My friends, you may be receiving Post-Christmas Cards.  I struggle to sit down and write, it takes a lot more out of me right now.  I AM improving and feeling much better, but just tired. 

Yesterday, we had bright sunshine, today, rain and fog.  Still we hope and expect more snow.  Carla is busy making candy and other things to give to the crew.  Still haven’t come up with a menu for Christmas Eve, yet, but we are almost ready.

Carla has Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday off, so we have plenty of time.  It is nice, we ‘shouldn’t’ feel any pressure this year.  We haven’t been able to get together with the Labrousses of Kirkland – hopefully soon after the first of the year when their schedule and our condition improves.  

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Mathew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

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

He is God, He does not change.  As I think about that fact the thing comes to mind that He doesn’t change – ever.  Never has, never will!

That fact is extremely important to us.  Christianity, our relationship with God, is based on Him.  It is based on His Word.  The continuity of His Word, the message sent to His people must be the consistent.  If He has changed, then He is not the God of the Bible – who He proclaims Himself to be, but since He does not change we can depend and rely on what He tells us. 

As we study both Testaments, we find His Words often repeated.  Each Testament compliments the other – as intended by God.

What He did in the Old Testament, He does in the New.  The difference is Christ – God in a man’s body.  The Old Testament prophesied His arrival; the New Testament confirmed His arrival and His sacrifice for us.

God’s position in the universe has not changed.  God is angered over sin.  He has compassion on the weak and helpless.  He heals, He comforts, He loves and He teaches.

But, as a man, Christ is crucified and died for our sins. 

Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Acts 5:30-32 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

³¹ Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

³² And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Since Christ used the Old Testament to affirm Who He is, it reaffirms the need for us to use the Old Testament to learn Who God is.  We can use His Words to grow in Him.  We can see the beauty of the Holy Spirit’s hand in the writings of so many different authors – all pointing to Who God is, Who Christ is and the fact that He is the same throughout the ages.

We see God’s plan – in part – as He deals with man from man’s Creation.  He is willing to punish wrong doing, but His Grace is what drives Him, His love of His Creation lets us know that He will forgive us. 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

When we look at how He created the World, it was by His spoken Word; except for man and woman.  He formed man with His hands from the dust of the earth.  He breathed the breath of life into Him.  He took from Him a rib to create woman. 

We are His special creation.  He cares for all His creation, but us in particular.  Mathew 5:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Man is God’s special Creation.  He wants to walk with us.  He wants to talk with us.  He wants to put His arms around us and assure us of His great love.  He wants to give us the very best of the best and protect us from the evil that abounds on this earth.  He wants to make us perfect as He Himself is perfect.

He hasn’t changed, as He was before the Creation, He is today and will be tomorrow.  His passion for us, His love for us and His Grace given to us is the same.  He has always had a great patience with man, but we cannot rely on that to always be – there will come a time that He has set, that He will forcibly take back over what He has created and destroy those that deny Him.

Revelations 11:15-18 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

¹⁶ And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

¹⁷ Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

¹⁸ And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Meanwhile, we have the time to declare to everyone that Christ is the Savior and that His forgiveness is to all man.

Mathew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Later, Art :-)

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