Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday. 31 August 2017 very slightly modified

VERY late today on this.  I woke up this morning with quite a lot in mind, and some things that I wanted to say, but they just were not quite "there".  During the day, they -- these things -- drew off and left me hanging.  Perhaps a wiser person would have a better handle on things, and perhaps these things just aren't quite "ripe" yet.  Not certain.

We stayed around the house today, she's apparently into a "flare", the accepted term in the field for when one's autoimmune disease(s) pop up and make themselves more known than at other times.  I'd feared what was going on was a recurrence of the nasty sinus-infection-verging-on-pneumonia that she'd just come out of, but she believes it's a lupus flare.  She wants to try to restart her weekly Humira injections tomorrow, so we shall see.

As a few people know, while I was born not too far from where I'm sitting now, I never ever felt it to be "home" in the way that normal people apparently do. I may be colorblind in that spectrum or it may be one of my numerous character defects / weirdnesses.  Don't know.  While I lived a few hundred miles from here in my very early 20's, I didn't really care for that place either.  So when circumstances combined to take us -- me and the family -- far out of the area for 22 years, I felt better.  And, for about the first time in my life, I felt happy about where I was.  When circumstances combined to bring us back to the general area, that left.

And yet .....  as I told our church back there when they had a bit of a going-away service for us, I felt that the move here was not a retreat, but an advance on where we were supposed to be.  Not a retreat in defeat.  I have occasionally lost a bit of that attitude and determination, but it is still there.  The Lord knows full well where we are, and I am convinced that this is part of His plan and will.  Yes, it can be very comforting to be living in the "Bible Belt" regions of the country, which is by no means descriptive of where we now reside.  Anything but, though there are parts of the country where that is even less the case.  But if we were still there, to a great extent we'd simply be lolling around, enjoying the fruits of other people's efforts at outreach and evangelism.  And, most likely, not contributing very much to the advance of the Kingdom.  It's taking me a while, too long really, to even begin to understand that.
I don't know, yet, what I am supposed to be doing in that effort.  I am not a particularly pastoral person, though while in the role I did try to carry out the duties of a deacon.  I am not a evangelist type, never have been.  So I'm not sure what the role and responsibilities are for me.  But I believe firmly that the Lord has something in mind, He never makes mistakes.
The first step is to commit fully to follow His lead and will.  That is a lot like signing a blank check, something that most of us are understandably reluctant to do, having been let down by those humans we once thought trustworthy.  And, yes, following Him can be an adventure.  The history is pretty clear on that at least.
So we shall see.  Lots of inward gazing right now.

And we are winding down the last hours of August.  Lord willing, in a few hours we will have entered into the month of September.  There are those who love Autumn.  I am not one of them, and have never been.  Living in the deep South, it wasn't so bad, because the Winter season following was also not so bad.  Here, particularly given the predictions of the bitterly cold and severe winter season advancing on us, it's bad.  REAL bad.  Too bad Global Warming is utter nonsense, one of history's biggest frauds and lies.  Hard to be charitable about it when the temperature is -15°F, the water pipes are frozen, the door may be frozen shut (we had that a few times the winter before last), and the gas and electric companies are threatening to turn the services off for non-payment.  Which we've gotten VERY close to several times.
So that is also on my mind.  Shouldn't be, probably, but it is.

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The Old Testament reading for the day (and, again, sorry for the late hour) is Psalms 145. 146., and 147.  (Incidentally, tomorrow is schedule to be the final episode in the year's passage through the Psalms)

Psalm 145

1 I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. 2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. 5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. 6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness. 7 They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. 8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. 9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. 10 All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. 11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; 12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. 13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. 14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. 15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. 16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. 17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. 18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. 19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. 20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

Psalm 146

1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. 2 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. 3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. 5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: 6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever: 7 Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: 8 The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: 9 The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. 10 The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalm 147

1 Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. 2 The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. 3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. 4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. 5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. 6 The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground. 7 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: 8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. 9 He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. 10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. 11 The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. 12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion. 13 For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. 14 He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. 15 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly. 16 He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. 17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? 18 He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. 19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. 20 He 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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The New Testament passage is verses 1-15 of chapter 11 of 1st Corinthians.
Paul makes a statement in verse 1 that I would fear to make.  And yet ...  if people want to know what Jesus is like, they should be able to look at us and  to see Him.  That's rather scary, and I know that I fall far short on that.  Yet that is our "reasonable service".
Much of the rest of this is also tricky.  I can't remember the last time that I hear sermons and lessons on these subjects.  Land mines and quicksand there.


I Corinthians 11:1-15

1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. 3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. 7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. 8 For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. 9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. 10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. 12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. 13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? 14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 24 March 2016

 a decent looking day, so far.  62 degrees as I type this, and a predicted high of 71.  But tomorrow's "high" is predicted to be 44 degrees, with tomorrow night's low of 27.  Welcome to NE Ohio in Spring.  And, no, I do not like it, do not enjoy it, have NEVER liked it, and did not miss it.  But it's what we have, and where, we think, we were sent.  So we shall get through it.  Somehow.

I have to focus daily, to make a regular practice, of getting into the Word every morning and preferably to do so before seeing all the day's news.  A perusal of what's going on in the World can entrap me into despair or worse.  One of the lessons of Holy Week, of the Crucifixion and Resurrection, is that the Lord is at work even when all seems to be hopeless, and that He has conquered all of that, including Death.  And that this world is not all there is, nor is this life.  He brings hope.  Nothing, NOTHING else, can do that.

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The Old Testament reading is chapters 11, 12, and 13 of the book of Joshua.
This is war, some pretty grisly war.  Not only permitted, but commanded and assisted by the Lord.  Hard reading, particularly when you meditate on what the words mean.  Not pretty.
I grew up in the Mennonite Church, have family members in that group as well as others in the related groups like the Amish.  These are "Peace Church" people, people who believe that violence and war is ALWAYS wrong, that 'passive non-resistance' is what the Lord requires.  Now, at least.  They are, to say the least, very uncomfortable with passages such as this.  I don't recall that these passages were ever taught, ever preached, ever acknowledged.  Nor were the so-called "imprecatory Psalms".  Ever.  Some of them, those I still maintain contact with, are very unhappy with me for being less certain of the rightness of their stances, though I respect them (mostly) and understand the reasoning behind the stances. These are not easy things to consider, and probably shouldn't be easy.  But they are there, and we do no honor to the Lord to imagine that we are somehow superior or more moral than Him.

Joshua 11  Back to Top

1	And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,
2	And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west,
3	And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.
4	And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.
5	And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.
6	And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.
7	So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.
8	And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.
9	And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.
10	And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.
11	And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire.
12	And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded.
13	But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn.
14	And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.
15	As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.
16	So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;
17	Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them.
18	Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
19	There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle.
20	For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.
21	And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.
22	There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.
23	So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.

Joshua 12 

1	Now these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east:
2	Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and from the middle of the river, and from half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;
3	And from the plain to the sea of Chinneroth on the east, and unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea on the east, the way to Bethjeshimoth; and from the south, under Ashdothpisgah:
4	And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,
5	And reigned in mount Hermon, and in Salcah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
6	Them did Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel smite: and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
7	And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west, from Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions;
8	In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
9	The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;
10	The king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;
11	The king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;
12	The king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;
13	The king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;
14	The king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;
15	The king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;
16	The king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;
17	The king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;
18	The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;
19	The king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;
20	The king of Shimronmeron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;
21	The king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;
22	The king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one;
23	The king of Dor in the coast of Dor, one; the king of the nations of Gilgal, one;
24	The king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.

Joshua 13 

1	Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.
2	This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,
3	From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:
4	From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites:
5	And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath.
6	All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.
7	Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh,
8	With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them;
9	From Aroer, that is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba unto Dibon;
10	And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Ammon;
11	And Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah;
12	All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out.
13	Nevertheless the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites: but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.
14	Only unto the tribes of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them.
15	And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families.
16	And their coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba;
17	Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plain; Dibon, and Bamothbaal, and Bethbaalmeon,
18	And Jahaza, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,
19	And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zarethshahar in the mount of the valley,
20	And Bethpeor, and Ashdothpisgah, and Bethjeshimoth,
21	And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, which were dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country.
22	Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.
23	And the border of the children of Reuben was Jordan, and the border thereof. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the villages thereof.
24	And Moses gave inheritance unto the tribe of Gad, even unto the children of Gad according to their families.
25	And their coast was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, unto Aroer that is before Rabbah;
26	And from Heshbon unto Ramathmizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir;
27	And in the valley, Betharam, and Bethnimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, Jordan and his border, even unto the edge of the sea of Chinnereth on the other side Jordan eastward.
28	This is the inheritance of the children of Gad after their families, the cities, and their villages.
29	And Moses gave inheritance unto the half tribe of Manasseh: and this was the possession of the half tribe of the children of Manasseh by their families.
30	And their coast was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, threescore cities:
31	And half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were pertaining unto the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, even to the one half of the children of Machir by their families.
32	These are the countries which Moses did distribute for inheritance in the plains of Moab, on the other side Jordan, by Jericho, eastward.
33	But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them.

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The New Testament passage is verses 1-32 of Luke chapter 4.

Luke 4:1-32 

1	And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2	Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3	And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4	And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5	And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6	And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7	If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8	And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9	And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10	For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11	And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12	And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13	And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
14	And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
15	And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
16	And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17	And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18	The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19	To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20	And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21	And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
22	And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
23	And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
24	And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
25	But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
26	But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
27	And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
28	And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29	And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30	But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
31	And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.
32	And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 26 February 2016

One day closer to Spring.  We had rain almost all day yesterday, until it turned to snow.  And it snowed about all night.  The first several hours, the ground was warm enough to melt the falling snow.  That changed in the early evening, and we now have a small accumulation.  Not the near foot-deep piles we had two weeks ago, but enough.  A person might, MIGHT, be tempted to hope that this marks the last snow of the year.  One might, but one might well be wrong.  There is a pattern in these parts, a tradition almost, of a "St. Patrick's Day Blizzard".  Happens often enough that people just expect it.  St. Pat's is A Big Deal around here, courtesy of the high percentage of people with either Irish or Italian ancestry.  (St. Patrick was, supposedly, originially Italian or at least the child of expat Romans, so they claim him also).  The blizzards, of course, foul up the annual St. Patrick's Day parades and festivals, but they factor the weather forecast into travel plans.
At any rate, St. Patrick's is March 17, nearly three weeks away, so we don't count the end of snow season until after that.  In fact, snow fall in APRIL is by no means unknown.  Can you tell that I miss living in the South??

Dear Wife is still/back in bed, FINALLY getting some sleep.  She was awake most of the night, in agony despite the pain meds in that not-yet-healed foot that had surgery back in September.  Doc had told us some people take a full year to heal the internal traumas from it all, and we know that at least part of the issue is the regrowth and reattachment of severed nerves, etc.  But she's in real pain.  She got up when I fed the cats around 05:00, lay in the recliner a while.  I got back up around 06:00 and checked on her, she was still awake.  She went back to bed around 07:00, got to sleep finally, and is still asleep, which is a great blessing, believe me.

 Got a call last night from my middle brother, the one who lives about 90 minutes away.  Haven't seen him since last 4th of July, and before that in Christmas of 2014.  He's having computer problems, needs Dear Wife to work on it PLEASE?!?!?  So we shall see. 

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The Old Testament reading is chapters 16 and 17 of Numbers.  A bit of a slap down to those who want to do it their way, not the Lord's way.  And who, in any case, want a rearrangement of things with themselves in a higher level.  I've seen similar things in my own lifetime, though the results were not quite so dramatic.

Numbers 16

1	Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
2	And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
3	And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?
4	And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:
5	And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.
6	This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;
7	And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.
8	And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:
9	Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?
10	And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?
11	For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?
12	And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:
13	Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?
14	Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.
15	And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.
16	And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow:
17	And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.
18	And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.
19	And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.
20	And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
21	Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.
22	And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?
23	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
24	Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
25	And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.
26	And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.
27	So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
28	And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.
29	If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.
30	But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
31	And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
32	And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
33	They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
34	And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
35	And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
36	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
37	Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.
38	The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.
39	And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:
40	To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.
41	But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.
42	And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.
43	And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.
44	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
45	Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
46	And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.
47	And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
48	And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
49	Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.
50	And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

Numbers 17 

1	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2	Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.
3	And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.
4	And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
5	And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.
6	And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
7	And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.
8	And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
9	And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
10	And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
11	And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.
12	And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.
13	Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

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The New Testament reading is verses 33-56 in the 6th chapter of the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 6:33-56

33	And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.
34	And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
35	And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
36	Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
37	He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
38	He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
39	And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
40	And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
41	And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
42	And they did all eat, and were filled.
43	And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
44	And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
45	And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.
46	And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
47	And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.
48	And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
49	But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:
50	For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
51	And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.
52	For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
53	And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.
54	And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,
55	And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.
56	And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 30 June 2014

The last day of June.  The final day of the first half of the year's months.  From now on, the days will be getting shorter.  Autumn, while months away, is still in the probable future.  Yes, it's hot here, and probably will be for months.  Hot by the area's standards.  We have no A/C in our little hovel, and Dear Wife can't handle the heat at all, so the normal Monday event of "watching" grand-niece in niece's air-conditioned house was a welcome break.  Watching  a remarkably mobile 18-month-old child is a good workout for her, but they both seem to enjoy it.
I "get" to go to the doc tomorrow for "blood work" and a BP check.  They've got me on two BP meds now, the 2nd one just started late last week.  They have me checking BP at home morning and evening, and the new drug has shown some very good results so perhaps he'll be satisfied.  I know that the statin that they also have me on for the high LDL cholesterol requires periodic lab analyses, so that will probably be the regimen going forward.  The meds do, at least during the acclimation period, drain most of my energy and there are days that the effort to do much of anything is almost more than I can muster.  Wife's been on some of these, and more, and at higher dosages, for years, and her sympathy is, ahh, "limited".  Very limited.
But I'm still here, so perhaps the Lord still has a purpose for us.

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The Old Testament reading continues in the book of Job, with chapters 19 and 20.  Notice that in all of this, Job is not cursing the Lord, or ascribing bad motives, or rejecting His sovereignty.  He just doesn't understand, and is struggling to do so.  His "friends" are no help, they are actually part of the problem.  They are coming at things from the wrong direction, in large part they attribute Job's problems to some hidden sins on his part, sins that have led to the Lord's retribution.  They weren't the last ones to make that error, were they?

Job 19 

1	Then Job answered and said,
2	How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?
3	These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.
4	And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.
5	If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:
6	Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.
7	Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.
8	He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.
9	He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.
10	He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.
11	He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.
12	His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.
13	He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.
14	My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.
15	They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.
16	I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.
17	My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of mine own body.
18	Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.
19	All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.
20	My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.
21	Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
22	Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?
23	Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
24	That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!
25	For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26	And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
27	Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
28	But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?
29	Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.

Job 20 

1	Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2	Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.
3	I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.
4	Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
5	That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?
6	Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
7	Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8	He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
9	The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.
10	His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.
11	His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.
12	Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;
13	Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:
14	Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.
15	He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.
16	He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.
17	He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.
18	That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.
19	Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;
20	Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.
21	There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.
22	In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.
23	When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.
24	He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.
25	It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
26	All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.
27	The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.
28	The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
29	This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.

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The New Testament reading is verses 23-43 of the 9th chapter in the book of the Acts.  A lot of stuff going on.  Paul, now a convert and renamed, is making a mark.  So is Peter.  We see here a first mention of Barnabas.  And over the next few days, we'll see some more big things, thins we now take for granted.

Acts 9:23-43

23	And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
24	But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.
25	Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.
26	And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
27	But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28	And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.
29	And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
30	Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.
31	Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
32	And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.
33	And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
34	And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
35	And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.
36	Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.
37	And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.
38	And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.
39	Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.
40	But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
41	And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.
42	And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.
43	And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.