Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 16 April 2018

We're now in the last half of April, May is coming!
Yeah.  So we have snow as a possibility in the forecast.  Last night into early morning, we got somewhere around 2 inches of rain.  That's a lot of rain in a short time.  Roads are flooded, all of that.  Whether it's part of that or not, I do not know, but a BIG transformer in a substation in the west end of the city to  our west exploded in the early morning, creating quite a mess.  Changing out high voltage stuff in the rain is not something I would like to do.

The passage in Joshua brings to mind something that we used to sing, back 20-some years ago when I was involved in the Promise Keepers movement, especially during our first time in East Tennessee.  Imagine, if you will, 20,000 men in an arena singing this.  I was there and saw it.

May Those Who Come Behind Us Find Us Faithful

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Today, the completion  of the book of Joshua.  He was quite a person.  He was faithful, which is not such a bad thing to be remembered for.

Joshua 23

1  And it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.

2  And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age:

3  And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you.

4  Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.

5  And the Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God hath promised unto you.

6  Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

7  That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:

8  But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.

9  For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day.

10  One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.

11  Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God

12  Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you:

13  Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.

14  And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.

15  Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.

16  When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.

Joshua 24

1  And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

2  And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor: and they served other gods.

3  And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.

4  And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.

5  I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out.

6  And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea.

7  And when they cried unto the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.

8  And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you.

9  Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you:

10  But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.

11  And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.

12  And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

13  And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.

14  Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

15  And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

16And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods;

17  For the Lord our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:

18  And the Lord drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the Lord; for he is our God.

19  And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

20  If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.

21  And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the Lord.

22  And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.

23  Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.

24And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.

25  So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

26  And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.

27  And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.

28  So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.

29  And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

30  And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath–serah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash.

31  And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord, that he had done for Israel.

32  And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

33  And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim.

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Psalm 76

To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song of Asaph.

 

1  In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel.chief…: or, overseerof: or, for

2  In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.

3  There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.

4  Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.

5  The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands.

6  At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.

7  Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?

8  Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still,

9  When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.

10  Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.

11  Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.

12  He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.

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John 8

1  Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

2  And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

3  And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

4  They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

5  Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

6  This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

7  So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

8  And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

9  And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

10  When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

13  The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

14   Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.

15  Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

16   And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

17  It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.

18   I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

19  Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

20  These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.

21  Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.

22  Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.

23  And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

24   I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

25  Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.

26   I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.

27  They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.

28  Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

29  And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

30  As he spake these words, many believed on him.

31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

32   And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

33  They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

35   And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

38   I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

39  They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

40   But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

42  Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

43   Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

45  And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

46  Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

47  He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

48  Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

49  Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.

50   And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.

51   Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

52  Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.

53  Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?

54  Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:

55  Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.

56  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

57  Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?

58  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

59  Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.