Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 30 November 2013

the last day of the next-to-last month of the year.  Cold outside -- I had to take Dear Wife to pharmacy yesterday to begin the process of transferring some of her prescriptions up here from the pharmacies down South.  Should have done it sooner -- doing anything involved on that festival of greed and bad manners now called "Black Friday" was not the smartest thing we've ever done.  Ended up taking about four times as long as it should have done under, perhaps, more normal circumstances.  But she was totally out of one med and down to only one of another and in need of both.  Particularly the pain killer -- walking around with rheumatoid arthritis in the back, hip, knees (both) and toes is bad enough, and the lingering effects of last summer's two ankle breaks doesn't help.  But she also broke - another - tooth yesterday, exposing a nerve, and she's in misery.  After the pharmacy, we have roughly $29 in the bank and I've got a $20 in the wallet and slightly under 1/4 tank of gas to last until around the 18th of the month.  Electric, phone, and water bills are paid and we've paid off the $300 we borrowed from a friend to finance the trip up here.  We have food in the cupboard.  But we've yet to get the bill from the gas company and with temps in the teens and highs in 20's, I fear what it will look like.  The Lord will provide, somehow.  Somehow.  Don't know how, yet.  He's never let us down.
Given the above, we were able to resist the temptation to go out on some Black Friday buying spree.  Ain't gonna happen, not this year at least.  We never went in for such, much, anyway, even when things were marginally better in the finance end.  The best things in life aren't things, and that's been our attitude throughout.  So we came home, heated up leftovers, had a late lunch and then an early dinner out of the same category (and one shelf down in the refrigerator).  She took a pain pill - Tramadol - and passed out in the living room and I let her sleep with some soft music playing.
It's good to be back in the area we both grew up in.  Nice to see family members we'd not seen except on rare occasions for more than 20 years.  But we will not see either daughter.  Too far for them to come or us to go, and the one was just in surgery -- emergency gall bladder surgery -- just Wednesday, so she's not up to much at all.  The other daughter's husband is a low-level supervisor at Costco, and this is their busy season, so he could not get free and she's not up to a 900-odd mile drive on her own.  We talk on the phone and send notes via internet, but it's not the same.  I miss them, and Dear Wife REALLY misses them.  She misses that time when they were little and we were all together.  Growing isn't always fun.  I know.

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The Old Testament reading for the day is chapters 43 and 44 of Ezekiel.  Some of this, chapter 44 in particular, remind me in the detail of some parts of Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

Ezekiel 43

1	Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:
2	And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.
3	And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.
4	And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.
5	So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.
6	And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.
7	And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.
8	In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger.
9	Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.
10	Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.
11	And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.
12	This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.
13	And these are the measures of the altar after the cubits: The cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth; even the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span: and this shall be the higher place of the altar.
14	And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit.
15	So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns.
16	And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof.
17	And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about; and his stairs shall look toward the east.
18	And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.
19	And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering.
20	And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it.
21	Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary.
22	And on the second day thou shalt offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock.
23	When thou hast made an end of cleansing it, thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish.
24	And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
25	Seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat for a sin offering: they shall also prepare a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish.
26	Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves.
27	And when these days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 44

1	Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut.
2	Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.
3	It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.
4	Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face.
5	And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary.
6	And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations,
7	In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations.
8	And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves.
9	Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.
10	And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity.
11	Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them.
12	Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity.
13	And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed.
14	But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.
15	But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD:
16	They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.
17	And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.
18	They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.
19	And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments.
20	Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.
21	Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.
22	Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.
23	And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
24	And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.
25	And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves.
26	And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days.
27	And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord GOD.
28	And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession.
29	They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering: and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs.
30	And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest's: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house.
31	The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast.

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The New Testament reading is chapter 2 of 2nd Peter.

II Peter 2

1	But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2	And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3	And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
4	For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5	And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6	And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7	And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8	(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
9	The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
10	But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
11	Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
12	But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
13	And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
14	Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
15	Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
16	But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
17	These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
18	For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
19	While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
20	For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21	For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22	But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 29 November 2013

the retailers often refer to this as "Black Friday".  The phrase once had connotations of trouble:  I worked several times at companies in financial straits and the term generally meant "the day they 'downsize' a bunch of people", and normally it was on a Friday.  I think it went back to the time of the 1929 stock market crash which many point to as the start point of the last Great Depression, distinguishing it from what we've been going through for the last several years.  Anyway, this often is pointed to as the day, or at least the beginning of the season, which will determine of these retailers are profitable, a.k.a. "in the black", for the year.  One hears that, hours after theoretically thanking the Lord for all He has provided, we get up early, stand in line, push and shove other people in a rush to get some trinket at a special price.  Odd way to finish up giving thanks and beginning the Advent season to celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ.  Don't know if the Lord knows whether to laugh or cry.  Both seem possible.
We did have an opportunity to gather with family members yesterday to eat and commune and enjoy each other.  Had intended to visit another branch after this lunch, but Dear Wife damaged a tooth during the meal and had to come home to get into the pain killers.  We are out of money, essentially, and have no medical or dental insurance until early January.  Both of us need substantial dental care, NOW, and are getting by as best we can. 
Still cold, woke up yesterday to around 15 degrees and are hoping for the promised "heat wave" of Sunday that may actually hit 40 as a high.  Big change from the last 6-1/2 years in Lower Alabama, I assure you.

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The Old Testament reading is chapters 41 and 42 in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 41

1	Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle.
2	And the breadth of the door was ten cubits; and the sides of the door were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side: and he measured the length thereof, forty cubits: and the breadth, twenty cubits.
3	Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits.
4	So he measured the length thereof, twenty cubits; and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple: and he said unto me, This is the most holy place.
5	After he measured the wall of the house, six cubits; and the breadth of every side chamber, four cubits, round about the house on every side.
6	And the side chambers were three, one over another, and thirty in order; and they entered into the wall which was of the house for the side chambers round about, that they might have hold, but they had not hold in the wall of the house.
7	And there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers: for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house was still upward, and so increased from the lowest chamber to the highest by the midst.
8	I saw also the height of the house round about: the foundations of the side chambers were a full reed of six great cubits.
9	The thickness of the wall, which was for the side chamber without, was five cubits: and that which was left was the place of the side chambers that were within.
10	And between the chambers was the wideness of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.
11	And the doors of the side chambers were toward the place that was left, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south: and the breadth of the place that was left was five cubits round about.
12	Now the building that was before the separate place at the end toward the west was seventy cubits broad; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick round about, and the length thereof ninety cubits.
13	So he measured the house, an hundred cubits long; and the separate place, and the building, with the walls thereof, an hundred cubits long;
14	Also the breadth of the face of the house, and of the separate place toward the east, an hundred cubits.
15	And he measured the length of the building over against the separate place which was behind it, and the galleries thereof on the one side and on the other side, an hundred cubits, with the inner temple, and the porches of the court;
16	The door posts, and the narrow windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories, over against the door, cieled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows, and the windows were covered;
17	To that above the door, even unto the inner house, and without, and by all the wall round about within and without, by measure.
18	And it was made with cherubims and palm trees, so that a palm tree was between a cherub and a cherub; and every cherub had two faces;
19	So that the face of a man was toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side: it was made through all the house round about.
20	From the ground unto above the door were cherubims and palm trees made, and on the wall of the temple.
21	The posts of the temple were squared, and the face of the sanctuary; the appearance of the one as the appearance of the other.
22	The altar of wood was three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood: and he said unto me, This is the table that is before the LORD.
23	And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors.
24	And the doors had two leaves apiece, two turning leaves; two leaves for the one door, and two leaves for the other door.
25	And there were made on them, on the doors of the temple, cherubims and palm trees, like as were made upon the walls; and there were thick planks upon the face of the porch without.
26	And there were narrow windows and palm trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch, and upon the side chambers of the house, and thick planks.

Ezekiel 42

1	Then he brought me forth into the utter court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was before the building toward the north.
2	Before the length of an hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits.
3	Over against the twenty cubits which were for the inner court, and over against the pavement which was for the utter court, was gallery against gallery in three stories.
4	And before the chambers was a walk to ten cubits breadth inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors toward the north.
5	Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the building.
6	For they were in three stories, but had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore the building was straitened more than the lowest and the middlemost from the ground.
7	And the wall that was without over against the chambers, toward the utter court on the forepart of the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits.
8	For the length of the chambers that were in the utter court was fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple were an hundred cubits.
9	And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goeth into them from the utter court.
10	The chambers were in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, over against the separate place, and over against the building.
11	And the way before them was like the appearance of the chambers which were toward the north, as long as they, and as broad as they: and all their goings out were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors.
12	And according to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south was a door in the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into them.
13	Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they be holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the LORD shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy.
14	When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people.
15	Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about.
16	He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.
17	He measured the north side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.
18	He measured the south side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed.
19	He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.
20	He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.

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The New Testament reading is chapter 1 of 2nd Peter.

II Peter 1

1	Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2	Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3	According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4	Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5	And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6	And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7	And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8	For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9	But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10	Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
11	For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
12	Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
13	Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
14	Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
15	Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.
16	For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17	For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
18	And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
19	We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20	Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21	For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 28 November 2013 Thanksgiv ing Day

a very Happy Thanksgiving Day to all who might stop by today. 
We expect to be leaving here shortly, sister-in-law is picking us up to give a ride to the Thanksgiving festivities at the home of Dear Wife's nephew and family.  Should be quite a get-together.  We've not been able to attend such a thing with this group since 1991, at which time all of our parents were still living -- all four have since passed away -- and the niece we live next door to was about four years old.  A lot has gone on since that time, and we're trying to catch up.
Not all has been good, and we've been informally advised of some of the tensions that are present, some of which we knew already.  Some have been festering for more than 20 years, which I think is quite long enough.
When all of that is done, we may possiblly take a side trip to visit wife's cousins about 10 miles further.  She lived with them for several years in her teens, they're closer to her than her own sister is, and she's missed them terribly all these years.  So we may go over there.
We've not yet had a chance to see ANY of my side of the family.  Sister lives in central Virginia and won't be up.  One brother lives about two hours away and, while he'd hoped to be here, the current winter storms etc. probably will prevent this time.  Other brother and I are on the outs; more properly his wive despises us and we are not welcome there.  Two of HIS sons are active duty Navy and far from here.  The third, the oldest, we are quite friendly with (his dad won;t talk to him either) but again, we won't be able to get with him until next month or so.  Just can't.
Our daughters are far from here, with their own lives and concerns.  The older was in for emergency gall bladder surgery yesterday, and as of around 9 p.m. last night was doing well and her husband had taken her home to rest.  He's a blessing to all.
All the above has made for some weird dynamics to the whole holiday thing.  As I have said before, the Lord put us here for a reason, or perhaps several.  I guess He knows what He's doing.

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The Old Testament reading is chapter 40 from Ezekiel.  Gets scary, really it does.

Ezekiel 4

1	In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither.
2	In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.
3	And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.
4	And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.
5	And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.
6	Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the stairs thereof, and measured the threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad; and the other threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad.
7	And every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed.
8	He measured also the porch of the gate within, one reed.
9	Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was inward.
10	And the little chambers of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side.
11	And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.
12	The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side: and the little chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.
13	He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another: the breadth was five and twenty cubits, door against door.
14	He made also posts of threescore cubits, even unto the post of the court round about the gate.
15	And from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits.
16	And there were narrow windows to the little chambers, and to their posts within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches: and windows were round about inward: and upon each post were palm trees.
17	Then brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement.
18	And the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement.
19	Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, an hundred cubits eastward and northward.
20	And the gate of the outward court that looked toward the north, he measured the length thereof, and the breadth thereof.
21	And the little chambers thereof were three on this side and three on that side; and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.
22	And their windows, and their arches, and their palm trees, were after the measure of the gate that looketh toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven steps; and the arches thereof were before them.
23	And the gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north, and toward the east; and he measured from gate to gate an hundred cubits.
24	After that he brought me toward the south, and behold a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures.
25	And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.
26	And there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them: and it had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, upon the posts thereof.
27	And there was a gate in the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south an hundred cubits.
28	And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures;
29	And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.
30	And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.
31	And the arches thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof: and the going up to it had eight steps.
32	And he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures.
33	And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, were according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.
34	And the arches thereof were toward the outward court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps.
35	And he brought me to the north gate, and measured it according to these measures;
36	The little chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.
37	And the posts thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps.
38	And the chambers and the entries thereof were by the posts of the gates, where they washed the burnt offering.
39	And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering.
40	And at the side without, as one goeth up to the entry of the north gate, were two tables; and on the other side, which was at the porch of the gate, were two tables.
41	Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they slew their sacrifices.
42	And the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt offering, of a cubit and an half long, and a cubit and an half broad, and one cubit high: whereupon also they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offering and the sacrifice.
43	And within were hooks, an hand broad, fastened round about: and upon the tables was the flesh of the offering.
44	And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north.
45	And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house.
46	And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto him.
47	So he measured the court, an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar that was before the house.
48	And he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side.
49	The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits, and he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.

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The New Testament reading is chapter 5 of 1st Peter, completing it.

I Peter 5

1	The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2	Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3	Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
4	And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
5	Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6	Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7	Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
8	Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9	Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
10	But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
11	To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
12	By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.
13	The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.
14	Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 27 November 2013

I trust that everyone is aware that tomorrow, Thursday November 28, is celebrated in America as a day of Thanksgiving for the many blessings that the Lord has blessed us with.  The old advice and song, "Count Your Blessings" is worthy advice every day, but this one in particular.  We have truly been blessed and continue to be.  There have been bumps and falls along the road, to be sure.  But He has blessed us beyond all expectations.  Thank You Lord.

Having said that, all of which is true, yours truly is in some pain right now.  Physical pain, I have a bad tooth.  Several, actually, one of which broke off at the gum line more than a month ago. That one doesn't hurt; not sure if that is good or not.  But the lower molar does hurt.  A lot. And right now we are both broke, seriously so, and with no insurance over such things, none whatever.  Have some Medicare type stuff should kick in in January, but I'll apparently be sucking on pain pills until then and praying for miraculous healing or something.  Given Dear Wife's constant pain, I can't whine too much.

We got the predicted snow and it is still coming down.  Should be a good foot or more when it finally tapers off.  Didn't have this down in Lower Alabama and didn't miss it either.  And everything that goes with it.  Area has already had a number of serious accidents due to the weather and road conditions, some fatal and some leading to serious permanent damage.  Like the Catholic priest whose car hit an ice patch in the previous snow event and is now paralyzed from the waist down.  Going to be more, based on my experience and expectations.

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The Old Testament passage is chapters 38 and 39 in Ezekiel.  This gets grim.  This is a prophecy of a great war, perhaps the last war, in the Tribulation period.  Compare to Revelation 20, esp verses 7-9.

Ezekiel 38

1	And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2	Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
3	And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
4	And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5	Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6	Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.
7	Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8	After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9	Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.
10	Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11	And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12	To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
13	Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
14	Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
15	And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:
16	And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
17	Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?
18	And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.
19	For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
20	So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
21	And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother.
22	And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
23	Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 39

1	Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
2	And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3	And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4	Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5	Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6	And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7	So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8	Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
9	And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years:
10	So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD.
11	And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.
12	And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.
13	Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.
14	And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
15	And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog.
16	And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.
17	And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.
18	Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19	And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20	Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21	And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22	So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
23	And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.
24	According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.
25	Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;
26	After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.
27	When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
28	Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
29	Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

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The New Testament reading is chapter 4 of 1st Peter

I Peter 4

1	Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
2	That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
3	For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
4	Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
5	Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
6	For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
7	But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
8	And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
9	Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
10	As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11	If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
12	Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13	But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14	If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15	But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
16	Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17	For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18	And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19	Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.