Today's Radings and Stuff -- Monday, 30 December 2013

we really are getting down to the end aren't we?  Just two more days left in the year.
It hasn't been my every dream come true, but that's pretty standard, unfortunately.  A lot of wasted opportunities, wasted time, wasted thoughts, wasted everything. 

We have moved for what we hope is the very last time.  (But I said that the last five or six times we moved as well.    In just my adult life, I have now lived in, I believe 20 places since around 1975.  The seven years -- late 2006 to late 2013 -- were the longest periods in one place ever.  Five years in Arkansas.  Two years in our second time in Tennessee, three years in one house in our first tour in Tennessee.  And several years when as a truly impoverished single guy in Ohio living in what was a converted janitor's closet.  Other than that, a long series of one-year stays in apartments and rent houses.  Makes one feel like a nomad -- if one thinks the lifestyle is voluntary - or as a vagabond - if not.  Or in my case, a mix of both. 
Sometimes I know how Abraham must have felt, going from place to place not knowing where he was going.  Of course, Abraham is described as a righteous man, and I don't fit that one.  Unfortunately.

So we are going into the new year with some hopes, some fears, some uncertainty, some dreams and goals as well.  And belief that the Lord has a purpose for all this and that that purpose will be revealed soon.

Dear Wife is still in bad shape.  The combination of semi-chronic sinus infections, borderline COPD, and several busted teeth combine to put her in less-than-great shape and in a lot of pain.  And we have NO options available but pain pills and trying to tough it out.  I've got three busted teeth myself, fortunately in not too much pain.  And my overall health isn't too bad, so I can try to take care of her as best as I know how.  Obamacare, that atrocity upon the nation, has hurt us badly.  As well as millions of others.  Not a big fan of the Democrap party or either "progressives" or liberals or whatever this weeks nom de guerre is.

Supposed to be a good bit colder today than the last two days were.  Yesterday had us in the mid 40's.  Today's high is supposed to be in the low 20's with the low around 10.  And the same for the next week or three or so.  Not quite what we'd become accustomed to in Lower Alabama.

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The Old Testament reading for the day is chapters 13 and 14 Zechariah, completing it.

Zechariah 13

1	In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.
2	And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.
3	And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.
4	And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:
5	But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
6	And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
7	Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
8	And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
9	And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

Zechariah 14

1	Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2	For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3	Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4	And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
5	And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
6	And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
7	But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
8	And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9	And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
10	All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses.
11	And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
12	And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13	And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.
14	And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.
15	And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.
16	And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
17	And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
18	And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
19	This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
20	In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.
21	Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

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The New Testament reading is chapter 21 form the Revelation.  Getting to the end of things.

Revelation 21

1	And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2	And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3	And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4	And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5	And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6	And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7	He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8	But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
9	And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10	And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11	Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
12	And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13	On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
14	And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15	And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16	And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
17	And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
18	And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19	And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20	The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21	And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
22	And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23	And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24	And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25	And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26	And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27	And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.