Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 27 February 2016

cats woke me at 04:00 for breakfast, and I was never able to get back to sleep.
Brother had called yesterday, said he was coming over to let Dear Wife work on his computer.  He's been here since about 09:00 and she is just now finishing up.  Over 100 updates later, and a whole lot of fixes before that and afterwards too.



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The Old Testament passage is chapters 18, 19, and 20 of Numbers

Numbers 18

1	And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
2	And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.
3	And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.
4	And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
5	And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.
6	And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
7	Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for everything of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
8	And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.
9	This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.
10	In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.
11	And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.
12	All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.
13	And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it.
14	Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.
15	Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.
16	And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.
17	But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savor unto the LORD.
18	And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine.
19	All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee.
20	And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.
21	And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
22	Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.
23	But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.
24	But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
25	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
26	Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.
27	And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.
28	Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD's heave offering to Aaron the priest.
29	Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.
30	Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress.
31	And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.
32	And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.

Numbers 19

1	And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
2	This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:
3	And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face:
4	And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:
5	And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:
6	And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.
7	Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.
8	And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.
9	And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.
10	And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever.
11	He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.
12	He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
13	Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.
14	This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.
15	And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.
16	And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
17	And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:
18	And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:
19	And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.
20	But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.
21	And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.
22	And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.

Numbers 20

1	Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.
2	And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
3	And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!
4	And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
5	And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.
6	And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.
7	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
8	Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
9	And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
10	And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
11	And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
12	And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
13	This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
14	And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:
15	How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers:
16	And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:
17	Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.
18	And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.
19	And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet.
20	And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.
21	Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.
22	And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.
23	And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,
24	Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.
25	Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor:
26	And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.
27	And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
28	And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.
29	And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

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The New Testament reading is verses 1-13 of the 7th chapter of the Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:1-13

1	Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
2	And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
3	For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
4	And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
5	Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
6	He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7	Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8	For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9	And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
10	For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
11	But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
12	And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13	Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 26 February 2016

One day closer to Spring.  We had rain almost all day yesterday, until it turned to snow.  And it snowed about all night.  The first several hours, the ground was warm enough to melt the falling snow.  That changed in the early evening, and we now have a small accumulation.  Not the near foot-deep piles we had two weeks ago, but enough.  A person might, MIGHT, be tempted to hope that this marks the last snow of the year.  One might, but one might well be wrong.  There is a pattern in these parts, a tradition almost, of a "St. Patrick's Day Blizzard".  Happens often enough that people just expect it.  St. Pat's is A Big Deal around here, courtesy of the high percentage of people with either Irish or Italian ancestry.  (St. Patrick was, supposedly, originially Italian or at least the child of expat Romans, so they claim him also).  The blizzards, of course, foul up the annual St. Patrick's Day parades and festivals, but they factor the weather forecast into travel plans.
At any rate, St. Patrick's is March 17, nearly three weeks away, so we don't count the end of snow season until after that.  In fact, snow fall in APRIL is by no means unknown.  Can you tell that I miss living in the South??

Dear Wife is still/back in bed, FINALLY getting some sleep.  She was awake most of the night, in agony despite the pain meds in that not-yet-healed foot that had surgery back in September.  Doc had told us some people take a full year to heal the internal traumas from it all, and we know that at least part of the issue is the regrowth and reattachment of severed nerves, etc.  But she's in real pain.  She got up when I fed the cats around 05:00, lay in the recliner a while.  I got back up around 06:00 and checked on her, she was still awake.  She went back to bed around 07:00, got to sleep finally, and is still asleep, which is a great blessing, believe me.

 Got a call last night from my middle brother, the one who lives about 90 minutes away.  Haven't seen him since last 4th of July, and before that in Christmas of 2014.  He's having computer problems, needs Dear Wife to work on it PLEASE?!?!?  So we shall see. 

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The Old Testament reading is chapters 16 and 17 of Numbers.  A bit of a slap down to those who want to do it their way, not the Lord's way.  And who, in any case, want a rearrangement of things with themselves in a higher level.  I've seen similar things in my own lifetime, though the results were not quite so dramatic.

Numbers 16

1	Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
2	And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
3	And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?
4	And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:
5	And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.
6	This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;
7	And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.
8	And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:
9	Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?
10	And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?
11	For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?
12	And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:
13	Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?
14	Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.
15	And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.
16	And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow:
17	And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.
18	And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.
19	And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.
20	And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
21	Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.
22	And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?
23	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
24	Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
25	And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.
26	And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.
27	So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
28	And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.
29	If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.
30	But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
31	And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
32	And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
33	They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
34	And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
35	And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
36	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
37	Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.
38	The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.
39	And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:
40	To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.
41	But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.
42	And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.
43	And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.
44	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
45	Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
46	And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.
47	And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
48	And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
49	Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.
50	And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

Numbers 17 

1	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2	Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.
3	And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.
4	And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
5	And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.
6	And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
7	And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.
8	And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
9	And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
10	And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
11	And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.
12	And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.
13	Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

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The New Testament reading is verses 33-56 in the 6th chapter of the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 6:33-56

33	And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.
34	And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
35	And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
36	Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
37	He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
38	He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
39	And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
40	And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
41	And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
42	And they did all eat, and were filled.
43	And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
44	And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
45	And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.
46	And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
47	And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.
48	And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
49	But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:
50	For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
51	And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.
52	For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
53	And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.
54	And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,
55	And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.
56	And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 25 February 2016

Snowing again (still).  Has been doing so pretty much all day, probably will continue to do so this evening and during the night.  Tomorrow is expected to be cold, but after that we get a bit of a break, with the following days all predicted to be above freezing, and several of the nights as well.  We'll take it.
Dear Wife has been quite ill and miserable all day long, and last night as well.  She had a sort of doctor appointment set for this morning, but we'd warned them that she might well have to reschedule, and this morning we did just that.  She STILL has not fully recovered from the major foot and ankle surgery back in SEPTEMBER, which is not a good sign.  Should not take 5-1/2 months, but I have heard of cases that took a full year of recovery.  Makes it tough on her, certainly.  (and on me as well, frankly).
Yesterday was the birthday of our younger daughter.  She has cut off ALL contact with us, for reasons we do not known, which makes it a bit tough.  The older one is mad at me personally because I was less than complimentary about a political figure (Sanders).  Perhaps a bit of "splash" going on.

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The Old Testament reading is chapters 14 and 15 of Numbers.  Dissension in the ranks, a large portion of the Israelites want to "do it MY way", which is not the path the Lord had communicated.  Turns out badly, as it always does.

Numbers 14

1	And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
2	And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
3	And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
4	And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.
5	Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
6	And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
7	And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
8	If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
9	Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.
10	But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
11	And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them?
12	I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.
13	And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)
14	And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
15	Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,
16	Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.
17	And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,
18	The LORD is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
19	Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.
20	And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:
21	But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
22	Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
23	Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
24	But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
25	(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) Tomorrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.
26	And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
27	How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
28	Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
29	Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me.
30	Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
31	But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
32	But as for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness.
33	And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness.
34	After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
35	I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.
36	And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,
37	Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.
38	But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.
39	And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.
40	And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.
41	And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.
42	Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
43	For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.
44	But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.
45	Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.

Numbers 15

1	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2	Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you,
3	And will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savor unto the LORD, of the herd or of the flock:
4	Then shall he that offereth his offering unto the LORD bring a meat offering of a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of oil.
5	And the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering shalt thou prepare with the burnt offering or sacrifice, for one lamb.
6	Or for a ram, thou shalt prepare for a meat offering two tenth deals of flour mingled with the third part of an hin of oil.
7	And for a drink offering thou shalt offer the third part of an hin of wine, for a sweet savor unto the LORD.
8	And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice in performing a vow, or peace offerings unto the LORD:
9	Then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenth deals of flour mingled with half an hin of oil.
10	And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half an hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.
11	Thus shall it be done for one bullock, or for one ram, or for a lamb, or a kid.
12	According to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to every one according to their number.
13	All that are born of the country shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.
14	And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whosoever be among you in your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD; as ye do, so he shall do.
15	One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD.
16	One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.
17	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
18	Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land whither I bring you,
19	Then it shall be, that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up an heave offering unto the LORD.
20	Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave offering: as ye do the heave offering of the threshingfloor, so shall ye heave it.
21	Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the LORD an heave offering in your generations.
22	And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,
23	Even all that the LORD hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the LORD commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations;
24	Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savor unto the LORD, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.
25	And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their ignorance:
26	And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance.
27	And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering.
28	And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.
29	Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.
30	But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
31	Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.
32	And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
33	And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
34	And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
35	And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
36	And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
37	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
38	Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
39	And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:
40	That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
41	I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.

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The New Testament passage is verses 1-32 in Mark chapter 6.

Mark 6:1-32

1	And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
2	And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
3	Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
4	But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
5	And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6	And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
7	And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
8	And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
9	But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.
10	And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.
11	And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
12	And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
13	And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
14	And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
15	Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.
16	But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.
17	For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.
18	For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.
19	Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:
20	For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
21	And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;
22	And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.
23	And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.
24	And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.
25	And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.
26	And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.
27	And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,
28	And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.
29	And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.
30	And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.
31	And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
32	And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.