Today's Readings and Stuff == Thursday, 19 April 2018

Snow on the ground this morning, AGAIN!  Less than two weeks now until the calendar turns to May.  But snow, still.  And, yet, I still receive messages from those who are somehow still convinced of "catastrophic global warming", despite all evidence to the contrary.  I have been told, seriously, that "facts are RACIST!".  Hmm.  I guess that facts are the mark of a "science denier" as well.
Right now, most of it seems to have gone, but it was certainly still visible at 10:30



A new (or perhaps, old) "song of the day".  The New Testament passage brings to mind "My Name Is Lazarus". 
When you think that something is even beyond the Lord's power, guess again.  Another of those "I wish I could have been there" moments.  But the Lord does miracles every day.

But don't ignore this one either.  "He'd Still Been God".

Master, carest Thou not that we perish?
Can’t You see that we’re about to die?
This boat we’re on is surely going under
“Save us now!”, His disciples cried
So Jesus rose to stand against the tempest
Knowing His disciples had no faith
Just to prove that He was still the Master
He spoke, and the wind and seas obeyed

 But He’d still been God
Even if He’d never calmed a storm on a raging sea
He’d still been God
Even if He’d never caused a blinded eye to see
He’d still been God
Even if He’d never brought a crippled man to his feet
It’s not about what He did
It’s all about who He was
‘Cause even if He’d never come and done a single miracle
Then Jesus woulda still been God

Mary was His loving, earthly mother
She understood the purpose of her Son
Ever since the angel’d come and told her
“This child is the blessed Son of God”
So when she’d see the people gather ’round Him
Watching for a miracle to prove
That He would be their One and great Messiah
She just smiled ’cause she already knew


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Judges 5

1  Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

2  Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.

3  Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.

4  Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.

5  The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel.

6  In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.

7  The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

8  They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

9  My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the Lord.

10  Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.

11  They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates.

12  Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.

13  Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty.

14  Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.

15  And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.

16  Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

17  Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.

18  Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.

19  The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.

20  They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

21  The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.

22  Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.

23  Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

24  Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

25  He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

26  She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.

27  At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

28  The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

29  Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,

30  Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?

31  So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.

Judges 6

1  And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

2  And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

3  And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

4  And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.sheep: or, goat

5  For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

6  And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.

7  And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites,

8  That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage

9  And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;

10  And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

11  And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi–ezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

12  And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

13  And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

14  And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

15  And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

16  And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

17  And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

18  Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

19  And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.

20  And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

21  Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight.

22  And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.

23  And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

24  Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah–shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi–ezrites.

25  And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:

26  And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.

27  Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

28  And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.

29  And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.

30  Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.

31  And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

32  Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.

33  Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.

34  But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abi–ezer was gathered after him.

35  And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

36  And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,

37  Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.

38  And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

39  And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

40  And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

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Psalm 79

A Psalm of Asaph.

 

1  O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.

2  The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.

3  Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.

4  We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.

5  How long, Lord? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?

6  Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

7  For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.

8  O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.

9  Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.

10  Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.r

11  Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;

12  And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.

13  So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

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 Here is the story of Lazarus.
I wonder about Lazarus, he had to go through dying, twice.  But he knew, more than just about anyone, that it was not the end.  He also knew that the Lord sometimes works in ways we probably wouldn't have picked.  Had Lazarus not died that first time, we would not have that striking example of the Lord's power and provision.  We know that we can trust Him, for we have accounts, not just in our own lives, of His reach and power and grace.  This is one example of it.
So, not only did Lazarus understand, but those who saw this did as well.  I have to believe that they told others, and that in the times after Jesus ascended to the Father, they had this memory and assurance of the Lord's provision no matter how dark the hour.  And told others.
Some of us also know something of the Lord's reach.  We're also supposed to share the knowledge.  It's our testimony.

John 11

1  Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

2  (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

3  Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

4  When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

5  Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

6  When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

7  Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.

8  His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?

9  Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

10  But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

11  These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

12  Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

13  Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

14  Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

15  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

16  Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

17  Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

18  Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:

19  And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

20  Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

21  Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

22  But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

23  Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

24  Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

25  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26  And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

27  She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

28  And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

29  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.

30  Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.

31  The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.

32  Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

33  When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

34  And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

35  Jesus wept.

36  Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

37  And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?

38  Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

39  Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

40  Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

41  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

42  And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

43  And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

44  And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

45  Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

46  But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

47  Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

48  If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

49  And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,

50  Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

51  And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

52  And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

53  Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

54  Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.

55  And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.

56  Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?

57  Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.