Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 07 May 2016

Nice day so far.  We were told to expect rainstorms beginning about now.  Not seen yet, but the 10-day forecast shows rain nearly every day.  Warmer temperatures but no chance to go outside and take a long walk.  Cooped up inside as surely as we were when it was -2 degrees with a foot of snow on the ground.  Yes, I've got "cabin fever".

Was supposed to have a coffee meeting this morning with a local gentleman who is running an international missions effort via the internet to places like Ghana and Kenya and the like.  So I called him around 8:15 as agreed.  Got his voice mail.  Left a message.  Half a day later, still no return call.  Oh, well.

And Dear Wife is sick again.  Just threw up everything in or near the stomach.  Had to shower some of it off, and send the clothes to the washer where they are right now.  More of our wonderful life.

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The Old Testament reading for the day is chapters 14 and 15 of 1st Kings.
It surely did not take long for the whole "let's have a king like everyone around here does" thing to go bad.  VERY bad.  Going to get worse, too.  One might think that David and Solomon and their descendants were not doing a very good job of raising godly kids.  But I've sinned in that regard as well. 

I Kings 14

1	At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.
2	And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people.
3	And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child.
4	And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.
5	And the LORD said unto Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son; for he is sick: thus and thus shalt thou say unto her: for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself to be another woman.
6	And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another? for I am sent to thee with heavy tidings.
7	Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel,
8	And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee: and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes;
9	But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:
10	Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.
11	Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for the LORD hath spoken it.
12	Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.
13	And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.
14	Moreover the LORD shall raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day: but what? even now.
15	For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger.
16	And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.
17	And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died;
18	And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by the hand of his servant Ahijah the prophet.
19	And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred, and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
20	And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead.
21	And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.
22	And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done.
23	For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree.
24	And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
25	And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem:
26	And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.
27	And king Rehoboam made in their stead brazen shields, and committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king's house.
28	And it was so, when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the guard bare them, and brought them back into the guard chamber.
29	Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
30	And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.
31	And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead.

I Kings 15 

1	Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah.
2	Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. and his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
3	And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.
4	Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:
5	Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
6	And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.
7	Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.
8	And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.
9	And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.
10	And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
11	And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.
12	And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
13	And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.
14	But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.
15	And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels.
16	And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
17	And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
18	Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to Benhadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
19	There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
20	So Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelbethmaachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.
21	And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.
22	Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.
23	The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.
24	And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.
25	And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years.
26	And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.
27	And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.
28	Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead.
29	And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:
30	Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.
31	Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
32	And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
33	In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.
34	And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.

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The New Testament reading is verses 1-28 in the first chapter in the Gospel of John.  Worth committing to memory.

John 1:1-28

1	In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2	The same was in the beginning with God.
3	All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4	In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5	And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6	There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7	The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8	He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9	That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10	He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11	He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12	But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13	Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14	And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15	John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16	And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17	For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
18	No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
19	And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20	And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
21	And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
22	Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23	He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
24	And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
25	And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
26	John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
27	He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
28	These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Today's Reading and Stuff -- Friday, 06 May 2016

another of those cool gray days.  A little warmer, bu more rain predicted for today, on and off.

Dear Wife is going next door in a little bit to "watch" the beloved great niece.  A great time will be had I am sure.

I have been recently approached with the possibility of assisting in an international teaching ministry.  Based in Ohio, but reaching parts of eastern Africa, and elsewhere.  We have a tentative coffee meeting set for tomorrow morning.  We shall see how and if this develops.


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The Old Testament passage this morning is chapters 12 and 13 of 1st Kings.
This whole "king" thing is not turning out well.  Rarely does.

I Kings 12

1	And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
2	And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)
3	That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,
4	Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
5	And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
6	And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
7	And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.
8	But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:
9	And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
10	And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.
11	And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
12	So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
13	And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;
14	And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
15	Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16	So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
17	But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
18	Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
19	So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
20	And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
21	And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
22	But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
23	Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,
24	Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.
25	Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.
26	And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:
27	If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
28	Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
29	And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
30	And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
31	And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
32	And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
33	So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

I Kings 13

1	And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
2	And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
3	And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.
4	And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
5	The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
6	And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Entreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
7	And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
8	And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:
9	For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.
10	So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.
11	Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.
12	And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.
13	And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,
14	And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.
15	Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
16	And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:
17	For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.
18	He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.
19	So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
20	And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:
21	And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,
22	But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
23	And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.
24	And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcass was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcass.
25	And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcass cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcass: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
26	And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.
27	And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.
28	And he went and found his carcass cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcass: the lion had not eaten the carcass, nor torn the ass.
29	And the prophet took up the carcass of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him.
30	And he laid his carcass in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!
31	And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:
32	For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
33	After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.
34	And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.

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The New Testament passage is verses 36-53 in Luke 24. 
This is important. 

Luke 24:36-53

36	And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
37	But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38	And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39	Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
40	And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
41	And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
42	And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
43	And he took it, and did eat before them.
44	And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
45	Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46	And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47	And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48	And ye are witnesses of these things.
49	And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
50	And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
51	And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
52	And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
53	And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

Today's Readings and Stuff - Thursday, 05 May 2016

One of those "blahhh" days.  Not cold, definitely not warm.  And it rained on and off all day long.  Or nearly so, it finally tapered off in mid-afternoon.  Leaving everything gray and chilly and damp.  Today is "trash day", so that meant having the cans out last night, but having to go haul them back in while enjoying the rain.  Ditto for going outside to bring in the mail.  Too short a distance to justify an umbrella, too urgent too wait (some meds for Dear Wife shipped via US Mail Service), and just far enough to get wet.  Which improves one's disposition not one bit.

Niece next door is working today, so Dear Wife had to go over to "watch" the Little One, though she didn't need to go over until nearly 11:00.  Got done around 6:30 p.m. when dad got home.  We've eaten and I just did dishes.  Spent much of the day doing some finding of things that got lost over the winter.  Our place is small, but possessed of many places into which things migrate, and too small to put in decent shelves and cabinets, so things rather get shoved into the first vacant spot.  There to remain, forgotten, until someone (me) goes on a campaign to find stuff.  Had some success, but also found some things we'd already replaced when we couldn't locate, as well as coupons, etc. that expired weeks and months ago.  Embarrassing, actually.

I have doctor appointment next week.  Am NOT looking forward to it: am getting to the point in life where I worry about what will be found or proposed.  The cholesterol, etc. is looking ok (per the lab result I got last week) and the B.P. is looking ok.  The sugar, A1C, is a teense high, which is not too bad, but am experiencing odd pains and numbness in the one foot.  Peripheral circulation issues are sometimes found in diabetics, which I sincerely hope is not what is developing.

Off now to massage Wife's bad foot to assist the healing and circulation.

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the Old Testament reading is chapters 10 and 11 of 1st Kings.
Solomon is king all right.  And doing good.  For a while. Then .......  he went far astray.  And his son and successor will go even further.  This will become really awful very quickly.

I Kings 10

1	And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.
2	And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
3	And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
4	And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,
5	And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.
6	And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
7	Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.
8	Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
9	Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.
10	And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
11	And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.
12	And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.
13	And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.
14	Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,
15	Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffic of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.
16	And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.
17	And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
18	Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.
19	The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.
20	And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.
21	And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.
22	For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
23	So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.
24	And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
25	And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
26	And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.
27	And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.
28	And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.
29	And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.

I Kings 11 

1	But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:
2	Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
3	And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
4	For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
5	For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6	And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.
7	Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
8	And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
9	And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
10	And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.
11	Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
12	Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.
13	Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.
14	And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom.
15	For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom;
16	(For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom:)
17	That Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad being yet a little child.
18	And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran: and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt; which gave him an house, and appointed him victuals, and gave him land.
19	And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.
20	And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house: and Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh.
21	And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country.
22	Then Pharaoh said unto him, But what hast thou lacked with me, that, behold, thou seekest to go to thine own country? And he answered, Nothing: howbeit let me go in any wise.
23	And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah:
24	And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.
25	And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.
26	And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.
27	And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father.
28	And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.
29	And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:
30	And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:
31	And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:
32	(But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)
33	Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.
34	Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes:
35	But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.
36	And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.
37	And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.
38	And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.
39	And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.
40	Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
41	And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?
42	And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
43	And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

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The New Testament reading is verses 1-35 of Luke chapter 24.  The Resurrection!

Luke 24:1-35

1	Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
2	And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3	And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
4	And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
5	And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
6	He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
7	Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
8	And they remembered his words,
9	And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
10	It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
11	And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
12	Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
13	And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
14	And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
15	And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16	But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
17	And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
18	And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
19	And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
20	And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
21	But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
22	Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
23	And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
24	And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
25	Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
26	Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27	And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
28	And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29	But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30	And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31	And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
32	And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
33	And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34	Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
35	And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.