Today's Readings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 23 January 2018

My Help Cometh From The Lord 
 Another of those "came to me in the middle of the night" pieces.  Hard to argue, isn't it?
(Ref Psalm 121)

I will lift up mine eyes to the hills
from whence cometh my help,
my help cometh from the Lord,  
the Lord which made Heaven and Earth. 
He said He will not suffer thy foot,  
thy foot to be moved, 
Lord which keepeth thee,  
He will not slumber nor sleep. 

(Bridge)

For the Lord is thy keeper,  
the Lord is thy shade  
upon thy right hand,  
upon thy right hand. 
Nor the sun shall not smite thee by day,  
nor the moon by night,  
He shall preserve thy soul  
even forever more.


[Chorus:]
My help, my help, my help,  all of my help cometh from the Lord. 
[Verse]
[Bridge]
[Chorus]

[Bridge]

[Chorus]
[Vamp:]
     [Altos:]  Lift up mine eyes... 
     [Sopranos:]  lift up mine eyes... 
     [Altos:]  unto the hills...
     [Tenors:]  He is my strength...
    [All:]  All of my help cometh from the Lord.

Yes, we should have such a song in our hearts, no matter what.  No matter what.


Following the Lord, surrendering to His will instead of our own, changes us.  It should, after, all, He has a whole lot to do to conform us to His will and His way.
Sometimes, normally perhaps, that comes through our day-to-day walk with Him, something that we must fix on even before leaving our beds.  Otherwise, the events of the day, good, bad, or indifferent, will occupy our attention and divert the focus.  True?
But sometimes that change comes about as a result of BIG events.  Sometimes, and it's frequently the case, they come about when our own strength and resources are exhausted, when all seems hopeless and futile, and doom and gloom and despair are all around.  Some of us can testify to that, and how meeting Him there in our times of greatest need changed us.
But there are other situations.  I think all of us secretly yearn for a "mountain top moment", a personal equivalent of being present at the Transfiguration.  I've not had quite that, but yes, there have been times when He was so close that I could almost hear Him speak out loud.  That changes a person, believe me!
There have been other "mountain top experiences".  I am minded of the account in Genesis 22, when Abraham took his son Isaac up to the mountain, built an altar, and proceeded to undertake the sacrifice of his own son upon that altar.  As we know, the Lord stepped in.  I promise to you this day that neither of them came down that mountain unchanged.  They both offered what was most precious to them, and the Lord honored that commitment.

Would we do as well??  I fear to ask that even of myself.

Which led to the second 'song of the day'.  I Have Decided To Follow Jesus.   Like so many others of our hymns, there is a story, a very moving story, behind the song or hymn.  Would I do as well??  The question shames me.

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We had a brief thaw yesterday.  Actually made it into the 50's!!  A good bit of snow melt.  But, of course, "the rest of the story".  Heavy rain bands last night and rain today.  And a temperature tonight of 24°.  Can  you pronounce "black ice"?  Oh, and tomorrow's "high" of 29°.
But we are up to 9 hours 46 minutes of "day", and pick up another 1 minute 56 seconds tomorrow, so we are still picking up speed en route to the Equinox, and to the mile markers along the way, the 10 hour mark fast approaching and the 11 hour mark a bit behind that.

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Our Old Testament passage today is chapters 45 and 46 of the Genesis.

Genesis 45

45:1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.

45:2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.

45:3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.

45:4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

45:5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

45:6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

45:8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

45:9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:

45:10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:

45:11 And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.

45:12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.

45:13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.

45:14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.

45:15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.

45:16 And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.

45:17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;

45:18 And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.

45:19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.

45:20 Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.

45:21 And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.

45:22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.

45:23 And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.

45:24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.

45:25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,

45:26 And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not.

45:27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:

45:28 And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

Genesis 46

46:1 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.

46:2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.

46:3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:

46:4 I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

46:5 And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

46:6 And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:

46:7 His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.

46:8 And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.

46:9 And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.

46:10 And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman.

46:11 And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

46:12 And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zarah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.

46:13 And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron.

46:14 And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.

46:15 These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padanaram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.

46:16 And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.

46:17 And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel.

46:18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.

46:19 The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife; Joseph, and Benjamin.

46:20 And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.

46:21 And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.

46:22 These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.

46:23 And the sons of Dan; Hushim.

46:24 And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem.

46:25 These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven.

46:26 All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six;

46:27 And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.

46:28 And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

46:29 And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

46:30 And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.

46:31 And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and show Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;

46:32 And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.

46:33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?

46:34 That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.




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Psalm 17

17:1 Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.

17:2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.

17:3 Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

17:4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.

17:5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

17:6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.

17:7 Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.

17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

17:9 From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.

17:10 They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.

17:11 They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;

17:12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.

17:13 Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

17:14 From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.

17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.



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The New Testament passage is chapter 17 in the Gospel of Matthew.

Quite a contrast here!  We begin with a true "mountaintop experience", the Transfiguration.  We'd like to think "I Wish I could have been there".  OK.  Me too..  But don't forget that of those present, when the soldiers came, they ran away like scared rabbits, and one denied knowing Him.
We end with Jesus en route to His crucifixion in Jerusalem, something He knew in advance.

Matthew 17

17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

17:4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

17:6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

17:7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

17:8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

17:9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

17:10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

17:11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

17:12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

17:13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

17:14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

17:15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

17:16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

17:17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

17:18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

17:19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

17:22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:

17:23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

17:24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?

17:25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

17:26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

17:27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Sunday, 21 January 2018

Another non-standard "song of the day".  You may not know the name of Nicole C. Mullen.  I've been listening to some of her recordings for a good while.  This is one.  You should like the title;  When I Call On Jesus, All Things Are Possible.  True.  Now, that does NOT automatically translate into  "a prayer obligates Him to let me win the lottery".  It does mean that He is quite capable of doing far more than we could ask or imagine.  And often has done so.  Some of us have been blessed to witness that, sometimes in our own lives and salvation.

An odd day.  I was able to attend worship services this morning for the first time in several weeks.  A blessing to be sure.  When I came out of the hovel to head off, the skies were as gray and gloomy and foreboding as you could imagine.  Yet, we know that on the other side of that relatively thin layer of clouds, the sun has been shining all the while.  We do wrong to let the circumstances control our mood and attitude, and I tend to be guilty of this.    So listen to Janet Paschal sing "It Won't Rain Always".  She had reason to know, as did several people sitting near her:  she was battling cancer at the time.

We had planned to attend a get-together this afternoon with some friends of long standing.  OK, "old friends".  I've known some of them for more than 40 years,. so I guess the long-standing part of this is correct.  But I slept not a wink last night, I think that the "crud", perhaps the nasty flu, has hit me.  Wife is sicker than usual, and I sent word that we just couldn't make it, a great disappointment to me, certainly.  I don't often get into a debilitating illness, but sometimes it does happen.  I try to keep going just so I can take care of Wife.  And I was able to do that today, after a fashion at least. but am harboring the strength out of necessity.  Perhaps this next week will be better.  We hope so.


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And sometimes, what looks like trouble and disaster is simply the Lord's plan working out.  Sometimes, what is a blessing does not look like it at the time.  Later on, looking back ..........

So, today, chapters 41 and 42 in the Genesis.
Joseph is precisely the right person in the right place in the right circumstances.  Watch and see.

Genesis 41

41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

41:2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favored kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.

41:3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favored and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.

41:4 And the ill favored and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favored and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.

41:5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

41:6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.

41:7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.

41:8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

41:9 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

41:10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker:

41:11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

41:12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.

41:13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.

41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

41:15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.

41:16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

41:17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:

41:18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favored; and they fed in a meadow:

41:19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favored and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:

41:20 And the lean and the ill favored kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:

41:21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favored, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

41:22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:

41:23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

41:24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.

41:25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath showed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

41:26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.

41:27 And the seven thin and ill favored kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.

41:28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he showeth unto Pharaoh.

41:29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:

41:30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;

41:31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.

41:32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

41:33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

41:34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.

41:35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.

41:36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.

41:37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

41:38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?

41:39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:

41:40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

41:41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

41:42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

41:43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

41:44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

41:45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

41:46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

41:47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.

41:48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.

41:49 And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.

41:50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.

41:51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.

41:52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

41:53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.

41:54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

41:55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.

41:56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.

41:57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

 Genesis 42

 42:1 Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

42:2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

42:3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

42:4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.

42:5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

42:6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

42:7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

42:8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

42:9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

42:10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

42:11 We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.

42:12 And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

42:13 And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

42:14 And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:

42:15 Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

42:16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

42:17 And he put them all together into ward three days.

42:18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:

42:19 If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

42:20 But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

42:21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

42:22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

42:23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

42:24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

42:25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.

42:26 And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.

42:27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth.

42:28 And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?

42:29 And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,

42:30 The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

42:31 And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:

42:32 We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

42:33 And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:

42:34 And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the land.

42:35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

42:36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

42:37 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

42:38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.


 

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 20 January 2018 and see separate update

And, once more, the first order of business here is the Song of the Day.
And, again, this is one that I have helped to present, it means a very great deal to me personally.
yes,  

"When my burdens weigh upon my heart and hope seems far from me, I will lift my hand to thee my God. I will trust in Thee."

And that is the title, I Will Trust In Thee.
I have been in, and am pretty close even now, to circumstances that look pretty hopeless.  The details don't matter, really, and every one of us has, is, and/or will go through them.  But we have this hope, that we do not go through them alone, that He is aware and that He walks with us.  A million years from now, in Glory, the trials of this life will have long been forgotten.  The key  is to walk daily being confident that He is not blind to our very real concerns and that He cares for us no matter what.
And this as well:  sometimes there is a larger plan working out that we can't see.  See our reading today for an example.

Trying real hard to get this out.  Yet, in well under an hour, the Internet service we pay Spectrum for has dropped out SIX TIMES!  Yes, it's a "first world problem", but definitely not "world class".

Today's reading is chapters 39 and 40 in the Genesis.  This is Joseph in Egypt.  Hated by his brothers, sold into slavery in far-off Egypt.  There to be tempted in many ways, bitterness being one, despair another, anger too, and lust another.  Yet he maintained his integrity, no matter what, no matter how hopeless it seemed.  May we, may I do as well, no matter what.  For, indeed, Joseph, like us all, was there "for such a time as this".

Genesis 39

 39:1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmaelites, which had brought him down thither.
39:2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
39:3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
39:4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
39:5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.
39:6 And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favored.
39:7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
39:8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
39:9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
39:10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
39:11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
39:12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
39:13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
39:14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:
39:15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.
39:16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.
39:17 And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:
39:18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.
39:19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.
39:20 And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
39:21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
39:22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
39:23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.

Genesis 40

40:1 And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.
40:2 And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.
40:3 And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
40:4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.
40:5 And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.
40:6 And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.
40:7 And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?
40:8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.
40:9 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;
40:10 And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes:
40:11 And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.
40:12 And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days:
40:13 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.
40:14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
40:15 For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.
40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:
40:17 And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.
40:18 And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:
40:19 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
40:20 And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.
40:21 And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:
40:22 But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.
40:23 Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 21 January 2017

Happy Saturday to all who stop in.

I am hoping for a quiet day.  A day for thoughts and prayers and reflection upon a number of things.  I am feeling some nudges towards change, bu have no idea whatsoever the nature of that change.  Certainly, I just can't go on like this.  Yes, the "seasonal affective disorder", gobbledygook for "I hate Winter and being closed in by cold, gray skies, and various sorts of cold precipitation while being aware of lack of money" is part of that. Why that should be called a "disorder" rather than "sensible take on lousy circumstances" is not clear to me.  Yes, I have been in far worse circumstances.  Far worse.  Didn't like those circumstances either, and I was 40 years younger than now.

We spent some time yesterday watching the TV displays of the Presidential Inauguration.  There are those, including those close to us, who are loudly cheering the whole thing, and some have been uttering praises that amaze me.  Others, including those equally close to us, are loudly wailing, and warning of all matter of evil outcomes.  Uttering condemnations that also amaze.
"Place not thy faith in princes" comes from the Bible, verse 3 in Psalm 146, and I commend it to all.  Of course, when I said similar things eight years ago, the pushback from the Obama-bots was fierce and loud and quite nasty.
I have problems with either group.

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The Old Testament reading today is chapters 49 and 50 of the Genesis.  This completes the book of the Genesis, shows the death of the Patriarch, Jacob, and Joseph as well.  The next day we will transition forward some 400 years, and see the working out of the Lord's plan.  Here we see some closure in some turbulent lives.
We began our reading in the Bible just three weeks ago, with those wonderful words, "In the beginning, GOD!! .."  In just a few weeks, we've read the accounts of great names like Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, and others.  And those names, and the lives they led, had much to do with the world we now inhabit, thousands of years later.
The location of the "Cave of the Patriarchs" is known to this day.  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are among those buried there.

Genesis 49

1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. 2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. 3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: 4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch. 5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. 6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honor, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they digged down a wall. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. 8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. 9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: 12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk. 13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon. 14 Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: 15 And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute. 16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. 18 I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD. 19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last. 20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties. 21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words. 22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: 23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) 25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: 26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. 27 Benjamin shall raven as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil. 28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them. 29 And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah. 32 The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth. 33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

Genesis 50

1 And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days. 4 And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again. 6 And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear. 7 And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company. 10 And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan. 12 And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them: 13 For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre. 14 And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. 15 And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. 16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, 17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. 18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. 19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. 22 And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees. 24 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 25 And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. 26 So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

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The reading in the New Testament is verses 1-20 from the 15th chapter in the Gospel of Matthew.
Jesus is turning their world upside down, and they don't like it or understand what is going on.
Some things haven't changed, they may be hardwired into human beings.  The "traditions of men" is part of that.  I have lost track of all of the "grace - plus" matters in far too many churches.  Those who claim that one MUST attend worship on Saturday ONLY.  Those who forbid blood transfusions.  I've encountered those who are quite serious that the only music permitted are from the Psalms, "A Mighty Fortress" isn't there so it is forbidden.  Others that only allow a capella singing, no instruments allowed.  Others that don't count it as sacred music unless a  pipe organ is used.  My Amish cousins will only use a version of Low German, forbid buttons or electricity or rubber tires or internal combustion engines, and dictate suitably "modest" dresses (no pants) for women as well as a precise shape of head covering (don't laugh, the Russian and other Slavic Orthodox with their babushka are little different on that) and more.  Or the arguments between those in the Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox on the precise movement of the hands in making the sign of hte Cross.  "Grace plus ....." for salvation.  We still have it.  Many many MANY more examples can be found.  Arminians versus Calvinists, for example.


Matthew 15:1-20
 

1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. 12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? 17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 20 January 2017

Yesterday was quite a long day.  We had an 05:30 alarm.  Wife was over at niece's before 07:00 to "watch" two little 4-year-olds, one's mom at work, the other in court.  I did some stuff around the house that needed to be done.  I took her some coffee around 09:00.  Then had to take their dog out around 11:00.  Weather was nice enough that I took him on an around-the-block walk, which allowed him to "mark" just about EVERY utility pole in the path, and to leave a more "solid" reminder by a business owned by some Moslems.  Then back.  Then I got detailed to run to Micky D's to get a Happy Meal.  Got back to discover that the variant was unacceptable.  My bad.  Fortunately, by then the older child's mother had picked the daughter up.  And sister-in-law showed up to "watch" the Little One while I took Wife on a 40-minute trek to the rheumatologist's office.  A VERY long consult, which is "normal" with this one: he is very good and very very thorough.  Best one we've had, ever.  Then off towards home, to be messaged that a bunch of prescriptions were ready -- or nearly so -- at the Pharmacy after he'd called them in.  So off to the Big Box store / pharmacy,  To discover that they weren't "quite" ready.  So another hour of waiting.  Fortunately, they didn't have to have them shipped in, as some of hers have had to be.  And, courtesy of our new insurance, we were able to again afford to buy the drug that allows her tear ducts and sweat glands to work a little bit.  A bit.  $28 for 3 months we can afford.  Had we stayed with our previous plan, that would have risen to around $300 or more, which we simply could not afford.  And similar for another drug as well.
But it made for a very long day.  After an 05:30 wakeup, we dragged in around 6 p.m.  Threw together something to eat, and patted cats, and rested up a bit.

But today, we "get" to make another long trek, quite near the office we were at yesterday.  Different doctor, getting some "labs" done.  A repeat of some done last week.  Quite a "fun" life we lead.  So we'll be leaving here in a little while.
   UPDATE:========>>   well, no we aren't.  She's got the nausea and diarrhea again.  Not only does this make travel problematic (not what you want while flying down the Interstate) but the lab involved was urine test due to signs of reduced kidney function.  Having all kinds of stuff going on at either end is not conducive to being properly hydrated.  So we've left word at the doctor office that this will have to be rescheduled.
  And we just got a call from another doctor, practically next door to the one we were at yesterday.  They have her set for some sort of infusion next week to help with the reduced bone density issue.  She had one of them several years ago, 2014 I believe.  So that is one thing.
   She's also scheduled for a "sleep study" to take place Sunday night in yet another town.  This is one that has been a bouncing ball between doctors and insurance carriers for well over a year.  Like many other things in our life.


And today is scheduled to be the inauguration of President Trump.  I do not presume to know how this will all work.  Haven't a clue.  Wish him well, and will covenant to pray for him.  I can't imagine that should enrage anyone, but these days one never knows.

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The reading from the Old Testament today is chapters 46, 47, and 48 of the Genesis.
Joseph is in Egypt, and by the Lord's doing, is precisely placed in precisely the right place and at the right time to preserve the lives of his father and his brothers, continuing the line from Abraham right up to then. Quite a series of "impossible" events, some weird "coincidences', right?  No.  Not accidents.  Not coincidence.  Not happenstance either.  The Lord was at work in ways no one could have imagined.  He still does that.

Genesis 46

1 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. 3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: 4 I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. 5 And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him: 7 His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt. 8 And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. 9 And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi. 10 And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman. 11 And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zarah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron. 14 And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padanaram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three. 16 And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli. 17 And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel. 18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls. 19 The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife; Joseph, and Benjamin. 20 And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. 21 And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard. 22 These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen. 23 And the sons of Dan; Hushim. 24 And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem. 25 These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven. 26 All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six; 27 And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten. 28 And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. 29 And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. 30 And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive. 31 And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and show Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; 32 And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have. 33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? 34 That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

Genesis 47

1 Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen. 2 And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh. 3 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers. 4 They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. 5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: 6 The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle. 7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? 9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. 10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh. 11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families. 13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. 14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. 15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth. 16 And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail. 17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year. 18 When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands: 19 Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate. 20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's. 21 And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof. 22 Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands. 23 Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. 24 And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones. 25 And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants. 26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part, except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's. 27 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years. 29 And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt: 30 But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said. 31 And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.

Genesis 48

1 And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. 3 And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4 And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. 5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 6 And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. 7 And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem. 8 And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these? 9 And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 11 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath showed me also thy seed. 12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. 14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, 16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. 17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. 18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. 19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. 20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.

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The New Testament reading is verses 22-36 of the 14th chapter in the Gospel of Matthew.  Think you know the Lord's limits?  Think that there is anything He can't do, anything too hard for Him?  Think that when He calls you to do something impossible, that He can't carry you?  If so, you're wrong.  Peter learned that, a lesson that doubtless remained with him in future struggles.

Matthew 14:22-36

22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. 34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; 36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 19 January 2017

In an odd mood this morning.  An 05:45 alarm going off is a less than great start.  Walking in bare feet across a somewhat cold floor to provide the required breakfast to three cats uttering plaintive wails of imminent starvation doesn't improve one's disposition.  I know that I should be thankful -- and am -- that I had a bed to sleep in and a roof over it, food enough to have some for cats, and clothes to wear -- but at that precise moment, thankfulness is not uppermost in the mind.  Oh, well.
So, I arose,  So, once cats were fed, did Dear Wife.  She trundled off to the shower, the steamy air will do her breathing good.  I dressed, put away the dishes that had rested in the drying rack over night.  Helped her to get dried off and dressed, made her something to eat. She's next door to "watch" the Great-Niece today.  2nd Great-Niece is supposed to show up momentarily as mom and dad head off to court.  Later today, mid-afternoon actually,we're supposed to make a trek to see Wife's physician, a rheumatologist, in what is supposedly a 30-minute drive hence.  Based on past experience, I think we'll plan to leave here 60 minutes or so before the scheduled appointment.

If everything holds, tomorrow some time, an event will be held in the nation's capital, the inauguration of a new President.  An end, perhaps, to a remarkably bitter and rancorous election cycle, some two years' length.  Part of me is glad that it is over, part of me suspects that it really isn't.  I've long believed that the important things in life happen in the hearts of individual people, and from thence into the home, the family, the neighborhood.  And, occasionally, further.  NOT in the nation's capital, nor in the state houses, city halls, or the like.  But there are those who disagree.  Now, there are those who wish to believe that the truly important things are accomplished in these centers of power, political power.  Informed, they believe, by the "cultural leaders", such as the Hollywood movie makers, the academicians in the various universities, by the Transnational Progressivists in the EU, the UN, and the like.  With, occasionally, a cursory nod to the Vatican, etc.  Inasmuch as these 'true believers" assume that they themselves are always on the right side of things, and that their co-religionists are with them, any deviation is regarded as heresy, to be violently put down.  We used to think that the term "thoughtcrime" was simply an interesting term invented to fill a space in George Orwell's book, "1984".  No more.  And, as the very concept of the individual becomes out of favor with the collectivists, the statists if you like, the idea is ever more violently suppressed by agents of the State.  We've seen that in the SovUnion, in the Third Reich, with the ChiComs, among the Khmer Rouge, and, increasingly, in the US Department of Just-Us, the Ivy League colleges, the public schools, and the cultural mavens.  There is push back on this, and that may be largely the root of the great rancor in this election cycle. 
And part of all that has to do with definitions of truth, and where do our allegiances lie.  I am reminded of the experiences of Daniel and his three friends.  They were ordered on pain of death to bow only to the king and to the gods of the nation where they were captives.  They could have pretended to do so, to put on a show of agreement so as to not give offense to the king and the culture.  Probably most people, including the other captives, did one of those "go along to get along" excusese.  We don't know their names, which is just as well.  Daniel, and his three friends did not go along.  We remember their names.  Was it worth it?  Every one of us must answer that question, and it's not an easy one.  I have been in situations where everyone was expected to enthusiastically support the Cause of The Day, whether the matter was "Gay Rights", or the virtues of Islam, or the labor union, or the like.  Failure to be seen as sufficiently supportive could have career-limiting consequences.  Ask me how I know.

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The Old Testament reading for this morning is chapters 44 and 45 of the Genesis.
I can remember a once common saying, now rarely heard:  "the Lord works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform".  Remember that?  Sometimes He arranges things in ways we could never have imagined.  At some point, perhaps, we look back and see what He's done, in the oddest ways, but in such a way that what would have seemed impossible, is not only -- obviously -- possible, but in place.  I've been there.  Perhaps you have as well.
This is part of such an improbable chain of events.  Joseph, rejected by his brothers, captured, sold as a slave, falsely accused of awful things, is now the 2nd most powerful person in Egypt, and therefore uniquely placed to rescue those members of his own family who had hated him and set in motion that chain of events.  And, improbably, he was able to see through those horrid circumstances and see that the Lord had been at work all along, and did not use his temporal power to exact vengeance against those who had done him harm.  A better man than I, certainly.  So now there is a bit of a family reunion, and his aged father learns that his son is alive after all. 

Genesis 44

1 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. 2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. 4 And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? 5 Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing. 6 And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. 7 And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing: 8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold? 9 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. 10 And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless. 11 Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. 12 And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 13 Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city. 14 And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground. 15 And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine? 16 And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found. 17 And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father. 18 Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother? 20 And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him. 21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. 22 And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die. 23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. 24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food. 26 And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us. 27 And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons: 28 And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since: 29 And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. 30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life; 31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. 33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. 34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

Genesis 45

1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. 2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. 4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. 9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: 10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: 11 And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty. 12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. 13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither. 14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him. 16 And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; 18 And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. 19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours. 21 And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. 22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment. 23 And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way. 24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way. 25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, 26 And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not. 27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: 28 And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

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The New Testament reading is verses 1-21 in the 14th chapter in the Gospel of Matthew.
The earthly cousin of Jesus, the one we call John the Baptist, is executed on a whim.  And Jesus is now at the forefront, and begins by feeding the multitude out of a few meager offerings, but all that someone had to give.  ALL he had to give.  The Lord wants us to love Him with ALL our heart, soul, mind and strength.  99.9% won't do.

Matthew 14:1-21
 

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, 2 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. 3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife. 4 For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. 5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. 6 But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. 7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. 8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger. 9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. 10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. 11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. 13 When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. 14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. 15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. 16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. 17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. 18 He said, Bring them hither to me. 19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. 21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.