Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 07 December, 2013

Lest we forget ...
Today is marked as Pearl Harbor Day.  It was on this date in 1941 that ship-launched aircraft from the Japanese Empire attacked the American Naval base at Pearl Harbor Hawaii.  That led to a massive war that ended in 1945.  There was enormous suffering and death, deeds of heroism and sacrifice, families and nations uprooted and the world was much changed as a result.  It has been said that only the dead have seen the end of war.  That seems to be confirmed in what we see in the world today.

Going to be a cold and bitter day and weekend and I don't see much break in that before mid-week, if then.  I guess we are acclimating, somewhat.  Don't think that I shall ever like it, the cold weather I mean.  But the Lord sent us here, so I guess He had a reason and that belief is what sustains us.

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The reading for today in the Old Testament is chapters 9 and 10 of Daniel.  More prophecy, some reference here to the visits and ministrations of named angels.  I will caution that the trm of "wk" as used here does not really mean a period of seven days.  It may mean a year.

Daniel 9

1	In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
2	In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
3	And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
4	And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
5	We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
6	Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7	O LORD, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.
8	O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
9	To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;
10	Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
11	Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
12	And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.
13	As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.
14	Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.
15	And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
16	O LORD, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.
17	Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.
18	O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
19	O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.
20	And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;
21	Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
22	And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
23	At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
24	Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25	Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26	And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27	And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Daniel 10

1	In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.
2	In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.
3	I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
4	And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;
5	Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
6	His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7	And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
8	Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
9	Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
10	And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
11	And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
12	Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13	But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
14	Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.
15	And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.
16	And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength.
17	For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.
18	Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,
19	And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.
20	Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.
21	But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.

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The New Testament reading is 2nd John.  A very brief letter.

II John

1	The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;
2	For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.
3	Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
4	I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
5	And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
6	And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
7	For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
8	Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
9	Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
10	If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
11	For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
12	Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
13	The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 06 December, 2013

late again.  Oh, well.  Been a tough day for people in much of the country.  Our oldest daughter and her husband have a house in western Arkansas, near the Fort Smith area.  That area got pounded by the awful ice storm that came through last night-this morning.  No electric there, when you get an inch of ice, there's a tendency to snap trees and power lines.  Thousands and thousands of households remain without power, without heat, etc. even into the evening hours and the situation is not good at all.  Daughter is working out of town and so is ok, but he had to pack up th dog and cat and take them to his mom's place where they have supplemental heat from a wood burner so will survive the ordeal probably.  Though his mom's car is under a tree and there is a big limb on the house as well.  One suspects that home repair people will be busy next week.  I fear burst pipes at the house as well.  The roads are closed and I suspect the emergency services people are stressed out.  And such situations almost always are accompanied by a rash of house fires, with potential for injuries resulting.  And the situation is not restricted to that town or state.
As I said,  a tough day for people in much of the country. 
We've seen a huge temperature swing from yesterday, and tomorrow night is predicted to see us down to around 10 degrees.  Lower Alabama was a lot warmer.

Had a long telephone interview with a potential employer this morning.  Lasted about an hour, I liked them and what they had to say and perhaps they liked me as well.  We shall see.  Not sure I want to suddenly move again, or to set up an hour-long commute each way, but we'll see.  They were talking a salary roughly twice what I'd been getting up to my recent semi-retirement, which would make that a bit more palatable, and it would allow some changes in our situation.  Right now I have $11 and a little loose change to my name until around the 18th.  I've lived on very little many times, but I didn't have a wife with medical problems to care for in those days.  We got word Monday that her application for Disability has = after nearly two years -- been approved.  We got the word from the attorney, but have received NOTHING from the Social Security people, either by mail or on the web site.  It would be a big help and change our circumstances, but we remain in a limbo situation.

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The Old Testament reading for this date is chapters 7 and 8 of th book of Daniel.  This is where we get into some longer-distance prophecy.  I have heard some people whose discernment I respect discuss these passages and others to follow, with great confidence.  And perhaps they are right.  If so,  some of these prophecies were fulfilld during the times of the Macedonian and Roman empriese, and some of these foretellings are beginning to play out right now.  That last possibility does give one pause, because the world they describe is not a comfortable one.

Daniel 7 

1	In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
2	Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
3	And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4	The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5	And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6	After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7	After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
8	I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9	I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
10	A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11	I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12	As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
13	I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14	And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
15	I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16	I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17	These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
18	But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19	Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
20	And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
21	I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22	Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23	Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24	And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25	And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26	But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
27	And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28	Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.

Daniel 8

1	In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.
2	And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.
3	Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
4	I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.
5	And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
6	And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.
7	And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
8	Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
9	And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.
10	And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
11	Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was cast down.
12	And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
13	Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
14	And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
15	And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
16	And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
17	So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.
18	Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
19	And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.
20	The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
21	And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
22	Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
23	And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
24	And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25	And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
26	And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.
27	And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.

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The New Testament reading is chapter 5 of 1st John. 

I John 5

1	Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
2	By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3	For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
4	For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
5	Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
6	This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7	For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8	And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
9	If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
10	He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
11	And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12	He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
13	These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
14	And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15	And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
16	If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
17	All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
18	We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
19	And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
20	And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
21	Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 05 December 2013

a bit late today.  Weather in this area is weird.  Always was, but having been out of the region for more than 20 years, we'd gotten accustomed to rather different cycles.  Today's high was around 61.  The high Saturday, is predicted to be around 27.  Right now the reading is 38, which is warmer than tomorrow's predicted high.  Expecting a snow of up to a foot by the time the weekend is over.  As Dear Wife puts it, in this area one may wear shorts and flip-flops at noon and by mid-evening be bundled up in arctic garb.  And in truth we've seen great variations in short temperatures.  Meanwhile, friends in Lower Alabama,where we lived since 2006, were running the Air Conditioning yesterday as temps neared the 80 degree mark.
Anyway, got to spend noon until light began to fade (and so was I) doing some more work outside and around the place trying to make it a bit better suited to withstand the cold about to hit us.  Hope it helps.

Spent some time on phone with Beloved Older Daughter.  She's chasing a Master's in English, has class in 16th century literature, doing paper on Paradise Lost and had questions on the King James Bible and the accounts therein with respect to things like the treatment of angels and how Milton's work builds upon the KJV, the Bloomburg Bible, and the Jewish writings.  Her view is that Paradise Lost is somewhat of a Christian version of a Jewish midrash.  I dunno on that.

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The Old Testament reading for the day is chapters 5 and 6 of the book of Daniel.
These contain some of the most familiar accounts in Daniel, and indeed in the entire Bible.  Who has not heard of Daniel in the Lions' Den?  Who has not some familiarity with the phrase, "the handwriting on the wall"?  These accounts are here.   Yet there is quite a lot else that we normally skip over.  Take chapter 5.  We see the handwriting on the wall.  Yet, tucked into the end of the chapter is the notice that that very night, an attacking army of Persians took the city - and presumably the kingdom - and killed King Belshazzar.  Just as Daniel stated.
Likewise, we see in chapter 6 the story of the three Hebrew lads in the den of lions.,  Always good to rehearse the fact that the Lord saw them through a situation that appeared hopeless.  That's a good thing to recall as we go through troubles, as we do.  Yet, at the end, note what happened to their accusers.  Thrown to the same lions.  As were their wives.  And children.  PLEASE remember that the sin we do can destroy those around us as well, even if they played no part in our wickedness.  Doesn't necessarily mean they are eternally condemned for OUR sin, but there are certainly ramifications in this life.  And most of us have seen this ourselves.

Daniel 5

1	Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
2	Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
3	Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
4	They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5	In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
6	Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
7	The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
8	Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
9	Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.
10	Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:
11	There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
12	Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.
13	Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?
14	I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15	And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:
16	And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17	Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18	O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
19	And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
20	But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21	And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
22	And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
23	But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
24	Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
25	And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26	This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
27	TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28	PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29	Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30	In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
31	And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

Daniel 6

1	It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;
2	And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.
3	Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
4	Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
5	Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
6	Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.
7	All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
8	Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
9	Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
10	Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
11	Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
12	Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
13	Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
14	Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.
15	Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.
16	Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
17	And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
18	Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
19	Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.
20	And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
21	Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
22	My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
23	Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
24	And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.
25	Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
26	I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
27	He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
28	So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

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The New Testament passage is 1st John chapter 4

I John 4

1	Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2	Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3	And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4	Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5	They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6	We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7	Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8	He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9	In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10	Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11	Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12	No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13	Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14	And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15	Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16	And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17	Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18	There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19	We love him, because he first loved us.
20	If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21	And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 04 December 2013

Middle of the "work week".  Supposed to be relatively warm today, at least by local standards.  Why, even last night's low was above freezing!  If you can believe it.  Meanwhile, Dear Wife was on phone yesterday afternoon with friend back in Alabama. Mid-70's there.  Warm.  Course, her friend is from the area around Mobile, Alabama, and finds even the weather in mid-Alabama seems cool to here.  35 degrees above what we are seeing here.
Dear Wife is over next door doing the "watch grand-niece" thing.  It means a lot to her, probably a good thing for both of them.  A bit of mult-generational bonding.  Not a bad thing at all.  Speaking now as one who is now, amazingly, one of the "old guys", it's neat.  Didn't get as much of that as I would have liked when I was growing up:  both grandfathers were gone before I was even born, and both grandmothers were WELL along in years, and not particularly "into" the warm and cuddly stuff.  Never heard either of them mention their parents or grandparents, or, for that matter, their late husbands, my grandfathers.  No idea why, and it's a bit late in the game to ask.  Reticence is often a characteristic of these old farmer types.  Since both of these grandmothers were born in the (late) 1800's, they were products of a very different time and my parents were born to them late in life by the standards of the day.  So, perhaps, Dear Wife is making a link to the family history by being involved with her sister's grandchildren.  Since we have none.  Passing the torch along, perhaps.

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The Old Testament reading for the day is chapters 3 and 4 from the book of Daniel.  Here we find the story of the three Jewish boys who would not obey the king's unjust law and put their faith in the Lord.  Here is that great phrase, "But If Not" to be found.  History has forgotten those who, perhaps grumbling, obeyed the law and bowed down.  But we still recall the three.  Which group would we be counted among?  Not an easy question, and perhaps it wasn't easy for them either.

Daniel 3

1	Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2	Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
3	Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4	Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
5	That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
6	And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
7	Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8	Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
9	They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
10	Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
11	And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12	There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
13	Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
14	Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
15	Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16	Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17	If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18	But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
19	Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
20	And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21	Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22	Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23	And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24	Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25	He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
26	Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
27	And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
28	Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
29	Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
30	Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

Daniel 4

1	Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
2	I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.
3	How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.
4	I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace:
5	I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
6	Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.
7	Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.
8	But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my God, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying,
9	O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.
10	Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.
11	The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
12	The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.
13	I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;
14	He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:
15	Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:
16	Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.
17	This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
18	This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
19	Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.
20	The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;
21	Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation:
22	It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.
23	And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;
24	This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:
25	That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
26	And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.
27	Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
28	All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.
29	At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
30	The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
31	While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.
32	And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
33	The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.
34	And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
35	And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
36	At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.
37	Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

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The New Testament reading is 1st John 3

I John 3

1	Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2	Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3	And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
4	Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5	And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6	Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
7	Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8	He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
9	Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10	In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
11	For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
12	Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
13	Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
14	We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
15	Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
16	Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17	But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18	My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
19	And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
20	For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21	Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
22	And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
23	And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
24	And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.