Today's Readings and 'Stuff' -- Wednesday, 16 October, 2013

well, the mess with our relocation after my retirement continues.

We made a trek of around 900 miles north, based upon solemn vows that our modest (very) new digs would be move-in ready before the end of September.  Not quite.  Not even close.  We even delayed the move nearly a week based on progress reports.  We have spent ALL our money, nothing remains, and we are bunking on the full-size bottom mattress of a bunk bed at the home of Dear Wife's niece.  Grateful for that, but it's not quite what we had in mind at this point in our lives.  The water is on in our new residence.  But no electricity, no gas, no phone or cable or Internet links.  Dear Wife spent HOURS on the phone yesterday with AT&T, trying to make it cleat to some knotheads there that we NEED our cell phones ON, and the land line at our former residence, some 900 miles away, OFF.  One might think such a think is relatively straightforward and simple.  Evidently not so:  we've been without cell phones -- our only and normal links -- for over a week now, and they didn't go back on until around noon yesterday.  The electrical inspector finally arrived around 10 a.m. yesterday, blessed the installation, so now we await the Ohio Edison crew to actually get us some power.  Gas company came by too, but their policy is to enable the system only AFTER there is power.  Ditto for the other utilities.  We'd really like to sleep in our own beds, something we've not done in nearly three weeks.  I'm sure the Lord has something going in all of this, but right now it's hard to see.  Maybe by the weekend?  Perhaps today will be better. 

the Old Testament reading of the day is chapters 59, 60, 61 of Isaiah.  Some dire warnings here, as we find throughout the book.  But pay attention to chapter 61.  You may recognize it:  this is the passage that Jesus read from in the synagogue in Nazareth.  It was, in fact, the assigned reading of the day for them.  Interesting "coincidence" that He was there, on that very day, to deliver His message, "this day this is fulfilled in your hearing"  (Luke 4:16-30).  Odd coincidence?  Doubtful.

Isaiah 59

1	Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
2	But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
3	For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
4	None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
5	They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.
6	Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.
7	Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.
8	The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.
9	Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
10	We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.
11	We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.
12	For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them;
13	In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14	And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
15	Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
16	And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.
17	For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.
18	According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.
19	So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
20	And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.
21	As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

Isaiah 60

1	Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
2	For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
3	And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
4	Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
5	Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.
6	The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.
7	All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.
8	Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?
9	Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.
10	And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.
11	Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.
12	For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
13	The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
14	The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee; The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15	Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.
16	Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
17	For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.
18	Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
19	The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
20	Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
21	Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
22	A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.

Isaiah 61

1	The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2	To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3	To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
4	And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
5	And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6	But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
7	For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
8	For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9	And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.
10	I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
11	For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

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The New Testament passage is chapter 4 in 1st Thessalonians.  Lots here in a short passage.  The end of the passage is part of what I had requested be used as part of the readings in the service when my father passed over a couple years ago.  Means much to me.

I Thessalonians 4

1	Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
2	For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
3	For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
4	That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
5	Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
6	That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
7	For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
8	He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
9	But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
10	And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
11	And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
12	That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
13	But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14	For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15	For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16	For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17	Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18	Wherefore comfort one another with these words.