The Fifth Commandment

 The short list:  Honor your father and your mother.

Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

The first thing I notice is the promise given in the last half of this verse. That thy days may be long.  In trying to understand this better I have copied a part of Matthew Henry's commentary. What I noticed in this commentary, Matthew Henry first talks about parents: The duty of parents. Be not impatient; use no unreasonable severities. Deal prudently and wisely with children; convince their judgements and work upon their reason. Bring them up well; under proper and compassionate correction; and in the knowledge of the duty God requires.  Often is this duty neglected,  even among professors of the gospel. Many set their children against religion; but this does not excuse the children's disobedience, though it may be awfully occasion it. God alone can change the heart, yet he gives his blessing to the good lessons and examples of parents, and answers their prayers. 

But those, whose chief anxiety is that their children should be rich and accomplished, whatever becomes of their souls, must not look for the blessing of God. 

Just because we were not the best parent as described above does not excuse the children from this commandment. It is the first commandment with a specific promise. It gives an incentive to obey. The results of this are a long way off , after the parents are long gone, will this promise be fulfilled. Obedience and respect were words I read in explaining this.  This starts the commandments that are about relationship to others. The first four commandments give instruction to relate to God, to honor God.  This is the start of relating to others on this earth.  The promise is not to honor just the good parents that have fulfilled the description Matthew Henry laid out above. But any parent, good bad or indifferent. My use of indifferent was intentional in this writing.  I ofttimes hear people attribute long life to a healthy diet or something else, but I believe this to be the scriptural reason for long life. I wonder what we would find in the lives of our oldest living persons if we could go back and look at their earlier lives. I believe we would find that they honored, respected, obeyed their parents. It doesn't mean they didn't disagree with them. But even in disagreement, I believe they respected and honored their parents. I recently gave an opinion about what I found to be important in my life, to my daughter. I don't know if it was the manner in which I gave it, but she felt I was critical of her decisions in raising her children. I assured her I didn't mean it that way. I was just stating what I felt worked in my life the best. I will go to the grave thinking like I do. Her children were given to her by God and they are her responsibility, not mine. As we talked I felt respected and honored. Even though I felt she did not totally agree with what I was saying. I believe that is what God wants. She is an adult and has to make her own decisions, it is her responsibility. I as a grandfather will not lose my opinions just because I am old and am probably more outspoken than I have ever been. Very few parents that I know,  do a very good job as Matthew Henry describes above. But the promise still stands, because God made it. I think of a person I know, I'll call her April.  April never knew who her father was. April's mother spent most of April's adolescent and teen age years in and out of prison. April was 12 when I first met her and her Mom was just starting a 4 year prison term. April kept waiting for her mom to get out so they could be together. After that 4 year term was up. April's mother was out for just a short time before she went to prison again for another crime. God doesn't make any allowance to not honor for bad parenting. This commandment has no qualifiers. April must honor that parent the same as James Dobson's children must honor him. A preacher recently said that honor means to give weight to, or do not take lightly  what a parent says. Think about what they say, consider it, don't just lightly discount a parents words because they were not a good parent. As we become adults, we do not have to blindly follow our parents commands, but consider what they said. We have a responsibility to God over everything else. But even Jesus listened to his mother and started his earthly miracles at her wish, and he was God.When a parent tells us something, give weight, give thought to what they say. That is giving honor, it does not mean we have to blindly follow their words.  God bless, LVZ. 

Back Home

I was scared going into surgery. Whenever they put you out to where they are cutting on the bone and putting new joint parts in and all you can see is about an eight inch cut along your knee, it is scary.  Thee knee cap was almost completely gone and with the knew parts is a plastic replacement. You know that most times these surgeries are successful but you still wonder if you'll wake up. I knew whatever happened I'd be all right. If I woke up on the other side of eternity it would be all right. I didn't want to leave Barbara and once again I have more days to praise God. I believe God could have just grown me some new cartilage, but he didn't answer my prayer for healing that way. It was through Doctors and surgeons skilled hands. I am thankful to be on this side of the surgery. I will be laid up with a walker for probably six months. I fell the first day, it is so easy to forget that you need that walker. The incision started bleeding and they had to let the blood out, re bandage it and so on. I still want to take off without my walker. We can know beyond a shadow of doubt that we are in God's hands if he had chosen to end the number of my days at that moment or any other, that my soul is in his hands. It is a comforting place to be. I still do not know the number of my days. I did pray before the surgery, God search my heart, see if I hold any thing against anyone. I thought of communion and how we periodicly search our hearts to be free of all  incumberances. I am back home with a walker and knee brace and learning to walk again. I thank God for all he has done for me.  God bless, LVZ.  photo.php,    
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Akosua Frimpong

I heard this young lady’s testimony recently. I am going from memory and my hearing is not so good. She is from a country in Africa and that is one thing I did not hear so well, as to what country that was.  Her mother at 17, had been violated and her mother chose to have an abortion. It was one of those abortions where the abortion Doctors cuts the baby up in little pieces and removes it.  Her mother again was pregnant and was going to have another abortion but the doctor told her mother that she could not have another abortion. She had the baby instead. That baby was Akosua Frimpong. As I understood her story, her mother did not know who the father was and because of such this child would be an out cast. Akosua was raised by an Aunt from about the age of three. She was not allowed to go to school. When she was about age 11, she was selling some things her Aunt had made by the roadside, when an 18 wheeler lost control and pinned this little girl against a car. Her leg was broken in several places and she did not get medical help until gangrene had set in and she lost her leg. Now she was disabled as well.  In her country a disabled child would often be left in the woods to die, but they kept her between her Aunt and her mother. The people in that country believed a disabled child could bring a curse on their own children so many times they would keep away from her. She was not allowed to go to school. A Gideon from another country had made it to their village and was talking to the children and passing out little blue books. Because she had to stay back from the other children, the Gideon had given all he had by the time he got to her. He found an orange one somewhere in his stuff but still she cried because she wanted the same as the other kids got.  Through the interpreter, the Gideon told her she was loved and that he would be back. She was so excited to hear someone say they loved her she asked him to come home with her to meet her Mom. She wanted her Mom to know that someone loved her. Her Mom was embarrassed to have this white man brought all the way to their little one room hut. As a result of this Gideon a missionary family was sent to this area. One of the missionaries noticed this little girl was always a little ways away from the rest. At first she thought the little girl may be on time out or something, but it was explained to the missionary that she had to remain separate because of her disability.  The missionary chose to teach the other children under the tree where Akosua was sitting the next day. Many of the other children left and after a few days a few more would come back each day. The missionaries were from around Nashville Tennessee and somehow through that family she made it to the US.   This is about as much of her story as I got. We have so much in this country, and when we hear what happens around the world it sometimes brings us to tears. This young lady said the advertisements we see on television  with the little children running around with no clothes on is what it was like for her.  She is so thankful for just the clothes she now has.  Perhaps someday I will hear more of her story. I just know I have and we all in this country, in spite of any hard times we have gone through are so blessed and have so much that we take for granted.  We are a gospel hardened nation. We are losing our next generations because we have it so good. We have so much we don’t need God.  Be aware, some day the God of creation will stand before us in judgement, and will ask, what have you done with Jesus?  God bless. LVZ.

Tolerance

I googled the word tolerance and copied the part I want to talk about.
Tolerance: a :  sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own.
The Bible tells Christians to love their enemies and to do good to them. That I believe shows tolerance per the definition above. I am of the believe that as a Christian I need to see what God's word says about something when I am trying to decide how to believe.  The liberals in this country, who many think to be the tolerant ones are the ones that are intolerant. For example, the gay life style would be contrary to God's word, but if I as an individual express those thoughts that it is a sexual sin same as adultery, I am a homopho or a bigot. There is no room on the liberal political side of this issue for any belief other than the one they are promoting.  We Christians are suppose to love our enemies, turn the other cheek, but it is about the only thing in this country that is beginning to be unacceptable to express a christian belief. Why is it thought to be any different than other sexual sin? We are not chastised because we quote scripture about adultery. Idolatry or Gossip for that matter are probably more overlooked sins than just about anything. Christian are not without sin.  Most of us consider other people's sins to be bigger than our own.  The Muslims are very intolerant of other religions and we have heard the reports of beheading, burning alive and other atrocities in recent weeks, yet it is the Christians that many times are not allowed to voice our opinions. Our ten commandments must be removed from public buildings and public prayer was taken out of schools. I heard of schools that were teaching tolerance for Muslims and Gay's and  yet Christianity is banned. So who are the intolerant ones?   Yes, we have had deranged individuals claim to be Christian and kill an abortion Doctor. Probably  a few that would badly treat a Gay or Lesbian may lay claim to being a Christian. But do their actions line up with the Bible? Politics change, politicians change and just recently we have seen people change their political party to the other side, but God's word does not change. God's word is what we will be judged by on Judgement Day. We need to be Biblically correct, God does not change. Political correctness could get us into trouble with God some day. Practice tolerance and allow us that believe the Bible is relevant  even today, to express our opinions even if you think they are wrong.  God bless, LVZ.

All Things again

This morning I woke up with Romans 8:28 on my mind.  Well not right at first, but after I had some negative thoughts come to mind, things I wish I had done better. I then remembered this verse: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose." Negative things happen in each life. Can you imagine if everything were good, I'd hate to think how spoiled I'd be. If life were like prosperity preachers and because we are God's children everything would go our way. I know I'd be spoiled rotten. That is not what God wants. Sometimes it may be nothing more than God is trying to fix something in our heart. I think of Joseph in the Bible that I used in my last blog about all things. So much trouble befell him and he was trying to do right. A thought came to me about a man I once worked with: He had pictures of beautiful women at his desk, but he was unmarried. I believe he was divorced. I asked him why he had these pictures, He said "Because I deserve the best." I thought as I walked away he was very arrogant. So did the women deserve the best. If he thought he deserved a ten, so did they. As arrogant as he was,  I thought, he is not a ten either. As I face Surgery tomorrow, I wish God would miraculously fix my knee. I believe he could, but I simply know I am facing a painful recovery and I don't want to. Perhaps God sees something besides my knee he wants to correct. I remember all things work for the good of those that love God and are called according to his purpose. That does not mean a pain free life. God is sovereign and in the end it will have been for good. If not for me, just like with Joseph and his troubles, it ended up saving many lives. I don't see all that God sees, even into my heart. I remember a difficult incident in my early years at my place of employment. It was that period of difficulty that opened my eyes to see how self righteous I was.  I knew at the time I would not have seen it any other way, and I thanked God for showing me what was in my heart. Difficulties will come our way but God means it for good as in Genesis 50:20. Our sight at best may be 20/20 but God sees all and his eyesight is 50/20  (Genesis 50:20) and he means it for our good.  God bless, LVZ.

No scripture

 I was locked out of the internet for a few days so I will publish two blogs today.

Can I write a post without referring to a scripture? I think I can, especially if I get political. Not that I necessarily want to. As we read over a life time, the scripture should become a part of us. We should teach it to our children everyday as we talk and interact with them.(yes that is Biblical) I don't think we want to be like the religious leaders of Bible days. They wanted to be seen as good. They would wear scriptures on parts of their clothing. Much of what they did and practiced was to be seen.  Don't we do that on the political scene today?  We worry about how we appear to the majority of voters. We hold our finger up to see which way the wind is blowing and that determines our stand on the issues. I don't know if I could be a politician today, there would be too much dirt in the past for reporters to dig up. There has to be something bad they could dig up after 4 divorces from the exes. Has my life changed? Am I different then I was 40 years ago? 30 years ago I was still in my first marriage. 20 years ago I was in my second marriage. 10 years ago, I had already been divorced 4 times. I think we all change over the years. I think in 20 years all these young men with sagging britches will be looking back and thinking - What was I thinking?  I believe I have changed, I think back and wish I could change some things in my past.  Its too late, all any of us can do is from here on, to change.  Even in the last 4 years, I wish I could go back and do some things over. I want to be remembered as a good Christian, I would like to be remembered as a good father, I would like to be remembered as a good husband, friend, brother. Most of all I hope when I face God, he knows me. Every day doesn't have to be good, but the end has to be covered. It doesn't matter how bad I started out, it matters how I end. God bless, LVZ.

Sowing

Some days blogging is easy. Some days it is hard. Some days I worry about being offensive. Once in a while I get a positive comment. I read where this or that public person has said something offensive. I want to be correct in the eyes of God rather than politically correct. Being politically correct seems to put us at odds with God's word many times. Times change, once Reagan was popular and I believe him to be a good man. Then some years later Clinton was popular. Even in the news today we hear of activities of Clinton that would shame most of us, but he is a hero of the popular movement today. I think that is sick, shows a sick side of our society where we will overlook things that would normally be offensive but because he is on our side politically, its OK.  If the political side that we do not agree with were to do the same thing, there would be an outrage. If we had a friend that would do these things we would call them two-faced or worse. Our society is making laws that are contrary to God's law. We call evil good and good evil. If God would someday punish us for disobedience as he did the Israelites, what would that look like? There are consequences for wrong doing. There will be consequences for us, but what will that look like. Will it be in the form of natural disasters, illnesses, a government that mistreats us? What is in store if we reap what we are sowing as a nation? Many times the seeds we plant produce one hundred fold. Look at the dandelion flower, what happens when it blooms?  You can pull off the bloom and it blooms again in a few days. One acorn can grow into a tree, and look at all the acorns that fall off that one tree year after year.  Are we sowing good see or bad? Will we regret what we have sowed? Are we planting oak trees or dandelions? What should we be looking to reap? We are all sowing something. Sometimes I look at the past and wish for crop failure. Too late, all I can do is try and plant good seed today and tomorrow. Perhaps in the end I will have planted more oaks than dandelions.  Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

 God bless, LVZ.

repeat

I know I have talked about 2 Chronicles 7:14 many times. I saw a former Pastor used this verse as his text this past Sunday.  I saw a clip in face book about another Black Minister that called to Christians to quit blindly following a political Party that does not stand for Godly issues. Actually he was mainly talking to Black Christians, but I know so many White Christians that do the same thing. They teach us when looking at a scripture to read before and after to understand the context of the verse we are looking at. 2 Chronicles 7:13: "If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land,  or if I send pestilence among my people;" Here God is talking to Solomon and telling him if  He (God) has sent trouble our way, he gives us a way out. In 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and heal their land," I believe a lot of the trouble we are facing in our land today is because of sin. Look at the laws we are making, look at the Presidents we honor and call good. I heard recently 53 million babies have been murdered since Roe VS Wade. We took prayer out of schools. In our churches we see a different morality allowed and still call it Christian. I believe God has given us what we asked for and we see the result. We don't like it. I believe God is not pleased with the U.S. today. But the answer is in God's people, those that claim the name of Christian to turn from their sins. We must repent of our sins, ask God to look into our hearts and help us to even see our wicked ways and turn from them. Yes, we as a nation have sinned and turned away from God. We allow our media to give us false reports and do nothing, and say it is good because what we are trying to do is just. You don't peel and orange and expect it to taste like an apple.  But we do in this nation. We get outraged at the police for doing their job in apprehending a thug, and protest against the police and call it good and just. The President of our land supports these protest on false pretenses to further a political agenda.  We are sick nation. We deserve worse than what we are getting. We as a so called Christian Nation need to repent. Our Church going Christians need to start praying and asking God for direction. We have another election coming up and the Godless leaders are buying votes, by creating amnesty for peoples that are here illegally and by making them voters hope to insure another Godless ruler to fulfill their wicked agenda.  We fall for it, when what we need to do is get on our knees and cry out to God.  I have posted many things that are anti democratic party. That does not mean I think the Republican Party  is the answer. I just tend to think conservatively. We need God's direction for this country, not any particular party. Both parties seek power and control. We want to change the definition of marriage which has predated our country to allow same sex couples to wed. This is contrary to God's word. contrary to even nature, but we call it good and politically correct. What ever happens understand the Bible is still relevant in any culture and any government. The Bible is what we will be judged by when we stand before God some day. The Bible is what we need to guide us in our thinking and voting. Lets start being correct per God's word and forget this politically correct foolishness before we loose the freedoms God has given us. God bless, LVZ,

These Commandments

Still thinking about these Ten Commandments. Someone once said if we could keep the ten commandments we wouldn't need any of the laws written today.  That's just it, even in the old testament, no one except Christ was able to keep the ten commandments. The law was our school master to bring us to Christ. To bring us to a place where we realized we couldn't live it, we needed God. When I look back at the way I was raised, were taught that Jesus is coming back after a perfect Church, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. I was discouraged and thought this Christianity is for others because I am failing at it. I believe that is where God tries to get every one of us, we can't live it. We fail measurably at keeping the ten commandments.  God wants our hearts, he wants to write his law on a tablet of flesh, our hearts. We try to keep the Sabbath day by going to church and not working on that day.  Even in the Bible they struggled with this. If you see your ox in a ditch on the Sabbath day do you get him out? The religious leaders in Bible days argued about it. I have heard modern day Jews do not handle money, do not drive on the Sabbath. Christians get into the same arguments, do we worship God on Saturday or Sunday? I remember hearing about people mowing the lawn on Sunday, and others saying they cannot be a christian or they would know better. We are to worship God everyday. Yes there is a principle God is trying to teach us with the fourth commandment. Not everyday is a Sabbath. We are not to relax and party everyday of the week. God is teaching us to labor those six days and then find rest.  Yes, take a day to relax. Follow God's example of working for six days and then resting on the seventh. But remember he wants to write his commandments on our hearts. He wants us to follow his example. We seem to get it twisted. There have been times in my life when I worked everyday, sometimes 28 days in a row. We have people on welfare that do not do any work, yet we support them. In biblical days the welfare system was leaving grain stalks in the edges, or corners of the field and the poor were allowed to harvest that for themselves. They didn't own the land of the equipment needed to harvest, but were allowed to gather that grain. They still had to labor. We have a society that expects help to be handed to them for doing nothing. We have a government that wants to take from those that have a work ethic and give it to those that want to party their life away. That is not God's plan. That plan has failed, taking from the rich and giving to the poor has been tried and it fails. Soon there is nothing left to give. When you take away the incentive from those that have a work ethic and give it to those that do not. there is no point to making that money, it will just be taken away and given to others that do not want to work. I believe their needs to be a balance. Yes, we need to help those less fortunate. But why should I work hard all my life to have to give it away to someone who does not want to work at all? Before minimum wage, many youngsters would find ways to make money. There was a time I worked as a child for $2 a day. When minimum wage came into being you could not get youngsters to do the work we did even for minimum wage. We have a generation coming up that wants everything handed to them. We racked  lawns, shoveled snow off sidewalks, delivered newspapers, cleaned manure out of barns. Pick rocks out of fields, fixed fences. We did not make minimum wage, but learned a work ethic that helped us keep a job as we got older. Six days we are to labor and then earn a rest. Every day should not be a day of rest. Yes work, inglorious work is a part of the rhythm of life. It is nice to have a job that we love, to feel like we have accomplished something at the end of the day.  But sometimes even if we like to cook, the pots, pans and dishes still need to be washed. The house needs to be cleaned. I loved my job I had one time as a mock-up mechanic. I loved to see the finished part. But sometimes I had to sand and shave and shape parts and make a mess to make that part I was proud of. I still had to clean up the mess I made in the process. Sometimes I would get very dirty cleaning up the mess, but I loved seeing what I had created. I loved completing a job.  Sometimes things happened that the boss didn't see, and I got reprimanded for something I had no control over. But I stuck it out for that paycheck. I had kids to feed and clothe and put a shelter over their heads. Not every job was pleasant, but over all it was good. I never felt to good to pick up trash or mow a lawn even though I eventually signed drawings as an engineer or a checker or a drafter. When I was an engineer, I used to mow the church lawn just to give back something. I think some church people that didn't really know me and what I did for a living thought I was a landscaper or just a laborer. They see me caring for the church grounds and want to hire me for their yard needs. When in the factory and a machine was broke down, waiting to get fixed, I'd grab a broom and sweep the floor. One boss told me I gave 110%  at my review. I am proud of that and remember it to this day. Once as a general utility worker, I clean up the line and set up supplies. If a box of product  fell off the line and needed to be cleaned up, it was my job to do it. I had a different supervisor that didn't know me and showed me all this stuff he wanted me to do. The next day before I did anything else, I cleaned up all those spots I knew he would tell me to do and when he found me, he couldn't find any thing left  for me to do. I'd done them all before he found me. he walked away and said I'll get to you later, and walked up to the office.  In the office he told the other supervisors, what a good worker I was. One of the other supervisors came down to tell me what he said. I remember that incident and am proud of that.  Once a supervisor wanted to put me in for a raise, she was a new supervisor and was worried how hard it would be for her to get me that raise. She came back and told me, your reputation precedes you and it was a slam dunk. they knew you and she had no trouble at all getting me that raise. Our Children and Grandchildren need to learn that work ethic, but more than anything they need to know the Lord of the Sabbath. The one that will write his laws on the heart of man.  I need to relearn somethings as I go through the ten commandments. God has certainly been good to me.  God bless, LVZ.

All things

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those that love him, who have been called according to his purpose" I think I heard this verse explained as well as I have ever heard it recently. I recently heard an atheist state that he did not want to believe in a God that could allow one bad thing to happen. He told about a tragedy he witnessed.  And it is true, Bad Things do happen, to all of us. It is a part of life. Ever notice how you appreciate the good times better after going through a bad time? Things is plural in this verse. Although one event or time in our life may be a difficulty, coupled with other events or times it can be good as a whole. The point was brought out how a tragedy in one persons life helps them in understanding others difficulties. Many times making the difficulty less difficult because of a common experience. A saying I once heard, A shared hurt is 1/2 a hurt, and a shared joy is a double joy. God is sovereign and if we are in his hands it is a good place to be. I think of the story of Joseph, and so much of his early life was bad and difficult. God was preparing him to be second in power in the country of Egypt. As the second in command, he was instrumental in saving many many lives from a terrible famine that Egypt and the surrounding country went through. Genesis 50:20 "You intended to harm me, but God intended it  for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."  A sovereign God has the last say in our lives and he does use even bad things for our good and the good of others when all is said and done.  Yes, Joseph's brothers intended to harm him, but God saw a need and used the bad to get Joseph to Egypt and did shape him as he saw fit. Joseph and the wisdom God gave him through the difficulties,  saved many lives including the lives of this brothers that intended harm to him. The brothers even discussed killing Joseph at one time. God is sovereign and the end result is good if we let him into our hearts and lives, no matter what happens in the course of our lives.  God bless, LVZ.

Friendships

I think it is important to have many friends. Having a good base of friends we can talk things through with could save the need for a paid counselor. One Pastor made the statement a counselor is a paid friend. Proverbs gives us some direction on friends. Proverbs 20:19 "A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much." Yes, the Bible actually tells us to avoid gossips. They will tell what they know and do not use judgement in what they say. I have learned this through experience, when you tell anything to a gossip, you can know it will be told to others.  Proverbs 22:24 "Make no friendships with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:"  Proverbs 29:22 "An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression." Here again the Bible tell us not to form friendships with an angry man. They are quick tempered and speak first and think later.  A good friend is someone who has your best interests at heart, like Jesus.  Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of the enemy are deceitful."  A friend will tell us difficult things for us to hear at times but it is to help us. They have our best at heart when they say things that are hurtful or difficult. Sometimes we can be to close to a situation and a good friend can see things we do not see. We need friends that we can trust. Friends that will not tell everything they know.  Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens another." We need friends that will tell us the truth as the proverb above says iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens another. That is what a good and faithful friend can do for us. Help us to be the best we can be. Jesus is the ultimate friend. Jesus can be trusted with anything you tell him. Jesus has your best interest at heart. Jesus loves you like no other one can. But sometimes we still want a friend with skin on them. Someone we can speak face to face. Look for Godly character in a friend. Someone who patterns his/her life after Jesus Christ. But always include Jesus in your circle of friends, He is the friend that sticketh closer than a brother. God bless, LVZ.

Outrage

This morning I read what a person posted on face book about a Judges speech on a racist killing in Jackson MS. U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves, for the Southern District of Mississippi.  It is  almost unbelievable that this can still happen in this country. When I read about this killing it reminds you of things like the movie Mississippi Burning,  and when all these old wounds are opened, it makes more sense how Ferguson MO can happen. I think their sentences of these young men and women were to lean. But it was a Black Judge, a Black Assistant  Attorney General and so many Blacks involved in the prosecution of these killers. In reading the articles, I found the names of eight different young men and women involved in this. It makes you sick just to read and to see the video that caught the action on that night. I admire the restraint of the Anderson family in not wanting the death penalty. They believe the death penalty to be wrong and stood for what they believe even in this tragedy. I believe the death penalty to be justice in extreme cases and this is one.  I find it so hard to believe that there are still people that think the way these young people did  when they targeted vulnerable Black people to assault. Mississippi has a very racist past and it seems those racist roots run very deep to resurface in 2011. I think especially the young man that drove the truck that ran over Anderson should get the death penalty. But it will not bring Anderson back. It is a gracious act by Anderson's family to request no death penalty. Perhaps it will lead to healing between Black and White Americans. While I think it was wrong to protest in Ferguson MO for a thug, when you are reminded of the atrocities that still happen in this country, you can certainly understand the outrage.  I think we need to channel our outrage to the proper situations. I see no benefit to be outraged at a white policeman. Then in New York, the officers involved in that shooting were not white but minorities also. I think it is OK to be outraged over wrong doing, but so many times the media picks the wrong incident to fuel the outrage and more damage is done. Let Justice happen as happened in the Anderson killing. It may not seem harsh enough for me, but it satisfied the Anderson family. I feel bad in a way for not understanding the outrage in Ferguson, but on the other hand why demonize the whole police force over a thug that wouldn't submit to police authority? We want justice in Mississippi for wrong doers and every place else. But lets be careful to be outraged when it is appropriate, and not pick the wrong targets. We need the police and the judges, prosecutors and others involved in bringing justice. We need the Grand Juries, and the citizens that sit on these cases and judge them. Outrage has its place, and can be used to further justice if it is not misplaced and causes more harm than it corrects.  Think it through and work towards making things better as I feel the Anderson family did. They certainly had a right to be outraged. I have a real problem with being outraged at the police unless it is a clear case of Police misconduct. If Brown had been an innocent young man that hadn't just robbed a store  and had done nothing, I could understand outrage. I want to think our nation is better, and I believe it is on a whole. But false stories to promote outrage do not help to bring justice. I think the Anderson Family thought this through with a clear head. I pray for healing for their family. God bless, LVZ.

Worth fighting for

I got this idea from a movie I saw recently. The movie was Black and White by Kevin Costner. I like many of the movies Kevin has created or been in.  The other Grandmother of Kevin's Granddaughter in this movie was trying for custody of the granddaughter. She made a statement that stuck with me. It was something like the Granddaughter needs to know she was worth fighting for. When I went through my first divorce, I knew my daughter wanted to be with her mother. I felt the deck was stacked against me as a father anyway and I didn't try to get custody. I felt it would be a futile effort as my daughter wanted to stay with her mother. That statement the grandmother made struck a nerve in me. I should have tried. My children were worth fighting for. Even if I lost as I thought I would, they would have known their father thought they were worth fighting for. As I thought about this, it is not the most important thing to always win the battle. I could have won by conveying to my children that they were worth fighting for. As it is their mother has had more influence over them than I have. I failed to leave a christian heritage in their hearts. They seemed to have walked away from the God I know. The attitude of this world that there are many ways to God has prevailed. We are seeing in the present state of this world especially with the Muslims, what extremes they will go to to promote their so called religion of peace. Burning alive, beheading, stoning and many more atrocities.  This is getting off the subject as many of my blogs do. Yes, Christians are not perfect and sometimes we are our own worst enemy. The Bible tells us to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies. The Bible tells us to respect all people because they are made in the image of God. Even if they do not see eye to eye with us. My children were worth fighting for and I regret I made a decision based on money and didn't see the bigger picture. Perhaps I could have left a legacy of being a Christian or at least left a better impression. O the sins of the father can be visited to the third and fourth generation, but also God shows his love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. Something to think about, God bless, LVZ

The fourth Commandment again.

I knew I should hold off on my commandment blogs. "Six days you shall labor and do all your work," from Exodus 20:9. Pastor gave me more to think about. We live in an age when so many look for a disability because they do not want to work. They want to party, but that is not the way God designed the rhythm of life. He gave us six days to labor before he gave us the Sabbath.  I think once again Pastor Wolfson has given me much to think about. Breaking it down into smaller do-able chunks. I think I experienced this in building this house. It is a big job, but I need to just take small parts and finish them. One closet at a time. One door at a time. Even some of the things I have done need adjusting. God in creating the world, could probably done it all in one day. Perhaps he was trying to teach us something. He didn't do it all in one day. We are designed for labor even if we do not get paid for it. Even if it is volunteering and helping humanity in some way. We were created to be doers. So much of the time when we look at this commandment we look at only one seventh of it. Six days shall we labor, do you want a quality of life? God's rhythm of life starts with six days of labor. Want to have wealth? It is the tortoise pace and not the rabbit that gets us there. No get rich quick schemes, but honest labor six days. Yes I have retired but I have two houses to work on and a shop with many projects left ahead of me. I volunteer as well. Do we work as unto the Lord? I think it might help to look at it as God is my boss in what ever I do. I remember being told one time that you had to know someone at the place I was employed. I really didn't as far as a human. But I knew God, and God is over all.  I look back, even in my early years, I went from a grade 1 to a grade 6 mechanic in a years time. A blessing from God. I went through a layoff, and when recalled I started as a grade 4 and once again I was a grade 6 in a years time. God blessed me once again with a professional job , and after a couple of years I was signing drawings as an engineer. God blessed me, and many of the classes I took were on hours. I got paid to take the training that got me an engineering job. Yes, I knew someone, God, and he is over all. He was above the CEO of that company. I was blessed. Work as if God is your boss and you will be blessed.  God has blessed and is good to me. God bless, LVZ.

Do we have a Moses today?

I am sure many of us know the story of Moses. Moses led the Children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses spoke to God and got direction for the Israelites. Moses went up on the mountain and got the Ten Commandments from God. I am not against Church, I am not against Pastors. Perhaps our Pastors today are a modern day Moses. Perhaps we go to church to hear from God through our modern day Moses. I try to go to church every week. I listen to my Pastor, I listen online to another Pastor. Sometimes there are two other Pastors I will listen to on the television. I am trying to go to church for Bible Study / prayer on Wednesday. I am not against church. I invite neighbors and friends and family to go to church. I believe it is important to belong to a church and attend regularly if at all possible. I know health reasons and work reasons and other things can keep us out of church on a regular basis. But, isn't the reason Christ went to the cross so that we could meet with God face to face on our own? Are we satisfied with just listening to a modern day Moses and that is the total extent of our Christian experience? How can we know if that Pastor is a good Shepherd or another Jim Jones if we do not have that personal relationship? How do we know if he is just another person after our money, if we do not have that personal relationship with God? Churches have their place and are important to the Christian. Pastors, Good Shepherd, are important to the Christian. Don't settle for a Moses only experience with God. Meet with God face to face on your own. You start by kneeling at the cross, asking God to be Lord and Savior of your heart and life. Develop that relationship with God on your own and I believe he will lead you into all truth. Yes, God uses and gives us Pastors, but he still wants to meet with us face to face. God bless. LVZ.

The commandments

I am holding off on my commandments blogs for  awhile. Two Pastors, mine and a former Pastor have both preached sermons since the first of the year on the Ten Commandments. I want to go back through and look at the commandments again but I think I will wait until one of the Pastors gets through his series. I learn so much from them. I try to feed myself from them as well as read on my own. I have already learned much but my words are few compared to theirs. I  haven't felt like blogging much recently. I am sick, and trying to get better. I have a surgery coming up at the end of the month. First big surgery of my life. I request your prayers. This blog is not on subject, probably more rambling than anything. I have walked this Christian way a long time and I still learn things. Some times it may be a new slant on things like the Third Commandment. It made me think a lot. Perhaps some of  the other commandments will shed new light as I look at them. I am not concerned with understanding something better it is strange and new doctrines that trouble me. I have one person that I just quit following because he seems to always have a new slant on everything. That is different than just understanding something clearer than before. I don't need to look smart or sound intelligent, I just hope my musings can help someone else in their relationship with God. God only needed Ten Commandments to guide us in how to live.  Most laws created today, would not be needed if we would follow the ten commandments. I believe God has the answers for life, in his word and I continue to  read and try to understand the Bible better. I believe so many troubles in this world can be solved with the Bible. If we would try to live by God's rules. I believe my life has been blessed as I have tried. So often I see people go through hardship and I wish they knew my God.  I have not lived a perfect life, it was when I thought I had to be perfect, because I thought that is what Christians did was live a perfect life, that I was most miserable. I can't live a perfect life , I just do the best I can. I am happy with that, and I hope I allow God to keep working in me, little by little. If God accepts me as I am, which he does, and I allow him to fix me. I believe I am OK. The mistakes of the past are behind me. Removed far from me. God has been good to me, and if I could do it over I think I would like to try and trust God right from the start. I am learning and still sometimes forget to take everything to God in prayer. God has been so good to me. Try him and see, if it will not be the same for you.  God bless, LVZ.

People change

I believe I have changed over the years. This is a difficult blog for me as I try to think through something I think God brought to my attention. I think of the Church I was raised in from a child and I was a member of that organization up until I think I was 36 years of age. I began to question things and left and attended non denominational, Baptist, Black Baptist and others since that time. I believe I was given a good foundation in that Church,  in spite of some legalism. A relationship with God is essential to Christian living, and I believe I did pick up on that teaching. We need to have a general understanding of the word of God to know if we are being taught healthy spiritual food. We have seen the organizations like Jim Jones that have led people astray and even destroyed many lives. I followed what I was taught for many years, and believed I was smart when I was preparing myself and studying to read that organizations literature.  I am not so sure that is so smart any more. I have been taught to interpret the word of God with the Word of God. That is a hard thing to do, when I have tried to justify what I already believe with the word of God for most of my life. What I mean is find scripture to support what I already believe. If our thinking is already in error how will it get corrected if we reinforce with the same beliefs over and over again.  I also am afraid of new beliefs, new doctrines,  etc. As I started off, I have changed over the years, and I believe so have many in the organization I was raised in. I thought of this the other day when I saw a minister on Face book from that organization. I believe he made some bad decisions about his marriage and his family at that time. Perhaps over the years, (I don't know this, I am just speculating) he also has realized these errors as I call them. He, being an honest young man, new to God would follow the instructions of those over him in the Lord. This church has changed their teaching on the subject of divorce and remarriage over the years. After he of course left his first family and started another, per the churches teachings at that time. What would or even should he do, ten years down the road?  It took me years to refine my belief system. If his changed. and he realized he'd made a mistake years earlier, he cannot go back and fix those decisions and could make the same mistake a second time if he did. As I thought through these things, my view of this man softened. just like me, he may have followed his earthly leadership to the best of his knowledge and ability at that time.  There are so many times we cannot go back and fix the decisions we made years earlier. We simply have to go from where we are at and trust God. I think it is so easy for me to misspeak and offend based off old information. God changes others as he also has changed me. God sees into the heart of all his children.  This blog is my blog and sometimes I just think things through using this blog.  My train of thought may or may not make sense to someone else reading it.  I leave out most names as to not offend anyone, as with most things that get published, I don't always know who may read them.  For some reason I feel I have been careful enough to safely publish this after I wait a day or two and reread this.  Right now there are seven drafts on my page that have not been published.  Many times I go back and delete a post later when I have reread it. I try to let it set a day or two before publishing. Somethings I do not feel comfortable publishing even after a day or two, and delete.  If it is helpful to me, perhaps it will help someone else. I do not want to be offensive to any of God's children.  God bless, LVZ.

Trying to understand

I was talking various individuals about God.  This person says they love God and pray to him and worships him, yet they do not find time to enter his courts with praise.  Is it because so many of us want to set the ground rules, God your the creator but I want to come to you under my terms. It is not me that tells God how to do his business. I was telling about how God has worked in my life, prayers that he answered, situations that he has changed. God created us, either you believe that or you don't. In Genesis, everything that was made was made by him. The earth rotates around the sun, and it is hard to imagine how this was set into place. If you believe in the Biblical God, he did this. If you believe in the Biblical God, he created all the animals and even Adam and Eve. We came from Adam and Eve. If you believe in the Biblical God, he set the rules for Adam and Eve in the Garden. Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the Tree that was in the midst of the garden that God told them do not eat from this tree. They did and disobedience to God's rules is sin. Adam and Eve had a choice, and they chose to sin. They set us up, because of their sin we are all born in sin. If God is the creator of all does he  not have the right to set the rules? If I create a computer program, do I not decide what it will do and how it will function? Doesn't God have that right if he created us, to set the rules and the boundaries of our lives. Down through time God gave ten commandments through Moses. If you believe in the biblical God, these were the rules he set. These commandments or rules, however you want to call them were our boundaries. These were set to show us how to relate to God and to each other. The first 4 are to show us how to relate to God himself. The other 6 are to relate to each other. They were our schoolmaster to show us that we couldn't live it, just like Adam and Eve, we, every one of us, sin. God set the rules, he is the creator of all after all. He sent his only Son, the only one who is without sin. He sent him to come to man in Human form through the virgin birth that we celebrate and talk so much about on Christmas.  Jesus lived without sin, and was crucified on a cross for our sins. He cried before it took place, Father let this cup pass from me, but not my will but thine be done. He knew as a human what he was going to go through, and cried let this pass from me. But in that same prayer, submitted, thy will be done. God's rules, God's plan, he is the creator of all. It is through the death and resurrection of Jesus from the grave that we can obtain forgiveness of sins. God the creator of all provided a plan of redemption that is accessible to all. The price is not too high that some can't pay it.  All who would answer his knock at their hearts door can obtain this redemption. God put a plan in place that all can receive it. It seems so many of us say, yes God I want you,  but I set the rules, not you, not your terms, but by mine. When we do that we are saying, I want to be God. Like Jesus we must submit to God, his rules, his guidelines. Has he not proved himself to be loving? has he not forgiven even the worst of sinners? Has he not forgiven even murderers, adulterers, gossips, idolaters, sexual sins of all sorts? Why is it, God's rules seem to be so hard? Is it because we want to be God?  Can we from dust create a living being? Like God spoke to Job: Job 38 "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,"  Then read the 38 chapter of Job were God asks Job a series of questions about creation. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Can you cause it to rain?  This continues into chapter 40 and in verse 40:2 "Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it."   It is a simple gospel if we come to God, accept him as he is and not try to play God. We made it hard when we want God to play by our rules.  God is the creator of all. He knows how to keep the earth rotating in its axis that we may live. Are we smarter than God? Why do we think God should play by our rules? Do I have the right to make new rules? Jesus died for my sins, he is the forgiver of sins. No man cometh to God except through the cross and Jesus. It is a free gift. it is not hard except when we want to play God and tell him how we will except him. Who decided that water would freeze at 32 degrees and why? It is a simple gospel attainable by all through Jesus Christ, the forgiver of sins.  God bless, LVZ.

Lost and Found

The parable of the lost silver coin has stuck with me today. The woman in Luke 15,  had ten silver coins but one was missing. This whole chapter is dealing with lost and found in several different ways. First the Shepard leaves the 99 sheep to find the one that is lost. He finds it and brings it back. then is the parable of the lost silver coin. She already had the other nine. In fact she had all ten at one time or she wouldn't have known that one was lost. They were valuable to her. Reading commentaries, they suggest the woman represents Jesus. We are the silver coins. The things that stick with me is lighting a candle to look for it. God's word is a light unto our path. This woman starts to clean house. Sweeping and cleaning to find this lost coin. I think it is me. I have belonged to God for a long time. I went through some difficult times. I think I got lost in the cob webs of life. As the church goes, so goes our culture.  This is what sweeping is about, cleaning up the inside. We are God's silver coins and we are valuable to him. He is looking for the missing silver, the missing value in our lives. He sheds light on us to show the dirt and cobwebs. He works to clean us up. We are valuable in his sight.  If I could put names to these silver coins, I would. Family and children names would go on them. They are valuable to God and to me. At one time we were raised in a so called Christian home, it was less than perfect. Welcome to the human race.  we are God's silver coins and he is looking for us. When he finds us, he shines us up and puts us up for others to see. The Ten silver coins was in the Jewish culture a symbol like our wedding bands today.  There have been many changes in my life over the years. My understanding has changed or increased on some things. Recently on the third commandment, my understanding of that commandment came to be more than just saying God's name in a exclamation of profanity. But miss-using his name and attributing God to things that he probably cares nothing about/ Perhaps to push an issue that I care about, using God's name to further my cause, when it is something not in his word. That is the cleaning that God does in our hearts and lives that fits this parable today. We are precious in his sight, whom he loves he chastens. He works with us through out our lives. God bless, LVZ.

The fourth commandment

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (the short list)
Exodus 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." 
The Lord God gave us an example here, himself. When he created all that is on this earth, he took six days and then rested on the seventh. In his instruction manual, the Bible, he is telling us to take a day each week to rest. Our bodies need to recuperate. We live in a 24/7 world. Doctors, nurses in hospitals have to work on Sunday. Farmers/ ranchers must care for their animals on Sunday. But we still need that day of rest, what ever day it is. Did you ever think about it?, Sunday is a work day for Pastors. They also need to take a day off and rest. Perhaps it needs to be a day of meditation and thinking, reflection. Spending time with our God, which we still need to do everyday, but that one day could be a time of honor and respect to our God. Their are businesses that practice this, they shut down on Sunday so their employees can have that day off. I think of two cousins that were ranchers, one has tried to honor God with a Sabbath, the other when he got big and had several businesses going, he worked Sunday as well. Guess which one is still in business today? The one that honored God with a Sabbath. It doesn't have to be Sunday, and it is OK to take care of your animals on that day, but remember to take time to rest. Quality of life depends on it. God gave us that example himself, he who created all the animals and the human race, took time to rest from his labors. Honor God, and find a day of rest. God bless, LVZ.

Friend of God

This morning I have been thinking about my friendship with God. It started when I was a child, I remember a prayer I prayed as probably a five year old. I remember another prayer from age 11.  I went through some lean years, some years when I didn't think it was possible for me to live this Christian life. It was for others, there was something wrong with me, it just wasn't for me. God patiently worked with me and brought me to a point where I realized I didn't have to be perfect, I just had to accept him as Lord and Savior and he would help me. I went through periods of divorce, and my life took a down turn. 4 divorces in about 11 years. He helped me and changed me. God is still at work in my life, It will never end until the day I die. I was reflecting om some of the people I pray for, some know God for themselves some don't. As I thought about different ones, if only they had that relationship with God. If only they knew that they knew that they knew, their soul was secure in God's hands. Wouldn't it be so much better. I reflected on all that God has brought me through. Those situations from age 5 that caused me to cry out to him. The answered prayers, some I will never forget, like the one at 5 years old. Or the time he answered my prayer as I was still praying it in Tacoma, in 2001. I have never regretted my time with God.  I made some errors, I have sinned. I went through some dark times, so discouraged, and yet he was there to help me through. Shouldn't everyone have this in their lives? I think so, God has changed me, I didn't have to become perfect to be a friend of God. He took me just as I was. Messed up, hurting, didn't feel I could live it and many times I wasn't living a life that honored him. When I went astray, he lovingly nudged me back.  He has changed me. Sometimes I feel I have a long ways to go still. Sometimes I get discouraged still. But God is always there as my friend to help me through what ever comes my way.  God bless, LVZ.