The past few days have been an interesting process of dealing with the effect – bad side effects – of changing medications; and of new methods that do not work.  Not the most pleasurable of experiences.

Yesterday we received several hundred pounds of chicken breasts.  The truck bringing it to town was 8 hours late – not a good thing when it has to be processed right away and the time that had been dedicated to doing that was wasted. 

Fortunately Carla had the day off and was able to help in the process – I was not doing well and we would never have finished, but Carla and Teresa, working together got the job done.  We received the chicken so late that Deed had to take hers home – I am sure Josh assisted her with it.

It takes a lot of time, although we got most of it done last night – working late – and finished up canning the last of it this morning.  To can chicken – counting getting the jars ready, cutting up the meat, putting the meat in the jars, cleaning the jars and placing them in the pressure canner – then waiting for the pressure to build, pressure to cook and seal the container (which is 75 minutes itself,) letting the canner cool so the pressure releases (another 40 – 55 minutes by itself) and then removing the jars to a counter for cooling is about 5 hours per canner – about 8 quarts worth of chicken total, although we placed them in pints and half pints.  We worked two canners last night and the last one today.

I took care of the canners.  I have to hand it to Carla’s mother and other women that used the pressure canners on wood stoves.  It is difficult to maintain the constant temperature in pressure canning.  If it goes too high, the liquid can boil out of the jars and not seal properly, too low and there is danger of botulism from not being processed correctly – if the pressure goes below the recipe’s requirement then the pressure must be brought back up and the time starts all over again.

We learned a trick in the OSU classes we took.  We have a canner with a pressure gauge – however, we were told we could obtain weights for the pressure release valve to help maintain the pressure.  In doing so we have learned as long as we hear the quiet wisp of the release valve and not go too low or too loud we are on target, it will warn us if it gets a bit high by the wisp making the weight bobble more and getting louder, then we just turn the temp down a small mite. 

Canning is a hands-on - all the time process, not something you can just walk away from so it is time consuming.  At least we don’t have that hot wood stove to deal with.

We also froze around two-thirds or so of the chicken; total of three canners of pints and half-pints of chicken and the rest processed, bagged, sealed and placed in the freezer for winter. 

Carla wants to can some more green tomato salsa, I thought we would be done, but she also wants to can some special recipe for apple butter – it looks like the Hot Water Canners will stay out a while longer. 

1 Corinthians 3:7-8 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

⁸ Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

In the world people strive to be on top, they want to have more money, more recognition and more power.  To realize that they must make sure that whomever they are working for sees them and compliments them on their work.

It drives some people so hard they will claim the work of others as their own.  They will lie about how much work they actually do, they will use devious means to undermine competitors and make them look bad.

The world is competitive and to get ahead is the show of success.  Numbers of sales, numbers of product made, numbers of merchandise accounted for – no matter the job, there is always a way to stand out; especially if the person points out their ‘superior work.’

Businesses are in competition and the bigger the company the more successful they appear.  The mood there too can be one of deception and or undermining of competitors.  They want credit for their work and if they can’t get it honestly some will resort to dishonesty.

All too frequently man brings that manner of measuring success into the church.  We want our church to be recognized as the best church in the area.  We measure success by numbers of visitors, numbers of converts, size of offering, prestige within the community and many other ways to get people to come to our church.  In the process the Word of God and His Truths can be distorted; the delivery of the Word becomes more important than the actual teaching of the Word. 

People like to feel good about themselves, so they want a church that will also make them feel good about themselves – many don’t’ want to really understand the work that must go into serving God.  If the church meets only the feel good needs of its congregation it does a disservice to them and to God by pacifying this need and not meeting the spiritual needs of the people.  They may have a ‘growing’ church, but it is not one that is pleasing to God.

It is so very difficult not to bring the world’s value system into our spiritual life.  In the world the key is how well WE are doing; with God it is how well we humble ourselves before God.  Being proud of our service to God is contradicting His commands for us to serve Him. 

John 13:5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

And 12-16 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

¹³ Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

¹⁶ Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

It is not an easy transition.  We know that Jesus expects us to serve and do the lowliest jobs.  We know that He expects us to not strive for greatness in His Work, but to humbly follow His example.  AND we should not be proud of our humbleness...

We must ask ourselves “What is the purpose of my service to God?”  The answer must be an honest one, if we are having difficulty understanding it we should ask God to search our heart, to make it open to Him.  If the answer is anything other than to serve God, then we must re-evaluate our purpose.

We don’t serve to make us feel better, we don’t serve to make converts for Him, we don’t serve to feed the poor, we don’t serve to encourage people to come to Him – we serve because He demands we serve HIM and we serve out of love for Him.  All the things we do should be as a reflection of that service.  Feeding the poor is a work He approves of – but if we aren’t doing it as to Him we are not serving Him.  The same goes with teaching Sunday School, visiting the sick and shut-ins.  The list goes on and on.

The world’s teaching, the world’s method of measuring success should not be in our minds as we serve Him.  The world says a bigger church is a better church; God doesn’t – now that church may be better.  But, if it is it is because the hearts of the people are in tuned to Him, not because it has a larger congregation or building.  It could very well be that in comparing two churches the one with 1000 people is not serving God as well as the one that is in a small community and only has 50 people.

The church in which I was saved had a congregation of about 100-120 people.  People came and went, the numbers always seemed to be the same.  In my mind I couldn’t understand why we didn’t grow – we had revivals, missionary visitations on a regular basis, dedicated lay people a Pastor and his wife that worked hard and taught well. 

Yet, that church produced many Pastors; many people dedicated to God that still live for Him decades later.  It produced people who received the basics in that church and went on to other churches serving in one way or another in them. 

The youth group grew in Christ and brought friends in so they too could find Him.  They were good at making new people feel good about coming to events and services.  The whole church supported the youth, prayed and gave them good council. 

I look back at this church as one blessed by God, in fondness because it was where I was saved, but also in my experiences I can now see the success this church, and its Pastors, had was not in numbers, but in practicing the service to God. 

As Christians we should not consider ourselves as ‘better’ than others, we should not look at the work and deem it unsuccessful simply because it doesn’t produce the numbers we think it should.  We must learn to measure the worth, the success of a life, not by numbers, but by the humbling before God - and the most important person we should evaluate in that regard is ourselves; daily.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again

Jeremiah 20:7-12  O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.
⁸ For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.
⁹ Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
¹⁰ For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
¹¹ But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.
¹² But, O Lord of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.

And Verse 14  Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.

2 Timothy 4:14-17 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
¹⁵ Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
¹⁶ At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
¹⁷ Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

Two men of God in separate eras, yet suffered very much the same for proclaiming the Word of God and not seeing immediate action from God.

Professors in some institutes love to embarrass the Christians, they will say something and then ask God to punish them – it doesn’t happen, so they ridicule the belief of the Christian telling them there is no God.  Freshmen are the most susceptible because, for the most part, they have not had to confront that kind of hostility.

Often times they don’t know how to address that kind of hostility from a teacher and unfortunately will sometimes believe them.  It is the teacher’s class and they make sure the student is aware of it.  I have been there and gone through it as a relatively new Christian – the teacher was aggressive when I challenged him and I had not real answer for it – however, I did make my point to begin with, I didn’t pass the class though – don’t think he appreciated my input.

But you can imagine what that attitude can do to some Christians.  It doesn’t happen just there, of course, as we go into the real world we are challenged by those that want to prove God doesn’t exist.  As we mature and grow in our knowledge of God we learn to see these encounters for what they are and don’t take them personally.

So how do we witness to such people?  How can we make them realize their attitude, their being aggressive bullies, their admitted desire to destroy the faith of the Christian is wrong?

I have seen, all too often, hostility met with hostility – I have done it myself.  But if we are to change the minds of such people, we must get to know them, have some standing with them.

There are many people that will not let us in, we are not their kind of people – not rich enough, not sophisticated enough, not educated enough, etc. and they want to look down on us.  But most people are not like that – if we are friendly they will be also.

One of the keys to personal witnessing is not just to memorize the steps to salvation, etc. (although knowing these don’t hurt, just using them without some kind of relationship with the person rarely results in true commitment.)  People respond to people that care for them. 

One of the things many of us do is jump in without really knowing who we are talking to; we aren’t taking the time to see the person as an individual.  Most people come to Christ because someone cared enough about them that they took time to listen to them, to understand what their concerns are, what makes them happy.  A relationship is developed and as the person sees we are interested in them, as we share our own thought with them, there are more open to hearing the Words of the Gospel.

We may feel discouraged and disappointed at times when we don’t get an immediate response – especially one that we want – from God.  Some will use that against us and challenge our beliefs and try and use the apparent disparity against us.  Jeremiah, as Job, wished he had never been born he was so discouraged.

But God has a purpose in everything He tells us to do.  If we are true to Him He will use our testimony to strike at the heart of the person we are witnessing to – the Holy Spirit will confirm our witness to them.  Our job is to trust Him, and then let Him do His job. 

There will be times when we stand alone for God.  If we are used to having others of like faith surround us, it can be a very scary situation.  But others have gone through the same kind of trials and God has used them to bring others to Him.  He will do the same with our testimony.

We cannot be discouraged when someone doesn’t make an immediate response to the salvation message.  We do not know where they are at the moment.  We do know that the Holy Spirit will work within them to produce results – but even He may be rejected by the person.

As Christians we have the obligation and the joy of being a child of God.  Part of that obligation is to tell others of His Love. 

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again

Wresting with a stomach virus, or something.  Not doing much last couple days.

2 Timothy 3:1-5  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

² For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
³ Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
⁴ Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
⁵ Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Here in America we like to pride ourselves for our leadership in the World.  America has a Constitution that guarantees the rights of its citizens and even extends it to those that are not citizens; we are always ready to give a helping hand to others in need – whether it is supplying food or defense from an oppressor.  We like to say we were founded on the precepts of God and that we are a Godly nation.

America has a lot of adjectives it can ascribe to, and while we are not a perfect nation or people, we have always tried to be fair.  While there have always been those that would undermine the authority and mission of our nation, we are finding that segment growing and taking over the direction this nation is going.

Paul could have written these passages yesterday concerning our nation at the moment.  Instead of turning our faces back to God we are turning our back to Him.  There will be a price to pay and it will fall on all of us if this nation doesn’t realize God is still in charge and we owe Him our allegiance.

While we have many signs that the last days are upon us, we don’t really know how long it will be until Christ’s return.  We don’t know how much longer the patience that God has shown to us will stay His hand. 

I know there are a lot of prophecies concerning that coming event.  I know many people strive to try and determine how close we are, knowing that from all appearances it is very soon, and strive to instill a sense of His coming to the loss that they will come to Him before that happens.

I am less concerned about the last days than they are.  Today is going to be the ‘last day’ of life for someone.

While we do not know when He will come back, we do know that thousands of people die each day.  Most of those people do not know Christ as their Savior.  For them, the last day, the last day/moment for them to accept Christ has already come. 

We are never given a promise we will live tomorrow.  I have seen so many accidents – and for that matter a few murders – where a person was alive, going about their business with no idea they would die the next minute – not to mention that day.  One moment they were driving or walking or swimming or some other activity and the next they were either dead or so seriously injured it was fatal and they would die shortly thereafter.

We all know those that say they will someday come to Christ but give various reasons why they don’t do so now.  They think they will have a long time to live as they are before they are called to account so, they put the decision off until later.  Yet, while any one individual person will live a long time, no one can count on it happening to them.

As Christians whose loved ones and friends are not under Christ’s shield we fill the urgency and the necessity of them making that decision, yet they refuse.  Further discussion on that point by us seems to drive them further away.

Through the years I have learned that I can only witness, I cannot force the issue.  I have learned that some people’s heart seem to be hardened the more they are witnessed to – and, at least in my experiences, it is often best to back off a bit.  We can live our lives in such a manner that they will watch and many will come to us – or someone else - at a later time to talk about, and often receive, Christ.

I have had many people that I have witnessed to become upset with me because of my ‘preaching.’  I have learned that they can still be a friend, I can still witness through my friendship with them and with my love for them.  I pray for them and I know the Holy Spirit is working on them.  AND I have seen many of them come to Christ – some decades later.

It is not up to me to make the decision for them; they have to make if for themselves.  I can provide the answers and point the way, but I cannot make them decide.

Christ can come back to earth at any time to claim His Bride.  We do not know when that will happen.  But we do know that every person now living, if He doesn’t come back within the next 100 years or so, will die.  For them, it doesn’t matter what time He is coming, for them He has already come; and too many of them are found wanting.

The World and America in particular keeps going deeper and deeper into the cesspool of depravity.  But most of us cannot reach the whole world, we can, however, reach those around us.  We can witness, witness to them in deed as well as word whenever possible and pray that they will open their hearts to the Holy Spirit and allow Christ to come in. 

If each Christian can reach even one other person for Christ then we can make the world a different place – one person at a time; let us make that our goal.  Let us ask God to give us names and/or direct our steps to the person He has been working on and wants us to witness to; allowing the Holy Spirit to work within us will allow us to do His bidding.

I am ready for Christ’s return; I want to be with Him, leaving the stress and turmoil of this world behind.  However, as Paul so eloquently put it, it is better for others that we stay here and proclaim the Gospel to all who will listen.

Philippians 1:23-24 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

²⁴ Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again

Sun was shining nice and bright – looked out to the Northwest to see some dark clouds coming, really dark clouds, we shall soon have a downpour.  But the air is so clean the yellow light shining on the trees with the dark clouds in the background is very pretty.

Blaze argued with some of the deer from around here, telling them to leave his territory.  Only three this morning and they trotted over to Carla’s garden; not much for them to taste so they walked over to the alfalfa – not much there either so on down to the neighbors.  Wish they would eat those weeds.  The birds like the seeds though.  

Philippians 1:9-11    And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

¹⁰ That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.

¹¹ Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

These verses are basically meant to tell the Philippian Christians how to grow in Christ and how to treat each other.

It is a good word of advice for all of us.  We so often focus on the negative within each other.  We don’t like that person’s sense of humor, or that person’s manner of dress or that person’s choice of words.  We don’t agree with their way of worship or their choice of food, etc.  Their clothing and hair style is not what we like – it can interfere with both their and our life in Christ and the harmony in His church.

In the world the theme of this century in our country seems to be to take offense at everything and try to pass laws that will keep us from being offended.

We find that when we take offense at something, those that are proponents of that philosophy or lifestyle or whatever, take offense at our offense.  Some people go out of their way to offend others, they enjoy it, it gives them a feeling of power.

Others choose to look for ways to feel offended.  That person looked at me ‘funny;’ that manner of speaking was meant to ridicule me; we can find all sorts of things to be offended about.  Wars – physical assaults in our streets – are going on in this country because of someone being “offended” by someone else and attacking them.

God’s Word is offensive to many people.  They do not want to hear what God says, so they are trying to make preaching, teaching, reading and studying God’s Word to be evidence of hatred.

In Dearborn, Michigan Christians were attacked by stone throwing Muslims for proclaiming Christ near one of their festivals – and the Christians were threatened with arrest if they did not leave.  Authorities were placating the Muslims, they didn’t want to offend them.  The people that threw the rocks were not arrested.

Part of the claims of offensive language and behavior really are valid and for those we must look at ourselves and determine not to be offensive in those manners.  Others are manufactured and so minute that they would normally not merit any cause for concern, yet, in this country’s desire to not offend anyone, ever, and to be all things to all people they make everything a political commentary.  While developing language that is not offensive, they are bound to offend others. 

As Christians we are going to offend those that are in the world, those who deny the deity and the governing ability of God.  God’s message of repentance does not set well with those that do not want to hear it.  It didn’t when the prophets of old proclaimed God’s Word to the Jews and it didn’t when Jesus confronted the Jewish leaders and called them on their hypocrisy. 

Mark 6:2-4 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?

³ Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

⁴ But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

The war against Christ and God’s Word has continued to this day when Christians stand for Christ against those that do not want to hear.  Many times people who knew us before we were saved, or have seen us falter in our service to God, will choose not to listen because of that knowledge.  They will be offended and point out that we were/are not any different from them, asking ‘who are you to preach (or judge) to me?’  We need to use wisdom in addressing their comments and not take offense ourselves. 

But when it comes to our family in Christ we must take care to work with our brethren in Christ and not offend them if at all possible – using wisdom to correct and nurture them.  Paul was clear about this when he also said:

Romans 14:17-22  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

¹⁸ For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

¹⁹ Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

²⁰ For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.

²¹ It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

²² Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

A mature Christian does not deliberately act in a manner that he knows will cause another to stumble.  A mature Christian also learns that others may unintentionally commit an act that is offensive to him.  While corrective action may need to be taken we should not become upset, but in love and wisdom take the necessary steps to make them aware of their actions; and, by the way, not taking offense to those that would try and correct or nurture us when we are in need of it.

God want HIS peace within the community of Christians – His Church, Christ’s Bride.  Though we may sincerely differ on some of the things that Christians should or should not be doing, if those things are not directly related to salvation and proper service to God, we need to take care in our discussions of them. 

We should use the Word of God as our foundation in our disagreements, not rhetoric that we do not understand.  We must also remember that some people view particular verses in a different light and there is no clarity as to who is right and who is wrong in that particular instance.  God is not intending for us to be so hung up on minor disagreements that we become offensive to a brother or sister in Christ.  It is better to hold our tongue then to get into a heated discussion over minor details.

Studying God’s Word and asking for His insights will assist us in having the wisdom, when talking to our brethren to discern when we should be more aggressive in our discussions, or back off and leave it alone.  Art :-)   

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again