I'd rather have Jesus

I'd Rather Have Jesus is the title of a song we used to sing. As I think about this song I wonder how many times we lie as we sing this great song.  What if God tests us with trials and hardships to increase our faith. Do we still stand with God? I heard a preacher one time say, it is harder for people to bear the cup of prosperity than to bear the cup of poverty. Yes you see some Christians that bear prosperity well. What about affliction, how well do we bear the cup of affliction? Or when a loved one is struck with a terminal disease. I once prayed about a home I had, it was a little 3 bedroom, two bath house on 5 acres. I really loved that place. I asked God to take it if it would come between him and me. I knew I really liked that place and would love to have it today.  It is gone, I no longer have it. I went through divorce sometime after that prayer and had to give it up. As I look at the difficult relationship I had with my children's mother, I got to the place where I didn't feel I could continue. Knowing God wants marriage for life. I didn't let it destroy me, I still have Jesus. Sometimes I look back and see some areas of my life God was trying to fix. Sometimes the way he fixes us depends on us and how we respond to his loving chastisement. As I have seen prominent people in the church sometimes fail, does it shake us into giving up. Is our anchor truly in God and not in a denomination, or a person? How many of us have allow a failing parent to cause us to turn away from God? I look back and see many trials all through my life. Spouses unfaithful, and sometimes they could look at me and say the same thing. Do you still have Jesus, what ever trial you have gone through. The lines of the song continue: I'd rather be His than have riches untold; I'd rather have Jesus than houses or land. There are so many more lines we could add to this song. Think of any trial you have been through, and add it to the lines of this song. If after that trial, you are still standing with Jesus than perhaps you can still sing that refrain, I'd rather have Jesus than any thing this world affords today.  Prosperity or poverty, sickness or health, what can separate us from our God. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39 If we will hang to God's hand whatever trial comes our way, nothing can separate us from our God.  God bless, LVZ.

Whose Counsel Do We Listen To

Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors. Psalm 119:24 God's word is written to guide us through life here below. The principles and laws of God work, they have a purpose. They should guide us in our everyday living. There are absolutes in God's word. One that I think is at the top of my absolutes or core values as I like to call them is being forgiving. Living with an attitude of forgiveness towards others. And sometimes we even need to forgive ourselves. The reason why I fell this is so important is a scripture that says if we do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will our father forgive us our trespasses. To love others, even our enemies. By this shall all men know ye are my disciples. If you take a close look, a lot of what is wrong with our country today is the lack of forgiveness and love in our hearts. The Bible is our owners manual, and it tells us how to live in this present world to make it to the next. We hear so much hate and division in our nation. We see it on face book and still people spew divisiveness. Where is forgiveness and Love. If the Black Lives Matter supporters would forgive and love we could see real change in our nation. We don't need the KKK and or the BLM to spread their hate in our nation. These protests are not from God's counsel. If so someone show me where.  We saw it with Martin Luther King Jr, using God's principles worked wonders in our nation. This divisiveness is pushing us backwards. Who's counsel are we listening to?  God's ways work, and they can be found in the Bible. My soul longs for your salvation;
I hope in your word.  Psalm 119:81 God bless, LVZ.

God is not Fair

God is not fair. What do I base this one?  To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.  Matthew 25:15 In chapter 25 of Matthew is the story of the talents. The master gives one servant 5 talents, another 2, and the third servant only got 1 talent. The master than leaves for a long time.  As I thought about this there were 3 men and eight talents total. Would it not be fair if each received 2 and 2/3 talent?  Some people in this world are wealthy, others poor, wouldn't God be more fair if he made everyone the same? That is the so called thinking of our politically correct crowd. Yet I believe if they had their way, the ruling class will still have more than the average citizen.  As I think about that and everything God creates is unique. There are no two people alike. There are no two trees alike. Even twins, identical twins are not totally alike. They may be so similar it is hard for us to tell them apart but they are unique, as is everything God creates.  I see people with handicaps or ailments and others totally healthy. One thought I'd like to interject here is, what a boring world we would live in if everything and every person were identical.  When man creates a penny, there are thousands that are identical. I challenge you to look closely at what God has created and find any two identical.  But the master said the same thing to the servant with two talents and the servant with five talents. Was that fair? He did not expect the two talent person to come back with 10. The one he disapproved of was the one talent person that did nothing except bury and hide his talent. God is sovereign, he gives as he sees fit. He does expect us to use what he gives us. He does want us to bless others, with what he has given us. God does want us to be productive. He may not be fair in our eyes but God is just. Some day there will be a day of accountability and we will answer to God for our lives, and what God has entrusted us with. I don't understand everything about God, why he gives one servant 5 talents and another 2 talents, and a third 1 talent. Some people my age are stricken with cancer or even this 9 year old girl we have been praying for, has bone cancer. It doesn't seem fair. I saw many people lose everything in the recent hurricanes in Texas and Florida, I do not understand. I saw a tornado rip through Tupelo some years back and it destroyed many homes and businesses but it didn't touch me. I will never understand everything about God. But I trust him, and perhaps one day in eternity I will understand more than I do now. I do want to prepare for that judgement day that is in the future, because I know God is just. One day he will ask, what have you done with Jesus. Have you rejected or accepted him? It will matter on judgment day, when we give an accounting for our lives to God. What have you done with what God has given you? Be it 5 or 2 or 1 talents, what have I done with what God has given me. Have I blessed others? Have I served others? I believe it will matter on judgement day when I stand before a Holy and just God. God bless, LVZ. 

Understanding

Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. Psalm 119:27
O that we could understand the way of God's precepts. All that God does is for our good. He sets rules in nature and things work the way he designed. There is a delicate balance in nature that works as God designed it. The world goes through cycles and seasons at God's command. He that would be greatest, let him be a servant to others. We see those that are generous to the needs of others, God blesses. A soft answer turns away wrath. we see God's ways work on so many levels if we will gain understanding of an almighty sovereign God. I see what I feel is many putting Trump on a pedestal. and I am glad they honor our President. But make no mistake, if this country heals it will be God and not President Trump that does the healing. I want him to be honored as President , but only God should be worshiped. I feel some still worship Obama the same way. He was just a man God put in the office of President the same as Trump. Do not worship these men. Pray for them that God would guide them and bless our country and heal our land. Meditate on the wonderous works of God. God's ways work, o that we could understand and learn his ways. He is a sovereign God and the world turns at his command. Creation continues from the day God created. Here is an amazing thing, everything God created recreates itself. The various species of birds have continued generation after generation to this day as species of fish in the sea and animals upon the land. The trees and the grasses, weeds and flowers continue to recreate since the day God created them. Yet as you look each tree is different, unique as is man. When man creates as say a coin, we make millions of copies and they can be all identical. Each sunset and sun rise is different. God creates uniqueness in everything he does. We can mess up his balance but God can restore. I pray he heals our land.  God bless, LVZ. 

The Heart

With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
I have stored up your word in my heart,that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:10-11
Note the words with my whole heart and in my heart in this passage. It is not enough to have head knowledge. It is not enough to memorize God's word. 
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23
What is in our hearts comes out of our mouths. How do we get this word to go from our heads to our hearts? I heard someone describe an individual, the word never got from their head to their heart. Where the rubber meets the road. Do we live it? Is our religion more than something we do on Sunday morning? Do we go to church, hear the preacher and leave it there? Do we live it on Monday through Saturday?  Does our Christianity follow us to our jobs on Monday morning? I believe I knowing the word, memorizing, reading daily, but is it in my heart? I use this example many times: I was newly married to a Black woman. We were bouncing from church to church and had not really attached ourselves to any one congregation. My wife asked me to pray about it, about where we should attend church and become part of it. I did, and as I was praying I read Ephesians 5:25: husbands loves your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for it. I pondered this scripture as I was praying, how do I apply it to my life in this situation. My thought process went to her being a black woman, her culture was Black. One of the churches we had visited was Second Baptist Church in Everett WA. I thought this Black Church is her culture, she has family that attends there. The man that gave her away in place of her father was a deacon at this church. I had never been to a black church prior to visiting Second Baptist Church in Everett WA.  After about a month, she asked have your prayed and decided? I said yes, Second Baptist. She said, how in the hell can you pick Second Baptist? Perhaps she could not see how a white man would pick a Black Church and I agree it was a stretch for me. I felt so out of place the first few Sundays. I was the only white person in that place. Hind sight being 20/20, I do believe that was God's answer for both me and her at that time. It changed me. The word needs to be more than head knowledge. We need to live it every day. God bless, LVZ.

Enduring

Your word, Lord, is eternal;

it stands firm in the heavens.

Your faithfulness continues through all generations;

you established the earth, and it endures.

Your laws endure to this day,

for all things serve you.

Psalm 119:89-91

I think our society has forgotten God. Somewhere we got off the path of seeking and believing in God. God's word is eternal, it continues through all generations. It doesn't change when governments change.  As the earth keeps rotating on its axis  around the sun, keeping its place in the universe, we forget it was God that made it all happen. We came up with alternate explanations for our existence and we don't like faith. But it takes more faith to believe we evolved from monkeys. If some monkeys evolved, why didn't all evolved? Or why do we not see the different stages?  Over the years as scientific knowledge as increase, it becomes more amazing that life can exist on planet earth.  God's laws were meant to help us live peaceful and productive lives. Marriages thrive when we learn to serve one another, they disintegrate under selfishness. These are principles God's word tries to teach us. He that would be greatest, let him be a servant. I think we see this principle work its way in so many ways. Some of our greatest leaders have been those that served others. I think of a Christian example, Bill Gaither, as he served others during a trying time and promoted other artists, he became even more successful.  All through his 119 Psalm we read about learning God's word, his laws, his precepts etc. Just as laws of nature seem to work, we would find God's laws , his ways also work. If it be on our earthy occupation, or in our families, all around us, we can find that God's ways work. His work instructs us in all of life. I was thinking of the Alder board I ran for and lost. Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14 Here is a bit of wisdom that many follow today even in the business world. We see large corporations that have board of directors, we see cities that have boards to make their decisions. We see Churches that have a board of Elders or Deacons that guide them. It is because God's ways word. There is wisdom in his word, for just plain living. A soft answer turns away wrath, is another bit of wisdom we can find. God created us and understands us better than we know our selves. God's word is eternal, and some day when we stand before God, it is God and his word that will judge us. God bless, LVZ.

The End

fire and hail, snow and mist,stormy wind fulfilling his word! Psalm 145:8
There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven. Luke 21:11
This year alone we have seen great fires and two hurricanes hit our shores. Montana feels forgotten with the media attention to Texas and Florida. The Bible warns us in many scriptures above what I listed above about the end times. We see on the news the devastation in Mexico with their earthquake. Perhaps God is speaking to us. We murder by an alarming rate through abortion and call it women's rights. We take shop owners to the courts because they stand for their faith. Should a sovereign God not be angry? God's word is being fulfilled before our very eyes. Natural disasters seem to be bigger than the one before. I do not know the day nor the hour of Christ's return, no one does. Yet some years back, a religious man sold millions of copies of a book telling the end would be in 1988. It didn't happen and the title changed to 1989, then 1990, then 1991, 1992, 1993 until the sales of his books were no longer profitable.  We are being deceived, brother against brother, look at the rioting, why? We are the very best nation on earth. We are not perfect but we have come a long ways since 1860.  Why would God allow such devastation? It is a call to repent. It is a call for us as a nation to return to the God that made us. We have seen Christians beheaded for their faith in foreign nations, as evil grows stronger and stronger. One place the scripture says except the days be shorten the very elect would be deceived. We are calling evil good and good evil in our day. Do we not call abortion good? God is calling us all to repentance. 2 Chronicles 7:14: if we want God to heal our land we must repent and turn from our wicked ways. It is not Trump, nor Obama that will heal our land. It is God, if it happens at all. My worst fear is we are indeed in the last days. I may be part of the generation that sees the very end. I have gone through the spring of my life, I have gone through the summer of my life.  I have even gone through the fall of my life. I am now in the beginning of winter of my life and I could see the end time before I leave this earth. God is calling all to repentance. I do not know the day or the hour of the end. I'd be lying if I said I did. I do not know the number of my days. My father lived to be 74. Grandfathers into their 80's and my last uncle is in his nineties. But I do believe we are living in the end time and I may see the rapture. But either way I must live until the end preparing for eternity. God is sovereign, he alone knows the end. God sent Jesus to forgive us of our sins. God made a way through Jesus for us to escape the destruction ahead, and to live in eternity with him. I suppose this sounds gloomy, but Jesus made a way. If we will just believe on his name. The Bible tells us many will not believe or repent. Narrow is the way that leads to life. Broad is the way that leads to destruction. God has sent these signs as a warning. We would be wise to heed the warning.  God bless, LVZ. 

Ride Along

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Romans 13:1-7
I went on a ride along with a Lee County Deputy. I posted the scripture above because it is probably the most prominent scripture I know of that tells us to support law enforcement.  I wish every one of these people that protest our police would do a ride along. The man I rode with is a good Christian man. I believe he is a Christian first, and officer second. The scripture above supports my belief that police officers are ministers of God (for he is God's servant for your good). I believe instead of protesting , we need to support and pray for our law enforcement. They enforce the laws we as a civilized society create. They don't make the laws, they just have the job of enforcing the laws we create. Many times we expect the impossible. These men are human, and I believe the majority are doing the best they know. I know there are some bad apples in law enforcement, but I have yet to meet one personally. I cringed when I heard people criticize the law enforcement in Saint Louis, They throw bottles and bricks and then don't want the officers to wear protective gear? Are these people for real? What job do you know of that does not require the worker to wear protective gear or take action to keep good health? Even as a person who sat at a desk, looking at a computer all day long, for our health we were instructed to look away and focus our eyes on something in the distance. To get up from the desk  and walk away periodically for our health. And people want to throw things at our officers and not want them to wear protective gear? 11 officers were injured even wearing protective gear in recent days in Saint Louis. Let us remember these men and women are servants of God and need to be respected as such. I enjoyed my ride along and saw 5 different officers on this particular night shift. All good officers and worthy of respect and honor. God bless and keep them. LVZ.

Obey Fully

You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Psalm 119:4

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. James 2:10

I have once again read the first part of Psalm 119. Verse 4 stood out to me today. We need to follow God to the best of our ability and our understanding. We do not get to choose what parts to keep and what parts to throw away. I feel we are living in an age when we choose to fit the Bible to us and not fit us to the Bible. In Luke 18 is the story of the rich young ruler and he asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus listed several commands: Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother. All of these have I kept from my youth, then Jesus said sell all that you have and give it to the poor. At this the young ruler became sad, for he was very wealthy. We must learn to fully obey God and keep nothing from him. No part of our life is sacred and can be held back. We must surrender all. This young man had treasure on earth and Jesus saw that it meant more to him than following Jesus. Jesus does see into our hearts. I remember a time in my life when I went through my first divorce. I was lonely and desired sex. It was a part of my life I didn't feel I could trust to God. I wanted to be married. I went through 4 divorces in ten years. I got this God, I searched for a Godly woman or so I thought. I don't know why I didn't think I could wait on God, he created me just the way I was. I went through a class called Divorce Recovery, and they recommend that you remain unmarried for a period of one year for every 4 or 5 you were married. I had been married 20 years. That would mean to wait a period of 4 to 5 years before I would look for another woman. I got this, I don't need to wait this period of time. I married within 6 months of my first divorce, and divorced again. I got this, and within six months I was married again. And divorced in another year. I didn't want to live in sin, but I wasn't willing to wait on God. I wasn't willing to listen to those that had been through what I was going through. I wasn't willing to spend the time alone to heal. What  a mess I made of my life. God understands us better than we understand ourselves. When I look back I think of how much pain I could have avoided if I had given everything to God. It wasn't earthy riches with me, but still I became sad when what I wanted did not fit what God was saying to me. We need to give everything, every part of our life to God and trust him in everything. Perhaps we have given 90% of our lives over to God, is there 10% that we feel we can handle. Is there a part of scripture that we don't agree with. We will not make it. We will be like the rich young ruler and walk away. Jesus needs to be Savior and Lord. If Jesus is not Lord of all, he is not Lord at all. God has laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. I remember a young man that said he wanted to invest his tithe and someday when he was rich he would then pay on his riches instead of the small amount he was making at the time. We don't get to choose what and when we obey. I wonder if as he has aged like me (we were both young at he time) if he has made his riches and if it is easier to pay ten percent of a thousand than it was to pay ten percent of a hundred? I would guess probably not, because he has set a pattern in his life to not obey God's word but follow his own plan. Perhaps God changed his heart along the way. God's precepts are to be fully obeyed. What one thing do we still lack like the young ruler in Luke 18? God bless, LVZ.

God's Love

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. John 10:11
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 1 John 3:16
I have been negligent on blogging and it seems when my computers were in the shop I got out of the habit. What is our view of God? I think as we look at the political division in our nation, we don't always have a correct view of some of our political leaders. But what is true? Does the 1/2 that supports Trump know the truth about him or is it the 1/2 that fights him? How about Obama, do his supporters know the truth or is it those that think he divided this nation know the truth? I do know we are very divided. But even more importantly, what about God? Do we have a correct view of God? We can look to God's word to learn about him and have our understanding opened about who God really is. The scriptures above tell us that Jesus died for us. Jesus is the good shepherd, and he did submit to our heavenly father even to going to the cross. Greater love has no one than this. I have experienced God's love in my life. For that I am very thankful. I grew up in a very dysfunctional home, but believe through the grace of God, God has changed me. I believe he corrected many behaviors through his patient working with me. Like Ephesians says with the washing of the water by the word.  Ephesians 5:26. Right now many of the men in our church are attending Men's University where we are trying to learn who our heavenly Father really is. The Bible tells us. I have a little song that I sing that I made up, To Be Like Jesus, that is my prayer, that is my goal. The last verse I listed above, as Christ laid down his life for us, we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. For those that don't know Christ. For those that have strayed. For those struggling in their faith. By this shall all men know you are my disciple if ye have love one for another. God gave leadership to the men. That is what Men's University is about, helping us as men to impact our world, our families, our nation for Christ. As we love others as Christ loved us. I am so thankful for the direction God has given me in my life. When I look back I made so many mistakes, but still I see God's hand patiently leading me along, a little bit closer as the years go by. The man that wrote the study book we are using made a choice at age 13 to follow God and make him first in his life. He was playing basket ball and the coach the selected him for his team told them they would practice on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Here this 13 year old boy was face with a decision, he was new in his relationship with God and he liked basket ball. He chose to follow God. He told his coach that he wanted to follow after God and was involved in Sunday Church and even a Wednesday Bible Study and this young man made the decision to put God first. He wasn't able to make a lot of the practices and he knew his coach was punishing him and mostly made him sit on the bench because of his decision to put God first. That decision paid off in his life many times over. It was amazing to me. I struggled in my life having that dedication to God. There were areas of my life I didn't fully trust God and there were sins that controlled me instead of me putting them under God's control. No one loves us more than God. In all areas of life God has our best interest at heart. That 13 year old boy grew into a man that now mentors thousands of other men in their walk with God. Jesus is the only one that died for our sins. It is through God's word that we truly learn who God is and of his great love for us. I hope to share some of the things I learn in the coming months as I try to improve my walk with God. I have been walking with God for over thirty years, but I am afraid it was not with complete trust in every area of life. I am thankful  for what God has already done for me. But I am looking for the future and planning for an eternity with God. I wish I had that kids determination early on. There is no greater love than God's love for his children. Do you know there are no grandchildren in Heaven. Every generation must find God for themselves. We cannot ride the shirttails of a previous generation. There are no hearsay Christians, What someone else said or did does not carry us through. Each generation, each person must find God for themselves. God bless, LVZ.

From God

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17
He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; Daniel 2:21
God is sovereign. I have come to realize that God gives us our rulers. I have watched the many different species of birds that inhabit our yard and the woods near our home and I realize that since creation, these birds have survived from generation to generation even to today. God has always been and always will be. He knew every one of my days and yours before we were born. He has the very hairs of our head numbered. When the sparrow falls from heaven, God sees. It is really hard to understand a God like this. The good that has befallen me came from God. God knew before I knew. I see it in simple little every day things. He was worked with me since the beginning of my days. I thank God for the changes he has made in my life. As I listen to what is going on in our world, like face book, this president that God has given us comes under fire for almost every thing he does. He has attempted in small ways to bring this country back to following after the sovereign God that inspired our forefathers when this great nation came to be. Our President is an imperfect man as we all are, but he was given by God to us to be our President for this time. Facebook is a fairly new means of communication, as knowledge has increased, we have seen things like face book and twitter develop. Even knowledge comes from God.  God does not change. His principles, his precepts, his ways have been forever. As we try to return to following after God and his ways, it seems the demons of hell have attacked. We are in a spiritual battle. God is sovereign, he is still on this throne in the heavens and sees over the affairs of me. We have faced storms that our sovereign God has allowed and we don't understand why. God's ways are way above our ways and our understanding. Perhaps it was to unite us in a cause for those that are hurting in our country after this hurricane season. I do know there was a minimum loss of life in these tremendous storms that have sept through Texas and Florida. God is more interested in our character than in our comfort. He will allow storms of life to shape us and correct us. His intentions are good to correct and make us better. We need him. He is a sovereign God. He loves us and even like a parent will sometimes punish a child for bad behavior, because that parent loves the child and wants to help him and correct bad behavior. So is our God to us. He loves us and many times we don't understand all of God and we never will understand everything about God. He is eternal, has always been and will always be. This earth turns at his command, the sun rises and sets by the will of God. He (God) changes times and seasons, he removes kings and sets them up. He gives understanding and wisdom to those he chooses. He is a sovereign God and we know a limited amount of who he really is and what he is capable of. Yet as awesome as he is, he chooses to relate to us and love us. He desires to dwell in our hearts. Every good and perfect gift is from God. God bless, LVZ.

Whosoever Will

My heart is troubled when I see 80 year old adults that have been attending church the majority of their lives and when they get close to the end of their journey here below, they seem to be troubled. I understand that going to church does not make you a christian any more than going to a barn makes you a farm animal. But how can someone go to church Sunday after Sunday and not make the changes in their hearts that is needed.  God does not force himself on us. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17. We are invited to come to God day after day. Perhaps God speaks to us about an issue in our lives and we ignore his call. Recently I talked with someone who wanted to pray with a sick person and they said no. Actually it happened twice. How can people become so hardened in their hearts that they have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel and they feel they don't need prayer? Then I talked with a man with stage four cancer and asked about his soul, where will you be in eternity? Are you convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that you will be with God. His reply was he had a dream and in this dream his family members carried him over to a good place. I ask what do you base this on. Will you trust your eternal destiny to a dream. Is there scripture to back this belief up?  Jesus is the only way. Except ye be born again, except ye have heard God's knock on your hearts door and opened to him and allowed him to come into your heart and life, there is no other way. We cannot live good enough lives. We cannot buy our way in. We cannot depend on parents or grandparents prayers to get us in. We each and every one of us need to accept Jesus into our hearts and lives. There are no grandchildren in the kingdom of heaven. What I mean by that is each of us needs to find Jesus for our selves. There are no hearsay Christians. It is a personal thing, it is Whosoever Will. Jesus is the answer. Seek him and he will be found. God bless, LVZ.

An Eternal God

the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,  “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Revelation 4:10-11
My time on earth had a beginning and there is an ending. I do not know when my end on earth will be. I could go by the grave, I might live to see the rapture of the Saints. Only God knows.  In this scripture above we see that God created all things including mankind. By God's will the exist and were created. God is eternal, "him who lives forever and ever". There never was a time when there was no God.  Before creation, God was. When man's time on earth is finished, God will still be. He is a sovereign God. He is above all creation. He can control and even change the weather if he so chooses. As I think about this awesome God, I remember in 1979 when I first hired on at the Boeing Company. A big company it was and still is today. I remember co-workers talking about how big it was and someone said, you have to know someone important to get anywhere in this company. I remember thinking, I know God and he is over all. God is higher than the CEO of this company. I remember those thoughts to this day. I still believe that to this day. I was just one of so many employees. I had no relatives that worked for this company, but I believed that God was sovereign. I believed that God was over everything. I got hired into the Mockup Shop. It was a great job and I really liked it. As new employees we started as grade one mechanics, and the average mechanic was a grade 4. There were a small percentage of the shop that made it to grade six. Our Leads were Grade eight.  In one years time I was a grade six mechanic. I thank God for that, he blessed me. After 4 years there was a slowdown and I was laid off. After two years on layoff, I was rehired and again within one year I was a grade six mechanic. I took classes offered by the company and I realized that as much as I liked Mockup, it was outdated and a new thing CATIA would take its place. As I finished my first CATIA class I looked around me and realized even if they kept a skeleton crew for Mockup purposes, it would be unlikely that I could retain my place in Mockup. I had desired to someday be a Leadman. I knew it was over in a matter of a few years. I kept taking CATIA classes. I changed jobs and became a Mockup planner, my first office, professional position. I continued to take CATIA classes. My boss allowed me to take classes on company time and get paid for it. IF I had a class in the evening for two hours, I could come in 6.5 hours ahead of that class and include it in my 8 hours for that day. 1/2 hour lunch when it was convenient for me. After two years as a Mockup Planner, I was approached by an Engineering Supervisor and asked if I'd be interested in taking a job as a CATIA operator in an Engineering group. I took it. As an engineering employee without a degree, I was called a tech designer. Even though I though I was happy to be a CATIA operator, I felt I would never be a Lead, because there were so many people I worked with that had Engineering degrees. Fast forward some twenty years, and my last four years at the Boeing Company I was a Lead for Design Engineers in an Electrical Corrective Action Team. What we affectionately called ECAT. I think I spent about 12 years in ECAT total.  I tell my history to say have faith in God, he is over all and he can promote you as he pleases. I look back and I remember that time when a coworker said you really have to know someone important to get any where in this company. I remember thinking God is over all, and he is over the CEO. God blessed me above and beyond what I deserved. He is over all, he has always been and always will be. God sent his son Jesus to die on a cross for our sins. He loves us that much. God bless, LVZ.

Being A Christian

I have claimed to be a Christian for over 30 years. And trying to be transparent and open, I will tell you, I don't feel like I do a very good job of it. I have been married and divorced 4 times. I am currently married for the 5th time and it seems to be working. God's perfect plan has always been one woman and one man for life. I failed. I am not discouraged about my walk with God, I am just trying to be open and transparent.  I hear people, other Christians talk about witnessing and praying with others to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. I desire that but feel I do a very poor job of witnessing. I prefer to blog. I have been claiming to be a Christian for over 30 years. It is during these 30 years of being a Christian that I have gone through 4, not one but four failed marriages. It doesn't speak well of me. It shows something is wrong, because God's perfect plan is one man / one woman for life. I know people that are going on 50 years of marriage. Some good and some others  not so good. Some stick together because it is God's perfect plan, one woman / one man for life. Their children, even adult children suffer when they see the dysfunction in a long term bad marriage. I can tell you of many Christians that are not in their first marriage. It is probably 50%. I am not trying to come down on anyone, and I am by telling my story showing I am in the same boat. My current marriage is good. I trust my wife. That is something I didn't have in the first four. This marriage we have passed our tenth anniversary and still doing good. I am thankful. Still I see where I came from. Where I came from shows I made some bad decisions and probably didn't trust and look to God for help like I needed to. I cannot go back nor would I want to. I think my current marriage is working.  Ephesians chapter 5 is a good chapter to read for marriage advice. I know 5:25 very well and thought I tried to apply it to my life.  I don't claim to be the best interpreter of scripture. Actually I would love to live more by what I already I know than to learn new stuff. I am reading a new book and already this author has me thinking. Ephesians 5:25-33:    Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. This is not new scripture to me but I wonder if I really understand it as well as I should. How many times have I read this in the last 30 years? In the first chapter of a new book I am reading it refers to the above text and talks about the cycle of love and respect: Husbands love you wives,  the wife see that she respects her husband. By the way the name of the book: Love and Respect. The title tells me it will probably be all over the verses above.  I have tried really hard at loving my wife, I tried understanding verse 25, and even the last part, love his wife as himself. But as I was reading this book, I realized I feel respected by my current wife. Has this helped me to do a better job of loving her as this author is talking about?  I know in my previous marriages, I did not feel respected. One borrowed my pickup and had me watch her son while she visited her boyfriend. Talk about being disrespected. Another would disappear for days and even weeks on end and I had no idea where she was and always believed she was with another man, true or not it is what I thought and she ended up marrying that man. After the divorce I found out the man she married after she divorced me would pick her up at the back gate in the alley while we were still married. Yes I was disrespected.  I did my stuff also so don't think I am putting myself on a pedestal here. I just not adding that to this story.  I felt disrespected every time she left like that.  She would call me at work and tell me she loved me, and when she would take the time to call me at work and say those words, I knew she'd be gone before I got home even if I left at that moment. I would not see her for at least a couple of days or even weeks. One ex asked me if I was still as jealous as I always was. I think it was more common sense, I expect someone I am married to, to be faithful to me. I really don't think it was plain old jealousy. I didn't like a wife disappearing overnight and not knowing where they were. I married her obviously without knowing enough about her. I believe she is the same way to this day. Another story I have to tell about a Saturday outing up to Hurricane ridge. On the way back with my bride of three months or less, she  turned the radio on to a preacher talking about how husbands should treat their wives. About every minute I would hear an Amen from her side of the truck. It must have been about halfway through his sermon and the preacher said: "and wives should"..... That is about as far as the preacher got before she reached over and turned the radio off.  There is a lot of instruction in the verses above for husbands and wives. (If we will listen to our part) Husbands do need to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, husbands love your wives as your own bodies. And let the wife see that she respects her husband. As this author seems to be saying both are needed, respect and love. I am still on this journey and still need God's help, but I believe I am getting better. I  am not where I use to be, not perfect but still trying. Still learning, probably not the best Christian you'll find. Not very good at witnessing, but still telling my story, hoping to help someone besides myself make it in. Tried to witness to someone the other day and felt I did a terrible job. But I know God loves me and is still working on me. Thirty years walking with God and counting.  Ten years married this time and counting. God has been good. God bless, LVZ.

A Myth

Earlier this year or perhaps even last year in a discussion with a man known in these parts for his knowledge of local history, this man made the statement that the Civil War was about States Rights and not slavery. At the time I thought what more important right did the southern states have at that time than slavery. Someone sent me a book titled "The Myth of the Lost Cause". It was that myth the local man, a well known man in these parts, repeated to me in that discussion. The myth is The Civil War was not about Slavery, it was about states rights. This author has dug deep into the history of 1860-1861 when Mississippi and other deep south states were talking about and trying to convince other states to secede. They had ambassadors  from states like Mississippi that traveled to these others states like Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and even Texas to persuade them to secede and help form the confederate states to protect the institution of slavery. It is well documented. The deep south felt that ending slavery as the Republican party and Northern states, abolitionists and others were trying to do would be devastating to the economy of the south. There way of life, in the cotton states would be destroyed if they didn't find some way to protect their right to own slaves. They have tried to rewrite history, saying slavery was on its way out anyway and that is not why we fought the civil war.  It is well documented by not only the speeches these Ambassadors / representatives from the deep south made in trying to persuade other states to join their cause but their fight to keep the protection for slavery in congress / in the constitution. If they could not keep the protection in the constitution, then their only choice was to form a Confederate States of America. They were losing to the northern or Black Republicans as they called them. Lincoln got elected and it appeared he was going to end slavery. There are still some people down here that still spread the myth of the lost cause today. It is well documented that the Republican Party was the party that fought to end slavery. It is well documented that the Republican party was the party that supported and voted for equal rights. Today I don't think we can recognize either party. Today it seems to be about control. I don't trust either party. That being said the only hope for any people is Jesus Christ and his death on a cross for our sins. IT is Jesus that changes the hearts of men. God is still sovereign as he was in 1860-61. The hope for all Blacks and Whites and any color in between is in God and we come to God through Jesus Christ and the pardon of our sins. There is no other way. We should be proud of our country to have risen from such an awful past. We are not perfect, we never will be this side of eternity. But we have come along ways in this nation and we should be proud of the progress we have made. That progress was made with the help of God almighty. God bless, LVZ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  Galatians 3:28

Respect

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Ephesians 5:33
Love & Respect is the title of a book I am reading. It is a slow read. The key verse that this book seems to be centered around is the verse above. I want to tell a story that happened to me many years ago. My second wife and I were riding in my truck on our way home from an outing one Saturday. She turned on the radio to a gospel preacher and the preacher happened to be talking about how Husbands should treat their wives. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he used the scripture above in his sermon. The ministers sermon started out talking about how husbands should treat their wives. My wife was over on her side of the truck saying amen every few minutes. Then he must have been about halfway through his sermon and he said and Wives should......, and my wife reached over and turned the radio off. I have never forgotten that and I believe many times all of us do that, we fail to listen to our part of the sermon. I tell this story because part of what I want to say is not my part. Husbands need to love their wives as we love our selves. Ephesians 5:25 says we are to love our wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Husbands are commanded to love their wives unconditionally. But it is the last part of the verse above that I want to talk about. It is directed at wives. Let the wife see that she respects her husband. It is not my part of the verse and I do not want to be like my second wife and only listen to the other partners part and ignore my own.  This book is talking a lot about the two parts. The  husband's part to love and the wife's part to respect. There are many places in the Bible we are told to do something without excuse. Children are to honor their parents, not just if they are good parents but because they are. No excuse given to not honor, it is a command. We are commanded to forgive, no excuses given to not forgive, it is a command. Here I feel the same thing is happening. No excuses given, no outs, it is a command for husbands to love their wives. It is a command for wives to respect their husbands. At least that is what I am reading in the book. I have always tried to look at my part. I have thought often about the story of the radio being turned off over the years and thought I need to concentrate on my part. Why the difference in the command to men to love, and women to respect?  We are equal, the man is not better than the woman nor is the woman better than the man. But we are different. People have written books on the differences. Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus is one that comes to mind. Actually we are both commanded to love and both commanded to respect. Perhaps this verse is hitting on a difference between men and woman. This book explains it as the woman is better at loving, given their mothering nature. It comes more natural and easy for them. Men have to work at it more to love. So is this saying perhaps that women have to work harder at the respect part? Both are necessary and when either one is missing we create a negative spiral that causes even more hurts and more negativity. I am giving this a lot of thought and I am always cautious at new thoughts. I have enough to live by already. Men desire to be respected probably as much as women desire to be loved. As I thought about this I reflected on my previous marriages and recognize that I indeed felt disrespected many times. That disrespect helped me to disobey my part to love as I should have. Or was it my inability to love as I should have that triggered the disrespect. It is kind of like does the chicken come before the egg or did the egg come before the chicken? We, husbands and wives, both have our part in this. Are we listening to our part and obeying the command God has given to us. I want to rightly divide the word of truth, and I have so much concentrated on my part. When we marry, God joins us together, we become one. Our actions affect our spouse. When one part is missing, the man loving his wife, or the wife respecting her husband, it sets a negative spiral in motion. Who acts first to correct this problem?  I tend to look to a man because I am a man, but yet God will tell a woman to do right by her man and perhaps her right behavior will win the man to Christ. We must do our part even when the partner is not doing his or hers. I am giving much thought to what I am reading in this book, I do want to be careful and rightly divide the word of truth.   God bless, LVZ.

I miss my computer

My computers have been in the shop for over a week. I want to blog but it is so difficult on my IPhone. There are several things going on in my life that I'd like to talk about. I am reading Love &I Respect, and going to what Hope Church is calling Men's University. Both are giving me much to think about.   Then I've come to reslize some people go to church their whole lives and be in their 80's and still need a heart change. Just going to church even for 40 to 50 years, does not make you a Christian. What will people do at the end of their lives if they harbor unforgiveness or unconfessed sin. When this life is over, we will stand before God as a judge.  While we are living there is still time to surrender to God. I look back on my life and wonder how much heartache I could have avoided if I had trusted God in all areas of my life. So many things I would like to talk about.  If it is not Bible, it will not work. We don't always understand everything God is doing, but God is sovereign.  What about these hurricanes, is God working to unite us? So many facing cancer, from a 9 year old girl, to a former pastor, from an old friend in Tacoma to my political opponent. I wonder God what are you doing?  I miss my computers, so much on my heart I want to blog about. God bless, LVZ.

Can any Good come out of Harvey?

.There is scripture that says all things work
for the good of those that love God and are called
according to his purpose. I believe good has
already come out of Harvey. I believe we have already
seen our country come together to help Texas.
Perhaps God is using this terrible storm to
bring us together as a nation. If so that is good.
Genesis 50:20 is where Joseph tells his brothers
the evil they intended for him when they sold
him into slavery, God turned it into something
good. I am sorry for the loss of life and all the
material things taken in this storm. I believe
God is turning this tragedy into something good
as he works to heal our nation.  My opinion only.
God bless, LVZ. Computers still in the shop,
writing from my iPhone.

History

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:11.
All of us have a history. What we don't want to do is stay in that history. Today our politically correct society is tearing down and destroying monuments. It is not where we have been that is as important as where we are going. We don't have to stay in our history. In fact we don't want to. In the Old Testament, the Israelites set up stone monuments by the Red Sea or was it the Jordan or both? A reminder of where they came from. Ever heard those that don't know history are doomed to repeat it. I don't want to repeat mine. I think we should be proud of who we are as a nation and I as an individual, considering where we came from. Some of our history has been bad. It seems like so many times today, so much we read and see is geared to aggravate us and divide us.  We have made a lot of progress in this country through the civil rights years and beyond. Our nation is one that became great because we honored God. Some want to change that.  When we changed and dishonored God and did not follow his rules, his ways, his commands, his precepts, we as a nation have suffered the consequences.  It is God that cleans our hearts and lives. When Israel strayed in Biblical history, God would let them fall captive to other nations. When they suffered enough, and cried out to him, God would rescue them and restore them. If this nation will return to following God we will once again see his blessing. If not, I am afraid we are nearing the end of this age. Two big areas where we have strayed from God's rules are abortion and same sex marriage. There are more, but those seem to be the biggest issues at stake right now. God's word is forever established. God is sovereign. We do not have the option of changing what God thinks. We really need to be sure we are following his ways. Politically correct thought may sound good but does it please a sovereign God, or does it align with God's word?  God will be our judge on judgement day. It is his will that will decide our fate. There is no salvation in any other. This life is but a drop of water on the ocean compared to eternity, why risk an eternity for something that is not sure. God's word is eternal, God is sovereign, he gets the last word.  God bless, LVZ.