Today's Readings and "Stuff" --- Saturday, 12 October 213
Saturday used to be a big day for us. Not so much, these days. But it should be "a big time". We shall see. Still bedding down on a bunk bed at the home of niece and her husband. They've been so wonderful, we are so grateful, but the novelty is wearing off. We were planning to be in our new digs two weeks ago, all was promised to be ready before we arrived, Wasn't. Still isn't. Just got water two days ago. Still no electricity, which also means no gas (so no heat or gas for the stove), and it also means the cable connection for Internet can't go in yet either. Gas company wants electric on to check for any leaks on the gas furnace and it's systems. So no hot water, no heat, no lights, no nothing. And the electrical inspector who was promised for yesterday never arrived, and electric company wants 3-5 days AFTER inspector signoff before turning on power. I guess there's a Purpose to all this, and we've all certainly been through worse.
Readings for the day are chapters 48 and 49 in Isaiah. Looking at our world, the parallels are stark, and scary.
1
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Hear
ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and
are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of
the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor
in righteousness.
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2
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For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.
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3
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I
have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth
out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came
to pass.
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4
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Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;
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5
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I
have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to
pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done
them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.
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6
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Thou
hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed
thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not
know them.
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7
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They
are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when
thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.
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8
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Yea,
thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that
thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very
treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.
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9
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For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.
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10
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Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
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11
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For
mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my
name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.
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12
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Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
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13
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Mine
hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath
spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
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14
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All
ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these
things? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon,
and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.
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15
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I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
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16
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Come
ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the
beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD,
and his Spirit, hath sent me.
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17
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Thus
saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy
God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that
thou shouldest go.
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18
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O
that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been
as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
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19
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Thy
seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like
the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed
from before me.
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20
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Go
ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of
singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth;
say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
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21
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And
they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the
waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the
waters gushed out.
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22
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There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.
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1
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Listen,
O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath
called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made
mention of my name.
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2
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And
he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand
hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid
me;
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3
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And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
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4
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Then
I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought,
and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with
my God.
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5
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And
now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to
bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be
glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
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6
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And
he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise
up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will
also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my
salvation unto the end of the earth.
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7
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Thus
saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom
man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers,
Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the
LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose
thee.
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8
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Thus
saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day
of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee
for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to
inherit the desolate heritages;
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9
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That
thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in
darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their
pastures shall be in all high places.
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10
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They
shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them:
for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of
water shall he guide them.
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11
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And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
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12
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Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
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13
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Sing,
O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O
mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy
upon his afflicted.
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14
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But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.
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15
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Can
a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion
on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget
thee.
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16
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Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
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17
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Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.
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18
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Lift
up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves
together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely
clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee,
as a bride doeth.
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19
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For
thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction,
shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that
swallowed thee up shall be far away.
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20
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The
children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall
say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to
me that I may dwell.
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21
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Then
shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I
have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and
fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these,
where had they been?
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22
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Thus
saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles,
and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in
their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
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23
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And
kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing
mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth,
and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the
LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.
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24
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Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?
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25
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But
thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken
away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will
contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy
children.
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26
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And
I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall
be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh
shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty
One of Jacob.
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The New Testament reading is chapter 4 in Colossians, completing that book.
1
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Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.
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2
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Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
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3
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Withal
praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance,
to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
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4
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That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
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5
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Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
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6
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Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
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7
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All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:
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8
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Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;
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9
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With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.
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10
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Aristarchus
my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas,
(touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive
him;)
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11
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And
Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only
are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort
unto me.
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12
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Epaphras,
who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring
fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in
all the will of God.
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13
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For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.
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14
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Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.
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15
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Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
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16
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And
when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the
church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from
Laodicea.
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17
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And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.
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18
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The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.
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