Today's Reading June 17

This morning's reading is in the book of Nehemiah, chapters 4, 5, and 6
The wall is going up, and opposition is rising.

6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

And it had a good completion.

15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

- - - - -
This evening we get further into the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2, verses 14 through 47, continuing the account of Pentecost. A great message is delivered here upon the occasion of the Holy Spirit of God indwelling the believers, as He does today. I have been told that Pentecost, the Jewish festival, is not only the Feast of Weeks, but also commemorates the Giving of the Law, as it came through Moses. If you go back into the Old Testament and look up the event, you will find that upon that occasion, Moses came down from the mountain to find the people engaged in every sort of wicked behavior, including idolatry. In the hours after that, 3000 people died. Upon the occasion in Acts, 3000 people were converted. There's a good verse we should all know, ''.. the law killeth, but the Spirit gives life''. Go look it up. Meanwhile, read, study, pray over this section of Acts. It's all good, but I like,

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

and

46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

I've never been at an church service that saw 3000 people saved. But it could happen, it already has. I'd love to be there.

Ever feel like this?

Some days you know how this one feels

Today's Reading June 16

This morning we get into the book of Nehemiah, chapters 1, 2, and 3.
Ezra was focused on rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem and cleansing the leadership, especially the priests and Levites, of their compromises with the idolators who lived around them. The relationship of the people to the LORD has to come first.
Nehemiah follows on to that by rebuilding the city of Jerusalem, beginning with its walls and gates.
Walls and gates have become controversial in our time, part and parcel over the erroneous desire to avoid accusations of discrimination. That's nonsense. There is nothing inherently wrong with discrimination, it simply means the ability to draw a distinction, something the Lord does throughout the Bible. If you can't distinguish between cow manure and steak, I'm not eating barbecue at your house, but the distinction between the two is ''discrimination'', and A Good Thing, too. Likewise, walls, and gates, and fences make clear that there are lines and boundaries that should not be lightly crossed. There are locks on the doors to my house, and even latches on interior doors like those into the bathroom. There are doors and walls and such on the bank and bank vault. There are normally, and should be, walls and fences and gates on the borders between two countries. And distinctions between the sacred and the profane, the Hebrews and the Syrians, the good and the bad. The idolators who lived near Jerusalem didn't like the idea of the wall. But the Lord did, and so it was built. Nehemiah really didn't care about Political Correctness, he cared about doing what the Lord had set him to do. Good advice. From chapter 2,

20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

But before this could happen, back when he was a servant in the Captivity, he prayed to the Lord, which is also good advice. From chapter 1,

2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
11 O LORD, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.

I am convinced that NOTHING worthwhile done for the Lord, no matter how strong the effort or how worthy the motive, can really prosper without prayer. It is perhaps the least practiced of all the spiritual disciplines.
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Acts, chapter 2, verses 1 through 13. This is the record of the event that we Christians call Pentecost. Pentecost was of course already a special day in the Jewish calendar, coming 50 days after Passover. But to Christians it has a special meaning - it is the date that the Holy Spirit came in power to indwell believers. It was an event that could not have been explained away by some trick of nature or of men. It could only be what it in fact was, God's presence in a very real and continuous way. As it is today. There are and have long been various ideas, even heated arguments, about the nature of the Holy Spirit, the Spiritual Gifts, the continuation of the various gifts, and so on. I don't know the answer, but I find some of the disputes to be at odds with Jesus command to ''Love one another''
At any rate, it creates quite a stir, and we'll be talking about it some.

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Today's Reading June 15

This morning we take up Ezra, chapters 9 and 10. This is an account of repentance - the people of God had, beginning with the leaders, had tried to ''be like everybody else'', in defiance of the Lord's laws, and had taken wives from among the heathens. This is, of course, the classic way that they became involved in false gods - the mothers taught their children and the next generation went astray. Ezra is trying to restore the Temple, and learns of the wickedness of the people. The result we see in chapter 9

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

This Evening, we begin the Acts of the Apostles. This is very nearly as important as the Gospels are - and yes, I realize that ALL Scripture is important, but it's not all equally important.
We begin with Acts chapter 1. This is the account, beginning with the Ascension of Jesus, Now they have to begin to carry out His order ''follow Me''.

Today's Reading June 14

This morning we continue in the book of Ezra, chapters 6,7,8
This is not a part of the Bible that many people get into, which is unfortunate. For it shows something of how the people of the Lord should conduct themselves in bad circumstances. Take, for example, a good verse from chapter 7,

10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.

. Have we, ourselves, ''prepared our hearts to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it?''. Speaking for myself, not well.

This evening, we finish the Gospel of John, all of chapter 21
Jesus, having arisen from the grave, now meets with His disciples briefly. He gives them - and us - the marching orders ''Follow me.'' And so we should.

Today June 14th

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith
becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated
on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage
to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin.
But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American,
and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here.
Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all.
We have room for but one flag, the American flag..
We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...
and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Today is Flag Day in the United States. Honor it any way you can.

Today's Reading June 13

Today's Old Testament is from the book of Ezra, chapters 3, 4, and 5
The people, having been given permission, have returned to Jerusalem and have begun to rebuild the Temple. And they take great joy in this.

10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.
11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
12 But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:
13 So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

Our New Testament reading is from the Gospel of John chapter 20
Just as the readings from the last few days, the record leading up to the Crucifixion, right through Jesus' burial, are arguably the darkest in all of Scripture, here we get into the most hopeful. He's alive! The tomb is empty!
In a way, we can not imagine what went through their minds. In another way, we do. Ray vander Laan once said that every believer must, in his mind's eye, go to that tomb, look inside, and verify that He is risen. That's not a bad way to think about it. I know that He is risen, just as He said. And as a result of a vacant cross and an empty tomb, I have hope.

This morning we get into the book of Ezra chapters 1 and 2. Both elements of the divided kingdom of Israel and Judah have fallen to the enemies. The walls of Jerusalem are broken down, the Temple has been desecrated and burned, many of the people slaughtered in hideous ways, and much of the remnant has been carried off captive. Quite a come-down from the great hope and promise at the end of the Exodus. But just.
Starting here in the book of Ezra, we see the start of the Return. Cyrus the king orders that the Temple may be rebuilt. It is a long way on foot from Babylon (near Baghdad) to Jerusalem - look it up on a map. I wonder what was going on in the minds of the travellers.
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This evening we continue in the Gospel of John, chapter 19, verses 23 through 42.
The final parts of the Crucifixion. Jesus gives up the ghost, and is interred in a new tomb. The Devil thinks he won. WRONG!

Today's Reading June 11

Good Monday to you. It's just past 05:30 here and it's warming already.
This morning's reading will be 2nd Chronicles 34, 35, and 36. This will complete the Chronicles. And it's not a fun read.
It starts well, mind you. Josiah is counted as one of the good kings and he was a very good one. And he sought the Lord. But in the end the nation had become so wicked for so long that judgment, while delayed, came. Josiah died not far from the place we call Armageddon. And his successor (have we seen this before?) is wicked. And judgment comes, and it's not pretty.

14 Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.
15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:
16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.
17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.
18 And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.
19 And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.
20 And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
21 To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

Anybody think it can't happen here?
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This evening's reading continues in the Gospel of John 19, verses 1 through 22.
This is the Crucifixion of our Lord. Nothing more needs be said.

Today's Reading June 10

This morning = 2nd Chronicles, chapters 32 and 33
We see in chapter 32 more of the story of Hezekiah, a good king, one of the very best. And we see that the LORD gave him victory over his enemies, and long life, and great riches, and the love of of his subjects. And then, as ever, Hezekiah dies at the end of the account in chapter 32.
In chapter 33, Hezekiah's son Manasseh takes the throne. And he is of a decidedly different sort, something we see over and over. Though this is a bit different than some of these accounts. Manasseh does very wickedly, and receives the punishment, but not the condemnation of the LORD. And so,

12 And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,
13 And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.

Good result, right? Well, partially. Manasseh repented, and worked to reverse things. And then he died. And his son was more wicked than he had been, and did not repent.

22 But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;
23 And humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.
24 And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.
25 But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.

Is this any way to run a kingdom?
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This evening - the Gospel of John, chapter 18, verses 24 through 40
This is Jesus bound, and the account begins with one of those very sad accounts,

25 And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.
26 One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him?
27 Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.

Fulfilling what Jesus had told Peter only hours before.
There is another phrase here, one that seems to be seen in our own world altogether too much.

38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?

I hear on too many lips the notions expressed that ''everything's relative'' and ''whatever works for me'' or other ways of denying the very existence of objective absolute truth. Pilate wasn't the first to deny this, probably. It is a sad thing that he has so many like-minded followers, each as foolish as he was.

Good morning and I hope that your weekend is beginning well
The morning reading is from 2nd Chronicles, chapters 29, 30, and 31. This is the account of King Hezekiah. Hezekiah is about the last good king before the fall. And he is a very good king, and the LORD blesses him. There is a gem here:

20 And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God.
21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

With all his heart. No double-mindedness, no ''both yes and no'', no having a foot in each camp. With ALL his heart. Good words for today too.
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The evening reading is from the Gospel of John chapter 18, verses 1 through 23
Jesus is betrayed, and bound, and taken to the place of the High Priest. Simon Peter and one other disciple - out of all the others - followed behind and went that place. The others are not mentioned here, I assume that they fled and hid. But Peter went. And yet, in short order, we see a prophecy of Jesus begin to be fulfilled:

15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.
16 But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.
17 Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not.

It did not take long for Peter to begin to deny Jesus. But he was not the last to do so, was he?

Today's Reading June 08

Good morning and Happy Friday!
This morning's reading from the Old Testament continues, as we will for the next few days, in 2nd Chronicles. Today we study chapters 26, 27, and 28.
We know that in the next few days we will see the accounts of the fall of the kingdoms of Judah and of Israel, and that bright hope we recall when the children of Israel ended their long Exodus from bondage seems to have fallen forever (though that was not so, not totally). And here we see more evidence of the rot. That rot is, as I said the other day, altogether too familiar in our own lands, and I believe that the same disaster may overtake us as well.

In 26 we see Uzziah, a good king, and a strong king, who fell into the sin of pride.

16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
17 And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men:
18 And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honor from the LORD God.
19 Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar.
20 And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.

In chapter 27, a sign that all is not yet lost

6 So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.

But he was followed in chapter 28 by his own son, a man of a different sort.

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father:
2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim.
3 Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
4 He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

did you see verse 3?? Go back and look, and consider: what sort of man is it who will throw his own children into a fire as a human sacrifice to his god? Not a good man, but an evil man. We see a very similar thing in own time - the wicked demon-cult of Islam openly preaches ''death for the glory of Allah'' as even small children are encouraged to to vile murder in the name of the demon named Allah. Some things never change by the way.

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The evening reading is the Gospel of John, chapter 17.
This is a prayer by Jesus. It is worth noting for that reason alone, and the fact that He knew that we would be studying it some 2000 years later just adds to that. He expected, even desired, us to know about it. And there are some important things there. You can pick out some, easily, and over time different ones may seem particularly significant. That is as it should be. Today, I like,

14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Today's Reading June 07

Good morning, all.
This morning's Old Testament passage in our through-the-Bible-in-a-year journey is 2nd Chronicles, chapters 23, 24, and 25.
More of the same. Evil prospers, then a good king comes for a while, then the people return to their natural inclination to do evil.
from chapter 24

18 And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.
19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.
20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.
21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.
22 Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it.
23 And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus.

If you have not done so already, go over to the Focus on the Family website and listen to the two-part message that Dr. John McArthur delivered at the National Day of Prayer. We see in Scripture that in times of great wickedness among God's chosen people, He would at times turn them over to their enemies. Dr. MacArthur believes, as do I, that we are at the same point in America. God has blessed us greatly and protected us from our enemies on all sides. We can no longer count on that. There is an alternative, and we looked at it the other day:

2nd Chronicles chapter 7: 13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

And that is the ONLY alternatitve, until He returns.

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Gospel of John, chapter 16, verses 16 through 33.
More of Jesus' words with great import. One of my favorites is

33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Where's the fence?

Go over and check out this site: www.wheresthefence.com if you want to raise your blood pressure up to a safe level.
I am furious beyond measure at the actions in Washington by some of our electeds, unfortunately beginning with the President, who have obstinately determined to push an amnesty through for those who have criminally invaded our country. I can not determine with any degree of certainty whether their actions and non-actions simply constitute malfeasance in office, or if the matter rises to the level of treason. I'm seriously leaning towards the latter.
This is not only a bad bad bill - we would expect nothing less from something involving the drunken murderer Ted Kennedy - but it is really much worse than that; it is the sort of bad that over time becomes worse and worse. One might reasonably conclude that such is the intent.

Today's Reading June 6

Today is D-Day. I spoke with a couple ladies on Monday, one about 19, one about 60. Neither knew what June 6th commemorates, neither knew what I meant by D-day, neither knew what Normandy is.
But for those of us who do know, and remember, to those who were there, thank you.
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This morning's reading from the Old Testament comes from 2nd Chronicles, chapters 20, 21, and 22
from Ch 20 in a time of distress:

5 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

yet even after that, all was not quite right

32 And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD.
33 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.

and that leads to no good thing
starting with his son and successor in chapter 21

4 Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.
5 Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD.

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This evening's reading from the New Testament is from the Gospel of John, chapter 16, verses 1 through 15.
These are some of Jesus' last words for His followers before they go out to Gethsemane where He will be betrayed. And the subject matter is important, and timely, for it speaks of the Holy Spirit in these days just after Pentecost. I am a member of a Southern Baptist church, but in my heart I'm more than half a Pentecostal type. This is all Good Stuff.

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Today's Reading June 05

This morning's reading in the Old Testament is from Second Chronicles, chapters 17, 18, and 19.

This evening's New Testament passage is from the Gospel of John, chapter 15.

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
Ps 35:19, 69:4
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

Today's Reading June 04

This morning's passage from the Old Testament is Second Chronicles, chapters 13, 14, 15, and 16.


This evening's reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 14.
I can't really pick anything out of this - the whole passage is so extraordinary. Those of us who have been blessed to have been raised in godly homes and to have spent time in the Bible from a young age have probably been taught - and taught - from this section many times, because there is just so much there that is of vital importance.

This morning's reading from the Old Testament comes from Second Chronicles chapters 10, 11, and 12.
Solomon has died and his son has taken the throne. And immediately trouble starts, the kingdom is divided in two, and things head downhill fast. The old enemies immediately attack and the whole thing gets real bad.
A lot of good record here, but one verse stands out for me, from chapter 12:

14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.

This evening's reading from the New testament is from the Gospel of John, chapter 13, verses 18 through 38.
We're still at the meaning-laden last supper, and encounter what are, for many of us, very familiar territory:

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.

Great picture

This was found over at Military Motivator site. We have permission of that proprietor to display this picture

It says quite a lot. It is apparently people in Iraq taking cover behind one of our people after a homicide attack. I doubt that you'll see it on CNN or CBS or ABC or the New York Times.

This morning's reading from the Old Testament comes from Second Chronicles, chapters 7, 8, and 9.
There's some real good and real bad stuff here.
Who would not want to have been there for

1 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD's house.
3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

and this passage is familiar to many of us

14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

And I do believe that.
But I also believe

19 But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;
20 Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.
21 And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house?
22 And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.

If you believe in the one, you have to believe the other. And we aren't looking good in that respect.
And, in the midst of all of this, in chapter 8 we see a bad sign

11 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the LORD hath come.

Egypt was a world they were supposed to have left behind, not to bring back in. Solomon ignored that, and the results affected his posterity, and us as well. Nothing good comes out of introducing sin into your life or your house.
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This evening's reading from the New Testament is from the Gospel of John, chapter 13, verses 1 through 17.
This is from the Last Supper, Jesus and His disciples in a room together for one more time. We know, from our vantage, what is soon to follow. They did not. But Jesus did. Read the passage with that in mind - that He knew what would happen, how they would respond. He also - and do not miss this - knew that some 2000 years later, we also would be reading and praying over this account. Keep that in mind.
I'm drawn this morning to verse 17

17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Do them. Don't just read and admire them. Do them.

Today's Reading June 01

Happy Friday and Happy New Month.
This morning's Old Testament reading is Second Chronicles, chapters 4,5,6
There are some occasions in the records of Scripture that I dearly wish that I had been there. Here's one of those occasions:

13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

Wouldn't you want to be there for that?

John, chapter 12, verses 20 through 50.
Another great memory verse:

20 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.

A right and proper statement. We should all say it, all have it in our hearts. Nothing will do until we find Jesus.

Today's Reading May 31

Today we end the month of May and begin a new book in the Old Testament. Today we begin Second Chronicles, chapters 1, 2, and 3. Solomon is now king. This is a time of new beginnings. The Lord appears to Solomon and grants his wish for wisdom and understanding. Solomon commences the effort to build the temple.

The reading from the New Testament takes us to the 12th chapter of the Gospel of John, verses 1 through 19. Jesus makes His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, while the religious leaders of the day seek Hid demise, and that of Lazarus as well. Being an example of God's mercy is not always safe. It's worth the risk, but it's not always safe.

Today's Reading May 30

This morning's reading from the Old Testament finishes First Chronicles - we'll go through chapters 28 and 29. This is David's last appearance in Chronicles, and deals primarily with his exhortations to the people with respect to the LORD and to the plans and preparations made for the construction of the First Temple. David had a good way with words - see the Psalms of David for that - and this does not disappoint.

This evening's reading from the New Testament completes chapter 11 of the Gospel of John, verses 47 to 57. Seen in one light, this is the echoes from the raising of Lazarus. And that's true. But it's also the chain of events that will lead, step by step, to the Cross.

Today's Reading May 29

Old Testament reading
First Chronicles chapters 26 and 27

New Testament reading
Gospel of John, chapter 11, verses 18 through 46
this is, as happens so often in John's gospel, one of those memorable sections. This is the resurrection of the dead Lazarus. I can't pull out the best part - it's all good.

18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.
34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

No good deed goes unpunished. Someone had to ''tell on'' Jesus for this.

Today's Reading May 28

Today is Memorial Day. It is a solemn day in America. I am not happy at the way the day has been trivialized. It seems to me that it is disrespectful in the extreme to reduce it to a day of furniture sales and lawn care. The dead deserver more respect and solemnity than this.

My wife's foster brother was able to spend part of his active duty Army service as one of the sentinels at the Tomb of the Unknowns. It was his way of paying respects to those who had died in the service of this country, or who had paid a high price in other ways. Let us not forget that the freedoms we enjoy were bought at a high price.
Whether the freedom from the penalty of sin and death that was paid at the Cross. Or the freedom from tyranny that was paid at places like Omaha Beach, or the Battle of Trenton, or Khe Sanh. Or Baghdad.

Thank you.
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This morning's reading, from the Old Testament, continues in First Chronicles, chapters 23, 24, and 25. More of the organization of the kingdom with emphasis on the organization of the priestly functions and the support groups. Some 4000 men whose whole job was to praise God. Sounds like a good calling to me!

This evening's reading from the New Testament, comes from the Gospel of John, chapter 11, verses 1 through 17. This is the initial part of the story of Lazarus.

Today's Reading May 27

Good Sunday morning to all.
This morning's passage from the Old Testament continues in First Chronicles, chapters 20, 21, and 22. A bit of a transition here. The passage begins with more account of war. The 2nd chapter, chapter 21, gets into some memorable things. Satan tempts David to do something he shouldn't have, a census. Consequences follow, but along the way we see established the very location that the LORD established for the Temple. A place that, by the way, remains very contentious to this very day.

18 Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.
20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.
23 And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.
24 And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
25 So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.
26 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
27 And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.
28 At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.
29 For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon.

And the Islamo-heathens still are motivated by their god, Satan, to deny this site to the Jews.
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This evening's reading, from the New Testament, comes from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verses 22 through 42

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

Today's Reading May 26

This morning's reading, from the Old Testament
First Chronicles, chapters 17, 18, and 19


This evening's reading, from the New Testament.
The Gospel of John, chapter 10, verses 1 through 21
Jesus is teaching again, using the illustrations of a Shepherd and the sheep.

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Reading for May 25

Sorry for the delay. Exigent circumstances and all that.

Morning reading from First Chronicles, chapters 14,15, and 16
Some recounts of the early reign of David, and the movement of the Ark of the Covenant. I love the account of the celebration attached to this. A great number of people are named there, people who were deeply involved in every part of this. They were there because God Himself wanted them there, none were there accidentally. And, thousands of years later, their names are remembered. God has not forgotten them, and He doesn't forget us either. Question: are we as excited, as committed, as they were?

Evening reading from the Gospel of John, chapter 9, verses 24 through 41

25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.

I love that verse, and not only because of the best-loved song ''Amazing Grace'' but also because it is part of the testimony of many of us. I truly don't understand all the deep theology of Salvation. I don't, and probably in this life never will. And I don't need to - there's no test. What I do know is that He came into my life, and now things are different. And that is what is important. The rest will come in time.

Today's Reading May 24

Morning Old Testament reading
First Chronicles, chapters 11, 12 and 13.
Greater detail of the life and times of David.

Evening reading, New Testament
The Gospel of John, chapter 9, verses 1 through 23
Jesus heals a blind man, and gets everyone upset over it.

Today's Reading May 23

Today is my 200th post here. Not a record, surely, but some sort of milestone.

Morning reading, from the Old Testament, is First Chronicles, chapters 8,9, and 10
I know that the list of names, the begats, the places of dwelling, can get a bit tedious. But these were real people with real lives. And the LORD knew them all by name. He knows my name too, which is a comfort when the world threatens to overwhelm us, to stamp us down into the dust to be forgotten. God does not forget.



Evening reading, from the New Testament, is from the Gospel of John, chapter 8, verses 37 through 59.

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

Get that? Recall that name for Almighty God as revealed to Moses? Right. I AM.

Today's Reading May 22

The morning reading from the Old Testament
First Chronicles, chapters 6 and 7



The evening reading from the New Testament,
The Gospel of John, chapter 8, verses 21 through 36

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Today's Reading May 21

Morning reading, from the Old Testament First Chronicles chapters 3,4, and 5
Evening reading from the New Testament the Gospel of John, chapter 8, verses 1 through 20

Illegal Immigration, Part 1008 or more

Many of us are outraged by the latest effort by the White House, the Rockefeller wing of the Republican Party, that hate-America wing of the Democrats (most of them, in other words), LULAC, La Raza, the government of Mexico, the Wall Street Journal, and a whole mess of others to dismiss the sovereignty of the United States and to render citizenship as a worthless thing.
Part of this effort involves a whole spin effort, lies and deceit actually, by the President and his flaks. I expected better of him and am now sorry for my votes and other efforts in his behalf.
Red State has posted several good articles on the matter. I particularly commend to the attention of all the point by point refutation of the official lies on the subject. You may find it at http://www.redstate.com/stories/featured_stories/
response_to_white_house_myth_fact_on_immigration_bill

Today's Reading May 20

First Chronicles chapters 1 and 2
John 7 32 to 53

Today's Reading May 19

This morning's reading from the Old Testament is from Second Kings, chapters 23, 24, and 25, which completes the books of the Kings. It begins very well with the accession of King Josiah. The last good king for a very long time. But Josiah is killed in battle over near Megiddo (right by Armageddon, by the way) and his son takes over and things go bad right away. His son is evil, and so are all the successors until the Babylonians come in, wreck the place, and drag off most of the remainder to Babylon. (right outside modern-day Baghdad, by the way, some things never change).
I can't help but wonder why good kings, like Hezekiah, Josiah, David, etc. are so often followed by sons who are of a different sort. One would like to think that one who ably rules a kingdom could do as well in his own household. That again still is seen today.

This evening's passage from the New Testament is still in the Gospel of John, chapter 7, verses 1 through 31. Jesus has gone secretly into the Temple during the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, and teaches there. And immediately stirs up opposition. There are those who involved in various cult groups do not believe either in the divinity of Jesus, or that He claimed such, are or should be very nervous about passages such as this. Indeed, they should be nervous about the whole Gospel of John. But then, they don't seem to pay much attention to the Bible anyway.

Today's Reading May 18

This morning's reading is from Second Kings, chapters 20, 21, and 22.
The same old story - Hezekiah dies, his son takes over. And his son is wicked. So is his son. Josiah, the next king, is of a different sort. Josiah is a godly man.

The afternoon's passage is from the Gospel of John, chapter 6, verses 45 through 71.
This is enormously important, and there are several important passage. One of my very favorites is verses 67-69.

67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Today's Reading May 17

Sorry for the lateness of the posting today. It does render the term ''morning reading'' inaccurate, for which I do apologize. Exigent circumstances, and all that stuff.
But at any rate:
Morning Old Testament continues in Second Kings chapters 18 and 19. Here we find, at long last, a good king. Hezekiah, a great king. One who was, wholeheartedly, a man who loved, trusted, obeyed, and followed the Lord. A rarity, in other words. And, as is to be expected, one who generated enemies. Read the story of what happened when Jerusalem was besieged. Would have been quite a sight as it says in

35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

That's 185,000 dead Assyrians, all in one night. Not bad.
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This evening's reading, from the New Testament, continues in the Gospel of John, chapter 6, verses 22 through 44. A great bit of stuff. One great verse:

37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Today's Reading May 16

This morning's reading comes from Second Kings, chapters 15, 16, and 17.
More of the same. More of the people of Israel and Judah becoming just like that nations around them. Desperately wicked and daily more so, and coming under God's judgment as a result. Murder, assassination, human sacrifice, worship of false gods. Sounds like the world today. I know what happened in Judah and Israel. I don't think Western civilization, what we used to call ''Christendom'', will fare any better.

This evening's reading is from the Gospel of John chapter 6, verses 1 through 21.
This passage begins with Jesus feeding of the 5000 men, plus women and children. It ends with Jesus walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee in a storm. When He got in the boat, the storm was over and they were at their destination. Yes, we can trust Him to get us where we are going, even in the storms of life.
I believe that. Do you?

Today's Reading May 15

This morning's reading from the Old Testament comes from Second Kings, chapters 12, 13, and 14. This is interesting, but a bit hard going. It reminds me somewhat of the accounts back in the book of the Judges - the kings were mostly evil, the people were mostly doing wickedly, and the results were predictable: the Lord removed His protection from them and they were attacked by their enemies. Some of those enemies were internal - one king was killed by his own servants. Elisha dies during all of this time and the desire for the true God is little seen. Sounds familiar, actually.

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This evening's reading from the New Testament is from the Gospel of John, chapter 5, verses 25 through 47. Jesus continues to teach those who do not want to hear. There are some harsh words here, and they're still valid.

37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
41 I receive not honour from men.
42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

Tough stuff to hear. Worse to ignore.

Today's Reading May 14

Sorry for the absence of the last few days. I'm running low on close relatives to bury, so perhaps we'll settle down a bit.

This morning's reading from the Old Testament is from Second Kings, chapters 9, 10, and 11. This is not light reading. This is judgment against the house of Ahab. There is a lot of death here, a lot of the consequences of evil deeds and worse attitudes. And it's not over yet.

This evening's reading from the New Testament comes from the Gospel of John, chapter 5, verses 1 through 24. It begins with Jesus healing the infirm man at the Bethesda pool, and doing so on Sabbath. It ends with Jesus warning the religious leaders,

18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

Do you believe that? I do. That's the Gospel.

Today May 14, 2007 brief and personal

Good morning

We are back to our modest home. We got in late last night after a thousand-mile car trip that began at dawn and went on and on and on. I have new respect for over-the-road truck drivers - I would not like to spend my life this way.

Having the funerary rites for your mother-in-law on the day before Mother's Day is not the best of all possible situations. I think that is not a controversial statement. We got to see a number of family members and old friends and acquaintances. Some made us to recall better times. Some reminded us why we had not had contact with them in more than 20 years. Some of the situations were just plain awkward. One woman showed up, most of us did not know who she was; she was one of the many children that my brother-in-law had fathered by his many wives (I think he's closing in on a dozen now, but that may be low) and numerous ''meaningful overnight relationships''. She seemed nice enough but it did make for some interesting dynamics. There were all the varieties of social dynamic that seem to accompany such things - the sides that were taken in various intra-family disputes played out as islands of people clumps were in the midst of the eddies of the marginally involved.

At any rate, we are glad to be home. I paid $3.199 / gallon for gas in NE Ohio - as we traveled south and west it fell and fell. I think I saw a sign saying $2.82 last night but by then I was bleary-eyed. Matt Drudge's site is showing $4 + in some places - I imagine it's those places ''blessed'' by the sort of superior leaders that the evening TV propaganda shows think we need to have in office. A plague be upon them.

The area we were in is bounded by Akron in the west and the Mahoning Valley in the east. It used to be a major manufacturing center. Now, the combination of offshore manufacturing, thick-headed management, absolutely venal unions, corrupt politicians, the Mafia (yes, I mean that), the illegitimati in the EPA, and a one-party region (yes, the Democrap one), have collided to yield rows of empty factories, closed stores, empty parking lots, and burned-out houses. We went by one facility Friday morning en route to the funeral home. It's 3/4 mile long complex dedicated to automotive components. It used to be called Packard Electric, Division of General Motors Corp., but it now is under the dead weight of the bankrupt Delphi Automotive Corp., and the employee lots that are not totally empty have only a few cars. I am told that, once all of the realignment and downsizing is complete, that the operation which once employed well over 10,000 will have 700 total. But they still have their idiot union which totally supports the Democrat stranglehold on the area. And I know of many similar situations - drive through Akron some time if you doubt me.

It's been a week to think about death a lot. Of individuals, obviously. But also of hopes, dreams, communities, efforts. Too much of those thoughts and a whole lot of windshield time on a 16-1/2 hour drive. Sorry to be negative today. It's been a rough spring.

Today May 11

We are so grateful for the prayers, financial support, and many expressions of kindness we have been receiving during our current struggles. As some may be aware, Sunday has been designated as Mother's Day. We will, however, be spending tomorrow, the day before, in funeral services for my mother in law, who passed away this week. This has led to a road trip of nearly 2000 miles, just six weeks after we buried my mother, and two weeks after my job was eliminated. It has not been a great couple of months for us.
Please keep us in prayer as we go through this process and then head back home so that my beloved can be at work Monday morning.

Slight update and such

Posting will be light for the next few days. As I posted earlier, my wife's mother passed away this morning. In the early morning hours we will be undertaking another 2000-mile trip by car. Burying your mother on the day before Mother's Day is a very tough thing to have to do, but that is what faces us. Doing so a mere 6 weeks after MY mother's funeral makes it no better. Doing so in the midst of our economic catastrophe does not make things any better. We borrowed some money from the church tonight to pay for gasoline etc., or we could not make the trip and it will be a tight issue even then. The church's generosity and love just choked me up. I can not express my thanks adequately.

Pray for us, please. We've had a very bumpy road. God is still in this, somehow, which means a lot. But it's still bumpy.

Today's Reading May 09

This morning's reading from the Old Testament continues in First Kings, chapters 19 and 20. This is depressing, at least to me. We begin with more of the Elijah vs. Jezebel and Ahab row. Jezebel is seeking Elijah's life after he slaughtered the Baal prophets at the Kishon, and he's running for his life. The chapter ends with his commissioning of Elisha as his successor. Chapter 20 is more of the account of Ahab and his fights with the Syrians (yes, that's a very old war and it continues even today). From the outward signs, Israel has become just another kingdom in the area. While Ahab was by all accounts remarkably wicket, that would make him fit in well with the other kings in the area, he'd be just like everyone else. That too is an old problem.
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The evening reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 2. It begins with Jesus' first recorded miracle, the changing of the water into wine. This an episode that has drawn much commentary and I'll remain silent on the subject of whether the wine was actually wine or just unfermented grape juice. But I suspect it was wine. The chapter then records Jesus driving the moneychangers and vendors out of the Temple area.

Today May 09

Today is a tough one.
We have just a short while ago received word that my mother-in-law has passed away. Since my mother passed away just 6 weeks ago, this is a double blow. What makes it even more difficult are some things that come with it
- my job was eliminated about 10 days ago and we were already in a financial bind. We do not have the money to make another 2000=mile trip for another funeral
- my daughter was able to accompany us last time as her home was on the way. But she moved since then and her new home is about a 500-mile detour. And the job she was promised as part of the move did not materialize, so she has no traveling money either.
- Rhoda, my mother-in-law had never given any evidence of a real Christian relationship. She was at best a nominal Episcopalian but hadn't darkened the door of a church in at least 15 years and very little before then. So that's an issue.

Today's Reading May 08

Good morning and Happy Tuesday.
This morning's reading from the Old Testament is from First Kings chapters 16, 17, and 18
More of the decline of the divided kingdom. We do see here the beginnings of Samaria, from whence came later the references to the Samaritans. (by the way, there is a small remnant of them even today).
And yet, and yet .... yes there was great evil. The story of Ahab and Jezebel is in this section. But so is Elijah, to my mind the greatest prophet in the Old Testament. God sent him because, even in their wickedness, God had not forgotten His people. If you ever have the chance, you really need to study Ray Vanderlaan's ''That the World May Know'' (though I think it's now retitled as ''Faith Lessons'') series on video, with particular attention to the Elijah story - it used to be in the section entitled ''Who is God?''. I recommend it highly and dearly wish I could have been part of that effort.
I have to say that the evil described in the passage is little different from what exists in our world today.
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This evening's reading comes from the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verses 29 through 51.
This is great stuff, and begins very well in verse 29. John is preaching and teaching by the sea, and, seeing Jesus, proclaims

''...Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.''

and continuing on to verse 34, says

''34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.''

and much more.
All the Bible is important, but I'll admit that some sections just hit me more than others do. These passages, this Gospel, hit me hard. And should. Every time I hear and read this section, I'm reminded of a favorite song, ''Behold the Lamb'' which I believe was originally done by Dottie Rambo. If you have ever had the chance to sing it as part of a group, you will understand the impact that it has.

Today's Reading May 07

Happy Monday to all.
This morning's reading continues in First Kings, chapters 14 and 15.
Things are going downhill with few interruptions (like Asa) as succeeding generations seem determined to be more wicked than the generation before.
This is sad reading. When you think back to the time of the Exodus, the release from bondage in Egypt, through all the history of the people back to Abraham, and see what has gone on, one just shakes his head in disbelief.
Until we look around us. Or, worse, look in the mirror.
I am not a hyper-Calvinist. But the doctrine of Total Depravity is one that proves itself without recourse to complex exegesis. It is all too clearly the human characteristic that we least like to admit to while it shows itself on every corner.
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This evening's reading begins the Gospel of John. We begin in chapter 1, verses 1 through 28. This is some fairly familiar Scripture, but I urge readers to to skim past on the run. I get something more out of it every time.

Today's Reading May 06

Good morning!
This morning's Old Testament reading comes to us from First Kings, chapters 12 and 13.
Solomon has died and now the trouble really comes. Rehoboam, his son, has come to sit on the throne. His attitude, and the attitude of his cronies, result in the split of the kingdom into Judah and the other 10 tribes uniting as Israel. And nothing good comes of this - we see idol worship set up almost immediately. And a prophet sent by God as a warning fails to fully carry out his mission and dies as a result.

This evening's reading from the New Testament, is the Gospel of Luke, chapter 24, verses 36 through 53. This completes the Gospel of Luke. The passage takes up from yesterday. The apostles who encountered the risen Christ along the road have gotten up and gone back to Jerusalem as fast as they could. Who would not? Such an amazing and wonderful story, such good news, needs to be shared. And, right in the middle of sharing this good news, this Gospel if you will, there was Jesus right in the middle of them. He still is at such times, by the way, even if not visible. The chapter ends with Jesus' ascension into Heaven.
But He's coming back!

Today's Reading Mat

This morning's reading from the Old Testament is from First Kings, chapters 10 and 11. This is more of the account of the reign of King Solomon. Solomon is listed as the wisest man ever. But sometimes I wonder. 700 wives and 300 concubines? This is wisdom? Even I'm smarter (and poorer) than that.

Here is a man to whom the LORD has appeared, twice. Yet what do we see? We see a man amassing gold, in disobedience to the Lord's commands to the contrary. We see a man making alliances with foreign nations, including taking Pharaoh's daughter as wife, in disobedience to the Lord's commands. We see Solomon allowing the worship of false gods, like Chemosh, in Israel, in disobedience to the Lord's commands. In fact, Solomon took part in these rites! By the way, this was not something like a Lutheran going to a Presbyeterian or even a Russian Orthodox church. The sacrifices to some of these demon-gods involved little things like ritual prostitution and human sacrifice.

Nothing good comes from this, and it didn't. The second chapter, and part of the first, get into the process that led to the separation of Judah (under Solomon's descendants) form the other 10 tribes of Israel. Part of that led to what is listed later on as Samaria, a remnant of which still exists.

Sad to watch the debasement of such a great promise.
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The evening reading is from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 24, verses 1 through 35.
After the storm comes the morning. This is Luke's account of the Resurrection of Jesus the Christ. The stone is rolled away, the tomb is empty. I love this whole passage. There is just so much rich encouragement here, you hardly know where to pick a part. But there is one that hit me again this morning as it always does, though it seems to conflict a bit with the Solomon account earlier.

2 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

When you meet the Lord, when He speaks to you, it should 'make your heart burn within'. Absolutely. Some of us have had the great good fortune to experience this, and it is worth more than pearls and gold. And here is the conflict: Solomon had the enormous good fortune to have had the LORD appear to him, twice! Yet he followed after strange women and sacrificed to idols. No matter how the Lord has graced us, we still go astray - I certainly have. The issue is how to hold on to the realization of the Lord's presence the day after, and the day after that, every moment.

Today's Reading May 04

Firstly, I am remiss in not making mention yesterday of the annual event known as the National Day of Prayer. That was my failure. While indeed we all ought to pray without ceasing, it's not a bad idea to make this an annual observance as an encouragement and as a reminder. I really think that nothing good comes without prayer and I have seen prayer work miracles in people's lives.
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Today's Old Testament reading continues in First Kings, chapters 8 and 9. This is first of all about the dedication of the Temple that Solomon has had built. Good stuff in here, I do wish I'd been there.

8:10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,
11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

Must have been something!
Much here also about the prayers offered that day.
Chapter 9 deals with some other issues Solomon had going. I'm not convinced that all of them served as proof of his wisdom.

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The evening New Testament portion continues in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 23, verses 39 through 56. The final stage of the crucifixion. This includes the marvellous account of the thief on the cross. Even at the end of life, there is hope for those who call upon Him.

Today's Reading May 03

As we continue the journey
By the way, have you noticed how far we've come in only a few months, with just a few minutes' reading each day?
This morning's passage from the Old Testament continue in the book of First Kings, chapters 6 and 7. Solomon is at last building the Temple in Jerusalem, what we refer to as the First Temple. There is quite a lot of detail here, and since the Temple is believed to be a representation of Heaven, there is significance to everything. I don't understand all of it, and on this side of Glory it's possible that I never will. But I know that the details are important, because God ordained them.
A great section is in the middle of it all:

11 And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying,
12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:
13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

The evening's reading is from the Gospel of Luke chapter 23, verses 27 through 38
This is not easy reading, this is Luke's account of the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior. I never take it lightly and no one should. This is the most important period in all history. Without the Cross, we have nothing but dust and ashes. Without the Cross, there is no Atonement and no Resurrection either.

Today's Reading May 02

Continuing in the Old Testament, today's passage comes from First Kings, chapters 3,4, and 5. Solomon is king now, and the results are both good and bad.
Bad - he is buddies with Pharoah of Egypt and marries one of his daughters. Bad move.
Good - he is visited by the Lord, and granted great wisdom.

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New Testament portion, Luke chapter 23 verses 1 through 26 . The Romans sentence Jesus

Today's Reading May 01

This morning's reading, from the Old Testament, comes from First Kings, chapters 1 and 2. Samuel has died, and David is at the end of his life. Now come the succession issues. Having multiple wives and therefore a multiplcity of claimants for the throne has never been a good thing, and here you see some of the reasons why it is not a good thing. Solomon wins out. As per David, some old scores are settled very early in his reign, others take a little while.
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The evening reading comes from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 22, verses 54 through 71.
Jesus has been arrested in the garden, everyone fled. And at the house of the high pries, Peter denies Christ, 3 times.

60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

Verse 62 always gets me. I too have denied the Lord, yet He has forgiven me. I take it personally.

GOP Straw Poll

My conservative preferences are no secret. Here is a straw poll making the rounds.
I will make no secret of the fact that I regard Giuliani, McCain, and Pataki as being utterly unacceptable. I would go so far as to say that I will actively oppose Mr. Giuliani, no matter who his opponent might be. Your mileage may vary.

Today's Reading April 30

Today is the last day of April. I hope that things are good wherever you are.
It is also, as we continue our journey through the Bible, the final reading out of 2nd Samuel. We're looking today at 2nd Samuel, chapters 23 and 24.

Chapter 23 is largely a retrospective, and it give the names and a few details of a group of David's close companions in warfare, the three mighty men, and the thirty. I haven't studied these individuals, I don't know whether or not they left a good legacy of faith for their descendants. I know that they were there for David when he needed them, and that some 3000 years or so later we still can read their names. Sometimes the good we do dies with us and is soon forgotten. What we do for God is not forgotten, and He knows our names.

Chapter 24 starts with a plague against Israel as a result of David's sin. The effects on others that result from our personal sin is a very large subject. But the plague ends at a particular place, the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (resident of Jerusalem). That floor, that VERY place, became the location of the Temple in Jerusalem. And that very place remains the holiest spot in the world for the Jews and the war over its control remains a very great part of the war between the Jews and the Islamo-heathens. But - and note this - David acquired that ground for a price. As he wisely said, ''Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing.''

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The evening's reading from the New Testament continues in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 22, verses 31 through 53. For those who saw ''The Passion of the Christ'', the narrative follows the movie pretty well, and the movie brought the reality to home perhaps so clearly that it makes us uncomfortable (as it should). The account begins with Jesus warning Peter that he will deny Christ that very night. It goes on to the Garden, the betrayal by Judas, and the taking of Jesus by the Temple soldiers.

Tough reading.

Today's Reading April 29

Sorry for the lateness of the post, it's been an ''interesting'' day already.
The morning reading for today, coming from the Old Testament, is from 2nd Samuel, chapters 21 and 22. This is our next-to-last reading from 2nd Samuel.
These are rather different passages.
Chapter 21 begins with a famine in Israel, and the revelation that it was sent by God, as punishment for Saul's oath-breaking campaign against the Gibeonites. To expiate this, seven of Saul's descendants are handed over the the Gibeonites, who kill them and expose the remains to the elements. I struggle with this section.
Chapter 21 continues with the exploits of David's servants who, having decided that it is too risky for the King to be engaged in personal combat, leave him out of the fray and continue to battle Israel's enemies, many of them Philistines (that hasn't changed) and many of them counted as giants (that hasn't either).

Chapter 22 is altogether different. It is one of the praises for which David is remembered even now. I love it:

... And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
Heb 2:13
I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;
In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.
And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.
And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.
Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.
With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt show thyself upright.
With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt show thyself unsavory.
And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.
For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.
For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.
For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?
God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places.
He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.
I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.
And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.
For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.
Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.
Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me.
Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.
Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.
The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me.
And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.
He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.

It just doesn't get much better.

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The evening portion from the New Testament, continues in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 22, verses 1 through 30.
We begin Luke's account of the Last Supper, Jesus and His disciples.