And we appear to have made it to the end of August. Tomorrow, Lord willing, will commence September, the first of the months whose names always (for me) bring the message of "brrrrrrr", as in cold. I hate cold, I hate Winter, hate Fall as well. And, yes, there are those who love at least one if not both. Not this boy. Hate it. Won't be happy until around the first of May. April will probably be OK, I guess, but I can recall snow on May 1st or 2nd, when I was in 4th or 5th grade. Seemed like a dirty trick then and my attitude now is much the same. Winter, as we understand it around here, should be limited to about 18 hours between Christmas and New Year's Day, and then revert to sunshine and flip-flops. Not in these parts though. Boo!
In a bit, the plan is for Yours Truly to go out to the garden and grab some more ripe tomatoes. Particularly the yellow grape tomatoes, the ones we hadn't planted but which are "volunteers" from last year's plantings. Normally, these grape and cherry tomatoes are great in salads but not much else. Wife has a plan to run them through the blender and then through a sifter screen to remove the seeds, and then turn it all into yellow colored catsup. (or should that be ketchup?). Tastes the same as the red, but looks different. We're low on catsup and it is 2-1/2 -- 3 weeks until the social security hits, so every little bit helps. And we have the tomatoes, so why not?? A garden full of tomatoes and cucumbers is a blessing. We're grateful.
Another submission from one of my late father's poetry, once again from the book Darkness Gives Way To Light
THE GATE OPENS
What will I see at the end of the road,
What surprises at the end of my day?
It's sure to be great, but I can wait,
That's where faith comes into play.
The sun so bright will pose no threat,
But the sky is blue, and the sun is bright;
If He bids me to stay to the end of day,
Why should I fear the night?
His promise is sure, it will always endure,
He has led me in each endeavor;
The gate I find will be open wide
As I enter the great forever.
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Today, another big change. The beginnings of the book of Isaiah. There is a lot here, and there are places therein pointing to the hope that we have in the Messiah that was yet to come at Isaiah's time. But there would be a lot of rough times between those points, and more than a few since, as we know. This is important stuff, and those who proclaim that they are New Testament only, are missing out on some critical things.
Isaiah 1
1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
3The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
4Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.laden: Heb. of heavinessgone…: Heb. alienated, or, separated
5Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.revolt…: Heb. increase revolt
6From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.ointment: or, oil
7Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.overthrown…: Heb. the overthrow of
8And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.
9Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
10Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
11To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.he goats: Heb. great he goats
12When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?to appear: Heb. to be seen
13Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.iniquity: or, grief
14Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
15And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.make…: Heb. multiply prayerblood: Heb. bloods
16Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.relieve: or, righten
18Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
21How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.
22Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:
23Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
24Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
25And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:purely: Heb. according to pureness
26And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
27Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.her…: or, they that return of her
28And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.destruction: Heb. breaking
29For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
30For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
31And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.
Isaiah 2
1The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.established: or, prepared
3And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.pruninghooks: or, scythes
5O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
6Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.from…: or, more than theplease…: or, abound with the
7Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots:
8Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:
9And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.
10Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty.
11The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
12For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
13And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,
14And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up,
15And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall,
16And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.pleasant…: Heb. pictures of desire
17And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
18And the idols he shall utterly abolish.he…: or, shall utterly pass away
19And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.of the earth: Heb. of the dust
20In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;his idols of silver…: Heb. the idols of his silver, etc.each…: or, for him
21To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
22Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?
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Proverbs 4
1Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
3For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
4He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
5Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
7Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
8Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
9She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.a crown…: or, she shall compass thee with a crown of glory
10Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
11I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
12When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
14Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
15Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
16For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
17For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
18But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
19The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
20My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.health: Heb. medicine
23Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.with…: Heb. above all keeping
24Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.a froward…: Heb. frowardness of mouth and perverseness of lips
25Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.let…: or, all thy ways shall be ordered aright
27Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
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Ephesians 6
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
3That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
5Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
7With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
8Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
9And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
21But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:
22Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.
23Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
