It has been a long week, half of it spent being asleep.  It helped. 

We are informed that winter weather is a-coming.  It will be well below freezing at night this coming week and day temps will barely go higher than that.

We will be busy trying to get Carla’s flowers inside.  If we go too early they don’t survive, she has to wait for that first frost and then given them a few days – the problem this year is that the temperatures in the teens is coming quicker than normal.

Overcast this morning, but as I write this I can see where things are lighting up and the sun is trying to come through – with low temperatures that is not necessarily a good thing since cloud cover helps keep us warmer.

There is lots of snow piling up in our mountains and that is a welcome occurrence.  I just hope it continues and doesn’t get melted off.

----

“Don't pity yourself. Don't be afraid to tell God your troubles. He knows all about your troubles. There is a little song that says, "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen," but there's Somebody who knows, all right. And our Fellow Sufferer still retains a fellow feeling for our pains and still remembers in the skies His tears, His agonies and cries, though he's now at the right hand of the Father Almighty, sitting crowned in glory, awaiting, of course, that great coronation day that yet is to come.

He knows everything about you. He knows! He knows when the doctor hates to tell you what's wrong with you and your friends come and try to be unnaturally encouraging. He knows!

With boldness, therefore, at the throne Let us make all our sorrows known And ask the aid of heavenly power To help us in the evil hour. “  AW Tozer

Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

¹⁵ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. KJV

So many people think they have the answer outside of God’s Word.  New ideas come up and they embrace them with fanatical enthusiasm, only to find out later that those ideas were bunk.

They then search for something else, anything but turning to God and sitting at the feet of Jesus as they read His Word.

They claim they are open minded because they are willing to accept new ideas, even if those ideas lead them farther from God.  They are not grounded in anything; the fluidity of their minds entraps them into thinking that they know more than God.

But they are afraid to encounter the Holy Spirit.  They may have many reasons, but it comes down to their ‘open mindedness’ preventing them from accepting the truth.

Not much different than when Jesus walked the earth – or for that matter after Adam sinned; and after Noah left the ark.

Our God doesn’t change.  When we try to make the Bible conform to our ideas, instead of allowing His Word to change our lives, we are doomed to failure.

I have been asked why I can’t accept other religions’ legitimacy.  I don’t get angry with them, I don’t shout and holler at them, but I cannot accept their ‘gods,’ they are not legitimate.   I don’t care how many people believe the way they do, their god is not genuine.

Therefor as a Christian I can’t accept their legitimacy, because they do not have that saving power that Christ provides.  To waiver with that believe means that Christ died for nothing.

If a person insists on going on without Him, I will not try and force Christ on him.  God doesn’t force Himself on others, He gives them the information, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and if they choose to ignore it all, then He tearfully lets them go.

As an American, as a former Law Enforcement Officer, I will defend your right to make lawful decisions.  If a person chooses to believe in false gods and religions that is their right; however, far too many are impinging on my right to worship Christ.

And that includes my right to accept the Bible as it is written by men who were guided by the Holy Spirit.  We may have some different opinions about some of the verses, but the base is solid and the correct interpretation cannot be denied.

Don’t expect me to be all inclusive and accept your beliefs, you have a right to them, as I have a right to mine.

If you think that means I am closed minded, so be it.

The world is getting more and more vocal against my rights as a Christian – and I will still stand for Christ; regardless.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

As a Christian, how can I believe in any other way? 

Later, Art (-: