Blogging

I believe God laid this on my heart to blog. Not just this specific blog but this site.  I am not the expert at writing, or understanding the scriptures. I read and write and hope to rightly divide the word of truth. Most of the time I try to write about a scripture, a biblical story, a current event that has gotten my attention. I hate politics, but often it seems to come into my focus. I saw a post on face book that said it seems our battle today is not left and right, Democrat or Republican as much as it is good against evil. That seems to be so true. We are in a spiritual battle today, much more than a political battle.  We see good men being slandered because they happen to have been chosen by a President that I believe God in his mercy put in office. Not because this man is a super Christian but because he is doing the will of God in so many ways. I remember the story of the widow woman who had nothing to eat in her house. She prayed to God for some groceries. A neighborhood young man, a trouble maker, heard her through her open window. He thought, I'll play a trick on her and this trouble maker went and bought some groceries and set them on her steps, and rang the door bell and hid. The widow woman comes to the door and immediately thanks God for answering her prayers. The young man jumps out from where he is hiding and says God did not do that, I did that. Again the woman thanks God even if he sent it by the hand of the devil. It is meant o be a humorous story but it illustrates a point that God can use anyone for his purposes. We are in a battle for truth and right. It does not surprise me in the least that God would use an arrogant egomaniac for his purposes.  The devil and his angels are in  this fight and are seeking to destroy. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 We are in a spiritual battle in our nation. I recommend we pray daily for our leaders that they would make the right choice in this battle for truth and justice. 2 Chronicles 7:14. God says if his people will call on his name and turn from their wicked ways, then he will hear from heaven and heal our land. We are in that process, and the demons of hell are fighting against good. We can win on our knees in prayer. The battle is the Lords, he can turn the hearts of our leaders to do his will.  We have seen this battle going on in our Senate in the confirmation hearing. We see a good man being slandered, and it does not seem to matter what the truth is. No one is saying that Dr. Ford was not hurt in this party. It just was not Kavanaugh. Both stories are believable. This is not to put Dr. Ford down, what happened to her is real and hurtful, but truth matters and we cannot just blame a good man because our politics are contrary to his. Kavanaugh has a mountain of evidence on his side, a life time of faithful service and more references that are needed. But truth does not matter, it is politics and dirty politics at that. It is not about men abusing women, it is about keeping a good man off the Supreme Court, because we have conflicting political views. This is wrong. Truth does matter. The hypocrisy of the left show itself over and over again. They want to make sure a 15 year old that repeatedly stabbed his grandfather to death and used a second knife when the first knife broke in the attack ,has ample chance at rehabilitation, to change if you will because he may not be the same person as an adult as he was when he attacked his grandfather at 15. But when we have a good man being nominated for the supreme court and proven to be falsely accused, we cannot take that chance, because if he did that at 16, he will be the same today. We see the hypocrisy of the left over and over again. We will not believe and support Karen Monahan because her accused abuser is a Democratic big wig. We will go after Bill Cosby for actions 40 and 50 years ago but Bill Clinton's rapes will be ignored because he is a liberal champion. The left is not about justice, it is about winning at any means possible. Breaking any law or rule in the  process is OK. We saw it during the George W. reelection campaign with the forged National Guard papers. We saw it in the Nixon years where 15 minutes of tape was more important that tens of thousands of deleted e-mails on a private server of Hillary Clinton. We see the same double standard over and over again. We are in a spiritual battle between good and evil. Let us pray. God bless, LVZ.    

Attacks

The attacks of the enemy (satan) on my life have been many. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:6-9 If it is the drug addict or the prostitute or other sexual sins, they have been around for a long time. I remember the time my parents invited a homosexual in our home, not knowing what this man was or was doing under their roof. They had good intentions but satan desired to destroy. I am not defined by what satan used to try and destroy me. At one time satan tried to destroy me through suicide. I am not defined by what he tried to use to destroy me. My God is bigger than my sin, his grace is more powerful than my lowest state. At another he tried to destroy me through illicit relationships. But Gods grace brought me through the lonely days of divorce. I was able to resist the temptations of drugs, I did partake of alcohol to the point of extreme drunkenness and in God's mercy allowed me to make it all the way home. I know others that lived the drug lifestyle. I had a roommate in the early 70's that was addicted to drugs and that temptation I was able to resist. I remember seeing these men my age, talking about speed and how they would love to have a big jar of speed to get high at will. I remember looking at that and realizing I did not want that addiction to control my life. I put my self in harms way many times during my troubled marriages. On the streets looking for a loved one, and I remember one time a man telling me he knew where this person was and started to lead me towards a dark alley. The Spirit of God warned me don't go there, I turned around and left. I remember another time a man was going to help me he had a woman sit in my car to keep me there until he returned. I knew something was wrong, and the woman step up and away from the door just long enough for me to pull away with the door open and I was gone. Once I was walking along the railroad tracks and a woman came from the other direction and said, you do not want to go there, I turned around.  Satan desires to destroy us, each of us and his ways are many. I remember the night when I was so angry and wanted to bust windows out of my wife's boyfriends car and apartment. God intervened and my son called me and said Dad what are you doing? Satan used life and the difficult situations I went through to try and destroy me. Although my actions were not always perfect, my God was there to deliver me. I remember once confronting a drug dealer and my wife at that time pleaded with the drug dealer to spare me. Satan desired to destroy me. Satan used the desires of the flesh at many times to put me in harms way. Yet here I am redeemed by the grace and mercy of a God who is bigger than our pain, stronger than our sin. Yes I allowed flesh to enter my life at so many times and God spared me. To this day I react without thinking and put myself in harms way. Just weeks ago I stepped between and angry man and his wife who was trying to leave him. A few weeks earlier a young man was beating a woman with a belt at a local gas station and I stepped in with out thinking. I am so thankful for a God that has delivered me from so many attacks of satan, not only on me personally, but even on others. God has us in his sights at all times and is able to deliver us. I know at many times I put myself in harms way. I need to use more wisdom and God does give to those that ask. But know that satan is alive and well and does seek to destroy. Seeing what I have encountered in my life and how satan has tried to destroy me it is no surprise to see him attack a supreme court justice nominee as is happening. I am not defined by what satan tried to use against me to destroy me at even age 16.  Satan does not give up his territory easily. Through prayer and by God's grace I am still here and hopefully still doing what God desires. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.  Psalm 139:16  None of my days were hidden from God. God bless, LVZ

Jesus Was Killed And Lived Again

saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” Luke 9:22

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. Matthew 16:21

There are many religions in our world. But the thing that makes Christianity different is that Jesus died and rose again on the third day.  Baba'u'llah  died but was never raised again. Muhammed was not raised from the dead. Buddha lived several centuries ago and has not been seen since.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 
Jesus is the only one of these many leaders of religions that rose from the dead. That is what makes Christianity different. Jesus is alive and well today. After walking on this earth for many days after his resurrection and being seen by more than 500 at one time he ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God the father. He died on a cross for our sins. He was the payment that needed to be made for our sins. Many religious teach to live a good life and perhaps to do good to others. And that is great. But Muhammed, Baba'u'llah, the Dalai Lama did not die and rise from the grave. Jesus and only Jesus did. That is why we celebrate Easter each year, because Jesus rose again. He died for sin once and forever so that we could come to God for the pardon of our sins. If there was any other way to God, we could all go that way to God and Jesus didn't need to die.  That is the reason Christianity is different, because Jesus did die for our sins and rose again. He is the only way to an eternity with God. None of these other prophets can forgive sin and wash them away as far as the east is from the west. It is interesting that we are told that our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west. If you were to start walking straight east from where you are, you could keep walking forever and never reach the west, it would always be in front of you. If you were to walk straight north, eventually you would get to the North Pole and then would walk south until you reached the south pole and then you would walk north again.  Once forgiven for sin, you can never find them again. It is as if they never happened. That is what makes Christianity different. We serve a risen Savior and we can have a relationship with him. In fact without that relationship, Christianity is just another religion. God bless. LVZ. 

Praying Is Like Calling 911

Our country is sick. I don't care if you look at the number of single family homes, or the number of blended families through divorce or just look at how many children are not raised by both birth parents and it is epidemic in our country. If you look at the slander that is hurled against good men and woman looking to serve our country in some capacity. If you look at the verbal attacks on our law enforcement community. Not only the verbal attacks but the many times we have seen our law enforcement ambushed and killed. Our country is sick. When we have a good man nominated for supreme court justice and the slander that comes out of almost no where. We know the left does not need truth to level an attach upon the other side.  Where are we headed when these attacks can be made to stop something and it is not truth? Does anyone think there will be true justice in our land when truth does not matter any more? Sooner or later this will affect all of us in some way or some fashion. Truth does matter to have true justice. Our only hope is in God. If we call upon God and God hears from his throne in heaven and interferes in the affairs of man is our only hope.
The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will. Proverbs 21:1
We need to pray that God will turn the heart of our rulers in this nation (the Senate) today.
Praying is like calling 911 and the first responders come and do what is needed in the issue that was called about. The caller that dialed 911 is not the real hero. The real hero is the first responder that came to the rescue. So it is with praying to God. When God comes to the rescue than justice prevails. There is no other way for this country to survive than for God to come to our defense. 2 Chronicles 7:14. If no one calls there is no first responder. If no one prays there is no God to the rescue. If this nation survives, it will be because God came to the rescue.
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 will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  2 Chronicles 7:14.  
God bless, LVZ. 

Do Women Lie?

The circus we have been witnessing in our supreme court nomination process has been at some times hysterical.
But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.” Genesis 39:11-18
The above section of scripture tells about Joseph a slave in Egypt. Joseph was an attractive man even if he was a slave. His masters wife had tried to have sexual relations with him before, but Joseph to his credit was an honorable man and refused. On this day as Joseph came into his masters house to work, he was the only other person in the house with the masters wife. She once again tried to get Joseph to lay with her.  She had grabbed Josephs outer garment and Joseph fled leaving the garment in her hands. She lied and said Joseph attacked her. Joseph went to prison because of her lies. I hear women saying we should believe a woman who claims an assault just because they are a woman and have no reason to lie. I say what about Potiphar's wife? What possible motive could she have had to lie about Joseph? In today's society we would be asked to believe her just because she is a woman. How about truth and evidence? How about innocent until proven guilty? No woman has ever lied about sexual assault because it is so traumatic? I know it does happen but the hypocrisy of the left just amazes me. Where were all these believing woman when Bill Clinton assaulted Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey, Paula Jones, Eileen Wellstone, Carolyn Moffet, Elizabeth Ward, Paula Corbin, Sandra Allen James, Christy Zercher, and others that did not want their names made public. Where are all the believing women when it comes to Karen Monahan? This is nothing more than an attempt to stop the nomination of a good man Brett Kavanaugh to the supreme court. What happened to truth and justice?  Women don't lie about sexual abuse? Why would they stop there? God help us, the left is insane.  God bless, LVZ. 

An Accounting

And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind. Genesis 9:5-6

This is why I am against abortion on demand. It is not a right, it is the taking of innocent blood. It is taking the life of mankind that was made in the image of God and even way back in Genesis God says there will be an accounting for each life taken. God holds life in his hands and often we don't understand why God allows someone to live past their days of health. Often we see the elderly live past their health as we did my mother. She was bedridden for the last year of her life and so wanted to go. We see the young taken before their time. And we do not understand why. But God holds life in his hands and when he saw Adam and Eve partake of the fruit of the forbidden trees in the Garden, God removed the tree of life. Life remains in Gods control and he alone knows the number of our days. God is still sovereign, he still has the last say. It is not over till God says it is over.  In the scripture above it even says there is an accounting from every animal. God gave some animals for food and that is an ok accounting. It is permissible by God for food. If you get into a discussion with a liberal about abortion, they will automatically say what about in cases of rape.  Rape accounts for about 3 out of a thousand abortions. There needs to be an accounting for the other 997 lives that were killed. Then they will say are you going to be willing to pay the taxes to take care of and raise these unwanted children. I know of one person that is said to have aborted as many as eight children. I read of a woman that very casually aborted her ninth child and the Panned Parenthood showed her the result of her abortion and she became hysterical, when she actually saw and realized what she had done. Organizations that give women all the options find that many times  woman when they actually see what they are aborting change their minds. We support Planned Parenthood with tax dollars and then Planned Parenthood is able to donate millions of dollars to political candidates that support abortion. That is wrong. Yes we need to support unwanted babies with tax dollars. We need to do that before we give aid to those outside of this country. America will be held accountable to God for the 50 to 60 million babies that have been aborted.  God has a purpose for each of us and each of those babies. Even the rape victim babies. Before we were born, God knew everyone of our days. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:16  This is the issue that has the demons of hell stirred up. There is grace for those that have committed such things. God does forgive even the murderer. Even a person like Ted Bundy could receive forgiveness if at some point in his life he has repented of this sins and asked forgiveness. Even a deathbed repentance can be found by some. God is a merciful and loving God. But a person must answer the knock on their hearts door when it comes and repent of their sins. There is going to be an accounting of sin some day. America will be held accountable for the lives we have taken. That is why the demons of hell have taken this supreme court nomination so seriously. It could change the direction of our country for years past this administration. God is still sovereign and sees every life that has been taken. Each life is important to God, and God has ordained a purpose for each of us before we were even born. God bless. LVZ. 

Have You Done Anything Your Ashamed Of?

I look at what is happening in our country with the #MeTooMovement. It wasn't that many years ago we turned a blind eye to Democratic misbehavior. Actually it is still happening. The Minnesota Politician that has accuser from 2017 and it is being ignored while we go back 36 years for a conservative. Have all these Democrats been saints since they were born? Do we have any dark secrets? Are their areas of our lives we do not want to open to the light of day?  I would bet that most of us do? We are human and live in a fallen world. The devil goes about seeking to destroy. Any Christians out there that lived or submitted to the flesh in their life time?  I did, and I am not proud of it. There are things I would feel better leaving unsaid just between me and God.  God knows and God forgives. I don't believe the story against nominee Kavanaugh, even if I did, it was 36 years ago. He was 16? The hypocrisy amazes me. We have accused Bill Cosby, now a very old man, and made the accusations stick after 50 years? But still will not go after the Minnesota Democrat with even doctors reports verifying the accusations from just last year. Pastor spoke recently that we share our failures to show that God can and does fix lives today. I had some bad behavior even in my older adulthood, and I still don't feel comfortable telling all. God has worked in my life. There were areas of my life I didn't want to give to God. Because of that I had one failed marriage after another. I had many sexual relationships outside of marriage. It is acceptable in our society even though the Bible says, outside of marriage it is a sin. If I was a nominee they would have so much more to hold against me.  If I was a national politician, I don't think I could get elected as a conservative. If I was a Democrat, I know they would overlook a lot of it. I was human. I know that many of them did not live that perfect a life themselves. God came to change hearts and lives.  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. John 3:16-21.  It is hard for me to believe the left when they bring an accusation. When they bring a witness and/or an accusation it has a political motive behind it. In the case of Kavanaugh, it is simply to stop his nomination because of the hate Trump movement.  Kavanaugh is a good guy and a good family man. These are made up charges and the left will break any law, speak any lie, slander at will if it supports their cause. If they succeed, we are a doomed nation because they are not after truth, they are after a political win at any cost.  I hope and pray this backfires against them. I hope enough Americans wake up to their ways and vote.  Truth use to be important. It use to be important enough that a person was innocent until proven guilty.  More important, this is a spiritual battle, the demons of hell are against  Trump and against this judicial nominee. God came to save our world through Jesus Christ. He came to redeem us from the effects of sin in our hearts and lives. I find it so hard to not say anything of a political nature, because we are in a spiritual battle. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness in high places. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12  I find This is so important to recognize what is happening in our world today. The corruption in our world today is as evil as it was in the days of Noah. God pronounced judgment on the world back then and will again. I believe Christ's return may not be so far away because of the corruption we are seeing today. Jesus is the truth, the light and the way. Jesus is the only way to God. And some hate that statement but that is what the Bible tells us. It is the Bible that we will be judged against on Judgment Day.   God bless, LVZ

Foolishness

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18
Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 1 Corinthians 1:22-25
It is the message of the Cross that saves us. It seems foolish to those that are dying in their sins. But faith in God is something that anyone of earth can muster up. We don't have to have money, or power or good looks, or reputation. We just have to believe in the son of God, Jesus Christ. We just have to believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose again. In its simplest form, that is the gospel that Jesus died for our sins on a cross at Calvary. He who knew no sin carried our sins when he went to the cross. It is foolishness to those that are dying in their sins.  The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good. Psalm 14:1
Someday every knee will bow before creator God. For those that do not believe the gospel it will be to late to bend their knee. They will bend their knee on that great and terrible day of the Lord. But it will be to late. The foolishness of God is wiser that human wisdom. You cannot out wit God. God wins. He is the one that has the book of life and those that are not found in the book of life are lost forever.  Once eternity is set there is no crossing over from one side to the other. He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. We have only a certain number of days given to us by creator God. When those days are spent, they are gone forever. Life here below is but a vapor compared to an eternity. The gospel, as foolish as it may sound to those that are dying in their sins, is their ticket to life everlasting. Indeed it is foolish to those that do not know God to believe in a God we have never seen. It is foolish to believe that God is the creator of all. Yet God askes that we believe in him. If anyone goes to hell let it be over the warnings given to them. Let them step over warning and witness again and again,  that they cannot say, my brother, you did not warn me of the wrath to come. Judgment Day is coming and all who are not found in the Book of Life will perish. How can we who have known personally this creator not warn those around us of the coming disaster.  Like the warnings of Hurricane Florence coming to our shores, some did not heed and lost their lives.  I think the death toll was 17. They were warned but did not flee the coming hurricane. So it is with the foolishness of the cross, some will not heed the warning. It is but foolishness to those that are dying in their sins. A measure of faith is given to everyman, enough to believe the gospel if they so choose. It is a choice. Call it foolishness if you want, it is a choice you made. God bless, LVZ. 

Time To Pray

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 2 Chronicles 7:13-15
It is time to pray. We saw God move in this last election and God gave us Donald Trump. He may not be a Christian in your and my view. But God gave him to us because of our prayers during that last election. What have we witnessed since that election? A spiritual battle is going on for this nation. If Trump is taken out, expect all hell to break loose. I believe God gave us Trump to give us time. The demons of hell are in full attack mode. The main line media is against Trump. The Supreme Court Justice confirmation hearings have been a circus as there has been an organized effort on the liberal side to keep this appointment from happening.  They could be putting all kinds of people in jail for if not treason, at least very harmful acts to this country, but instead they are trying to destroy Trump and all he has done. The left does not have to play by the book or the laws of the land. They have no problem breaking any and every law they need to, to win. They will allow people that are here illegally to vote if it helps them win.  They don't care about right and wrong. I saw this years ago during the George W. Bush reelection campaign. A liberal in my office was telling me she thought it was OK that they used forged papers to put Bush in a bad light to keep him from winning. It does not matter if it is truth, if it helps them win is the only thing that matters. We on the other hand seek truth, it does matter to us. We are in desperate need of prayer for our nation. In the scripture above God is talking to King Solomon. He is telling Solomon if his people will humble themselves and pray when the nation is in trouble, if God's people will turn from their wicked ways, God will hear our prayers and heal our land. We are in need of healing as a land, as a nation. We have forgotten God and taken him out of our lives. We need to put God back in. We start by seeking his face, turning to God in prayer. We ask God to turn his search light on our hearts first of all, that we may correct our hearts and align with his will. God is the one that brings the victory. It is not because we prayed , but if and when God moves, victory follows. Change happens, and our land can be healed as we moved towards God in our hearts and lives. Praying to God is like dialing 911 and asking for the first responders to come. God comes and does the fixing what ever the need. It is time to pray for our nation, our President and our congressional leaders. We are in a spiritual battle that will be won only on our knees before a Holy God. God Bless, LVZ.

For Just One Man

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.  When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 

 Mark 5:1-19

When you read this account you see that Jesus got into a boat and went across a lake.  In chapter 4 is when a great storm came up as they were crossing the lake and the disciple woke Jesus up and Jesus calmed the wind and the sea. They get to the other side and Jesus heals a man that was terribly demon possessed. After healing this man Jesus gets back into the boat and goes back to the other side where he had been prior to this boat ride.  Jesus made this trip to heal just one man. He went through a storm  that had his disciples terrified. Jesus spoke and the wind and the waves were calmed and the disciples were amazed that even the wind and the waves obeyed him.  He gets out of the boat and immediately encounters the demon possessed man. Jesus heals the man and the demons ask to enter a herd of pigs. The demons cause the heard of two thousand pigs to run down a slope toward the lake and drown. Healing this man is the only thing Jesus did on this trip. For one man Jesus did this.  Jesus came to me in my dark days and delivered me from my burden of sin. I remember the night of my salvation.  I had not been to church in several years. I had walked away from God thinking all Christians were hypocrites. On this Sunday my first Father-in-law called me on the phone and asked if I would bring his daughter up to Burlington WA for a revival that evening. He wanted his daughter to sing a special song. I liked my Father-in-law and I said sure I can do that. I had not been to church in several years and figured its no big deal, I can do this. I get there and they do all the church stuff, singing and offering and special song etc. It is now time for the evangelist to get up and speak. I am sitting on the very back row, I only came to bring my wife up to sing her song. The evangelist Mike Mathis comes to the pulpit and says to me directly. Leon, some day you will stand before God to give an account of your life on that Judgement Day. God is not going to ask,  Leon, who hurt you? Or who said something mean or what ever happened to keep you out of church. No, God is going to ask one question, what have you done with Jesus? Have you accepted him or rejected him? That was the totality of his sermon that evening. Leon, what have you done with Jesus, have you rejected him or accepted him as Lord and Savior? I was confronted with the gospel message in those few words. It was directed at me. Just one man. I kneeled at that alter that evening and gave my heart to God. That was in 1984. I am not going to tell you that my life was perfect from then on. It wasn't. I went through 4 divorces between the fall of 1993 and the spring of 2004. A little over ten years. I went through difficulties on the job where my employer had to put me on second shift for my own safety. But through it all Jesus stayed with me. My mistakes, he stayed with me. People angry with me and threatened my family, Jesus stayed with me. Jesus tells us he will never leave us nor forsake us. And he didn't. I was the only person that got saved that night at that little church in Burlington, WA.  For just one man Jesus will cross a storm of life to rescue a hurting man to bring healing into a life that has gone astray. For just one man Jesus crossed a lake and faced a storm in Mark 4 and 5 to bring healing into the life of that one man. In  1984 on a Sunday in Burlington WA, Jesus came to a little church for just one man. I made a decision to follow Jesus on that night through trials and tribulations, what ever came my way. I have never regretted that decision. I had been raised in church and had gone most of my life but somewhere in my late twenties, I walked away from God. But Jesus left the ninety and nine to find me. I was as lost as a penny in a wheat field. But Jesus knocked on my hearts door and I answered his knock that evening and let him in. For just one man Jesus came to heal. And he will do the same for you. God bless, LVZ.  

In The Garden

To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord. Genesis 4:26 I am reading in Genesis, don't really know what to write about this morning but from the verse above we see people calling on the name of the Lord. We see Cain and Abel bringing an offering to God. Abel's offering was pleasing to God but Cain's was not.  Not sure why Cain's offering was rejected. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to^c you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:6-7.  God spoke to Cain about it, trying to help him understand but Cain was angry and took it out on Abel and killed him. Lamech the 5th generation from Cain says he killed a man and mentions Cain. Don't know if he actually killed someone or is referring to Cain murder of Abel. Abel's offering was from the first fruits and of his best. So we do see worship of God here in the first chapters of Genesis. Notice that Abel gave of the first fruits and the best. Was Cain's not of first fruits and not of the best he had? Noted also the mention of several occupations in these chapters. Adam kept the garden, a farmer as was Cain. Abel was a shepherd, keeping sheep and it seems his offering was an animal sacrifice.  We have Jabal a rancher is what I would call a keeper of livestock. We have Jubal a player of instruments or a musician. Tubal-cain was a forger of bronze and iron. Then we also see mention of women, Eve of course and then the two wives of Lamech named  Adah and Zillah. Then Zillah had a daughter named Naamah. In a lot of begat type listings we usually don't see a lot of women named. We see evil as the first murder occurred. We see a man with more than one wife and I believe this is the first time that was recorded.  Because it is recorded does not mean it is condoned by God.     God bless, LVZ.
 Perhaps this is titled wrong, This happened after Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden of Eden.

What Do The Begats Tell Us

Genesis 5 is where I start to get this info. In the King James version, it uses the term begat and begotten.  In chapter 5 verse 3 we start with Adam. Adam lives 130 years and has a son Seth. Adam lived another 800 years and begat sons and daughters. Seth lived 105 years and begat Enosh. Adam is now 235 years old. When Enosh was 90 years old, he begat Kenan. Adam is now 325 years old. Seth is now 195 years old. I guess you can see this will get complicated as we go. When Kenan is 70 years old he has a son named Mahalalel. I will continue with just Adams age for a while because this gets complicated.  Adam is now 395 years old. When Mahalalel is 65 he has Jared. Adam is now 460 years old. When Jared is 162 years old he has Enoch. Adam is now 622 years old and there are now 7 generations alive at one time. Enoch only lived 365 years and then God took him and he was no more. Enoch was faithful to God and there is something about this that we need to pay attention to. This faithfulness pleased God and God did something out of the ordinary and took Enoch away. Enoch was 65 when he had Methuselah. Adam is now 687 years old. When Methuselah was 187 he had Lamech. Adam is now 874 years old. When Lamech is 182 years old he has Noah. Adam did not live to see Noah because Adam died at 930 years old. I thought I saw a timeline that showed 16 generations alive at one time. This does not prove that out but considering each of these had other sons and daughters and some of these had children at age 65. It is easy to see that if other brothers and sisters had children at age 65 then these listed, there could have easily been the 16 generations at one time. Perhaps someone with more knowledge than I figured that out. It only took 9 generations in this list of names for the world to become so evil that God was sorry he created man and caused the great flood to destroy man from the face of the earth. He took Enoch before the flood, a faithful man that pleased God. He saved Noah and his sons and daughters in law because Noah  was a righteous man and found favor in God's eye.  If I added correctly this was about year 1656 after Adams creation. when the flood came. Methuselah the oldest man that ever lived at 969, he died the year of the flood.  Don't know if it was in the flood or before.  One important takeaway is it did not take that many generations from creation for people to forget God. All of these listed had other sons and daughters and it seems only the first born is recorded. Actually this doesn't say that these were the first born. Seth was not a first born, there were Cain and Abel before him. But there could have been even more than 16 generations if other brothers of these listed had children at age 65 or before. Faithfulness and righteousness are important to God as we see in the lives of Enoch and Noah. And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22 God bless. LVZ.

Luke 3 and Matthew 1

I have read of the problems with the two differing accounts of Jesus's genealogy in Matthew Chapter 1 and Luke chapter 3. I am really not going to go in to a lot of detail and would recommend someone that is interested this this issue google it and find articles where this is discussed.  It seems Matthew and Luke had different reasons and methods for their genealogy.  One is writing to a more Jewish audience and one writing to a bigger audience, their purposes differ. One follows the line of Mary and the other the line of Joseph. This solves a couple of problems, both lines show Jesus right to the throne. There was a curse on an individual in Joseph's line that could not ascend to the throne. A lot of this involves Jewish customs, like if a man dies his brother is to marry the widow to produce heirs for the dead brother. Mary had no brothers. In Jewish custom from what I read, a woman inherits when there are no brothers.  Mary being married to Joseph, the line says Joseph. I believe it is Luke that tells things more from Mary's side. The lineage changes at King David between Solomon and Nathan. You will also see Joseph having two different fathers mentioned. Heli (Mary's father) and Jacob, Josephs father. One is a legal descendants and the other actual descendants, like I said earlier, it has a lot to do with Jewish customs. I expect that this explanation will not satisfy some. For that reason, I keep it short. It satisfies me. I do not have the education and the background to efficiently argue the point nor do I desire to. Either way it was important to them (Luke and Matthew) to show Jesus right to the throne.  I recommend googling for articles that explain this issue.  Google the differences between Luke chapter 3 and Matthew chapter 1. God bless, LVZ.

Daimonizomai

Daimonizomai: To be under the power of a demon. Maybe this is not as uncommon as we think. We often see the little cartoon figures of a little red devil and a little white angel on our shoulders whispering to us. To some degree this happens. What voice do we listen to? We cannot walk in the flesh and the spirit at the same time. Jesus told Peter, one of the apostles, get behind me satan, you are hindering me. We can all be influenced by the wrong voice. Who's voice do you think we listen to when someone cuts us off in traffic and we react in anger towards them? Sometimes we choose to listen to the wrong voice.
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 33Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same. Matthew 26:30-35
After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. Matthew 26:73-75.
But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:32
Yes even Peter listened to the wrong voice under great stress but in Luke we notice that Jesus prayed for Peter. Jesus knew ahead of time that Peter was going to betray him, deny him before men. But Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail and like the scripture above says, when Peter recognized who he was listening to, he repented and went out an wept bitterly. He probably couldn't believe he did what he just did.  I remember in my early years as a mockup mechanic, I made no secret of the fact that I was a Christian. One day as I was working on a stowage bin, I was under pressure to get this job completed quickly. Something went wrong and I let go of a curse word. I felt so bad and that I had ruined my witness in front of many of my co-workers. Over the years I have seen more than this little incident where I walked after the flesh in my life and did not listen to the spirit of God.  I wonder whose voice it was I was listening to the night I found out my ex-wife was living with another man and I walked up there with tire wrench in hand expecting to break out windows? Someone once said we cannot walk in the flesh and in the spirit of God at the same time.  Whose voice are we listening to? What comes of our actions as we listen to the wrong voice? Is it hatred or love?  Is it a voice of discouragement or encouragement?  I recently read the story of two wolves. One an evil wolf and the other a good wolf? Which wolf wins the grandfather asked the grandson? The one you feed was the answer. What voice do we let influence us? God bless, LVZ.