Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 30 March 2018

First and foremost, today is commemorated as Good Friday.  This is the day that Jesus the Christ, was crucified, died, and buried.  The darkest day in the history of the world.  But Sunday is coming!

Yesterday was a very rough day.  Neither of us got much sleep Wednesday night, so we called the doctor first thing, were in the doctor's office by noon, and our amateur diagnosis of sinus infection(s) was confirmed.  So, a round of meds prescribed, notably to include 10 days of antibiotics and some other things as well to deal with the cough, congestion, etc. etc. etc.  Back home, get her back to a horizontal position under blankets, get her some fluids and stuff, wait for a bit until the prescriptions ready, head over, do the thing, get back, start the new round of new stuff.

She tried to sleep in bed, but once again got up around 02:00, went to recliner.  Got her some tea with honey in it, all that stuff.  I was able to crash again, briefly, until cats wanted (demanded) breakfast around 05:00.  So I did it, then went and died for a while longer.

She was just on the phone again, to the pharmacy, two doctors, and the pharmacy again, arranging for one prescription to be transferred from one pharmacy to another, one 'scrip to be re-enabled, and one other to be corrected as to dosage (undoing an error in the doctor's office: these call-in / electronic messaging things have more errors than most people realize.  But we do.

This is a snapshot of our life, all too often.

Yesterday's weather temp flirted with the 60° mark.  I just looked out the window and saw snow flakes falling!  Bear in mind that we've been in official Spring this week.  But snow!  Yuck!!

Probably most people are aware of the contentious storm that popped up yesterday and is still raging.  By some accounts, the Pope, the titular head of the Roman Catholic Church, has stated that Hell does not exist as we have understood the concept.  Later, flaks in the Vatican rushed to claim it was a misquote and a misunderstanding.  I don't know, but I have little regard for the man.  I won't pile on the matter: I'm not Catholic, either Roman or Orthodox, never have been, but have more than a few friends who are.  But I don't agree.  And the Bible certainly doesn't.

So, right now, we're waiting the notification that the meds are ready for pickup.  After that, we shall see.

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Deuteronomy 25

1  If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.

2  And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.

3  Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

4  Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn

5  If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.

6  And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.

7  And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.

8  Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her;

9  Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house.

10  And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.

11  When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets:

12  Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her.

13  Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.

14  Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.

15  But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

16  For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God.

17  Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;

18  How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.

19  Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.

Deuteronomy 26

1  And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein;

2  That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there.

3  And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the country which the Lord sware unto our fathers for to give us.

4  And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God.

5  And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:

6  And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:

7  And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:

8  And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:

9  And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.

10  And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God:

11  And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.

12  When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;

13  Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them:

14  I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.

15  Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

16  This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.

17  Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice:

18  And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;

19  And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken.

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Psalm 66

To the chief Musician, A Song or Psalm.

 

1  Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:

2  Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.

3  Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.

4  All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.

5  Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.

6  He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.

7  He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.

8  O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:

9  Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.

10  For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

11  Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.

12  Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

13  I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,

14  Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.

15  I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.

16  Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

17  I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.

18  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

19  But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

20  Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

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Luke 21

1  And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.

2  And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.

3  And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

5  And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,

6  As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

7  And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

8  And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

9  But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.

10  Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

12  But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.

13   And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

14  Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

16  And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.

17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.

18  But there shall not an hair of your head perish.

19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

20  And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.

22  For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

23  But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

24  And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26  Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

27   And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28   And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

29  And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

30   When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

31  So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

33  Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

34  And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

37 And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.

38  And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.