Today's Readings -- 11 December 2010

Good morning. Been a long night, and I need to get some sleep time.


This morning, Hosea 9, 10, 11. Pay note to verse 1 of Hosea 11. You will see it in the New Testament.

Hosea 9

1	Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.
2	The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.
3	They shall not dwell in the LORD's land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.
4	They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.
5	What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?
6	For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.
7	The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.
8	The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.
9	They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.
10	I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.
11	As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.
12	Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!
13	Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.
14	Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
15	All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.
16	Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb.
17	My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

Hosea 10

1	Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.
2	Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.
3	For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the LORD; what then should a king do to us?
4	They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
5	The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.
6	It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.
7	As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water.
8	The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.
9	O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood: the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them.
10	It is in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.
11	And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.
12	Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
13	Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
14	Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.
15	So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.

Hosea 11

1	When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
2	As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.
3	I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.
4	I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
5	He shall not return into the land of Egypt, and the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.
6	And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels.
7	And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.
8	How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.
9	I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.
10	They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.
11	They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the LORD.
12	Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.

This evening, Revelation chapter 2.

Revelation 2

1	Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2	I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3	And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4	Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5	Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
6	But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.
7	He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
8	And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
9	I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
10	Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
11	He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
12	And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
13	I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
14	But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15	So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
16	Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17	He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
18	And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
19	I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
20	Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
21	And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
22	Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
23	And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
24	But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
25	But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
26	And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
27	And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
28	And I will give him the morning star.
29	He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Today's Readings -- 10 December 2010

Happy Friday morning! Perhaps this will be a good day. The Lord made it, so let's rejoice in it.

This morning's reading is Hosea 5, 6, 7, and 8. Read all of this with yesterday's passage in mind. It really loses much of the context otherwise.

Hosea 5

1	Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.
2	And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.
3	I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.
4	They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD.
5	And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity: Judah also shall fall with them.
6	They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.
7	They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.
8	Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin.
9	Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.
10	The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.
11	Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.
12	Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.
13	When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.
14	For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.
15	I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

Hosea 6

1	Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
2	After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
3	Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
4	O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
5	Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.
6	For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
7	But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
8	Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.
9	And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.
10	I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.
11	Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.

Hosea 7

1	When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.
2	And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.
3	They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
4	They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.
5	In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.
6	For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
7	They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
8	Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9	Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.
10	And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.
11	Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
12	When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
13	Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
14	And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.
15	Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.
16	They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

Hosea 8

1	Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.
2	Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee.
3	Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.
4	They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.
5	Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?
6	For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.
7	For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.
8	Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.
9	For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.
10	Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.
11	Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.
12	I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.
13	They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.
14	For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

This evening, chapter 1 of the Revelation. Of all of the parts of the Bible, this is the book that I least like to comment upon. There are those who concentrate -- dare I say, 'fixate'? -- on it. There is certainly a lot here, and the Lord had very good reasons for giving it to us, of that I have no doubt. But I always fear to be reading into it what I want to see, and not necessarily what the Lord wants me to see, and that distinction is important.
So we'll post it here, but I expect to comment very little if at all.

Revelation 1

1	The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
2	Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
3	Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
4	John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
5	And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6	And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7	Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
8	I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
9	I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
10	I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
11	Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
12	And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13	And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
14	His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15	And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
16	And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
17	And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18	I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
19	Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
20	The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Today's Readings -- 09 December 2010

long nasty night at work. Glad to be home. The most beautiful woman in all the world is snoozing beside me as I type this. God is so good.
Had a call yesterday morning from a recruiter who covers this part of the country, she set up a telephone interview for yesterday afternoon with a hiring manager from a company in the area. As a result, I have an on-site interview tentatively scheduled for next week. God's will be done, but it would pay a LOT more than what I'm making now, be more regular hours, and would actually be something along the lines of what I've been doing for the last 20 years. But we shall see. Dear Wife and I have developed the understanding that some of these things the Lord provides as a window to see through, but not a door to walk through. It seems to work out that way quite often, and sometimes those things we saw through the window prove to be very useful at a later time. So we shall see.

This morning's reading has us beginning in the book of Hosea. Sometimes being God's servant takes you to some strange places and puts you in situations that are just a bit strange. Here's an example of that. Yet through much of the Bible we see that one close analogy of the Lord and His people is like that of a man and an unfaithful spouse. You wouldn't like that, and I don't imagine He does either. Yet He takes us back, over and over.

Hosea 1

1	The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
2	The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.
3	So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.
4	And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.
5	And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel, in the valley of Jezreel.
6	And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.
7	But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.
8	Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.
9	Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.
10	Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.
11	Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

Hosea 2

1	Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
2	Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
3	Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.
4	And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.
5	For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.
6	Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.
7	And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.
8	For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.
9	Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.
10	And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.
11	I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.
12	And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.
13	And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.
14	Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
15	And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
16	And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.
17	For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.
18	And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
19	And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
20	I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.
21	And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;
22	And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.
23	And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

Hosea 3

1	Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.
2	So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:
3	And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.
4	For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:
5	Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.

Hosea 4

1	Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2	By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3	Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
4	Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
5	Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.
6	My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
7	As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
8	They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
9	And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.
10	For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.
11	Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.
12	My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.
13	They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.
14	I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.
15	Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.
16	For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.
17	Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
18	Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.
19	The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

This evening, our reading is the book of Jude. It's not long, and it is often overlooked. Don't make that mistake.

Jude 1

1	Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
2	Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
3	Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4	For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
5	I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
6	And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
7	Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
8	Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
9	Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
10	But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
11	Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
12	These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
13	Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
14	And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15	To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16	These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
17	But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18	How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19	These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
20	But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21	Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22	And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23	And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24	Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25	To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Today's Readings -- 08 December 2010

Another long night gone.
Some things going on in the world

• co-worker's father passed away last week, very sudden
• another co-worker in the most generic sense of the term, a single mom, with a young daughter who developed cancer in the eye. Which spread to the brain. Child died over the weekend. I know how terribly hard it is to bury a parent. I cannot imagine having to bury a 4-year-old child. Services will be Saturday
• got word yesterday that my own father is in the hospital, again. They are waiting for a bed to come available to put him into ICU. He's already outlived every man in the history of the family as far back as I can tell, but I'm not ready to lose him. Haven't seen him since we buried my mother a few years back: being nearly a thousand miles away and totally broke most of the time will do that. Hoping to make the trip up in two weeks or so.
• and I got word yesterday via a "headhunter" that a local company wants to talk to me about a project engineer position, something that would pay about twice my current salary. I should know more sometime today about scheduling a discussion. God's will be done.

This morning's reading is Daniel 11 and 12. Read this as a continuation of yesterday's passage or it may not make sense to you.

Daniel 11

1	Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.
2	And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.
3	And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
4	And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.
5	And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.
6	And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.
7	But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail:
8	And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.
9	So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.
10	But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.
11	And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.
12	And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.
13	For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.
14	And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.
15	So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.
16	But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.
17	He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.
18	After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.
19	Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
20	Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.
21	And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
22	And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.
23	And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.
24	He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.
25	And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.
26	Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
27	And both of these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.
28	Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.
29	At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.
30	For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
31	And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
32	And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
33	And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.
34	Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.
35	And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.
36	And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37	Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38	But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39	Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
40	And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41	He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.
42	He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43	But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44	But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.
45	And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

Daniel 12

1	And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2	And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3	And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
4	But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
5	Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.
6	And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
7	And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
8	And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
9	And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
10	Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
11	And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
12	Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
13	But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.

This evening, 3rd John.

III John

1	The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
2	Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
3	For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.
4	I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
5	Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;
6	Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:
7	Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.
8	We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.
9	I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
10	Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.
11	Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
12	Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.
13	I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee:
14	But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.
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