Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 15 June 2017

Halfway through June already.  Time is flying by, and I have little to show for it.

Might be a bumpy few days (like we really needed that).  Dear Wife was feeling ill most of yesterday, meaning illness in addition to her "normal" conditions.  And was up in the night several times.  There's no "M.D." after my name, or hers, but our guess is that she's into yet another sinus infection.  She's prone to them, gets one or two every year.  Complicating that is that, as previously noted, our Primary Care doctor, a truly great one, suddenly pulled out of the practice as of last Friday.  We have an appointment set with what we hope will be a new one for us, but that's nearly three weeks away.  Making it even worse, is that under the terms of  our current insurance plan, we're not covered for a visit to one of these "urgent care",  A.K.A. "doc in a box" offices that were invented to address situations like this, (or so we were once told).  Not covered at all.  The alternative is to head over to the Emergency Room, which they will -- partially -- cover.  So a visit that previously had $0 co-pay, trends into a $200 out-of-pocket (or so) and then meds on top of that.  Ain't life grand??
So she's still in bed, running a fever, we're hoping that her "normally" over-active immune system might work in her favor, for once.
This is our life these days.


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The Old Testament passage is chapters 9 and 10 of the book of Ezra.
The project of returning the people from captivity, rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem, restarting the system of  worship and life ordained by the Lord, and dealing with all the "stuff" continues.  Not without some bumps in the road.  Not only had the culture degenerated terribly before the Captivity, but some of those bad things were transported into the Captivity and metastasized there.  Nor had things necessarily gotten better during the return. And the rot extends through all levels of the nation.  Sound familiar?  It should.
And another note, one that will give some people hives.  Let us take up the nearly radioactive term "discrimination".  We are regularly and loudly commanded to eschew any form of "discrimination".  Well, personally, when it's time to eat, I "discriminate" against cow plop, preferring a hamburger instead.  Strictly speaking, that is discrimination, drawing a distinction and valuing one class of that as more worthy than another.
I have, in the course of a life that's had many twists and turns and worse, had dealings with some people that a better man, or perhaps one in a better line of work, would never have met.  I didn't share the activities or attitudes or lifestyles, but I did and still do know some people who slid into elements of it.  Druggies, prostitutes, contract killers, swindlers, pimps, power-brokers, "cut-outs" for corrupt public officials, heavy drinkers, adulterers, and a lot else.  After a while, it becomes VERY tempting to say, "that's not so bad" or to be tempted to "try it, you'll like it".  Getting chummy with evil is tempting and dangerous and all too many fall into that. Wiser to avoid it.  And, yes, you'll be at risk for people accusing  you of being "judgmental", with the ever-popular use of the most commonly misused verse in all the Bible.
The Lord himself, in His Law given to Moses and the people, had some VERY specific commandments against being joined to the people in the area surrounding -- and then residing in -- the Promised Land.  Do not marry them, do not serve their gods, do not adopt their culture, be separate from them.  Laws broken almost immediately, and the tendency increased throughout.  With the predictable result that they became very much like the people in the region. Which is NOT what the Lord had commanded.  That gives some people the hives even today.  

Ezra 9

1 Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass. 3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied. 4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice. 5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God, 6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. 7 Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. 8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. 9 For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. 10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments, 11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness. 12 Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever. 13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; 14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? 15 O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.

Ezra 10

1 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore. 2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. 3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. 4 Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it. 5 Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware. 6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away. 7 And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem; 8 And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away. 9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain. 10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. 11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives. 12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do. 13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing. 14 Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us. 15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them. 16 And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. 17 And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month. 18 And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass. 20 And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah. 21 And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah. 22 And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah. 23 Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. 24 Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri. 25 Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah. 26 And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah. 27 And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza. 28 Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. 29 And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth. 30 And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh. 31 And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. 33 Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. 34 Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau, 38 And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei, 39 And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. 43 Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah. 44 All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

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For our New  Testament reading today, a change of gears.  We've spent the last 5-1/2 months in the Gospels.  Now Jesus is going to the Father (for a while) and now His disciples, empowered (soon) by the Holy Spirit, are commissioned to preach the Good News and to make disciples.  Those marching orders have not changed, we have inherited them, which is quite an honor and quite a responsibility.  He provides the power, then and now, if we will but allow Him.

So, we take up the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 1.

Acts 1

1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,  

2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:  

3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:  

4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 

5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.  

6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?  

7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 

 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.   

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.  

10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;  

11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.  

12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.  

13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.  

14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.  

15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)  

16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.  

17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.  

18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.  

19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. 

20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.  

21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 

22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.  

23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 

24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,  

25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.  

26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.