Today's Readings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 29 May 2018 w/slight update

Back to a more "normal" schedule I guess.  The events of the 3-day weekend are behind us.  I haven't seen all the "body count" figures from around the country, but my limited scans so far confirm what most of us know.  That irresponsible lifestyles, including but not limited to alcohol in vast quantities, "recreational pharmaceuticals", sexual misbehaviors of all kinds, and general bad attitudes, spill over any "normal" attempts at containment and affect people who attempt to live responsibly.  You'll see a fraction of it on the news.  Much of it, the news people choose to conceal.  Not "overlook".   Conceal.  The implications of making more widely known what those immediately affected might call into question some of the strongly held beliefs the LSM hold.  (We used to abbreviate that as "MSM" for "Main Stream Media", but "LSM" for "Lame Stream Media" is more nearly correct.  "FSM", for "Fake Stream Media" has its fans as well).  For example, just over the weekend, and just in Chicago, gangs of "youths" (need I translate that?  I thought not.) went on numerous rampages in the various areas, setting fires, destroying property, assaults -- including sexual assaults -- on  passers-by, and generally acting like wild beasts.  Hence the occasional term, "wilding".  But the MSM largely chose to suppress the news.  Might put certain demographic groups in a bad light.  And make the corrupt mayor and power structure there look bad.  The same goes on all over the place, not just in Chicago or other "privy pits".  Look around.
==>>  slight update here:
As noted, the "respectable" media type choose to ignore or deny this sort of "inconvenient truth".  So, as one should expect,  other means of getting the word out have been created; 
Second City Cop is a blog site maintained by police (with some other first responders contributing) in Chicago, often referred to as America's second city.  They can and do get downright specific and definitely anything but "politically correct" in getting the word out on what the real situations are in their city.   On this particular issue, they've publicized some of the truth that is otherwise hidden.  Check the item entitled "Wilding Weekend".
Also, there's one entitled CWB Chicago.  A post to check is entitled

Downtown: Overworked Cops Battling Mag Mile Fights, Mayhem Through Weekend

 Betcha it won't be on CNN or ABC.  Or in the Chicago newspapers either.
Now, do you think  your local newspapers or TV stations are any better? 

===============>>  slight update ends
So I see mention, sometimes concealed, sometimes not, of "domestic disputes" that lead to violence, sometimes with injuries, sometimes with one or more deaths.  I see mention of some ghastly traffic accidents, again too  often accompanied by injury or death, sometimes the dead are those who were simply going about their normal business, sometimes even sitting on their porch or in their living room.  I know, from work I've done in the past, that some of these alcohol-lubricated parties will lead to adulterous affairs or sexual escapades between persons who may not even know their partner's legal name.  Don't scoff: I've seen it, sometimes literally.  (again, in the distant past, but some things don't change).
Yet, as ever, I hear from some who loudly denounce the church's stance on these things as being "judgmental" or "hateful" or "behind the times'.  I overheard several such conversations in last week's trip to the nearby Big Box store, and have heard much the same refrain for many many years across more then half the country.  No, it's not restricted to little pockets of bad behavior and it's not limited to certain age, income, or demographic groups.  I've even know of cases of my distant Amish cousins being involved in drunk driving incidents, though the damage a horse and buggy can cause is limited.  But injury and death can and sometimes does occur.






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1st Kings 3

1  And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

2  Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord, until those days.

3  And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.

4  And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

5  In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

6  And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

7  And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

8  And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

9  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

10  And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

11  And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

12  Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

13  And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

14  And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.

15  And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

16  Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.

17  And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

18  And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.

19  And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.

20  And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.

21  And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.

22  And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.

23  Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

24  And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

25  And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.

26  Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.

27  Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.

28  And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

1st Kings 4

1  So king Solomon was king over all Israel.

2  And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,

3  Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder.

4  And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:

5  And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king's friend:

6  And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.tribute: or, levy

7  And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision.

8  And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:

9  The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth–shemesh, and Elon–beth–hanan:

10  The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Soco, and all the land of Hepher:

11  The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:

12  Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth–shean, which is by Zarethan beneath Jezreel, from Beth–shean to Abel–meholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokmeam:

13  The son of Geber, in Ramoth–gilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:

14  Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim:

15  Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife:

16  Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth:

17  Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar:

18  Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin:

19  Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which was in the land.

20  Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.

21  And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

22  And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,

23  Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.

24  For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.

25  And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beer–sheba, all the days of Solomon.

26  And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

27  And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon's table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.

28  Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.

29  And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.

30  And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.

31  For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.

32  And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.

33  And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

34  And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

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I think verse 2 is a good "life verse".

Psalm 107

1  O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

2  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

3  And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.

4  They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.

5  Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

6  Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.

7  And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.

8  Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

9  For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

10  Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;

11  Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:

12  Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.

13  Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.

14  He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.

15  Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

16  For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.

17  Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.

18  Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.

19  Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.

20  He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

21  Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

22  And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

23  They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;

24  These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.

25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.

26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.

27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end.

28  Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

31  Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

32  Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

33  He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;

34  A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

35  He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.

36  And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;

37  And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.

38  He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.

39  Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.

40  He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.

41  Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.

42  The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.

43  Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.

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Remember, this is from a time when the Faith was just exploding across the known world.  Going into places where they were NOT welcome, at least welcomed by the influential.  Yet the Word persevered.  We're not like that today, are we?

Acts 18

1  After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;

2  And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.

3  And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

4  And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

5  And when Silas and Timothy were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

6  And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.

7  And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.

8  And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.

9  Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:

10  For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.

11  And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

12  And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,

13  Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.

14  And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:

15  But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.

16  And he drave them from the judgment seat.

17  Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.

18  And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.

19  And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.

20  When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;

21  But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.

22  And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.

23  And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.

24  And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.

25  This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.

26  And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

27  And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:

28  For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.