Just thinking resurrection*

Today as I meditate and think about God's word, my thoughts go to a recent Bible study. Recently I blogged about the resurrection. It bothered me what I felt I was reading in a distant relative's thoughts. I read up on the resurrection and came to I Corinthians chapter 15. This chapter is about the resurrection and how it is central to our faith in God. I was comforted in hearing in this Bible study the same thoughts that I came up with as I had read this passage. I don't want to come up with a new gospel, a new revelation. I want a good understanding of the word of God. The Bible Study leader, in this case, is a former pastor, and a current talk show host on AFR. I have heard him speak at church and on the radio, so I knew he was a very knowledgeable individual. I feel safe when I hear confirmation from someone like this. The scripture is not of private interpretation, that the reason we have so many denominations already. The resurrection of the dead is central to the faith of a Christian. This chapter says things like; if Christ is not risen, then we are still in our sins and our faith is in vain. It also says in one verse if we have hope in Christ in this life only, we (Christians) are of all men most miserable. If there is no resurrection of the dead, then there is no judgment of the righteous dead and the unrighteous dead at some future date. If there is no resurrection we can live any way we want to, there are no consequences for our lives or no one to give an account to after we pass on.  Why try to live a Godly life, why not just party on, why not just live any way I want to if I do not have to stand before God someday. One person stated but there are benefits to living a Christian lifestyle in this lifetime. That is true, but you have to walk this way awhile before you even realize that. The average pre-Christian out there does not recognize those benefits until they have walked thru life as a Christian for a while. So if there is no resurrection of the dead at a future time, why not live any way I want to? I might as well have the best time I can on this earth while I am here because when it is over it is over. It made sense to me, the resurrection of the dead is an all-important belief and central to a Christians faith. I remember the words that were said to me the night in January of 1984 when I recommitted my life to God: Leon, someday you will stand before God and give an account for your life, what will you say? What have you done with Jesus, have you accepted or rejected him?  God is not going to ask who hurt you, or who did what to you. What have you done with this Jesus who died on a cross for you? Have you accepted or rejected him? He was knocking on my heart's door that night in January of 1984 and l opened my heart's door to him and let him in.  I do believe in a resurrection at some future date.  I need Jesus in my life and heart. God bless, LVZ.

Put Your Hand in the Hand*

Since yesterday this song has been going thru my head.  And that is indeed what we need to do. Putting our hand in the hand of the man from Galilee. Putting our hand in the hand of the man who stilled the waters. When we read the bible, it is a history book. When we read the story of Jesus being in a ship on the Sea of Galilee and he was awakened to calm the sea. Or when he walked on the water and bid Peter come to him. When we read about Jesus feeding the 5,000 from 5 loaves of bread. These things happened. When we read the account of the children of Israel walking thru the Red Sea on dry land. This is an event that happened. Today we can put our hand in the hand of the man from Galilee. We can put our hope in him who calmed the sea because today he can calm the storms of life in our soul. He can feed us because he had provision to feed the 5,000. Many would discount those stories in the Bible, but they are there for our learning and they happened. We put our hand in his by accepting him as Lord and Saviour. He is just a prayer, a simple prayer away. No elegant words need to be said. They can be as simple as Jesus forgive me of my sins and take over my life. I don't remember any artists that sang this song, but in my mind, I can still remember Lisa Stanley singing this in Church in Kennewick Washington when I was but 19. What a change Jesus can make in our lives if we will just trust him. I've never been the same since that night some 29 years ago when I put my hand in the hand of the man from Galilee. There have been storms since that night. Storms in my soul that Jesus has calmed just as he did that water that night in the bible story. What a change he has made in my life. There were years of just going to church, but when I look back, I treasure the relationship, the walks, and talks with Jesus. It is so easy to get drawn away by life going on around us.  I look at the prayers he has answered years ago and think of the prayers he answered just less than a year ago. My prayer for a church to attend was answered. I prayed and prayed, visited a church here and a church there and then one Sunday I stopped looking. I knew my prayer had been answered. Some times God answers right away, sometimes it takes months, some times it takes years and years. But I knew that Sunday my search was over. I didn't know much about this church, it takes time to know people and leaders of a church. It takes more than one sermon and one song to know what I know, but yet I knew from the first visit God had answered that prayer. It comes from a relationship, it comes from putting your hand in the hand from the man from Galilee. God bless, LVZ.

Integrity*

I am sure I wrote about integrity in the past. I know I have probably said something like "it what you do when no one is looking." That is true, but it is also what you will do when everyone is looking. When I think about, integrity, it seems what you do should be the same if everyone is looking or if no one is looking. I heard this in a sermon recently and I am not sure who it was that said it. I listen to the Pastor Scooter of Hope Church here in Tupelo, and I listen to Pastor Wolfson of CFAN in Tacoma online. I am sure it was one of them that said it in a recent sermon. It made sense to me when I heard it. Integrity is something we need in our public officials. Think of the scandals we could avoid if we thought this way. I think if some of our political leaders knew they would get caught, they wouldn't do some of the things they do. That is the kind of integrity we need, where it doesn't matter if nobody is looking or the whole world is watching, we still do the same thing. God bless, LVZ.

Solitude*

Luke 5:16 "And he (Jesus) withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed." Solitude is something we all need. Time to be alone with God. In this scripture, even Jesus withdrew to be alone, and the last part of this scripture says "and prayed". I remember different times in my life of trying to be alone to pray and meditate on God / his word. One of my earliest memories of my whole life was when I was probably about 4 or 5, I mustn't have been in school yet. My dad was hauling dirt out into the country and dumping it off from a basement he was digging at our house in Bismark N.D. When dad got thru unloading the dirt, the truck wouldn't start. Dad was angry and I as a 4 or 5-year-old got scared when dad got angry.  I pulled to the side a little ways and prayed "God let this truck start". I believe it was an answer to that prayer simply because I still remember that incident after all these years. In my teen years, working on the farm. I would be out in a  field driving a tractor, cultivating corn or whatever I was doing and I had solitude with God. I could talk to him out loud, sing praises whatever and no one except God could hear me.  I remember those times.  As a young man in my twenties and living on Hiway Place in Everett WA, I remember going for a walk up Hiway Place and talking with God as I walked. I felt like I was struggling at the time spiritually but when I look back, they were some precious times. Making long trips, I would talk to God as I was driving, just me and God. Those were precious times, just me and God. Now a lot of times I wake very early in the morning and will go out to the living room and sit in my chair and talk to God or just meditate. I need solitude with just God and me I. We need solitude with just God and us. It is a time when God can speak to us. A pastor was saying, we need time with God each day, unhurried and uninterrupted. Solitude gives God time to work on our hearts. That after all is what God wants in us, our heart. God looks on the heart, not on our stature or our handsome good looks, but at/in our heart. When God chose David to be King over Israel, it was in his heart, God saw something. It wasn't his age, he was the youngest, he wasn't the tallest, Samuel the Prophet was looking at David's older brother said surely this is the one God chose. But God says, I don't look like a man looks, I look on the heart. God saw something in David's heart that he chose him over all seven of his older brothers. What does God see in our hearts?  We need solitude with God and allow God to work in our hearts.  God Bless, LVZ.

Sharing our faith*

There has been a lot of emphasis on witnessing lately. I heard it at Hope Church, at online messages from  CFAN, etc. A young girl, about 8 years of age was telling about her conversations with another kid on the playground. I thought how easy it was for her to share her faith. I thought back to a service where a speaker asked people to stand if they first received Jesus at a young age. I don't remember exactly how it was done, but it was something like this, If you received Christ between the ages of 5 to 10, stand. Quite a big group stood. If you received Christ between ages 10 ten to 15, please stand. the group was smaller. If you received Christ between the ages of 15 to 20 please stand, once again the group got smaller. This went on until up into the '60s. One man alone stood after the age of 60. He was 62 at the time he accepted Christ as his savior. He had a boarder in the rooming house where he lived that witnessed to him and he received Jesus as Lord and Saviour. The speaker was pointing out how less likely you are to be converted as you age. Your more set in your ways, perhaps our hearts are hard from the years of living. I don't know the answers really as to why. It's not because there are not prechristians at that age. Age 62 was the oldest person that came to know Christ in that particular service. As I thought on this, 60 and above is now my peer group. We are set in our ways, we are coming into retirement if not already there. The commission from Matthew chapter 28 is still there. May I be faithful in witnessing for my Lord. As you age it does not get any easier to exercise your faith. God bless, LVZ.

Take Heed*

In I Corinthians 10:12 "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." There are warnings given to us in this chapter. It refers back to the Israelites and some of the awesome things they experience as God led them out of Egypt. God led them by a pillar of smoke by day and fire by night. They went thru the Red Sea on dry land. God feeds them with Manna from on high. They got water out of a rock and yet they murmured and strayed. Nothing had ever happened like this previously or since. They saw the awesomeness of God in a miraculous way. The scripture says God was displeased with many of them. It is said to be the biggest understatement of all time, of 6 million only two people survived to actually enter the promised land. They turned to idolatry, sexual immorality, grumbled and complained, turned against Moses and Aaron. This scripture written to the Corinthians is mainly written to Jews or to us as Christians as a warning. They turned to sexual immorality and idolatry and 24,000 were slain before Phinehas intervened on their behalf and stopped the plague.  God, who had done so much for them in miraculous ways, was angry with them. Korah rebelled with another 120 leaders and the ground opened up and swallowed them and their families alive. The very next day the people murmured again and God started a plague and Aaron stood with incense to appease God between the living and the dead. 14, 700 were slain in that plague before it was stopped by Aaron standing between the living and the dead. God tells us these things in his word as a warning. Look at history, don't be overconfident and teach others and then miss out on eternity by straying.  I think we can be lulled to sleep in our Christian walk and talk all this spiritual talk and not live pleasing to God and miss out in the end. Take heed this scripture tells us, stay in tune with God. It is said that history repeats itself and if we do not heed the warnings of history, we are doomed to repeat them. I don't like scriptures like this, we are not so different from these Israelites that we see the miracles God performs and still turn away unto our own way. It is scary to think about how angry God became with their disobedience. I really am no different today then they were. I see where I allowed sin to creep into my life as I claimed to be a Christian. I am really no different. But I can take heed and check my life and my heart and see if I have a heart after God. It is a good thing to take inventory of our lives and hearts and see where we stand with God. Take heed, and God bless LVZ.

Resurrection*

I have been reading the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians lately.  I have been reading stuff by someone who seems to doubt the resurrection after Christ's return. When I try to pin him down, he's evasive.
But I feel there is much scripture to support the belief of a Rapture as Christians have named the event. In fact verse 19 of that chapter says  "If in this life only  we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." Earlier verses say if there is no resurrection of the dead, than Christ has not risen. If Christ has not risen then our preaching is vain and our faith is vain. He mentioned some of these prophets that predicted the end of time some years ago in California. The scripture also tells no man knows the day nor the hour. So whenever I hear someone like this fellow from California a few years ago, I immediately shut him out. They lie, because the Bible says no man knows the day nor the hour. We cannot discount scripture because of false prophets, or find another explanation. Many do believe it will be in our generation. But the only thing I tell people is live ready. You can plan like your going to be here another 60 years but live like your leaving tomorrow. I do sometimes show concern over an individual like this, but why? If we are in God's hands it will not matter if we go by way of the grave or should we live long enough to see the rapture and go that way. In II Timothy 2:18 "Who concerning the truth have erred, saying the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some." The key is living ready. Another issue is wanting to teach something Christians have not heard before. I just read another posting and it is talking about preaching something the opposite of what most Christians would teach. I don't understand this and feel its like the scripture above says overthrowing the faith of some. I feel that is a spirit of I am so smart and so close to God, I have a new revelation. I fear there is danger in that. I feel safe in teaching what others have taught before. The basic gospel and the life changing power of Jesus Christ. To me that is enough to have a life changed by God. I don't need to be seen as smart or very spiritual. I hope this is discernment on my part and nothing else. I like facebook sometimes but at other times there is a lot of error promoted in postings and we need to be careful what we take in. I would like to have a relationship with God that others would want to imitate. Sometimes I think the emphasis changes from how great God is to how smart I am. Help me to point to the cross and how great God is. When you really think about it, this discounting the second coming or saying its already past is not a new thing, it was promoted in Paul's day also as we see in Corinthians and Timothy.  God bless, LVZ.

The Traveler and the Farmer*

There was a traveler that came across a valley one day many years ago in the spring of the year. Where he was traveling to or from no one knows. He stopped at this valley that day, set up his camp and while he was resting he ate an apple. He planted the apple seeds from his apple there in that valley. The next morning he broke camp and moved on. Later that fall a farmer happened across that same valley. He thought what a nice valley this would he to homestead. He set up camp and decided to stay. He measured off and set up markers around this valley to file a claim. As he was doing this he noticed a little sprig of a tree growing. He moved the markers to include the area where he saw the little sprig. He filed his claim in the nearby town and came back to farm this valley. He tended that little sprig, fertilized it, even pruned it as it grew. He tended it for many years, year after year and the little sprig turned into an apple tree. Some 17 years later a traveler came thru that valley and saw the apple tree. He and the farmer discussed who owned the apple tree. The traveler claimed he planted the apple seed in that very spot many many years ago. The farmers said I tended that tree from the first moment I saw it as a tiny sprig. I fertilized it, I dug around it, when I saw it was sick I tended it. When it grew and needed pruning, I pruned it. I took care of this valley and filed a claim to it many years ago. Who owns the tree, the farmer or the traveler?

This is a short story I wrote for Jeremy many years ago.  I lost the copy of it I'd written and tried to rewrite it from memory as best I could. God bless, LVZ.

Unanimity or unity?*

Unanimity - Sharing the same opinions or views.
Unity - Singleness of purpose or action.
When I think of these two terms, unity is the one we need in our Marriages, in our Churches, in our Nation, in a Business. We are different in our thinking, some like me think conservatively, some in this country think liberally politically. But as a Nation we need to be united. Husbands are from Mars, Women are from Venus,  we think differently, but in our marriage we need to be united. There might be issues we share an opinion on or  our view of an issue may be the same sometimes and we will have unanimity on that issue. But we don't need unanimity all the time. If everyone thought the same, we would only need one person to do the thinking. But we don't, that's why we don't like dictatorships, sometimes the dictator is in error. That's why we are so blessed in this country to have the form of government we have. Conservatives, Liberals, Libertarians and probably others. But when a course of action is decided on, we need to be united. When parents disagree about an issue about their children, it needs to be behind closed doors. But when the issue has been decided and compromised on, they need to present a united front when they come out from those closed doors. When our nation makes a decision on a course of action relating to Syria, we as a Nation need to present a united front to the enemy. We need unity in our Churches, when the committee decides on a color for the pews and the carpet, we need to be united from that point on. When a Church chooses a direction to go, we need to be united. We are different in our thinking, our perspectives. My wife's favorite color is orange, and I have come to like brighter colors. I would be happy with blues, grays and greens with blue jeans. But when a decision is made for a course of action, we need to be united. O how we need unity in this country, not unanimity. Genesis 11:6 "And the Lord said, behold, the people are one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do." There is power in oneness or unity. In this case God didn't want them to accomplish this task and he confused their languages to stop them. But God himself said now nothing will be restrained from them, the people were united in this cause building a tower. That is why we need unity, in our homes, in our churches, in business, and in our Nation. Sometimes unanimity is nice but I think there are more ideas and more creativity when we don't all think alike. But we still need unity of purpose for the right cause. God bless, LVZ.

blogging*

One of the reasons I like to blog is it helps me remember things. I want to pattern my life according to Biblical values and writing these things down helps me to clarify and remember. Searching the scriptures for a subject guides me in my thinking. I also want to model this lifestyle for others. Becoming a Christian has been the most important decision of my life. It has helped shape my values, helped me determine a course of action in many things, helped me to be a kinder more compassionate individual.  As I blog about scriptures and issues, I find things I think need to be a core value of my life. I am in the process of making a list of what I think my core values as a Christian should be. As I blog and think about these things, I find areas that should be actual core values and they are more aspirational than actual. I need to feed my self spiritually, and this activity helps me to do that. I express my opinions and my beliefs and I feel that anyone that reads my blogs is entering my space and they don't have to read what I write. I don't feel that I am shoving my religion down any one's throat so to speak as I once accused of doing by my son. I want to share my testimony, my experiences, but I want to do it in such a way as to not be offensive. This is my space, these are my thoughts. Most things are not original with me, there is safety in that. When I feed myself from what others are saying, it helps me keep on track. I want to present the same old gospel, I want to present the same Jesus that has changed my life, my attitudes. I do not want to be offensive in the things I write, but a blessing and an encourager in life. Perhaps I can help someone else along their journey as I help myself. We all have a day of accounting some time in the future. I want to hear those words well done. Jesus changed my life, how will anyone know if I don't tell it somehow? Christian principles work, they need to be developed in our lives and hearts and shown to the world. I remember in Ethics training on the job and how I thought this is some of the same stuff I was taught in Sunday School and here a major big business has come to realize those same principles are good for business. Christianity works. God bless, LVZ.

Fidelity in Marriage*

I think this is another thing that should be a core value in the life of a Christian. God intended for marriage to be for life. One man, one woman for a lifetime is God's perfect will for marriage for us. Infidelity in marriage is what has led me to divorce several times. The infidelity of my spouses is something I could not handle. It is devastating, it is said to be second in destructive power only to physical abuse. Matthew 5: 27-28 "Ye have heard that is was said by them of old  time, thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, that whosever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with already in  his heart."   I know that it was the infidelity in my first marriage that took an emotional toll on me to where I had nothing left to give to anyone. I ended up on medical leave, I was completely drained. I believe Jesus is showing us how to achieve fidelity in our marriage. He sets the standard high, do not look upon another woman to lust after her. In Job 31:1, Job says: "I made a covenant with my eyes: why then should I think upon a maid?" Job in his time realized it starts with looking. I don't know how women dressed in Job's day, but I know in the day and age we live in little is left to the imagination. So much cleavage is shown today by the way our women dress. We went thru an age of Daisy Duke shorts, the mini shirt. There is so much for a man's eyes to see in the day and age we live in. Perhaps we too like Job need to make a covenant with our eyes not to look upon a woman to lust after her. I think what this is telling us, the infidelity starts long before physical contact is made. It can be so innocent at the start, an emotional connection with someone other than our spouse. I remember my second wife had a friend named John in another part of the country that she would regularly confide in. It was devastating to me, part of me thought it was my insecurity and my issues because I had married too soon after my first divorce. But that was emotional infidelity that took its toll on me. Fidelity in marriage needs to start in our thought life, fidelity in our emotional life. Don't take no chances, don't give infidelity any place to take root in our lives. It needs to be a core value in the life of a Christian. It is the little foxes that spoil the vine. I am not sure I am the one to give marriage advice; after all, I have failed 4 times, but on the other hand, I have had a lot of experience with failure and perhaps I can see much to avoid. I see what I call the downward spiral, one spouse makes a mistake and there is retaliation. Love keeps no record of wrongs, here again, we go back to forgiving is not optional, it is an absolute necessity in the life of a Christian and in a marriage for it to be successful. When thinking of something as a core value, I think one more question should be asked, is it an actual core value or aspirational? God  Bless, LVZ.

Root of Bitterness*

As I awoke this morning I had a little dream about standing at a vending machine at work. As I was fiddling for a dollar bill, I had a ten and some ones in my hand. The ten-dollar bill dropped to the floor and before I could reach down to pick it up a co-worker reached down and picked it up and handed me a one-dollar bill. I could see the ten in his hand and I said, hey, it was that ten that I dropped not that one you are giving me." He just smiles at me like how are you going to prove it.  As I prayed this morning I asked God to search my heart that no root of bitterness had taken root in my heart because of that dream. I thought is there anything there in my heart somewheres, a root of bitterness? I thought of this house and how I feel deceived, God help me with that. I looked up these scriptures: Ephesians 4:31 "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Hebrews 12:15 "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;" In Ephesians, there was that word forgiven again that I have blogged about recently. My thoughts went back to a time in my life when I did allow a root of bitterness take root. I had grown up in the church. I had learned to tithe as a child. I was legalistic in my thinking. I was appointed as church treasurer when I was in my mid to late twenties. In that position, I saw what others were doing, and they didn't do the same as I had been taught and done since a child. I had never heard any statistics the 80% of Christians don't tithe Biblical. I thought these people are hypocrites. I allowed that to turn into a root of bitterness, what other people were doing. After someone else was appointed treasurer, I simply stopped going to church altogether. I had allowed that root of bitterness not only to take root but to grow. We really do need to live a life of forgiving. If it is a situation like in my dream where someone took my ten dollar bill and gave me a one-dollar bill. If it is a situation like my house where I feel I was defrauded. If it is in a position of responsibility and others do not do what we think is right. We need to guard our own hearts and not allow a root of bitterness to take root. As I have said in earlier blogs, forgiving is not optional, it is an absolute necessity in the lives of every Christian. It is necessary even in the lives of every human being or it will hurt them. To not forgive has been describes as standing there looking at someone who hurt you and you are drinking a glass of poison and expecting that person you are looking at to die. To not forgive only hurts you. Sometimes that other person doesn't even know that they did anything. To forgive needs to be a core value of our lives. To forgive needs to be a absolute value of every Christian. And even prechristians will benefit by developing an attitude of forgiving in their lives. It is like one of those rules of nature, this has to happen or we will not be healthy. It really is that important. God Bless, LVZ.

Fatherless Kids*

I wrote about Asia in a previous blog, a fatherless child. Psalms 68:5 "A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation." I really started to take notice of fatherless children after my first divorce. My daughter was 17 and  Junior in High School. She had a GPA of about 3.4. The very first report card after I left, her GPA was down to 1.17, and soon after she dropped out.  Her mother was one who tried to be a friend instead of a parent and did not enforce school attendance or other normal things. I talked about it to a co-worker one day and he told me what he thought I needed to do. He was gray-headed and some older than me so I listened. My co-worker said, "You are no longer in the house, you have no say anymore. What you need to do is find something expensive that your daughter really wants and dangle it in front of her nose like a carrot in front of the nose of a donkey. You can't just say you are going to get it, you need to get it and take her with you when you do. Let her see it and tell her when you show me a High School diploma, this is yours."  My daughter wanted a VW bug. I found a restored 1966 VW bug for $6000.00. I bought it and took her with me when I went to pick it up. This is yours when you show me a High School Diploma. She went on to finish high school, in spite of a mother who didn't push or even encourage her to go. Anyway from that time on, I took notice of the fatherless kids I came in contact with, at church or in the neighborhood where I lived or where ever I ran into them. Asia was a result of a promiscuous mother, and never even knew who her father was. Fatherless kids can become fatherless thru a divorce, death, or in Asia's case just from promiscuous adults that give no thought to the aftermath of their illicit sexual relations. I remember the names of some, but I have lost the notebook I had with the names written down. Asia, Candice, Cookie, Evan, Lamont, Danny, Katelynn, Bobby, Shinia, Chiquita, Audrey, Asia, Andre, Miciah, Devon and so many others. I believe at one time I had fifty-plus names written down in my book of fatherless children. They all had stories they could tell. Katelynn at six years old was walking barefoot on the sidewalk outside my apartment building in the snow because her Mom and Boyfriend were fighting. I picked her up and carried her and after a short while I took her to my apartment because it was cold and she didn't have shoes or a coat on.  When the fighting was over, her Mom came and got her. I didn't know Candice and Cookies story, they were from Church and I knew their father was not in the household. Lamont's mother left his father when he was 6 because of domestic violence and Lamont never saw his father again. Danny at age 6 was found by her grandmother playing next to the street all dirty and picked her up and took her home and cleaned her up. It was at least 6 hours and after dark before anyone started looking for her and didn't know she was at her grandmother's house. Grandmother and Grandfather got custody and raised her. Miciah was a neighbors kid, and he so wanted to work. He was a little guy but at ten years old he wanted to mow my lawn to make money, and I let him and paid him. Miciah's mother was living with a man who was not Miciah or his sibling's father. This man had a very nice truck that he kept in immaculate condition. He washed it every night when he got home from work, but those kids of the woman he was living with could not even ride in that truck. These fatherless kids with stories just like this are all around us. I did not make these stories up. Miciah, when he reached adulthood, was in jail the last I heard about him. Audrey as a young woman of 19 or 20 ended up pregnant to repeat the cycle of her mother. Her child's name was Asia also. She was a beautiful young woman who ended up alone raising a child by herself last I knew. These stories to me are so sad and you can repeat them over and over again for almost as many fatherless children as you can find. I know there are some that do well. I have a great-niece and nephew who lost their father thru death in an automobile accident. They are probably one of the few that I know that had a good mother and plenty of aunts and uncles that loved them as their own and they have done well.  These children didn't ask to be born, they didn't say mommy and daddy have illicit sexual relations so I can be born. They didn't say Mommy go get addicted to drugs or alcohol so you no longer care what happens to me.  In spite of all the aborted babies we still have an epidemic of fatherless children. I think if you just start taking notice you will be surprised at how many you will find all around you. I was when I just stopped to take notice. Every place I have lived there has been at least one across the street, next door or two houses down. There have been some at every church I have attended. God help us to not be part of the problem but part of the solution. I wish every Christian man could take just one fatherless child and add them to your prayer list. Pray for them as you would your own child. They are God's children, God is the father to the fatherless. God bless, LVZ.

Asia*

Asia was but 12 years old when I met her. She was living in a house on hilltop in Tacoma with her Grandmother, Mother, Uncle and sometimes others thrown in. I had moved to Tacoma when my Dad got sick to sorta look after him. In his mail, one day I saw an east coast Church organization was asking Dad for donations for children in I think it was in Pennsylvania. I thought it was just an organization just preying on elders for money and I also thought I could find someone in this community that needs the same help. I was out riding my bike one afternoon when a young lady hollered at me and asked what I was doing. I stopped and talked to her, she was Asia's Mom Ondie. I soon found out Ondie was a drug addict. One day she used drugs in front of me and I warned her if you keep doing stuff like that you'll end up in jail. Two days later Ondie was picked up for selling and ended up in jail. I felt bad, and I thought by maybe visiting her in jail I could make a difference. I also found out that Asia never even knew who her father was. I took Asia to visit with her Mom in jail many times over the next four years. I bought Asia school clothes, shoes and whatever.  No one made Asia go to school. Her Mom was in jail and her Grandmother actually said in front of me and Asia one time, that she didn't want Asia. I wanted to reach across the table in front of me and slap her. I tried to encourage Asia and there were several times I bought clothes and different things Asia needed.  In a way, she looked to me as her Dad, although we were in no ways related. One year, I think it was 2002 I was feeling a little down because fathers day was coming and my own children usually would not even acknowledge me on Fathers Day. I prayed about it. That weekend Asia called me and asked if her and a friend of hers could go with me to church on Fathers Day. I felt that this was God's answer to my prayer I had just prayed and he was telling me not to worry about it.  Asia's Grandmother and Auntie asked if I would take her in sometime in the spring of 2004. I believe Asia was then 17. I said I would but I had some rules she would need to follow. I immediately called my Pastor and told him I was bringing a 17-year-old girl into my home. I also called my Mother-in-law and told her also. I had married Linda in 2002 but by this time the marriage was already pretty much over and Linda was not there most of the time.  Asia moved in the spare bedroom. I had two rules for her, she had to go to school and she had to go to church with me on Sunday. I couldn't really enforce the first one because I was at work during school hours, but she hated the second one. I was uneasy because all Asia had to do was just accuse me of something and I could have probably been in jail. Asia didn't stay long, she had a boyfriend and they soon moved into an apartment together. I continued to try and help her and in 07 I gave her a car to help her. I was hoping by helping her I could keep her from going down the same path as her mother.   The last I knew Asia has two sons, Titus and Timothy. Unfortunately, I do not know if she still has them. It seems she was going down the same path as her Mother. At least one of the boy's father was a gang banger. One boyfriend she had was a drug dealer. I still pray for Asia and Titus and Timothy as I do for my own children and grandchildren. I hope she will someday listen to the words I spoke to her and turn her life over to Jesus and attend a church somewheres. Someone like Asia really needs a church family to support her. Actually, we all need Jesus and a Church family. One thing I learned was that there is an epidemic of fatherless kids in this country. Even some motherless and fatherless children. Many being raised by grandparents. Asia had 4 siblings being raised by two of her Aunts. Another sister was given up for adoption. Sometimes my heart weeps for fatherless children. Psalms 68:5 "A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows is God in his holy habitation." I pray that God will bless my efforts on Asia's behalf. After my first divorce I took notice of fatherless children. I saw how divorce affected my own children. I had a notebook and I would write down the names of fatherless children I would meet. Some in church and some in the neighborhood. That list got up to over fifty in just a short time. I prayed over that list many times. But thru the years I continue to pray for Asia and her children.  Cookie and Candice were two fatherless children, Katelynn, and her sister. I found Katelynn out on the sidewalk outside my apartment in Tacoma one night. She was barefoot and it was cold and snowing. Her mother and her mother's boyfriend were fighting in the apartment above me. I picked her up and carried her for a while and later took her into my apartment until the fighting was over. A few weeks later Katelynn saw me in a grocery store and asked if I'd come to a school program she was in.   I went, but after moving away I lost track of Katelynn. I saw a young girl in a Mcdonalds one day with the name tag Katelynn and asked, did you ever live on South 40th in Tacoma but it wasn't her. When I think about these children it still wants to make me cry. God have mercy on our fatherless children. Across the street from me right now are two that are being raised by grandparents.  I believe it is an epidemic in our country. Drug abuse, divorce, promiscuity and who knows what else causes this epidemic in our country. Jesus is the answer. God bless, LVZ.

Slow to Speak*

James 1:19 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:" This scripture is really talking about self-control. My blog today is about being slow to speak but not really what this scripture is talking about. I just like to reference scripture with most blogs.
I have been a quiet person most of my life, but not because I was trying to live up to this scripture.
My childhood was one of those where children were seen but not heard. I feel I was not really allowed to speak much at all unless asked a question. When I look back I understand why I have been so quiet and slow to speak much of my life but not really because of self-control.  We moved a lot. In my 12 years of public education, I went to 8 different schools in 8 different towns. Bismark, N.D.;  Mandan, N.D.; Hosmer, S. D.; Mobridge, S.D.; Olympia, WA.; Everett, WA.; Snohomish, WA.; and last but not least Arlington, WA where I graduated from High School. My last three years of High School really brought the average down. My Sophomore year was partially in Mobridge, S.D. and the last part in Olympia, WA. I spent all of my Junior year at Everett, WA. My Senior year started out at Snohomish and ended at Arlington, WA.  I was forever the new kid, and never really knew anyone really well. It was hard and still is hard for me to make friends. Not only was I always the new kid, but I couldn't talk at home either. In my teen years, my parents read my mail from girlfriends before I got a chance to. I don't think they realize how terrible an invasion of my privacy that was. I had a youth pastor and his wife Gary and Betty Judd, who I believe understood better than anyone what I was going thru. They allowed me to get mail at their house. When I left home at 18, they took me in. I wanted to leave the minute I turned 18 but I knew I needed that High School diploma and chose to stick it out for another six months. I often wonder if they realize what an impact they had on my life. When I was living in their home at 18-19 years of age, if I needed to talk to them about something, I literally had to force myself to speak. I would count to ten and then just blurt something out. They were so kind and patient with me. They helped me immensely on my path to adulthood. I also had an example of a good marriage to look at. I'm sure it wasn't perfect, but it was so much better than what I saw growing up. Still to this day as a 60-year-old man, I have difficulty speaking up when I really need to. It happened in the last week or so, I saw some things in my house I am building and it was still hard for me to speak up. The mildest rebuke or not even a rebuke but something I perceive as a rebuke makes it difficult for me to speak. I am a grown man, but even in other peoples lives, I have seen the impact parents have on the children they are raising.  Thank God I met Jesus at an early age or I wonder where I would be. The scripture above is not talking about this kind of slow to speak, but of listening and choosing our words wisely, which I still have trouble with.  God bless, LVZ.

100 fold*

Genesis 26:12 "Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him." Today my thoughts came back to this verse as I thought about how everything God created reproduces itself. Whatever grain Isaac sowed, in this case, came back 100 fold. For every seed of corn he planted, he got back 100 seeds at harvest time. I don't know that it was corn that he planted. I guess the real point is to look at everything God created. Trees, grasses, weeds, animals, flies, even humans, etc., they all reproduce themselves. This thought is going a whole different direction. I saw a quaint saying on a church sign in Tacoma, WA some time back, it said: Discipling Disciples to Disciple. And that really is God's plan with Christianity. That Christians would reproduce other Christians. That was his great commission in Matthew 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: 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." God works in the hearts of men to create a creature he is proud of. He works things out of our lives, corrects us, encourages us and I know I have said this before, he will take a drunk or an addict off the street and make a productive citizen out of them. What God has done in our lives, he wants to reproduce just as he has done everything else. God has always had a people, they were to be his witnesses to the world around them. That really is every Christians job to show the world around them that God's principles do work. As witnesses to and examples to show Christianity works. To disciple other believers into a disciple that will disciple others to disciple others. The Pastor this morning used a visual representation to show this. He stood up front and had another person (a disciple) on the other side of the front area. He as Pastor went out to the congregation and brought another person back. The disciple also went out to the congregation and brought back another person for him to disciple. the Pastor went back out and brought another person up to the front next to him and his first convert. The disciple and his disciple both went out and brought back another person each to disciple. The pastor went out and brought another convert back to the front. All the disciples on the other side each went out and brought back one more each. If you have any understanding of mathematics at all you know what we saw: the Pastors side had a few people but the disciple's side was crowded after just a few times. This is God's plan, it's not the Pastors job to do all the discipling. Christians like everything else God created are intended to reproduce. God help me to be fruitful. God Bless, LVZ.

relationship*

As I was reading in Genesis this morning about Isaac and Rebekah, I thought about a relationship with God. Isaac prayed for Rebekah because she was barren and Jacob and Esau were born. From Enoch and Abraham and Noah and others, you get a glimpse of others that had a relationship with God. About Enoch, the Bible is real brief, he walked with God and God took him. But when you read accounts of Abraham and Isaac and others you get a sense that they probably talked every day. I can only imagine Enoch and God talking, so little is said in the Bible. They must have had a very good relationship because God just took him. He didn't face death like Noah and Abraham, Isaac and others. Abraham is the one that trusted God to the point he put Isaac on an alter to offer his only child up as a sacrifice. It was account unto him as righteousness. God told Noah to build an ark. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord when God repented that he had even made man. All of these men had a relationship with God. They talked with God daily, they asked for things from God. They asked for direction. Isaac intreated God for Rebekah and God allowed her to have children. Issac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah and was 60 when Jacob and Esau were born. God made promises to them. Abraham and Isaac would be the fathers of a great nation. Jacob the grandson of Abraham had his name changed to Israel and from Jacob. Jacob / Israel came to be the great nation of the Jews.  Talking with God seems to be one of the main ingredients for a relationship with God. Praying, intreating (asking earnestly) are things we see over and over again. I think of that verse in II Chronicles  7:14 where God says if his people will call on him and turn from their wicked ways, he will hear. God wants us to have a relationship with him. He hears the requests of righteous men. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Listening is also important. Abraham listened and spared his son on an altar. He was being obedient, and God was testing him. He listened. Noah listened and built an ark. How do we listen today? One thing we can do is read his word, the Bible. Conversations are or should be two ways. We pray and God speaks back to us, sometimes thru his word. Sometimes thru his ministers. We need to listen. I ask over and over again, what does this scripture mean to me today? How do I make it relevant to me today? There are several examples that I can think of in my own life. Once when my second wife asked me to pray for a church to attend, I did. After a period of time, I think it was about a month, she asked what did you decide?  I said Second Baptist. She replied (these may not be her exact words): How in the world could you pick Second Baptist? Well, I prayed about it and as I was reading Ephesians 5:25,  I asked how do I make this relevant to me today.  Husbands love your wife and give yourself for them. I chose Second Baptist because I was trying to obey this verse. Second Baptist represented her culture, she was black and I was white. It seemed to me I was giving of myself to her. I had never been to a Black Church before Second Baptist. It was different, I was the only white person in that congregation. I felt so out of place in the beginning, but I did it to try and obey God's word in that one verse. Hind sight tells me I made the right choice. Years later I look back and believe more than ever that God did speak to me thru that verse and I did obey. My second wife didn't understand, it wasn't her prayer, it wasn't her effort to obey God. It was mine, it was personal and I believe I made the right choice even for her. Another prayer I prayed when I was married to my third wife I recently talked about in a blog. I was driving along praying about our marriage and I felt impressed to drive down the next street over. There I received almost an instant answer to prayer. God does speak to us in various ways if we try to have a relationship with him, by praying and reading his word. Another incident where I felt God spoke to me was one Sunday morning when I was going thru my second divorce and hanging around the wrong people. The minister spoke on Psalms 1 and how it says to not stand in the way of sinners. At that period of my life, I was very lonely and was hanging around the wrong people. I took that as a warning from God. I read Psalms 1 every day for a long time as I tried to turn my life around. His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law, he does meditate. A relationship is two way, we pray and we listen back and try to understand what God is saying to us. God has been with me thru many difficult times. I am so thankful I turned my life over to him so many years ago. My life has not been perfect. I have gone thru divorce 4 times since that night in January 1984 when I knelt at an alter and asked Jesus into my heart and life. It's not always been easy but is life always easy even without him?
He has been with me thru every struggle, every good time. I have never regretted the decision I made that January night in 1984 to trust God with my life. God bless LVZ.

Servanthood*

I think I understand this principle to some extend. Servanthood. When I think of this word servant, servanthood, I think it is not understood by many leaders. Good leaders, yes, I think they understand this thought. Jesus was a servant, he sought to do the will of his father. I think some of the best supervisors, leads, bosses, what ever you want to call them understood they were there for the people under them, to serve them the best they can. I think our best congressmen and Senators (including Women) are the ones that remember they are there for the people they represent.  I think the trouble with many of our politicians, they are good politicians, but lousy servants to the people they represent.  The best leaders, lead by example. A servants heart in someone makes them attentive to the needs of others. Matthew 23:11 "But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant."  I Corinthians 9:19, Speaking of Paul the Apostle, one of the best known of the Apostles: "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more." Paul was very busy the rest of his life after his conversion to Christianity to winning the lost. He made himself a servant to win as many as he could. He was well educated but did not have an attitude of I cannot get my hands dirty because I know so much. He supported himself with tent making so as to not being a burden on the churches. Philippians 2:7 Speaking of Jesus Christ: "But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:" Jesus, the Son of God, made himself a servant, came down to our level, and even was obedient unto death on a cross for you and me. He was God, yet he came to redeem us. Look at  all the stories in the Bible, Jesus was there to heal save and redeem. The blind man from birth, the Samaritan woman at the well, the woman with the issue of blood. Person after person, he healed and made things better. And he still does today. Serving others, doing what you can to make this world a better place. He calmed the storm on the sea of Galilee, calmed the fears of the sailors, does he not do the same for us today? Look at marriages, are not the best ones, where the partners are looking out for their partner? Are not the worst ones when one  or both parties are selfish and want to get their needs met at the expense of the other? After saying all that, being a servant is not being a doormat for others to wipe their feet on. Jesus cleared the temple on one occasion because people were using God's house to make money. I wonder what God thinks of some of our televangelists today? God give us a servants heart. God bless, LVZ,

The hereafter*

I have been reading some stuff on facebook that either I am not seeing the whole conversation and missing something or I just plain disagree with what I am reading. I know I am not seeing the other side of some conversations so I like to think I am just missing the whole story. I feel like what I am reading is almost stating there is nothing after this life. There are no mansions waiting for us in heaven, no streets of Gold etc.  While I know that much of the Bible can be figurative at times, I do believe Jesus went to prepare a place for us. If the grand descriptions are figurative only, it still would tells us it is going to be an awesome place. The Bible would use descriptions we would understand.   I Corinthians 15:19 says "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable,"  Christians look into their hearts and motives, trying to live a life pleasing to the God of us all.  Its not a bad thing, to try and live a moral life. To try and control ones tongue, to be charitable and learn to be a giver. These things do improve our life here below. I have told of many prayers I believe God has answered. Some times the answer is no, because God sees ahead and knows us and always does what is best for us. Jesus told the thief on the cross, this day you will be with me in Paradise. He also said he goes to prepare a place for us that where he is, we may be also. I do have a hope of an eternal destiny that will be in a Paradise. I do have a hope of hearing God say someday welcome thou good and faithful servant. There is a word I could say much about, servant, maybe later. I do believe we someday have to stand before a just and Holy God to give an account of our lives. If there is no hereafter, then why not live any way we want to? We only pass this way once. But I am convinced that there is a heaven to gain, a Paradise for our eternity. If I would happen to be wrong what would I have lost? A life of self indulgence? A life where I could do anything I wanted and not worry about the consequences. We see in the natural, there are consequences for our behaviours. Many who live a promiscuous life style do suffer from STD's etc. A selfish attitude drives people away from you. There is a reward in giving, we feel good about it, in helping others. Even in the natural, living a God honored lifestyle has blessings attached. But I believe the scripture above is telling us there is much more to this life than the present life we are in. If the Bible be true, the present is but a small portion of what is ahead.  Sure people get carried away and sometimes you see people who are so heavenly minded they are no earthly good, but that I believe is in the minority of Christian believers. If they keep on God will probably fix that  in their lives also.  God bless, LVZ