Today's Readings -- 03 April 2012

We appear so far to have escaped the awful tornadoes that tore up Texas today. I confess to being grateful that we have -- at this point -- escaped. At the same time, those are real people going through this. May the Lord watch over them.
This is Holy Week, reminding us of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. A time for thought and prayer and meditating on the Lord's work on our behalf.


The Old Testament reading for today is from the book of the Judges, chapters 10 and 11.

Judges 10

1	And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
2	And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.
3	And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.
4	And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
5	And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
6	And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.
7	And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.
8	And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
9	Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.
10	And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.
11	And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
12	The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.
13	Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
14	Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
15	And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.
16	And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
17	Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.
18	And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

Judges 11

1	Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
2	And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.
3	Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
4	And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
5	And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:
6	And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
7	And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?
8	And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
9	And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
10	And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.
11	Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.
12	And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?
13	And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.
14	And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:
15	And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
16	But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;
17	Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.
18	Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
19	And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.
20	But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
21	And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
22	And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
23	So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?
24	Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.
25	And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,
26	While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?
27	Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.
28	Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
29	Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
30	And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
31	Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
32	So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
33	And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
34	And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
35	And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.
36	And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
37	And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
38	And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
39	And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,
40	That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

This evening, verses 1-36 from the 9th chapter of the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 9:1-36

1	Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2	And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
3	And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
4	And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart.
5	And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
6	And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.
7	Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead;
8	And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.
9	And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.
10	And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
11	And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.
12	And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.
13	But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.
14	For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.
15	And they did so, and made them all sit down.
16	Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17	And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
18	And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
19	They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
20	He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
21	And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
22	Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
23	And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24	For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
25	For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
26	For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.
27	But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
28	And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
29	And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.
30	And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:
31	Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
32	But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
33	And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.
34	While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.
35	And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
36	And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

Today's Readings -- 31 March 2012

Happy Saturday. Lot of storms here yesterday. And that's not including the "normal" behaviors around here on a Friday night, the "stealing and dealing, shootin' and lootin'" activities, nor the effects of such on the overall culture. Rain storms end. Seeing a murdered friend on a slab doesn't get better by next week. I know.
But God reigns, and does still perform miracles. Quite a record of it in fact. I know that also.

This morning's reading is chapters 3, 4, and 5 of the Judges. It is sometimes useful, but uncomfortable, to realize that despite our technological advances and several thousand years's of history since the time of these accounts, the human being really hasn't changed. And bad behavior leads to bad results, no matter what the 'elites' tell you.

Judges 3 Back to Top

1	Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
2	Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
3	Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
4	And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
5	And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:
6	And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
7	And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.
8	Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.
9	And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
10	And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.
11	And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12	And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.
13	And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.
14	So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
15	But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
16	But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
17	And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.
18	And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.
19	But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
20	And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlor, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.
21	And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
22	And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.
23	Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlor upon him, and locked them.
24	When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlor were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
25	And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlor; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
26	And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.
27	And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.
28	And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
29	And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valor; and there escaped not a man.
30	So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
31	And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.

Judges 4 Back to Top

1	And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.
2	And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
3	And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
4	And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
5	And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
6	And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
7	And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
8	And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
9	And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honor; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
10	And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.
11	Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
12	And they showed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.
13	And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.
14	And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.
15	And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.
16	But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.
17	Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
18	And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.
19	And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.
20	Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.
21	Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.
22	And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.
23	So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.
24	And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

Judges 5 Back to Top

1	Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
2	Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.
3	Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
4	LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.
5	The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.
6	In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
7	The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.
8	They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
9	My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.
10	Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.
11	They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.
12	Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
13	Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.
14	Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
15	And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
16	Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
17	Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.
18	Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.
19	The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.
20	They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
21	The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
22	Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.
23	Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.
24	Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25	He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
26	She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.
27	At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
28	The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
29	Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
30	Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colors, a prey of divers colors of needlework, of divers colors of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?
31	So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.

This evening's reading is verses 31-50 from the 7th chapter in the Gospel of Luke. The alabaster box story is here. I recommend the song, found here.

Luke 7:31-50

31	And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
32	They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
33	For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.
34	The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
35	But wisdom is justified of all her children.
36	And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
37	And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38	And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39	Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40	And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41	There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42	And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43	Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44	And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45	Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46	My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47	Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48	And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49	And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50	And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

Today's stuff -- 31 March 2012

as long-time readers have noticed, posting has been pretty irregular as of late. Sorry about that and all. It has been a bit of a struggle lately.
A bit over four years ago, I accepted a job with a foreign-owned maker of automotive components located primarily (stateside) in the SoutEast. As part of the arrangement, I agreed to take a SHORT-TERM role, meaning two or three months, at a level far below what I would normally be, in order to get a close view of the issues at the customer's operation. With low pay to match. 18 months later (note the contrast to the 2-3 month promised duration), I was "asked" to take a "short stint" on the off-shift in order to grant a 'little break' to the person finally brought in to serve in that role. 29 months later, that short stint showed no sign of ending. With Dear Wife being progressively sicker, expenses associated with that continuing to accumulate, things have been getting downright grim.
Monday night, while en route to work, I got a message to report to Main Office on Tuesday afternoon. That wasn't an option (Dear Wife had to use our single car to get to an appointment in that same time frame), so the meeting was rescheduled for Tuesday morning.
Frankly, I expected to be relieved of company I.D.'s and such and fired on the spot. There's been an immense amount of turnover (4 HR managers, 5 American Quality Managers, at least 5 Production Managers, all in a space of 4 years is a lot of turnover). I expected to be just another tally mark. Let's just say that the environment inside my head Monday night was rough. Recall, I am on the "wrong' side of 47 now, and prior to taking this role had experienced 3 plant closings, in 4 years, in 3 states. It's been difficult, to say the least.
But God lives.
Tuesday morning, I was informed that effective immediately I am assuming the role and responsibilities of a Quality Engineer, based at the Main Operation. Said role to commence Wednesday morning.
So it has been a wild week.
After 29 months of leaving the house at shortly after 5 p.m., dragging back in right at 06:00 a.m., then filing a report, then eating, then sleeping a few hours, a return to a daylight schedule is a big change.
Also a big change is the hour-long commute, nearly 50 miles each way, primarily on two-lane roads. Right as gas prices climb. Any "adjustment" in pay has yet to be seen (nor has it yet been discussed), so it's not all good in the pocketbook.
God will provide, I believe, but the means is not yet seen.
Dear Wife is already scoping out relocation possibilities. This two-hour-per-day commute is a pain, there is some considerable expense involved. And she hates where we live. The city and surrounds of Montgomery, Alabama are less than wonderful. Lots of great people, we know some. But, well, for example, a local nightclub is advertising 'Food Stamp Friday', offering free booze to those flashing an EBT card. Shootings and stabbings are rampant, we have "sexually active" 9-year-olds! here, and the area has one of the highest per-capita rate of HIV/AIDS in the country,more than 3 times the national average. And that is just the known cases, there are certainly people affected who do not know it. Including some children. Sound like an area you want to live in?
So we shall see.
Anyway, sorry for the length of this, but there's been some reasons behind the irregularity in posting.

Today's Readings and stuff -- 181 March 2012

We seem to have made it to another Sunday. Warm here, in the low 80's, with is on the warm side even for those of us in Lower Alabama. That's OK. I can recall as a child having SNOW in the first week of MAY! Warm is better by far. By far.
Dear Wife seems to be a bit better, recovering from yet another upper respiratory infection that seems to accompany the autoimmune diseases that are slowly sapping her vitality and joy of life. I doubt that she'll be in any shape to attend church this morning, but we shall see.

This morning's reading is chapters 31 and 32 of Deuteronomy. We will complete Deuteronomy tomorrow (Lord willing). So we are seeing here almost the last of Moses. He knew he was about to die, and was using his remaining time to carry the Lord's message once again. He'd been through quite a lot, from a baby left in a basket in the Nile, all the way through to here. He knew about the Lord's involvement in His world and His people.

Deuteronomy 31

1	And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel.
2	And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the LORD hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
3	The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said.
4	And the LORD shall do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom he destroyed.
5	And the LORD shall give them up before your face, that ye may do unto them according unto all the commandments which I have commanded you.
6	Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
7	And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.
8	And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
9	And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel.
10	And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,
11	When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
12	Gather the people together, men and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:
13	And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.
14	And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation.
15	And the LORD appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of a cloud: and the pillar of the cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle.
16	And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.
17	Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?
18	And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.
19	Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
20	For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.
21	And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.
22	Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.
23	And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.
24	And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,
25	That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying,
26	Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
27	For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?
28	Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record against them.
29	For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.
30	And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.

Deuteronomy 32

1	Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
2	My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
3	Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
4	He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
5	They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.
6	Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?
7	Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will show thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.
8	When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
9	For the LORD's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
10	He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
11	As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:
12	So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.
13	He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;
14	Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.
15	But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
16	They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.
17	They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.
18	Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.
19	And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters.
20	And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.
21	They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
22	For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
23	I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.
24	They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.
25	The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.
26	I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men:
27	Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the LORD hath not done all this.
28	For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them.
29	O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!
30	How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?
31	For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.
32	For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:
33	Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
34	Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?
35	To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
36	For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.
37	And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,
38	Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.
39	See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
40	For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.
41	If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.
42	I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy.
43	Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.
44	And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea the son of Nun.
45	And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel:
46	And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.
47	For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.
48	And the LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying,
49	Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession:
50	And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people:
51	Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of MeribahKadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel.
52	Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel.

This evening, we begin in the Gospel of Luke. This is a bit of a change from Mark, and these early chapters are among the most familiar to Christians. Yet I urge readers to consider each phrase anew. you may see something you have overlooked before. I often do.

Luke 1:1-23

1	Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
2	Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
3	It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
4	That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
5	THERE was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6	And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7	And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8	And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
9	According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10	And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
11	And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12	And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13	But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14	And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15	For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
16	And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17	And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
18	And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
19	And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
20	And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
21	And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
22	And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
23	And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.