Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 22 August 2018

Good day to all.
A quick scan of the calendar shows that the Equinox, the first day of Autumn, is only about a month away.   😞  .  October begins shortly thereafter.  Like all the months ending in "-er", it makes me think of cold and ice and snow.  Snow is by no means unusual in October, not here in the land of the frost giants and other evil creatures and forces.  We are at a "day" of 13 hours 33 minutes, and will have lost another 2 minutes 33 seconds by tomorrow, so the countdown to misery is advancing ever quicker.  Today's "high", in so-called "summer", is predicted at 70°.  Some summer!
Wife is next door with the little ones (who are apparently still sleeping) as mom and dad are at work.  We do this, gratis, because they need it and also because they do a lot for us.  When our kids were little, Wife and I both had to work, and generally had to pay for sitters and day care, including after-school programs at a local Methodist church.  We do it for love.



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Job 25

1Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

2Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places.

3Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise?

4How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?

5Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.

6How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

Job 26

1But Job answered and said,

2How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength?

3How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom? and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is?

4To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?

5Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.and the…: or, with the inhabitants

6Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.

7He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

8He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them.

9He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it.

10He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.until…: Heb. until the end of light with darkness

11The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof.

12He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud.the proud: Heb. pride

13By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

14Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?

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Psalm 147

1Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

2The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

3He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.wounds: Heb. griefs

4He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.

5Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.his…: Heb. of his understanding there is no number

6The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.

7Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:

8Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.

9He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.

10He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.

11The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

12Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.

13For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.

14He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.He…: Heb. Who maketh thy border peacefinest…: Heb. fat of wheat

15He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.

16He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.

17He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?

18He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.

19He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.his word: Heb. his words

20He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord.

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Galatians 5

1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

2Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

3For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

5For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

6For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

7Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

8This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.

9A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

10I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

11And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

12I would they were even cut off which trouble you.

13For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

14For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

15But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.