Today's Readings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 27 May, 2014

Today was quite a day.
During the night there was a real bad house fire just down the street.  Everyone got out ok, even the dog.  But the house appears to me to be a total loss.  It wasn't all that great to start with, and now has a large section of roof burned away, and I understand that the interior is gutted.  At one time -- back in the mid to late 1970's -- I did a fair amount of work as an investigator and assistant to some insurance adjustor types.  Been in more fire scenes than I like to recall, including one in which a friend died.  You never forget the odor of a home with the odor of smoke, damp, and all.  And burned people is not a good smell.  You don't want to know, you really don't.  I don't do that any more, and I don't really know the residents there well, and I did not go in.  They had quite enough onlookers.  But it made things "interesting" around the neighborhood.
There have been some reports of strange activity there, and I understand that the fire department called the local police into the dwelling to see something.  What it was, unknown.  No further info at this time.
All the racket disturbed beloved great-niece (age 17 months) next door, so she was up all night, and so were her parents.  Niece's parents-in-law actually live next door to the fire scene, which added to all the concern.   So there were a lot of sleepless people in the area.  Quite something to come out to see.  Threw the day into some confusion.  Niece called off work, pleading exhaustion from the fire, the big get-together yesterday, and having just returned from a vacation trip Sunday night.  And her husband took a half day off for the same reasons.

I slept in, MUCH later than normal, partly from exhaustion over all the family get-together stuff of Memorial Day, and partly from the sleep aids that I took before turning in. 
The big get-together yesterday seemed to go well, reports are filtering back.
Spent much of today continuing the cleanup.  Such an exciting life I lead these days.

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The Old Testament reading is chapters 20, 212, and 22 of 1st Chronicles.

I Chronicles 20

1	And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it.
2	And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David's head: and he brought also exceeding much spoil out of the city.
3	And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
4	And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giant: and they were subdued.
5	And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver's beam.
6	And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot and he also was the son of the giant.
7	But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother slew him.
8	These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

I Chronicles 21

1	And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
2	And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
3	And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
4	Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
5	And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.
6	But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
7	And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.
8	And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
9	And the LORD spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying,
10	Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
11	So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee
12	Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
13	And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.
14	So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
15	And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16	And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17	And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
18	Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19	And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.
20	And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
21	And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
22	Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.
23	And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.
24	And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
25	So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.
26	And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
27	And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.
28	At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.
29	For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon.
30	But David could not go before it to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

I Chronicles 22

1	Then David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.
2	And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.
3	And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight;
4	Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.
5	And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.
6	Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the LORD God of Israel.
7	And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God:
8	But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.
9	Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.
10	He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.
11	Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee.
12	Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God.
13	Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.
14	Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.
15	Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work.
16	Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee.
17	David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying,
18	Is not the LORD your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD, and before his people.
19	Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD.

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The New Testament reading is verses 22-42 of the 10th chapter of the Gospel of John.

John 10:22-42

22	And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
23	And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
24	Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25	Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
26	But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27	My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28	And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29	My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30	I and my Father are one.
31	Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32	Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33	The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
34	Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35	If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36	Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
37	If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
38	But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
39	Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,
40	And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.
41	And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.
42	And many believed on him there.