We had a bit of wind, yesterday, enough that they closed 1-84 between Troutdale and Hood River to clean trees, rocks and other debris off the freeway.  – Other parts of Oregon had it a lot worse, many roads were closed due to water and/or debris. 

Up here it wasn’t much different than what we have had in the past – but spirited none the less.

Calmer today, nice sunlit skies this morning, turning grey now.

Getting moisture in the high regions, not as much in snow as we like, but the earth should soak it up and be better prepared for the snow, which, hopefully, will fall in great depths this winter.

It is unusual to look around and see all the animals cuddled up and sleeping – usually Abby (cat) stays outside most of the time, she doesn’t like to be petted in the house, but becomes a pest when we are outside with her desire to be petted.  The others are finding the living room furniture more desirable than their other haunts.

Cannot believe that Thanksgiving is next week.  Lots has happened this year, and much to be thankful for!

John 17: 23-20   And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

¹⁴ I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

¹⁵ I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

¹⁶ They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

¹⁷ Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

¹⁸ As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

²⁰ Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Part of the prayer Jesus made just before He and His disciples left for the garden where He would be taken into custody.

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Jesus prayed (and is praying) for us.  He could have left that phrase off, but didn’t and we can rely on that promise.

While I may seem to be writing too much about what our world is becoming – at least to some – I am very much reminded that Jesus came into this world that we can be saved.

The Father sent Him, because of His great love for us.

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit that we will receive comfort and wisdom.

The three in one is unified in God’s desire to bring the world back to what He originally created before the fall of Adam.

But to do that all knees must bow to Him.  We know that we cannot make that happen; we know the world will continue to bring the wrath of God upon all of us because they refuse to acknowledge who He is and give Him the respect He deserves.

Only God will make that happen at His determined time.

We also know that regardless of time, regardless of the devastating blows to Christians all over the world – there are still those individuals who can be saved.

But they can only be saved when they hear and understand the Word of God.  We are directed to go into the world, as putrid as it is, and tell others about Christ and His saving Grace.

Thousands of individuals will come to Christ today, because someone in their life cared enough to pray for them, share the Gospel and the love of Christ with them. 

We have buildings where Christians gather, yet, few unsaved people enter those doors without the encouragement and witness of a Christian who has taken the time to tell them of Jesus. 

A wise friend of mine, as part of his tag line, says:

"Don't just go to church. Be a church."

Visit   Claytons Page

The church is not the building; it is the people that have accepted Christ as Savior.

When we portray Christ we are His Church in action.  When we share His Word and His desire to bring all under His wing we are doing the mission for which He prayed that God would leave us in the world to do.

We need to understand that God is not going to allow the sinful behavior that this world is portraying as normal and, therefore, a righteous way of life, to continue. 

We don’t know if Christ will come back today – or 2000 years from today.  We DO know that life is extremely short when compared to eternity.

We don’t know if we or someone who needs Christ may be driving down the street, walking on a sidewalk, joining others in some kind of activity – and finds that death came just seconds after a friendly chat or laugh.

I can give example after example of instantaneous deaths – when no one was even thinking of that happening.  No warning, it just came for them.

I write what I write because I feel desperation in this world, a searching for spiritual cleansing; a need to understand that God is alive, and despite His great love for us, He will do what He says He will do – IF we accept His Son – or IF we choose to reject Him.

He expects us to give Him the honor due to Him, accept His role in this world as its Creator, read and listen to His Word and obey Him.

The world is not only NOT doing that, it is doing all it can to destroy Him and, it is gaining momentum, daily, as it attacks the very values of God and His Word.

Too many modern day Christians have forgotten that while He promises eternal life, He also promises to condemn those that reject Him to an eternity in Hell.

The preaching of ‘He loves us too much to condemn us’ is becoming too prevalent, even in some Christian teachings; saying that we show love by tolerating the world’s definition of sinful behavior is somehow going to make it all right.

This isn’t a new concept; the lie has been propagated since Adam’s fall by satan.  Writers have been sharing this lie for hundreds of years.

As an example; I have recently been re-reading Moby Dick, the great classic written by Herman Melville.  He speaks, as the narrator when he decides to worship the ‘god’ that Queequeg caved out of a piece of wood:

“Do you suppose, now, Ishmael, that the magnanimous God of heaven and earth – pagan and all included – can possible be jealous of an insignificant bit of black wood?

Impossible, but what is worship? – to do the will of God? – to do to my fellow man what I would have any fellow man do to me – that is the will of God.

Now, Queequeg is my fellow man.  And what do I wish that this Queequeg would do to me?  Why unite with me in my particular Presbyterian form of worship.  I must then unite with him in his ergo, I must turn idolater.”

He goes on to write how he did, indeed, worship at the altar of that piece of wood.  The last time I read it I was in high school, and I didn’t pick up on it – it was a subtle and deliberate attempt, by the author, to undermine God.

I won’t go into the Old Testament references that cover this very issue, at this time, we are all aware of them – God is indeed jealous of such behavior.

And that jealousy, even though denied by ‘intellectuals’ as being trite and old-fashioned – spiritual mumbo jumbo; or the way God was in the Old Testament but isn’t any longer – is still how God relates to man when man rejects Him.

There are such passages in many of the ‘classics’ and of course many other books that we hold up as great works of art.  No, I am not saying we should burn them, I am saying that when an unsaved person reads such dribble it has an impact on him.  Satan uses these subtle comments to whittle away at what the world thinks of God.  It is these kinds of things that slowly eat away at our conscience and turn us from God’s truth.

Satan tells the world it is no big thing to worship an idol in the spirit of camaraderie, after all aren’t we suppose to help our fellow man, what better way than to embrace their sinful behavior?

Satan uses the printed page and he is expert at using the newer multi-media formats to proclaim sinful behavior is not “really” a sin.  Instead it is something to immerse ourselves in and find great enjoyment.

As Christians we know that is not true – and sometimes we have to be reminded of how God feels about that – thus the Old Testament books are a vital part of our studying to show ourselves approved.

We KNOW what the Old Testament says, but if we don’t read it we don’t understand the nature of God.  We cannot fathom who God is and how much He hates sin.  It lies dormant in our memory and doesn’t compel us to tell others of lays in store for the unrepentant sinner.

God isn’t changing.  No matter what man may wish or want, desire or proclaim, if it doesn’t match up with God’s Word and His commands it is not of God and just another subtle way satan is trying to destroy all God stands for.

God IS love!  We ARE saved by His Grace!  But without accepting Him through His Son Jesus Christ we are doomed; just as the Hebrews suffered greatly when they rejected Him - so the world and America is suffering today.

There is such a reluctance to share all of God’s Word that it downplays what we say when we talk of Jesus’ salvation.  People need to understand what He is saving us from, we need to step up and let them know He hasn’t changed; He will hold sinners accountable.

It doesn’t, necessarily, have to be fire and brimstone preaching – although far too many Christians have never heard such a sermon – but it does have to be an honest and sincere conversation with those in need of Him, and helping them to understand who He is and His jealousy and anger is part of Him.

We have opportunities that a Pastor doesn’t have, that someone else in the church doesn’t have, we can witness to individuals that we work with, that we socialize and play with.  We can build a relationship with them that allows them to trust us and listen to what we have to say.

While we really do need to stress God’s great love we also need to be ready to tell of what happens when He is rejected, if the person refuses to accept Him.  It can be done in love and in a way that the Holy Spirit – not us – can bring an understanding and a change of heart in that person.

Nahum 1:2-3 God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.

³ The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

We need to share God’s love with the world, but we must also inform them of what will happen should they reject Him.

That isn’t us being judgmental; that is God’s Word.

That is why I feel so impressed to write what I write – at least for now.

Later, Art :-)

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