Today's Readings and Stuff - Saturday, 26 July 2014

quiet here.  Dear Wife was looking forward to attending a Greek festival in a neighboring town that is being held this week.  Original idea was to go Thursday, but she wasn't up to it.  So she thought that we'd go this morning.  Turns out it doesn't start until 4:00 p.m., and I have my doubts she'll be up to it then either.  But We Shall See..
She has a colonoscopy scheduled for Tuesday morning, a MRI-type scan set for next Friday, and I have a colonoscopy set for Thursday.  This next week is likely to be "interesting", as in the context of the old Chinese curse.
Next-door niece and husband and daughter took off last evening for an overnight camp out, nice tent and all.  Left the dog for us to mind.  They're due to get back some time this afternoon.  I let the mutt out on his lead early this morning, saw to it he has food and water, and that's as much into it as I want to get.  Did I mention that I hate dogs?

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The Old Testament reading s Psalms 47, 48, and 49.

Psalm 47 

1	O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
2	For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.
3	He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.
4	He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
5	God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
6	Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
7	For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.
8	God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.
9	The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.

Psalm 48 

1	Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
2	Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
3	God is known in her palaces for a refuge.
4	For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.
5	They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.
6	Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.
7	Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.
8	As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.
9	We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.
10	According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.
11	Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments.
12	Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.
13	Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.
14	For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

Psalm 49 

1	Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:
2	Both low and high, rich and poor, together.
3	My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
4	I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
5	Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?
6	They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
7	None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
8	(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
9	That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.
10	For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
11	Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
12	Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.
13	This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.
14	Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
15	But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
16	Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
17	For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.
18	Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.
19	He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
20	Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

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The New Testament reading is Acts 26

Acts 26

1	Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:
2	I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:
3	Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
4	My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
5	Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6	And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers:
7	Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
8	Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?
9	I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10	Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
11	And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
12	Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13	At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
14	And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
15	And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16	But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17	Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18	To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
19	Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
20	But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
21	For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
22	Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
23	That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
24	And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
25	But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
26	For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.
27	King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28	Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
29	And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
30	And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:
31	And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
32	Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.