Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 20 June 2018

Today is the last day of Spring.  Tomorrow, the Solstice, marks the first day of Summer.  So we are to have 15 hours 8 minutes  of "day", and gain 1 single second tomorrow, and then the countdown to mid-Winter begins.  NOT my ideal.  At all.
Leaving in about 35 minutes on a long trek to see Wife's pulmonologist doctor.  Another $45 co-pay out of pocket.  We had the money in the bank, but the car insurance goombahs (Geico) pulled the money out a week early.   So, fortunately, we'd taken some cash out yesterday.  $10 of that went into the gas tank earlier this morning, and another $45 at the doctor.  After that, we shall see.
Raining off and on as well.  But rain is better than snow, and it means that I get to skip pulling weeds in the garden today.  Small consolation perhaps, but real for all of that.

Today, More About Jesus I Would Know.  Another of those "all through the sleep time" ones, and not a bad one anyway.

More about Jesus would I know 
More of His grace to others show 
More of His saving fullness see 
More of His love who died for me 

Chorus:
   More more about Jesus 
   More more about jesus 
   More of His saving fulness see 
   More of His love who died for me 

More about Jesus let me learn 
More of His holy will discern 
Spirit of God my teacher be 
Showing the things of Christ to me 

More about Jesus in His Word 
Holding communion with my Lord 
Hearing His Voice in every line 
Making each faithful saying mine 

More about Jesus on His throne 
Riches in glory all His own 
More of His kingdom's sure increase 
More of His coming Prince of Peace


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Today, the completion of the books of the Kings.  This is both sad and justified.
And, never forget, it can happen again.

2nd Kings 25

1  And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about.

2  And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

3  And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.

4  And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain.

5  And the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.

6  So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.

7  And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.

8  And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar–adan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:

9  And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire.

10  And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.

11  Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzar–adan the captain of the guard carry away.

12  But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.

13  And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the Lord, did the Chaldeans break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.

14  And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.

15  And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.

16  The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord; the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

17  The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.

18  And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:

19  And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city

20  And Nebuzar–adan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah:

21  And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.

22  And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.

23  And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.

24  And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.

25  But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah.

26  And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

27  And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evil–merodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison;

28  And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon;

29  And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life.

30  And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.

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Psalm 119, verses 33-40

HE.

 

33  Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.

34  Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

35  Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.

36  Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.

37  Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.

38  Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.

39  Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good.

40  Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.

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Romans 6

1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

7  For he that is dead is freed from sin.

8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

10  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

12  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

13  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

15  What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

19  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

20  For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

21  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.