the order for the parts to repair our clothes dryer.  Lord willing, it should arrive late next week or so.  Just as well:  I'll probably have to haul it outside to work on it and in that case I'm selfish enough to prefer something better than 27°, snow, and a 20 mph gale.  Selfish of me, I know.
At one time in my life, such matters would have been a "no big deal:  fix it and move on" thing.  That's no longer the case.  Poverty has a lot to do with that, and age does as well.

But this morning I got a couple of e-mails that I should have seen two days ago.  Both concerned a woman from church.  She has suddenly passed over.  We shall see her again, but she was a sweet lady, and will be missed.

Song of the day for me.  Rescue The Perishing.   Fits with my mood lately.

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Today, Leviticus 15 and 16.  No, the Lord is not to be approached casually.  Ever.

Leviticus 15

1  And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying,

2  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean

3  And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his uncleanness.

4  Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.

5  And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

6  And he that sitteth on any thing whereon he sat that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

7  And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

8  And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

9  And what saddle soever he rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean.

10  And whosoever toucheth any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the even: and he that beareth any of those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

11  And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

12  And the vessel of earth, that he toucheth which hath the issue, shall be broken: and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.

13  And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.

14  And on the eighth day he shall take to him two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before the Lord unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and give them unto the priest:

15  And the priest shall offer them, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord for his issue.

16  And if any man's seed of copulation go out from him, then he shall wash all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.

17  And every garment, and every skin, whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the even.

18  The woman also with whom man shall lie with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the even.

19  And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.put…: Heb. in her separation

20  And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.

21  And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

22  And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

23  And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even.

24  And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean.

25  And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean.

26  Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation.

27  And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

28  But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.

29  And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

30  And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the Lord for the issue of her uncleanness.

31  Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them.

32  This is the law of him that hath an issue, and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled therewith;

33  And of her that is sick of her flowers, and of him that hath an issue, of the man, and of the woman, and of him that lieth with her that is unclean.

Leviticus 16

1  And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died;

2  And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

3  Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.

4  He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

5  And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

6  And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.

7  And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

8  And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat.

9  And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.

10  But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

11  And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:

12  And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil:

13  And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:

14  And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

15  Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:

16  And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.remaineth:

17  And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.

18  And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the Lord, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.

19  And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

20  And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:

21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness

22  And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

23  And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:

24  And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.

25  And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.

26  And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.

27  And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.

28  And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.

29  And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:

30  For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.

31  It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.

32  And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments

33  And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.

34And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.

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Psalm 39

To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.

1  I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me

2  I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

3  My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,

4  Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

5  Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

6  Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them

7  And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

8  Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.

9  I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.

10  Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.

11  When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.

12  Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

13  O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

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Mark 11

1  And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples,

2  And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.

3  And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.

4  And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.

5  And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?

6  And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.

7  And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.

8  And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

9  And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

10  Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

11  And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

12  And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

13  And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

14  And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

15  And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

16  And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

17  And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

18  And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

19  And when even was come, he went out of the city.

20  And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

21  And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

22  And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

27  And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,

28  And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

29  And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

31  And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?

32  But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

33  And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.