Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 22 December 2017

Happy Friday to all.

The Christmas Day is nearly upon us.  Due to our precarious financial condition, and several unexpected expenses, we had been forced to hold off any gifts until after the Social Security check hit Tuesday morning.  And, then, Wife's been pretty ill all week (meaning more than usual) so while I'd picked up a bit of foodstuffs at the nearby grocery, the gift stuff needs her better eye.  This morning she finally felt "up to it', or good enough at least, so off we went.  Financial constraints translated into "we're not getting each other anything", and, while on Christmas Day there's a gathering of her family next door, we bought a few small things for the kids (age 11, almost 6, 5, and 5 months).  Period.  So, off we went.  Got the stuff, came home, did the wrapping thing.  She did the wrapping, she doesn't approve of my pre-marriage method of sticking gifts in a paper grocery bag, stapling it shut, writing the TO: on it with a magic marker, and sticking a bow on.  I think it practical, and a good re-purposing of the bags (I didn't have any pets, so re-use for cat litter wasn't an option).  But it's not to her standards.  Anyway, we she accomplished the wrapping and then I, being a peon, carried them next door to go under the tree for the Monday "thing".   Should be quite an event.  Fun to attend, more fun to leave.
Such big get-togethers were not part of my own growing-up years, not ever.  But they're part of hers, and our years being far away were hard on her.  We normally made an attempt to make the LOONG drive here at Christmas (if my employers permitted it, or hers, and sometimes they didn't) to catch up on some of it.  Now, well, now our attendance is mandatory.  Of course, the in-laws thing is  present also.  We will, this year, go across the back yard to Wife's niece's place.  Convenient.  Then after a while, it will break up.  Wife's nephew and wife have to go to a "do" at her family's gathering.  And niece''s husband's family have a "do", just a few doors up the road.  My sister-in-law's husband's family may (or may not) have some sort of event at their digs, I don't know.  Some of those off-site events will, probably, include consumption of large volumes of beer and the like.  I hope they don't get arrested  or in a wreck.  Lots of both are part of the "normal" culture around here, even more so during the holidays.
Sister-in-law is bummed:  it seems she and hubby drank up all their money, including the $ 1000 refund they got this last week, plus his paycheck.  She went to get her Christmas layaway stuff a little bit ago, and all her bank cards were declined.  I'm in no position to bail her out.  Assuming that her account is an honest one, which has not always been the case.

Yes, the Christmas holidays are stressful, and don't always bring out the best in people, and the events, etc. around this time definitely are out of keeping with the birth of the Christ.  Surprised?

And, just a few minutes ago, Wife got a phone call to the effect that an old friend of the family had died earlier this morning.  


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The Old Testament reading for the day is the book of Nahum.  Another of the so-called "minor prophets".  His name means "comfort" or "consolation", and his prophecy was against Nineveh.  There are those who believe that the city of Capernaum was named after him, in his honor, having previously been known as Elkosh.  We know that his prophetic ministry was before 612 B.C., as that is when Nineveh was destroyed.

Nahum 1

1 The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. 2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. 3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. 4 He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. 5 The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. 6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. 7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. 8 But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies. 9 What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time. 10 For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry. 11 There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the LORD, a wicked counsellor. 12 Thus saith the LORD; Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. 13 For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder. 14 And the LORD hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile. 15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

Nahum 2

1 He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face: keep the munition, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily. 2 For the LORD hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine branches. 3 The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken. 4 The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings. 5 He shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defence shall be prepared. 6 The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved. 7 And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts. 8 But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back. 9 Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture. 10 She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness. 11 Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid? 12 The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin. 13 Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.

Nahum 3

1 Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not; 2 The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots. 3 The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses: 4 Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts. 5 Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame. 6 And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock. 7 And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee? 8 Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea? 9 Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers. 10 Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains. 11 Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy. 12 All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the first ripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater. 13 Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars. 14 Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln. 15 There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts. 16 Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and fleeth away. 17 Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are. 18 Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them. 19 There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?

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The reading in the New Testament is chapter 13 of the Revelation.  Here is where we see the Number of the Beast, 666 as well as the Mark of the Beast.

Revelation 13

1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 

2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.  

3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 

4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?  

5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 

6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.  

7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.  

8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  

9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.  

10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.  

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.  

12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.  

13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,  

14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.  

15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.  

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.  

18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.