Today's Readings -- 27 June 2011

Back At It. Those of us who are so blessed as to have a job at all, regardless of our frustrations, get to go back to work today. I keep telling myself that it's not just a source of income, it is a field of ministry and outreach. And sometimes it is.

This morning's reading continues in the book of Job, chapters 10, 11, 12. Not easy reading, but the entire book of Job echoes some questions that most of us have asked at one time or another. "Why??"

Job 10

1	My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2	I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
3	Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
4	Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?
5	Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,
6	That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?
7	Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.
8	Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.
9	Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?
10	Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?
11	Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.
12	Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.
13	And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.
14	If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
15	If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;
16	For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.
17	Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.
18	Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!
19	I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
20	Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
21	Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;
22	A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.

Job 11

1	Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2	Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?
3	Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?
4	For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.
5	But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;
6	And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.
7	Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
8	It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
9	The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.
10	If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him?
11	For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?
12	For vain men would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt.
13	If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;
14	If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.
15	For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:
16	Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:
17	And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday: thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.
18	And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.
19	Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.
20	But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.

Job 12

1	And Job answered and said,
2	No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
3	But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
4	I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.
5	He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
6	The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
7	But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
8	Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
9	Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
10	In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
11	Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?
12	With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
13	With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.
14	Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
15	Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
16	With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17	He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.
18	He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.
19	He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.
20	He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.
21	He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.
22	He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
23	He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
24	He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
25	They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

This evening, verses 1-25 of Acts 8.

Acts 8:1-25

1	And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2	And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
3	As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
4	Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
5	Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
6	And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7	For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
8	And there was great joy in that city.
9	But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
10	To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11	And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
12	But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13	Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
14	Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15	Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16	(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17	Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
18	And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
19	Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
20	But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
21	Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
22	Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
23	For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
24	Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the LORD for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
25	And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Today's Readings -- 26 June 2011

Hope this has been a good weekend and a good Sunday for you. It's been a long week for us. Let's see, pastor's wife developed preclampsia this week. Off to hospital, bunch of tests, all of that. And they decided to induce labor. Half a day later, a pretty little baby girl joins the family. Mom and Dad, little brother, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, and so on. All very excited.
I'm still stuck working a weird long night shift, which was 'officially' a 10.5 hour turn, which in practice means a 12 hour or more tour at work. Cuts down on my sleep, energy, time with Dear Wife, all of that. The next few days we will be "down" to 10-hour shifts (officially). Since they don't seem disposed to pay any overtime for that extra days and hours, that means I'm working for free much of the time.
And then, Friday morning, we intend to bundle into car and head North about a thousand miles. Things may be disorganized a bit.

This morning's reading chapters 7, 8, 9 of Job.

Job 7

1	Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?
2	As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:
3	So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
4	When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.
5	My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.
6	My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.
7	O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.
8	The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.
9	As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.
10	He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
11	Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12	Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?
13	When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaints;
14	Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:
15	So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.
16	I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.
17	What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?
18	And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?
19	How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?
20	I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?
21	And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

Job 8

1	Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2	How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?
3	Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?
4	If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression;
5	If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;
6	If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
7	Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
8	For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:
9	(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)
10	Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?
11	Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water?
12	Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.
13	So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish:
14	Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web.
15	He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.
16	He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.
17	His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones.
18	If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.
19	Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow.
20	Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:
21	Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.
22	They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.

Job 9

1	Then Job answered and said,
2	I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?
3	If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.
4	He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?
5	Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.
6	Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
7	Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.
8	Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
9	Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.
10	Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.
11	Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
12	Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?
13	If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.
14	How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?
15	Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.
16	If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.
17	For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.
18	He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.
19	If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?
20	If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.
21	Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
22	This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
23	If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
24	The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?
25	Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.
26	They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.
27	If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:
28	I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
29	If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?
30	If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
31	Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.
32	For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.
33	Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.
34	Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
35	Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

This evening, verses 44-60 of Acts 7

Acts 7:44-60

44	Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.
45	Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;
46	Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
47	But Solomon built him an house.
48	Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
49	Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
50	Hath not my hand made all these things?
51	Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52	Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53	Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
54	When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55	But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56	And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57	Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58	And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59	And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60	And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.