Early snow accompanying the early cold weather; it was supposed to be heavy in Portland, the latest I have heard is Portland is pretty much okay, not much snow – AND unless you live in or near the Gorge it shouldn’t be a burden.  Of course, we live in the Gorge.

Alternating between freezing rain and regular snow right now, coming down pretty well.  It is unusual for this time of year, usually when we get our first snow it doesn’t stick until night – but this is and for the most part it is several weeks early.

The hummingbirds are enjoying the warmth of the flood light that we placed above their food.  One of them loves to sit under it for several minutes at a time and just look up into it - makes me wonder if she thinks it is some kind of special sun just for her.

Had another doctor’s appointment this week.  He wants me in for surgery soon – we have it set up for the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.  Not the best time, but this time of year there isn’t much of a best time anyway; it is corrective and out-patient surgery so, while in pain and pretty much out of it, I should be okay.  I am leaving Thanksgiving dinner to those that are coming, I’ll just sit back and watch the games, then enjoy the feast -- I hope.

I do believe all the animals are inside now, Abbey and BaFuzzy prefer to be in outside places – until this kind of weather hits.  Blaze is enjoying sleeping on the couch or in his kennel, or occasionally one of the rugs on the floor placed there for that purpose.

Me?  I am hunkering down.  

Lamentations 1:8  Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

Lamentation 1:15-18  The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.

¹⁶ For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.

¹⁷ Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the Lord hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.

¹⁸ The Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

God was patient with the Jewish people.  Through the years He told them of His anger because they turned their back on Him.  He forgave them when they asked, but far too often it took great tragedies, war, pestilence, starvation, captivity and death before they turned back to worship and ask His forgiveness.

He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; He sent a great flood to destroy all the earth save those in the Ark.  He destroyed Jerusalem.  He placed HIS people in captivity for their sins.  God does not approve of sin!

Throughout the Old Testament He pleaded through His prophets for His people to turn from evil, turn from sin and worship Him.  And when they refused He punished and disciplined them for their disobedience.

Somehow people think God changed His mind when He sent Christ to earth to become our Sacrifice and our Savior.  The somehow think He decided He would not punish those that oppose or reject Him.  Because Christ preached Love, because we emphasize that we are supposed to share God’s Love with everyone, people think that God is no longer going to call sinners to account.

But, God is God.  He is STILL God and He doesn’t change just because we think He should.  He is not concerned with our societal thoughts of who He is and what He is now supposedly sanctioning even though in the past He labeled it as sin.

God is God, He doesn’t change.  He has always loved His people, He has always provided for those that obey Him – whether it is in times of the Old Testament, the New Testament or today.  He doesn’t enjoy chastising His people, but He wants them to understand who they are in relationship to Who He is. 

He is God, the Creator, all knowing, omnipotent; He IS the Supreme Being – there is no other and He wants us to recognize that fact.  He is God, and His attitude about sinning has never changed.

Malachi 3:6   For I am the Lord, I change not;

Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

There are several verses in the New Testament, like these from Galatians, which reaffirms the need for man to worship God, to accept Him for Who He is and to give Him His due, to stop sinning – and there is consequences for failing to do so.

While it is important to share God’s Love with others, it is just as important to share ALL of His Word with them.  There will be a time when those that reject Him and/or His Son will be held accountable.  They will face Him and have to give excuses that will not be accepted as to why they refused to receive Him into their lives.

His Words are also a warning to us to live for Him, not to rely on our worldly materials or ideas to help us in the end.  We must search our hearts and strive to follow the Holy Spirit’s leadings in our everyday life. 

Today’s society in the world and specifically here in America clamors for the right to sin in whatever way they wish, as often as they wish.  What has been classified by God as Sin from the beginning man wants to classify as natural or an illness or disease.  Laws are passed and courts are upholding those laws - telling people it is okay to sin, the government not only sanctions it, but encourages it. 

Society throws the “Love of God” into the face of those that would warn them that such activity is a sin – society wants to tell US how God works, how God’s Love would never condemn them, He is a God of Love and would never send anyone to hell.

Without truly knowing the Word of God, or choosing to cut and paste His Word to mean what they want it to say, the World calls the Christian that tries to tell them that sin is sin as being intolerant and hateful.  The World is doing to Christians today, what they have always done to Prophets, Preachers, Teachers and believers in the Word of God – it is persecuting and dismissing the warnings.

God IS Love.  It is His desire that everyone come to Him.  It is His desire that we are all saved.  But, He doesn’t lower HIS STANDARDS to meet our expectations; we must raise our expectations to meet His standards.  He tells us what we must do, we don’t tell Him.

God is in charge, He always has been and He always will be.  For us to deceive ourselves and/or others to think He is less than Who He is, is a sin in of itself and corrupts our witnessing to others.

There is, as there has always been, a heaven to be gained and a hell to shun – and we can only gain heaven in obedience to Him.  HE WRITES THE RULES, and they are written so all can understand.

Later, Art :-)

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