Today's Reading August 19

This morning we turn our attention to Psalms 112, 113, 114, and 115
These are primarily Psalms of praise, and the first three are pretty short.
Psalms 112 and 113 are, in Hebrew, an acrostic poem - the first letter of each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. For those of us for whom classical Hebrew is not our native language, we miss that element of it.
Yet the imagery is still worthy. For example,

Chapter 113
1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
2 Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.
3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised.
4 The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,

or

Chapter 115
1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?

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The reading this evening is from 1st Corinthians, chapter 1.
This is Good Stuff too, as Paul lays out his message to a different group of believers, but also leaves a message for us. There are several themes in this passage, one having to to with the regrettable habit we have of forming factions. But also a reminder that the Gospel and God's message did not first come to the 'respectable', the leaders of the community, those who in men's eye's occupy places of honor. No,

18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Isa 29:14
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Jer 9:24

Cost of illegal aliens updated 19Aug

You don't get much better than Mark Steyn so just go over and read this one. Speaking of sanctuary, where's ours?
It has been a long time since I crawled around any lawbooks. But I seem to recall that there are some offenses termed ''malfeasance'' and ''nonfeasance'', terms that describe those who in essence violate their oath of office and either use the office for personal agenda or who refuse to carry out the duties of that office. Seems to me that quite a number of persons occupying what we once termed positions of public trust have fulfilled the elements of those offenses.

Some more on the human cost of illegal aliens

Try some of these

Wisconsin
The man accused of running a stop sign and causing a crash this week that killed a 17-year-old Port Washington boy is an illegal immigrant who was convicted in Wisconsin in December of first-offense drunken driving, authorities confirmed Friday.

or
Michigan

What started as an argument between neighbors over a barking dog led to an assault with a golf club that left a 44-year-old man dead, police say.

or Oregon

Less than nine months before he allegedly killed a 15-year-old girl by stepping on her throat until she stopped breathing, Alejandro Rivera Gamboa pleaded guilty to drunken driving and disclosed that he was not a U.S. citizen.

or New Jersey
or North Carolina

We could probably fill the page. I know we could. Check out this YouTube spot - it shows some of the MANY victims.

And yet, Michael Chertoff proves himself to be an empty suit.
He was picked with that in mind.
One of the foreign phrases that some of us know is in French, ''J'accuse!'' You may recall it from the Dreyfus affair, and from a once famous movie made about it. Well,

J'accuse George W. Bush

I accuse you of criminal nonfeasance in office on this entire issue
I accuse you allowing the good citizens of this nation to be slaughtered like chickens in order to appease the open borders types
I accuse you of placing the interests of the money types of Mexico ahead of the lives of Americans
I accuse you of dishonor, dishonesty, and deceit on this issue
I accuse you, not of failing to do your duty, but of REFUSING to do your duty
I accuse you of spreading the lie of ''work Americans will not do''. It's a lie - I have personally done many of those jobs. So have others, citizens.
I do not respect or honor liars, no matter what their political affiliation. You, Sir, are a liar. I may respect the office, but I do not respect you. Go home.

And I accuse the so-called leaders of this nation, members of both the major political parties of treachery, deceit, and dishonor. High on that list are the names of Ted Kennedy (spit, spit), Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and Mel Martinez. There are many, many names on that last. Decent people would cross the street to avoid them and, if that was impossible, would spit on their shadows.
They need to resign their posts and go serve unpaid and anonymously in far-off leper colonies.

Today's Reading August 18

Good morning. Last night the local weather told us we would hear thunder but would not see any rain, probably. We were awakened around 12:30am to heavy rain. We're grateful for it - the area's been in a drought condition for a year. But the same people purport to tell us things about the climate a hundred years from now. If they can't predict 3 hours ahead, may I be skeptical about their ability to predict a century out?
--
Continuing in the Psalms this morning, we get into Psalms 109, 110, and 111.
Of the three, I like 110 the best (but 111 is great read aloud - try it). And the reason I like it is because you see it quoted in the New Testament, quoted quite extensively in fact. Even when the Lord was inspiring the Psalmist, He was preparing for the Incarnation of the Son.

Chapter 110

1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Matt 22:44, 26:64
Mark 12:36
Luke 20:42
Acts 2:34
1 Cor 15:25
Heb 1:13

2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Heb 5:6, 7:17, 21

5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

See what I meant about the later use? Now, to be complete, it would be good to turn to those New Testament sections and see how this passage is used. I assure you, it's not there by accident.

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This evening we complete Romans with chapter 16. It is tempting to regard this as somewhat of a ''throwaway'' passage, consisting as it does primarily of Paul's greetings to individuals. Don't make that mistake. Do you know these people? No, and neither do I. But Paul did, and they were important to him. And they were important to God also. Someday we will meet them in Heaven. To an extent, the world in which we live was shaped by those people who,quietly and diligently, served the Lord and furthered the spread of the Gospel and lived in a world we can't imagine. Many of them died quite badly because that was the price paid for faithfulness. And yet, knowing this, Paul greets them and ends his letter quite well --

24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

I'll take that blessing any day.

Today's Reading August 17

Tough morning today, for a variety of reasons.
We were up late watching the unfolding events at the mine rescue effort in Utah. I was born in the coal mining areas on the corner of southeast Ohio, southwestern Pennsylvania, northwestern West Virginia. I have lived in northeastern Tennessee (coal country), western Arkansas (coal country) and am now located not too far from the coal mining territory of northern Alabama. While I have never been a miner, I've been around it virtually all of my life. It is a hard and dangerous occupation and like so many others, my thoughts and prayers are with the miners, the families, and the rescue workers.
On a personal note, I'm fighting discouragement. In the last month I've had half a dozen good on-site interviews in my job hunt. I had expected, based on what I was being told, that I should be hearing something this week. It's now Friday morning, we're about out of 'week', and there has been nothing, good or bad. I know we talk about 'waiting on the Lord', but waiting is not one of my chief virtues. Perhaps this is how you grow it.
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Our Old Testament passage this morning is Psalms 107 and 108.
Some good praise here, but that's not the part that attracts my attention most.
Look at verse 2 of Psalm 107.

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

A number of years ago we were part of one of the few remaining evangelistic Methodist churches left. The senior pastor there had been a missionary at one time, and a good friend of his was a wonderful gentleman by the name of Eddie Fox. Rev. Fox had written some things, one of which is a book titled, ''Let the Redeemed of the LORD, Say So!''. I think that this is one of those little phrases that ought to be a mission statement for a lot of us. How many of us are clandestine Christians, no one knows but the Lord? A lot of the Psalms, including the two before us, have a lot to say about proclaiming the Lord publicly. Shouldn't we be doing the same?
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This evening we get into Romans 15, verses 21 through 33
Paul is talking about his future plans in his letter to the Romans. He had plans to go all the way to Spain. Pull a map of the Mediterranean Sea when you get a chance. Only a few years after Jesus ascended into Heaven, the Gospel was being spread from Spain to Egypt, from Italy to the whole Middle East. Christians weren't keeping the Good News to themselves, they were spreading the Word.

28 When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain.
29 And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.
30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;

Now go back and look at the exhortation, ''Let the redeemed of the Lord SAY SO!''

Today's Reading August 16

Sorry for the delay this morning. I have not been in the proper frame of mind and spirit to do this. It happens sometimes.
This morning we turn to Psalms 105 and 106. These complete one of the great divisions of the the Psalms, the so-called 'Psalms of the Earth' that emphasize both the Lord's ruling power, and our capacity to resist that power and to wander from His care. But only He is trustworthy. Psalm 105 recounts the eternal faithfulness of the Lord, beginning with

1 O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
4 Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

while Psalm 106 is subtitled in one of my Bibles as ''Joy in Forgiveness of Israel's Sins'', and begins with

1 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?
3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;

. Good themes both, and both of these would do well in public reading, such as in a worship service or group study.

This evening we get into Romans 15, verses 1 through 20. Paul is writing here about bearing one another's burdens. We need that reminder, don't we?

1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
Psa 69:9
4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Today's Reading August 15

Psalms 103 and 104
One of the things we can do in our private moments is to count our blessings. The list can get quite long. Similarly, when you are in a moment of worship, it's a good thing to consider the blessings and the majesty of the Lord. Both of these Psalms are good for this, parts have, again, been incorporated into hymns and praise songs. I am personally very fond of Psalm 103, a portion of which is shown here. Like all the Psalms, this should be spoken aloud, not read silently.

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

This evening we look at Romans 14. Paul is continuing his instructions in the way that Christians ought to conduct themselves, now turning to some of the ways that we should act towards one another. The church was starting to see some of the effects of having believers of differing backgrounds. We see that today, unfortunately, we see people wanting to be part of a fellowship of those who are ''just like us''. Some of that is inevitable - I don't speak Sicilian , at all, and therefore would probably have some problems at a Sicilian Orthodox service. But Paul is addressing those situations where some of the believers are Jewish by heritage, others are various kinds of Gentiles. Some - many, particularly the Jews - had grown up with dietary restrictions among others. Again, we see that today - there are vegetarian Christians, there are those who oppose the use of coffee, or pork, or any number of other things. There are those who hold to an old language - the Orthodox churches, for example, who hold to the Liturgy in Russian or Greek or whatever, or my Amish cousins who still hold to a corrupt form of Low German. All of these and more besides were creating stresses and divisions in the Church, while others made to throw off all the rules and live however they pleased at the moment. We have that today too. Paul addresses both issues and urges the believers to focus on Christ and on building up one another.

1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

There is more here, and it needs to be taken seriously. Satan loves to create dissension in the Church, it keeps us focused on that rather than on reaching the lost.

Today's Reading August 14

Today will be a tense day. I had a phone call last night, a VP from a manufacturer about an hour from here, wants me to come by this afternoon to speak about a job with the firm. I am also hoping to hear from some of the people I have interviewed withover the last few weeks - certainly have racked up the miles.
And I had a message the other day. Seems that one of my nephews is going into a divorce phase; I gather that he objects to his wife's boyfriends. He's still active duty military (Navy) and while he was floating on a frigate he wasn't aware of it, but now that he has shore duty it became too much to ignore. That is added to the message that I received from one of my brothers two weeks ago, his wife decided that she doesn't want to be married any more, at least not to him.
Our 19th wedding anniversary is in a few weeks, it is troubling to see marriages coming apart all around us. We learned last week that, in an SS class we were part of just three years ago, there have now been 3 divorces. One of the ladies is still employed by the church! This is just awful, and we need to be doing something different.
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This morning' readings go further into the Psalms, 99, 100, 101, and 102. These are all relatively short ones, praise primarily, and one of them is listed as a Psalm of David. One of them, Psalm 100, is one of those that I memorized as a young man and I still find that it comes to mind at certain times. Worth memorizing some of these.

Chapter 100
1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Some good theology there too.
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This evening we turn to Romans chapter 13. This is more of Paul's admonitions on how to live as believers.

8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Ex 20:13-17 Lev 19:18 Matt 5:43 Matt 19:19 Matt 22:39 Mark 12:31 Gal 5:14 Jam 2:8
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

and

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Today's Reading August 13

Happy Monday! The local school system starts up today, and I hear parents everywhere with prayers of thanksgiving.
This morning, continuing in the Psalms, we turn to Psalms 96, 97, and 98. We do well to sing praises to the Lord, Here are some good examples of that.

Chapter 98
1 O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
2 The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
7 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

See what I mean?

This evening we get more into the letter to the Romans, all of chapter 12.
One of the common, and reasonable questions that a new believer (and more than a few of those who are not so new either) is ''How now shall I live?'', ''How should my faith play out in my life?''. These are reasonable questions. While the Christian life is not defined by rules but by faith and grace, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the character of Christ, nonetheless we do look for some guidelines. (and yes, I know the subject is a minefield). Paul addresses this in general terms. Here's a good start:

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

or

9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

these are just excerpts, look through it all. These are, as I said, not steps towards salvation, but signs of it.

Today's Reading August 12

Happy Sunday! We'll be off to church in just a bit here. It will be a bit strange, we'll have a guest preacher this morning as our former pastor has left to take up a new ministry in another state. We wish Brother Steve and Sister Rhonda all the best, but it will, as I said, be a bit strange without them.
This morning we continue in the Psalms, looking now at Psalms 93, 94, and 95. These are, all of them, good Psalms to pray, and you will find that phrases from them have been included in a number of hymns and praise songs. They have, for me, a depth of meaning that reminds me of the times I have read, sung, and prayed them. They hold a lot of personal meaning. But they also reflected the experiences of the writers, it makes it clear that they truly knew the Lord in a very real way, and that His inspiration during the composition was not the first encounter they'd had with Him. They left these Psalms as a tribute.
Question for all of us: what have we left as a monument?

Chapter 95
1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
Heb 3:7, 4:7
8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Heb 3:8, 15

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This evening we return to chapter 11 of Paul's letter to the Romans, starting with verse 22 and continuing to the end of the chapter. Paul is really addressing both the Jewish believers (and unbelievers) and the Gentile Christians. He has a couple of themes here, one being that in Christ there is no distinction between the two - a radical thought at the time - and primarily the doctrine that the distinction in not between Jew and Gentile but in Christ and not. Our focus must be and must remain on Jesus. We see that still today, those groups that lose focus on Jesus and instead place the significance on other things seem to founder and lose their way. Paul speaks to that, and much else besides.

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Isa 59:20
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Isa 59:21
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Isa 40:13
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Job 41:11
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Politics August 11

I have just added a field on the right side of the page to illustrate some Republican candidates.
For the benefit of those who sometimes catch my comments on places like Lucianne.com, I tend to support the Republicans. But not always, and not blindly, and less so now than at one time. I voted for George Bush in the general elections in 2000 and 2004. But I did not vote for him in the 2000 primary and I did not vote for him in the 2004 primary either. He is a better man than either of his general election candidates, but that is a very low hurdle to surpass. And the experience has not been a good one.
In 1980, 1984, 1988, 2000, and 2004 we hoped we were returning to a time when the federal government would resume its proper, limited role in the life of the Republic. We hoped for a reduction in the number of unconstitutional departments, a return to a true federalist view of government, a lessening of Jacobinism, a recognition that there are some things that government at any level just is not empowered to do, and that there is a difference between the society and the State.
That has not happened. Instead, we've gotten more and more government, more and more intrusion, more and more taxes, more and more officialdom, and less freedom and wisdom. We have departments, Education being a prime example that are not only unconstitutional, they have demonstrably made things far worse. Literacy is now at a lower level than it was 100 years ago, is far more intrusive, and costs far more. The response was to add a No Child Left Behind Act whose true purpose is twofold: to provide yet more jobs for idiot educrats and to ensure that No Child Gets Ahead Either. We now pay for a Department of Energy that produces no energy, and an EPA that seems determined to roll back what we do have. We have bureaucracy that far exceeds anything that King George III ever imagined, and more is threatened.
This is not progress as I measure it.
The Republicans have a large wing determined to put a pro-abortion, pro-sodomy, anti-gun, pro-illegal-aliens, Statist candidate named Giuliani up against the likely Democrat nominee, Hillary Clinton. By my standards, that's a contest between Tweedledum and Tweedledumber. I won't play.
I have not given my support to any candidate. I will use my feeble powers to root for the best of the lot, but I will not ever again fall for a ''lesser of two evils'' vote: the lesser of two evils is still evil.
Your mileage may vary. That's why we have elections. By the way, if a worthwhile Democrat starts to run, I may put that name up too. But I haven't seen one in 40 years, and I'm not holding my breath.

Today's Reading August 11

Continuing in the Psalms (I did say we'd be here a while, right?) we next look into Psalms 90, 91, and 92. These are a bit of a change. One commentator (at least) refers to Psalms 90 - 106 as ''Psalms of the Earth'', They ''...remind us of our wanderings and the Lord's leading in the midst of this journey on earth''. (from Chuck Swindoll's commentary in The Living Insights Study Bible)
Psalm 90 is marked as a prayer of Moses. I think it's held up well over time.

1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
3 Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

Psalm 92 is marked as 'for the Sabbath day

1 IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD, AND TO SING PRAISES UNTO THY NAME, O MOST HIGH:
2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.
4 For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
5 O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.

very very good.
But Psalm 91 is one that I have highlighted in my Bibles, it has been a great comfort to me in times of trouble. It might be that for you as well.

Chapter 91
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Mt 4:6
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Mt 4:6
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

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This evening we return the book of Romans chapter 11, verses 1 through 21. This section deals with the Remnant of Israel. It starts with an important point, one that too many evangelicals answer wrongly.

1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying,
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
1 Kings 19:10, 14
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
1 Kings 19:18
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Today's Reading August 10

Happy Friday.
This morning we look at Psalms 88 and 89.
Psalm 88 is noted in one of my Bibles as being a psalm of the sons of Korah.
When we are in trouble and distress, we cry out to the Lord. Why not? Where else could we, should we go? When we need help and comfort, should we not go to the One can is both willing and able? thus

Chapter 88
1 O lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:
2 Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;
3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

Now, note something here. He hasn't cried to the Lord just once and 'POOF' it's all better now. Sometimes we wish that would be the case, and sometimes it is, but the Lord of the Universe is just that, and not a waiter in a restaurant.

Psalm 89 is noted as ''a contemplation of Ethan the Ezrahite''.
This is a praise Psalm, a good one. A pastor of ours once told us that a good thing to do is to pray Scripture, and a good place to start is in the Psalms. This one would be a good one to use. See how it starts out,

1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.

and it ends with

52 Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.

that would, by the way, be a good way to end all of our prayers. 'Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy Name' is quite all right.

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Romans chapter 10.
This is, like all of Romans, just chock-full of Good Stuff.

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
Deut 30:14
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Isa 28:16
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Joel 2:32
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Isa 52:7
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
Isa 53:1
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Do you believe that? I do.

Today's Reading August 09

This morning we continue with Psalms 85, 86, and 87

Chapter 86
1 Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.
3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.
4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
6 Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.
7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

This evening we turn to Romans chapter 9. Paul is speaking here primarily of the Jews, his own people, as if he could persuade them all. This is a passage that builds on the previous sections, by itself it loses some of the context, some of the richness of the proposition. There is a lot here, a lot that I don't understand fully, and a lot that makes me uncomfortable. There is here some of the inklings of the doctrine sometimes called ''Limited Atonement'', the theory that Jesus did not die for all, but only for those foredestined, sometimes called double predestination. I don't know the answer, and this is a section that all of us need to chew over more.

Air conditioning or prayer?

Sometimes you come across something that makes you ashamed. Happens to me a lot. Don't know what that means. At any rate, over at the 4HisGlory website, there's a fine article entitled Air Conditioned Churches or Perseverance of the Saints?
and the author recounts hearing two urgent prayers at the seminary he attends. One asked the Lord for air conditioning so that things won't be so uncomfortable at church Sunday. The other prayer lifted up the remaining living Korean missionaries, the ones that the Islamic heathens have not yet murdered. Which matter is more important to us?
Which one is more important to me? How many churches around the world will even think of these brave missionaries this Sunday, or even on a Wednesday evening?

Today's Reading August 08

Continuing in the Psalms this morning, we now turn to Psalms 82, 83, and 84. 82 and 83 are psalms of Asaph, while 84 is listed as a psalm of the sons of Korah. One of the great things to be around is someone who knows the Lord, and makes it plain. You see that in all three of these.

Chapter 84
1 How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!
2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.
4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
9 Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.
10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

How strongly do we long for the Lord, as spoken in vs. 2? I know that you could make a good sermon out of that verse, and not exhaust the subject.
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And now we continue in chapter 8 of Romans, verses 19 through 39. When we started into Romans, I said some things about how important this book is. Upon re-examination, that was an understatement. Please do not miss any of this.
But where do we start? How about

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Some of us have hung on to that one in times of trouble. Or perhaps

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Which is comforting to remember when the whole world seems to be in battle array against us. But I also love these

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Psa 44:22
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

By the way, it is no accident this intersection between the Psalmists and the words of Paul.

Picture of nephew's stroller

OK, this is a bit weird, I'll admit. We got an e-mail last night from my wife's sister's son. He sent a picture of the new baby in a rather unusual baby carriage. Only in America I guess. I've never seen one quite like it.
If you take from this that our nephew is somewhat overly fond of the whole 'Monster Truck' thing, you would be correct.

Today's Reading August 07

This morning we take up Psalms 79, 80, and 81
These are, like a number of others in this section, psalms of Asaph, not of David.
Psalm 79 is known as an ''imprecatory Psalm'', which is theologian-speak for ''dear Lord, destroy our enemies''. In the Mennonite churches of my youth, these were not much spoken of, they have decided that absolute non-violence is the only Biblical attitude to have and largely ignore Bible passages to the contrary. This is one of them. This passage is felt to correspond to the Babylonian conquering of Israel and Judah and the Captivity there. The psalmist is entreating the Lord to remember His people, to redeem them, to strike down those who mocked Him and His name.

apter 79
1 O god, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.
2 The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.
3 Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.
4 We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
5 How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.
8 O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.
10 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.
11 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;
12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.

Psalm 81 seems to be a liturgical work, a celebration of the harvest, which was one of the annual Jewish festivals, as it still is today.

Chapter 81
1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

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This evening we look at Romans chapter 8, verses 1 through 18
Oh my! this is good!

Chapter 8
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

It just gets better and better.

Today's Reading August 06

Happy Monday to all. Just after 0600 here
Today's Old Testament reading takes up Psalms 78
This was composed by Asaph, and his Psalms are liturgical in style. This one is a remembrance, a record of some of the things that the Lord had done for his people. It is good to do this, to keep the recollection fresh. There is a saying that ,''men need more often to be reminded than to be taught''. We too soon forget our blessings, we need to rehearse them. Asaph's psalm here provides some outline for this.

1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
Mt 13:35
3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

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This evening we turn to the letter to the Romans chapter 7
Paul is speaking about the Law and its effects, its relationship to the sin that it reveals, to the sin nature even within him, and ends with these words,

24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Who among us does not know this conflict, a conflict with only one hope.

Today's Reading August 05

Good morning. around 07:30 here. No rain -- we are still in a severe drought here.

This morning we get into Psalms 75, 76, and 77. More of the desperate cries of one who needs the Lord. All of us do, but sometimes we forget that, until circumstances remind us.

Chapter 77
1 I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.
6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.
7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?
8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?
9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.
10 And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.
11 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.
12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
14 Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.
15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.

This evening we turn to chapter 6 of the Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Romans is a very significant book in Christianity, you don't have to go very far to see that. Romans 6 builds throughout, but concludes with a memorable phrase,

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Do you believe that? I do. That, my friends, is Good News. That is the Gospel.