Dinah

1Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. 2When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her. 3His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. 4And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”  Genesis 34:1-4
I have often wondered about this story, why is it in the Bible? Here a young man of the land where Israel and his family are dwelling sees Dinah Israel's daughter and rapes her. The human condition has been in men's hearts forever. The Bible tells the good and the bad. Shechem, the man that raped Dinah wanted her for his wife. He asks his father to get Dinah for him for his wife. Hamor the father of Shechem comes to talk to Jacob (Israel) for this purpose. Jacob has been a deceiver for much of his life. He got Esau's birthright for a bowl of soup. He deceived his elderly father for the blessing that was supposed to go to Esau. Working for Laban, Jacob was also deceived and ended up working for and marrying both Leah and Rachael. He cared for Laban's flocks and would manipulate the offspring of the herds he cared for to increase his wages. Here again, Israel and his sons deceived the townspeople. They make a promise to give Dinah to Shechem as his wife if the men of the city will be circumcised as they are. While the men of this city are hurting from their circumcision, Dinah's brothers, Simeon and Levi attack these men and kill them and plunder the city to avenge Dinah's rape. There always has seemed to be the good, the bad, and the ugly all through time. It is no different today. We have swindlers every day that will deceive us if they can and take what is ours. I am really not sure what to say about this. I remember the first time I read about this rape, why is this story put in the Bible? But there it is. Mankind has been evil from the beginning and that is why we need Jesus, to clean and change our hearts from the sinful nature that is in each of us.  God bless, LVZ.

My Blog

Not many people read this but my purposes have been stated before. I feel my blog description says one of the main reasons. I am a Christian and I feel it was the most important decision I have ever made in my life. It has corrected many areas of my life by trying to learn and live by the word of God. I make an effort to read scripture everyday. 90% of the time God speaks to us through his word, so I want to hear from him as well as pray.  I hope by the things I write to persuade others to follow God and develop a personal relationship with him. My devotion time I read, and then I try to write something about what I am reading or thinking. I know I am not a deep writer, I learn much from my Pastor and others that are much better at unpacking the word than I am. But as a Christian, we need to read for ourselves and try to learn for ourselves and feed ourselves spiritually from the Word of God. I have developed in the years I have been a Christian, I do not even think the same or go to the same church I grew up in. When we are children we don't know everything the first day, we learn and grow and I hope to do the same spiritually all my life. I know more this year about life than I did last year and I expect that will continue. I also have forgotten much over the years. Some things I need to forget. I remember when God was speaking to me in the time prior to rededicating my life to God. I called Christians hypocrites and I know at least one person seems to think the same about me. But when God was dealing with my heart back in the late 70's and early 80's, One thing I felt God said to me, if you think it is so easy to be a Christian, then why don't you show others how it is done. I really didn't feel a lot of Christians lived it. God was saying, if so why don't you show them how instead of complaining about them. I guess in a way my blog is still part of that showing how it is done. You talk to God everyday in prayer, you read from his word everyday, and you try to apply what you read and learn to your life. I know people that are very good at witnessing, and they do it every week. I'm not, I don't even feel I am good at blogging. Not everyone is the same. I like to blog. I may not be good at it but I like to do it and I feel God impressed on my heart to do this. Maybe the more I write, the better I will get at it. Not everyone can be a Pastor, not everyone can be a teacher, or even an evangelist.  But we all should find some way to serve and give to others. 
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Colossians 3:23 
I thought of this scripture even as I worked on a secular job, I considered God to be my boss.  I remember once at the Boeing Company, someone said you have to know someone to get anywhere in this company. I thought to myself, I know God and he is over the CEO. Through the years I have tried to do that, work as if I were working for God. In my growing up years I did many things, I taught Sunday School, I was a treasurer for a little church in Arlington for a while. My Father -in-law would ask  me to preach for him when he was gone sometimes. We don't have to be the best at what we do, but just do the best we can in the things we do. I knew I wasn't the best, but I did what I could and what I was asked to do. If I wasn't asked to do anything, I would find something that needed to be done and do it. I mowed the church lawn in Tacoma, just because it needed to be done. Nobody asked me to. I was on the Trustee board in a couple of Black Baptist churches. I help give out supplies to the homeless. I have been on a team we call the Nehemiah's Men, we do small repairs like change light bulbs, paint walls, tear out walls and rebuild walls, what ever I can find to do to serve others. I drove a van to pick up people for church.  I have learned I don't need a title to serve others, some times I just do what needs doing even if there are others that are better at it. I have been on a couple of safety teams, and the first one we just patrolled a church parking lot. Now we are armed, incidents as have just happened in Pennsylvania have convinced many Christians that we need to be armed to protect God's people. At times I picked up trash in the parking lot on Saturdays before service. I feel that is what God has changed in me. I remember at nineteen thinking I needed to be a preacher or something to work for God. That is not the case, sometimes you just have to live you Christian life on the secular job, for others to see and not even say anything. Sometimes a Christian is the only Bible others will see. There are so many ways to serve others as a Christian and you don't even have to be good at it. Just be Faithful, Available and Teachable. F. A. T. It does start with asking Jesus to come into your heart and life, and just living the best you know. I don't know any perfect Christians. And I am not perfect by a long shot but I try to do the best I know. God bless, LVZ.

Abraham Obeyed God's Voice

4I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring ^a all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” Genesis 26:4-5
The Bible is not a writing that we can keep what we want and throw away the parts we don't like. God sets the rules.

1Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,

who walk according to the law of the Lord.

2Blessed are those who keep his statutes

and seek him with all their heart—

3they do no wrong

but follow his ways.

4You have laid down precepts

that are to be fully obeyed. Psalm 119:1-4

Abraham was obedient even to the point where he took Isaac, his son of the promise, to a mountain to sacrifice him. Abraham trusted God, God had told him Ishmael is not the son of the promise, Isaac is.  Then God asks Abraham to take the life of his son of promise and kill him on an altar. When Isaac asks where is the sacrifice?, I see the fire, I see the wood but no sacrifice. Abraham says God will provide the sacrifice. He sets up the altar for the sacrifice and at the last moment God stops Abrahams hand as he is about to kill Isaac, and there is a ram stuck in the bush for the sacrifice. I probably don't understand the whole situation. But Abraham trusted God all the way. There had been times before when Abraham got weary waiting on God's promises. Abraham tried to help God out by having a child with Haggar, but God says this is not the promise child. Sarah will give you a son and that son, Isaac is the son of promise. This time Abraham trust God all the way. I think that is what we are to learn from this story, to trust God all the way.  To walk according to law of the Lord, to keeps God's statues, obey God's precepts.

10I seek you with all my heart;

do not let me stray from your commands.

11I have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:10-11

When we seek God with the whole heart, when we do not stray from his commands and strive to not sin against God. God promises blessing. He blessed this nation above all others when we called out to him on a regular basis. When we tried to keep his decrees, his commands. We live in a new age when we want to discard the commands and statutes of God. Our country has gone down hill as we have walked away from God. We need to seek God's face once again and learn his ways, his precepts, his laws, his statutes. Then we will find God's blessing in our land again. It is with the heart we follow God, it requires a heart change that only God can do, through his son Jesus Christ. God is God, he created all that we see, in the heavens and here on earth. He gave us his word as our guide to help us live the best life possible. We need God above political affiliation, prosperity, health, above everything. God gives even the breath of life to each of us. When God says it is done it is done, and not before. I am like everyone else, I want my choices to win in the next election. But whatever happens God is still sovereign, and we don't always see what is up ahead. God does, and God keeps his promises.  He has our best interest at heart. Like Job said, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord.  God bless, LVZ.

By The Skin Of My Teeth

My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth. Job 19:20   
David Barton said there are some 257 Idioms that are based on scripture. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth is just one of them. Many things we say every day have a Biblical influence and most of the time we don't even notice. Our culture today is trying to take us away from that biblical influence and it has been disastrous. Taking prayer out of schools is just one example. Many times country kids even in the 40's and 50's and later would have rifles in their vehicles especially in fly over country. I knew an 11 year old that would take his rifle and go hunting after school. We didn't have all the school violence in spite of guns being everywhere when we still had prayer in school. Was this a good change? Obviously not, but would we put prayer back into schools to combat the violence that is happening today? The worst we faced was a possible black eye back in the day, but we certainly didn't worry about being gunned down. This Idiom is traced back to none other than Job who went through great trials and still said the Lord given and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. The influence of God and his word in our land has been great. We have over the last hundreds of years strayed away from God. Christianity is just another religion if there is no relationship. A relationship involving our talking to God and God talking to us through his word. In the early years of our nation, there were some religious people, and they read the Bible , they prayed and they believed God. Not everyone in the Bible we read about followed God. We can read of Esau and when he heard his parents talking about getting Jacob a wife from  the family (Laban)  in a distant land (Paddan-Aram), Esau took a wife of the Canaanites because he knew that is not what his parents wanted. We can read of many that did not follow God ways, his precepts, his statutes. Jacob on the other hand did follow his parents instructions and went to his Uncle Laban to find a wife. Jacob worshipped God and prayed many times. Jacob built altars to the God he followed. He too had developed a relationship with God and followed God. Jacob did not live a perfect life, but we do see an individual that tried to follow God, and we read of his brother that did contrary things. God blessed Jacob and through Jacobs offspring the whole of creation is blest when they come to know Jesus. It is through Jacobs line from Abraham and Isaac that God kept his promise to Abraham.  Today we enter in to that lineage of God's people when we accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. We to can develop a lifestyle  of believing in God and having relationship with him, much the same as Jacob did. Many times in events where Jacob met with God he built altars to remember what God had done for his as he traveled through life and country. I didn't build no altars but I remember prayers God has answered through my life. If I had been like Jacob perhaps I would have piled up some stones when God answered that prayer at 5 years old. All I remember today was it was outside of Bismark N.D. Perhaps I would have piled some stones in Tacoma when God answered my prayer. But I remember the corner where it happened at 56th and Park. God has been active in my life for a long time. I didn't always follow, but I have been blessed when I did. God can still influence our lives if we let him and listen to his voice.   God bless, LVZ

Respecting The Office

Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king. 1 Peter 2:17  My child, fear the LORD and the king. Don't associate with rebels, Proverbs 24:21  I believe this fear means: reverence, honour,  respect.    Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority. Romans 13:7  For the Lord's sake, respect all human authority--whether the king as head of state, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 1 Peter 2:13,14.

This is something I feel is really lacking in our nation today. I felt strongly about this as I saw George W. Bush being disrespected.  I did not agree with Obama but if you believe the Bible, you need to believe the same scriptures when someone like Obama or Clinton are in office. I tried harder to show respect towards Obama than I did to the earlier term of Clinton. Note my tone in blogs from 12/2/14 and 10/12/14.  I disagreed with both Obama and Clinton, but as I saw the disrespect towards Bush and looked at these scriptures I also needed to apply them when Obama won the election for two terms. I did not vote for him and disagreed with much of what he said and did, but I believe I honestly tried to show respect towards Obama and I believe you can find postings on my blog during Obama's term voicing that concern. We cannot just obey these scriptures when our political choice wins and drop them when the other side wins. So if you are Christian and liberal, you need to respect Trump in the office of President and point out to those of us that don't read these scriptures when our candidate loses.  It works both ways. The Bible is not relative just when we want it to be. You may not feel respect is earned when your a liberal and Trump wins. But the Bible tells us to respect the King (or President, perhaps in some nations it may be a Prime Minister or Governor).  The Bible tells us to honor those in authority, respect all human authority. I believe this filters down to police authority and church authority. How about School authority such as teachers? Parents are the first authority we face as mere children. This respecting the office is severely lacking in our nation today. We suffer for it. I know I have blogged about this several times but feel the need to talk about it again.

 We really are lacking in showing respect for authority in this country, especially if we don't like the person or his policies. For the Lord's sake, show respect as if you are showing it to God. God bless, LVZ. 

Teddy Roosevelt

“The teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally impossible for us to figure to ourselves what that life would be if these teaching were removed.”      ― TEDDY ROOSEVELT

 Many of our fore fathers recognized the Godly influence in our nation. The Bible was read and believed, God was prayed to and our country became the greatest this world has ever seen. There were bad times, and perhaps none as bad as slavery. But we got through it.  We have seen trouble increase as we have moved away from the creator. We now have a President that is leading us on a path back into a dependence upon God. A President that recognized the value of praying to our creator. It is because of this that satan and his angels are fighting so hard. It is a spiritual battle. The move away from God has been gradual, and it is hard to move this country back. Our wellbeing depends on it. Our President is not a spiritual giant, he is just a man that recognizes he needs God 's help. Those that teach freedom from religion got it wrong. Our forefathers recognized their need for God's help, asked for it and received it. See my blog about Ben Franklin.  As we have kicked God out we have seen troubles increase. The way back is to move towards God. They did not want a national religion, they wanted people to be able to choose for themselves. But they did believe in a sovereign God. Psalm 119 is long but a good read. It is mostly about learning God's way of doing things, learning his precepts, his laws, his ways, his commands.  God's ways works, they always have. It is when we as humans think we know better than God that we run astray and make things difficult.  We need to call on God once again. Up until 1815 there had been 1400 calls to prayer for our nation.  Teddy Roosevelt was our 26th President from September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909.  We have a rich history of Bible believing and God serving Presidents. Those that think otherwise do not know our history. Why anyone would want to destroy the best country on earth and make it like all these other countries that cannot hold a candle to the U.S. is beyond me. This belief of freedom from religion is false and not based on our history. They just did not want to create a state sanctioned church, but let the peoples decide for themselves. There were 1400 government calls to prayer by 1815. Our forefathers believed in prayer to almighty God.  2 Chronicles 7:14 -  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Once again we need to call upon God for our nation and our President. God has helped us before and will again if we ask him to. God bless, LVZ. 

Long Range View

God has a long range view over creation. He had Noah build an ark that took 100 years to build. When God made his promise to Abraham about a son and offspring that would number as the stars in the sky. Today we see the many nations that talk of Father Abraham. The Jews for one and even Christians. We had a song we sang when I was young, Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had Father Abraham, and I am one of them. We Christians can call Abraham father because of Jesus who was in the lineage of Father Abraham. Isaac was the son of promise and perhaps Abraham didn't see the long range fulfillment of God promise, as we do today. Abraham faltered in his faith along the way and fathered Ishmael to help God keep his promise. God doesn't need our help to keep his promises. Centuries have gone by and God who sees through time saw the offspring of Isaac that do number as the stars in the sky. We don't always see God's hand working in the short term here on earth, but God knows what he is doing. I heard a lady tell a story how her and her husband took a name out of a hat to pray for. They prayed for that family for over a year and wondered who they were. Then over a year later they were visiting another church and this couple stood up asking for prayer. This couple then went overseas as missionaries and our lady friend did get a chance to visit them on their mission field. God sent Joseph to Egypt to save Jacob and his descendants during a seven year famine. God first prepared Joseph through many years and trials. Joseph having been sent to Egypt as a slave when his brothers sold him to a passing caravan. Joseph didn't see the end way down the road, but after a life of faithful living God had put him in charge of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. A lot of years and trials were along the way for Joseph until his purpose unfolded.  But God had a plan for Joseph and his life. God had a plan for Noah. God had a plan for Abraham and so for many of us. We don't always understand the hardships and trials we may go through. God knows us very well. In Job we hear of another man who went through some terrible trials. Satan was going back and forth in the earth and God asked have you considered my servant Job. Satan says you have him protected and you have made him wealthy, remove your had and he will curse your to your face. God allowed Satan to trouble Job's life, In just a short time, Job's children were killed and their homes destroyed. His camels were stolen and his servants killed, His sheep and cattle, all that Job had were taken and them God even permitted Satan to afflict Job's body. But never did Job charge God foolishly. Job's wife said curse God and die, but not Job. God restored Job above and beyond what he had lost. God has a long range  plan for each of us and we don't always understand, but if faithful to God he will be with us to the end of our days, whatever comes. Often we can't see beyond tomorrow especially when troubles come our way but God has a long range plan and view of our lives. From one end to the other God is there for us. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”Genesis 28:15  God bless, LVZ

In The Bible Is Wisdom

And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan. Genesis 10:25 
One theory is that the continents drifted apart some 20,000 years ago. Just a quick look on google talked about Tectonic plate shift. We hear about these plates shifting during earthquakes.
In Psalm 8:8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.  Here we see mentioned the paths of the sea and Matthew Maury was one who published some books that helped sailors navigate the oceans faster by finding and sailing in the jet streams. Note also that the U.S. is considered to be about 4% of the worlds population, per David Barton but look how much stuff has originated from our God blessed land.  We are by far the most prosperous land on the face of the earth and I believe it is because of the blessings of God upon this nation that sought God's help during the creation of this nation. That is why from all over the earth people desire to come to our land above any other. Some nations have seen 17 constitutions in one lifetime. Ours has lasted over 200 years. We asked for God's help during the constitutional convention and got it.  Matthew Maury also discovered the movement of the weather systems and how they moved upon the earth long before we had satellite imagery. Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north. Job 37:9 People were much more Bible literate than we are today. There is much biblical influence out there if you look for it. In the early days our nation the Bible was so important and we need that influence once again.  God bless. LVZ.

Benjamin Franklin Speaks

I write this after listening to a sermon by David Barton of WALLBUILDERS.COM

Notice the many scriptures referenced in the words of Benjamin Franklin, one of the least religious of the representatives to the Constitutional Convention. 

Mr. President:

The small progress we have made after 4 or five weeks close attendance & continual reasonings with each other -- our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ays, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own want of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of government, and examined the different forms of those Republics which having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution now no longer exist. And we have viewed Modern States all round Europe, but find none of their  Constitutions suitable to our circumstances.

In this situation of this Assembly groping as it were in the dark(Job 12:25) to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights (James 1:17) to illuminate our understandings (James 1:5)? In the beginning of the contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the Divine Protection. -- Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor(Psalm 121:7). To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance.

I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth -- that God governs in the affairs of men (Daniel 4:17). And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice(Luke 12:6, Matthew 10:29), is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid(Psalm 75:7)? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that "except the Lord build they labor in vain that build it."(Psalm 127:1) I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded (Genesis 11:1-9), and we ourselves shall be become a reproach and a bye word down to future age(1 Kings 9:7, Psalm 44:14, 2 Chronicles 7:20, Deuteronomy 28:37). And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human Wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest.

I therefore beg leave to move -- that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that service.

https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/benfranklin.htm

The bold type and Scripture references were added in the writing by me.  The Bible was so well known and became a part of their everyday language. 
God bless, LVZ

Election Drawing Near

With midterm election drawing near, I ask Christians to consider the tone of both sides. On one side the conservative side we hear people like Mike Huckabee telling us it is our duty to vote but as Christians it is also our duty to treat even our enemies with respect. I know it is hard to do when a senator gets mail with a harmful substance in it because she voted to confirm Kavanaugh. We see our leaders accosted at restaurants and other places and disrespected in so many ways. If you are Christian think about what is driving these actions. Do not participate, do not render evil for evil. The Bible tells us to love even our enemies. This is spiritual warfare and we do not want to allow ourselves to be tools of Satan. Slander, Lies, disrespect, harassment are Satan's tactics. We must vote and defeat this attack with God's help and by doing what we can by voting our conscience. It is OK to speak up but in a manner that is pleasing to God. I know there are Christians on both sides, we are not one issue voters. One issue is closer to home than another issue for another person, so even though I am conservative in thought, the best policies our nation has ever produced there has been compromise much of the time. Not always, civil rights was mostly a one side  supported issue, and if you look at the voting records you can discover who did what.  We have been through difficult times before, slavery, civil rights, women's rights, and more. Hating Trump is not the answer. Even if you don't like him show him the respect for the office he holds. Lincoln was not very popular in his day dealing with the issue of slavery, but he is considered one of the best Presidents of all time.
Luke 6:27
But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
Luke 6:28
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Luke 6:35
God bless, LVZ.

Christian Influence

I think I am going to write some blogs about the influence Christianity and the Bible have had in our nation. There was a black preacher named Harry Hoosier, Hosier, and  several other spellings of this illiterate Black Preachers last name. 
Fisk University history professor William Piersen believes that this is the
source of the term “Hoosier” that was applied to the inhabitants of Indiana.
Piersen explains, “Such an etymology would offer Indiana a plausible and worthy
first Hoosier – ‘Black Harry’ Hoosier – the greatest preacher of his day, a
man who rejected slavery and stood up for morality and the common man.”
Now you can find other explanations for the nickname Hoosier for Indiana's people. But at least one Historian attributes it to Harry Hoosier. Then there are those that want to rewrite history and take anything positive about Christianity out.   Harry was born a slave but had gotten his freedom.  Harry was a popular Black Preacher even to white people in his day 1750-1806-10. Harry traveled a lot with a better known preacher Bishop Francis Ashbury,  that recognized Harrys appeal to many in that day.  Harry's first sermon The Barren Fig Tree (Since Black Harry was illiterate, it does not seem to be written down. of course there were no modern ways of recording this back in those days) was based on Luke 13:6-7. And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ As I said Harry was illiterate but could memorize long passages of scripture being read to him. People might remember Bishop Francis Asbury, but few remember his driver Harry Hoosier. Yet Asbury believed Harry had more drawing power to his speaking engagements than he had. Harry was never ordained as a preacher. Bishop Asbury would read scripture to Harry as Harry was driving him around.   Harry seems to have had an influence especially in Indiana in his later years. 1750 to 1806 or 1810. Many of our earliest Presidents referred to the Bible and its principles that greatly influenced our early years in this country. Benjamin Franklin, considered to be one of the least religious of his co-workers at the constitutional convention gave a speech June 28th 1877 where he chided his more religious partners for not praying and asking God for help. The 4 to 5 weeks prior there had been no progress made. But they succeeded in the next weeks after praying to God for help.  By the year 1815 there had been 1400 government calls to prayer for our nation. Preachers had a huge impact on the early years of our country.  If you do not believe in Biblical influence in our country perhaps it is because you are Biblically illiterate. It is all around us and I expect in the near future to talk more on the subject of Christian and Biblical influence in our country.  God bless, LVZ. 

John 3:18

Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. John 3:18
Here is a verse that points to the fact that Jesus is the only way. If we believe in him, Jesus, we are not condemned. If we do not believe in Jesus, we are condemned already. Jesus was the son of God. He was sent to redeem us from our sins. He is the only one through the ages that was sent to pay our sin debt. I remember the night I returned to God. I had strayed and thought I was self sufficient. The minister of the hour got into the pulpit and said: Leon, some day you will stand before God to give an account of your life. God will not ask, who hurt you, who did what to you, but only what have you done with Jesus. Have you accepted him as Savior and Lord? Or have you rejected him?  That is the question. I was 31 years of age that night. I was living a life condemned. I was not yet serving my sentence, but it is life a man on death row who has already been sentenced to death and just waiting for judgement day to come. I was already condemned. The sentence was hanging over my head. I had rejected Jesus, I had walked away. I had said in my heart if not out loud that all Christian were hypocrites and I wanted nothing to do with them. I was condemned because I had rejected Jesus, the very one who had died for my sins. I had seen some wrong stuff, there is no denying that, but what everyone or anyone else did not matter. We have to each one of us make the decision for ourselves. We do not get to stand before God on judgement day and blame someone else for our state. It is a decision we make independent of what anyone else has said or done. It is said there are no grandchildren in heaven. Each generation had to accept Jesus Christ for themselves. Each individual must open their heart to God when he knocks. That is where the journey begins, that is where the condemnation stops. From the age of accountability until we accept Christ, there is no other way.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16   Each of us will stand before God one day. We may live to see his return or we may go by the grave, but one day the Book Of Life will be opened and those not found written in the Book Of Life will be lost forever. Someone recently said without thinking if people in that day had believed on him Jesus would not have gone to the cross. But that was his reason for coming to earth. It was to die on that cross for our sins. It was not just for the people that walked the earth with Jesus, it is even for our generation, today.  There was no stopping it. It was ordained of God as a plan for redemption. It is our only way out of condemnation. Sin has a price that must be paid and Jesus paid it one time for all. There was no more need to sacrifice animals for a sin offering. Jesus was that sin offering for the sins of the world. To escape the condemnation that rest on us, we must believe in Jesus. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  John 14:6
The way to God is through the cross, there is no other way.  God bless, LVZ. 

RSVP

3“Do two walk together,unless they have agreed to meet? Amos 3:3

RSVP:  Respondez, s'il vous plait," which means “Please respond." I was given an RSVP the day Jesus knocked on my hearts door. Please respond Jesus asks. You can say yes or you can say no, but the creator of the universe desires a response when he knocks on your hearts door. This thought comes from Seth, don't know his last name. Never heard him before, but I listened attentively as he spoke. He read Amos 3:3 and I listened. Christianity is a walk with God. God gives an invitation to come and walk with him. It is a relationship. As we walk with him, we talk and sometimes we just listen. After all, he is creator God. How can we walk with him unless an invitation is given. How would we know where to meet him. God tells us, meet him at the cross. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. That is how we start this walk with God. A lot (about 90%) of what God says he says through his word. How can he talk to us unless we read his word?  Psalm 119 is an interesting but long read about understanding and learning God's commandments, his precepts, his way, his statutes. God sets the pace as we walk with him. He tells us how to live in this walk with him. When I walk with Barbara, it seems a lot of times I walk faster and I have to slow down. Or just the other day on the way into Walmart, Barbara was walking fast, it was raining. I got behind and she turned around and looked to see where I was. I wasn't beside her and as I stepped into the store both feet when out from under me and I was on the floor.  God is like that. When we walk with him, and he looks around and don't see us, he looks for us. When we fall, he is there to help us up as we walk with him. Creator God sends the invitation when he knocks on our hearts door. He tells us where to meet him as we start this walk, at the cross. He sets the pace, as we walk beside him, through his word as we learn of him, he tells us how to walk. He is there to pick us up as we fall when we walk. God gives us an RSVP, please respond. Tell me yes or no will you walk with me, asks God?  God bless, LVZ. 

Leadership

Titus 1:5-9  5This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
We are hearing in Church right now about church leadership. This past Sunday we heard about Elders and the above scripture was used. One of the things Pastor said in his sermon was these attributes  are things all Christians should strive to have in their lives. As Christians we should all strive to be above reproach. We as Christians are not to be arrogant or quick -tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain.  Note verse 5 uses the term Elder, and verse 7 is using the term Overseer. In recent past, August 4th I blogged about 1 Timothy 3 where it talks about overseers.  Once again those are qualifications all Christians should be striving to meet. We are to look to the word of God to apply to us, to me.  Christians are not perfect, I know I have stated that many times. That is not an excuse, but we should be striving, each Christian to meet these qualifications in our own lives. We should not be using the word of God as a club to use against others. But using the word of God to measure our own life. Do we measure up? Do those in our lives see us as quick tempered? Do they see us as hospitable?  Do those around us see us as lovers of good? Do those the we encounter everyday see us as self controlled? Does our family see us as a drunkard, or violent or greedy? In our personal lives are we upright, holy and disciplined? We use these words to seek out leaders in our church, but in reality each Christian should measure up to these. We are light to a world that is dying in their sins. We are to be a city set on a hill to be examples to the world around us. We as Christians are to hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught. We are to give instruction in sound doctrine and sometimes to even rebuke those who contradict the word of God. The word of God is what we will be judged by on judgement day. These are qualifications for our leaders and for each of us personally.  God bless, LVZ.