More Bad Kings

16Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.  2 Kings 21:16
I am still reading in 2 Kings. In this verse above talking about innocent blood that this evil king shed that he filled Jerusalem from end to end. God is not pleased. I thought about 60 million innocent babies since Roe vs Wade. I thought about the state of New York celebrating, clapping their hand as if they had done a good thing when they made abortion legal in their state up to birth.  Woe to those the call evil good.  When I read about these evil kings and the shedding of innocent blood, God is angry with his people. How can God not be angry with our nation today as we continue to shed innocent blood. The state of New York did away with capitol punishment some years back. They do not put  to death those that kill and rape and destroy others but they have made it legal to kill innocent babies that cannot even declare their innocence right up to birth. Look at the next new born baby you see and ask how is this celebrated in their state house.
3Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the Lord, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4and also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord would not pardon. 2 Kings 24:3-4.
I finished reading the book of 2 Kings, but the statement in verse four bothered me. What dies this mean? The NIV says will not forgive, the ESV says will not pardon. Now I know God forgives sins. even murder. So why is God saying this in 2 Kings. These evil kings had led the nation of Israel away from God, from serving the one true God. I want to make a statement here, just in case anyone reading has ever had an abortion, God forgives sin of the individual. But I am feeling this statement is against the nation of Israel, God will not forgive the nation. God forgives individuals, but he is going to hold the nation accountable for the shedding of innocent blood. As I read this I wonder what will happen to our nation? 60 million aborted babies and counting since Roe vs Wade. Innocent blood that was shed, for the convenience of the adults that just don't want a baby, or more accurately the responsibility of a baby. There were kings that humbled themselves before the Lord, like Ahab and even Josiah and God took notice. When we humble ourselves and recognize God is sovereign, God takes note. I read where Hezekiah was added 15 years  to his life. Ahab humbled himself and God said to the prophet have you noticed how Ahab humbles himself and God did not bring judgment in his day but after his death. In Josiah we see the same thing. Josiah repairs the temple, turns the people back to serving God and God takes notice and promises Josiah that the judgment he read about in the scriptures would not happen in his life time.  God responds to humility. But God also holds nations responsible for the shedding of innocent blood. God forgives the individual, but I read that he holds the nation responsible for the shedding of innocent blood. This concerns me, I don't know of any nation that has shed as much innocent blood as our nation. The innocent lives taken under Roe vs Wade overshadows all the world wars and our own civil war. We as a nation need to repent, not celebrate as the state of New York did over abortion.  Bad kings can lead us astray. God ordains civil authority, but when that authority strays from God's ways and his commands there must be payment. I wonder if that is why our nation is in such turmoil? God responds to humility, to repentance. We as a nation need to repent. 2 Chronicles 7:14, says if we will humble ourselves and turn from our wicked and cry out to God. God will hear from heaven and heal our land. Humility and repentance must come first. There is forgiveness available for us as individuals. Our sins can be removed from us as far as the east is from the west. God help us is my prayer.  I wonder what will happen to this nation because of the shedding of innocent blood? God bless, LVZ. 

Fatherless Children

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. Psalm 68:5 
On my prayer list are the names of these children below.  Some I have not seen since the incident that caused me to put them on my prayer list. Many of these were children when I first met them, are now adults. I lost the original notebook where I had written these down. To just use one example, Monique was six years old at the time I put her on my list. I don't even remember what year that was but she would be between 21 and 24 years old. I am pretty sure Katelynn would be around 23 because that incident happened in 2001. 

Years ago I saw how divorce affected my children and I started noticing how many fatherless children there are in our communities. Every place I go, it seems to be the same thing. Sometimes it is divorce, sometimes it is death, sometimes it is because of a drug addicted parent, but it is epidemic proportions in our nation today. Here is a sampling of what I have seen in the last 25 years. Lamont Thomas, his mother took him and ran from what she said was an abusive father when he was 6 years old, as far as I know he never saw his father again. Evan Jenkins, his mother never married his father and he was raised mostly by a single mom and grandparents. She had her own addictions to deal with. Danny Gosenberg Jones, had a drug addicted Mom, most of her years. First adopted by an Aunt and an Uncle that were also addicts. Then by grandparents. Her grandmother found her playing by the edge of a street at 6 years old, dirty and hungry. She took her home and cleaned her up and fed her. It was six hours before they realized she was missing. Danny has a younger brother and sister raised by a grandmother or an Aunt.  Candice and Cookie, two beautiful young girls, I would see at church with their mom Sunday after Sunday, never saw their father, don't know their story. Jordan and Brianna, their father was killed in a traffic accident at a very young age. Audrey and Chiquitta, I knew their mother, never saw their father. Mother was an addict. Last I knew, Audrey had a little girl named Asia out of wedlock. Miciah was a neighbor and had a brother Devon and a sister Kerra. The man their mother lived with would not let these children ride in his truck. That man washed that truck everyday, it was spotless most of the time, but these children were not allowed to ride in it. Monique was a six year old with an older sister. She left me a little paper circle, I kept in my tool box for many years, I love you, Monique it said. She was raised by a single mom who married a relative of mine (by marriage)  and had another boy. I don't think the marriage survived. My marriage didn't survive either. Katelynn and her sister; one cold December night when it was snowing in Tacoma, Katelynn's mother and boyfriend were fighting in the apartment above me and I could hear them. I went out for a walk. Here was Katelynn  waking in the snow barefoot with no jacket. I picked her up and took off my jacket and put it around her. I took her back to my apartment  until her mother and boyfriend stopped fighting.  Later that week, I ran into her and her mon at the Safeway store, Katelynn invited me to her school program and I went.  Asia; I met her mother one day when I was riding my bike in Tacoma.  Her mother hollered at me as I rode by. Asia's mother was an addict and a prostitute. I bought Asia some school clothes. Asia had three sisters Detra, Jazzmine, and Amanda being raised by an Aunt. Her next sister Kronica was given up for adoption at the hospital. Jiovanni was her youngest brother, adopted by a different aunt, her self a single mom.  Last I knew Asia had three boys out of wedlock; Titus, Timothy and Josiah. I tried to help Asia and even gave her a car when she was 18 to try and help her. But it seems she went the same road as her mother.  She was a beautiful young woman who had no idea who her father was.  I took her into my home for a short while when she was 17. Bobby and Sinia, raised by grandparents across the street from where I use to live. As far as I know addiction was the main problem here. Edwin, raised by a single mom. The Brown children, there father was there most of the time, but in later years he was working in a distant state and never saw him very often. Quita's children, don't know the situation, but seems to be a single mom with 7 children. Over and over again, these same situations repeat themselves. At one time I had a list of over 50 children being raised with out a father, and sometimes without a mother; being raised by another relative. I lost my notebook and these are just the names I remember.  It is an epidemic in our nation today. Without biblical morals and easy divorce it is epidemic proportions in our nation today. I bet if you look around you, where you live, go to church, you will see the same thing. God help us, LVZ.  

Hezekiah, A Good King

2Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3“Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 5“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. 6I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’ ”  2 Kings 20:2-6

Hezekiah was a good king, He sought the Lord God for counsel. He followed after the commands and laws of the Lord given to Moses. He is living during the time of Isaiah the prophet, for it is Isaiah that is bringing the word of the Lord to him. Hezekiah is sick and Isaiah tell Hezekiah to put his house in order, he is going to die. Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and prays to the God of heaven, reminding God that he has faithfully followed God and done what is right in God's eyes. God hears his prayer and before Isaiah gets out of the palace the Lord speaks to Isaiah to tell Hezekiah that God heard his prayer and he will rise up on the third day and God has added fifteen years to his life. Hezekiah asks for a sign and the sign they agree upon is the shadow falling on the steps in the place they are at will fall back ten steps.  Now we are talking about the God of the universe that keeps the planets in their space.  When you think about how big God is and the universe God has created and holds together it is a small thing for God to move the shadow backwards ten steps. I wrote some notes from  Sunday School class. The teacher was using the thickness of a sheet of paper as a scale to show how big this universe we live in is. Using this scale of measure of a sheet of paper, the distance across our galaxy which is 93 million miles, the stack of paper would be 71 feet high.  And that is just our galaxy. there are billions of galaxies and if we could put each galaxy in a 1 foot square box, we could build a wall from New York to Los Angeles 13,300 feet high.  All this is controlled and created by the Lord God. There are two paths in life either you believe in the Lord  God or you don't, but there is enough evidence in nature that no one will stand before God with an excuse.
New Living Translation
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:20
You have a choice, you can believe in God or not believe in God.  But when you stand before God you will not have an excuse for not knowing him. His presence is all around us, the vastness of this universe, some want to say it just happened, we evolved from some mass with out any help from a creator. I read someone comparing it to a book that was created. Did that book with all its beautiful  pictures and pages just create itself on its own. Yet our universe is much more complex than a book that had an intelligent creator and so we also were made in the image of God by creator God and all life that surrounds us. To believe it just happened is like believing that book just happened with out an intelligent creator. Something to think about and try to put you head around the vastness of our world. God bless, LVZ, 

An Axhead Floats

1The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet.”

And he said, “Go.”

3Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?”

“I will,” Elisha replied. 4And he went with them.

They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 5As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no, my lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!”

6The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. 7“Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it. 2 Kings 6:1-7

I had forgotten this story of the floating axhead.  As Elisha and his servants went with this group of prophets to build a meeting place along the Jordan River, one of Elisha's servants had borrowed an axe. As he was chopping down poles, the axhead flew off into the river. the servant had borrowed the axe. He cries out and Elisha comes to his rescue. Where did it fall? The servant shows him and Elisha throws a stick into the water and the axhead floats. What could be the purpose of this story? God is aware of our everyday troubles. He cares. I can not tell you how many times I have lost something and I pray God help me to find it and he does. One of these servants is concerned when he wakes up and sees the city surrounded by their enemies. Elisha tells him don't worry, and prays that God will open his eyes to the spiritual. God does and the servant then sees the Lord God has the enemy surrounded with chariots of fire. there were more of God's army than the enemy's army. The King of Aram was at war with Israel and every time he camped somewhere, God would tell Elisha and Elisha would tell the King of Israel. The King of Aram thought he had a traitor in his troops because this happened again and again. Then one of Aram's officers told him, none of us are telling your plans to Israel, it is the prophet Elisha, God tells him the very words you  say in your bedroom.  And Elisha tells the king.  That is when the King of Aram sent men to capture Elisha and surrounded Dothan where Elisha lived.  Elisha gets up asks the Lord to blind Aram's men and he leads them to Samaria to the King of Israel. Elisha tells the King of Israel to feed them and send them on their way. Some time later the King of Aram had surrounded Samaria and the people of Samaria had no supplies. Elisha tells them not to worry the conditions will change tomorrow and fine flour and barley will be available to sell. The king's servant said even if the flood gates of heaven were opened, this could not happen. Elisha told the servant he would see it but would not eat of it. The next morning after the city was told the army had fled and they investigated and found it to be so, that servant was at the gate of the city and was trampled to death as the people left the city to plunder the abandoned camp of the enemy army. It seems like it is one thing after another that Elisha is performing miracle after miracle, and he says don't worry God's got this.  All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all  of you into our hands." 1 Samuel 17:47.  This is something we should all remember,  God is still on his throne and is watching over his people. The battles we face belong to God and just as he did in Elisha's day, he is the same today and is fighting our battles. The armies of the Lord are grater than anything we face.  David said those words above from the book of Samuel when he faced Goliath. May we trust in God as Elisha and even King David did.  God has this, the battle belongs to God,  God bless. LVZ. 

Divided Worship

35When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. 36But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. 37You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. 38Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. 39Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

40They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. 41Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did. 2 Kings 17:35-41
 In reading in the books of kings we see divided worship in God's people Israel. To some degree they worshiped God but they also had other idols.  God of Heaven wants us to worship him only.  It was one of the ten commandments, thou shall have no other gods. But Israel failed, they worshiped the other gods of the people they had invaded when God brought them back from Egypt. As I read this I wonder in my own life, how am I doing. Do I have any idols? Am I truly devoted to God?  The Israelites did not get rid of their Asherah poles, but continued to worship other gods. Asherah poles were for another god, they had nothing to do with the God of heaven, the creator God. One of the later kings even sacrificed children. Children were suppose to be precious and to be taught how  to worship the one true God. I wonder how God of Heaven feels about our abortion industry in this country. Does any one ask, what does God think when we consider abortion laws? Children live as we teach them. It seems so much of the time our children are recovering from their childhood. Abortion has become a matter of convenience for adults in our nation. It is not about the health of our bodies, but I had sex with someone, and this baby is a result of that act and it is inconvenient for me. I can't live my party lifestyle, I have to grow up a raise a child, so many times we choose to abort. It is a very selfish act. It is calling evil good, it s the right of a mother. It is the right of a mother to be careful and to use birth control, but once that baby is there, it is a life all its own and needs to be protected. Life needs to be in God's hands and left to him.  We have strayed in this nation from following God and his principles, his precepts, his commands. We are feeling the effects of God withdrawing himself from us. At one time we were under his protection. We sought his word and his will, but no more. If God dealt judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, how can he ignore this nation?  When God sent Jonah to Nineveh to warn them of his coming judgment, Nineveh put on sackcloth and ashes and at least for a time returned to God.  We need to give God our worship and to follow his command, his precepts and rules once again. It was disastrous for Israel. It took a long time but God turned his face from his people Israel and they suffered under the hands of evil kings. Remember back how God was with them under King David. King David wasn't perfect, but he repented when God showed him his sin. This nation needs to repent. 2 Chronicles 7:14.  We need to humble ourselves before almighty God once again and seek his direction in our lives and in our nation. God help us, LVZ. 

Elisha Dies*

20Elisha died and was buried.

Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. 21Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet. 2 Kings 13:20-21. In reading in 2 Kings, every so often Elisha would be mentioned.  Here Elisha is old and dies and is buried. Elisha had brought the Shunamite woman's son back to life. 2 kings 4.   I don't remember if there were any others. But now after Elisha has been death for some time and only his bones are left. Some men are burying another man whos name is not mentioned. As they are carrying the dead mans body to a burial place they see raiders approaching. In their haste they drop the dead man in Elisha's tomb, and when the dead man's body touched Elisha's bones, the dead man comes back to life and stands up.  It does not say how long he lived or more detail other than he came back to life and stood up.  God had given power to Elisha to perform many miracles in his life time but even in his death he performed one more. It seemed Elisha had been just as faithful to God as Elijah had been, but why did God only take Elijah up into heaven alive?  Another thing noticed during all these stories of evil kings and once in a while a good king is mentioned, but they do not completely give themselves over to God. Sometimes the good king would destroy the altars to Baal but leave the Asherah poles. God would not be completely pleased. I had to wonder what things I might allow in my life that are not completely given over to God. Do I have any area's of my life that are not completely surrendered? God sets kings up and takes them down. Sometimes they are pleasing to God but not completely. God desires obedience in our lives. I wonder if God brings an issue to our attention and goes no further until we deal with that issue. God is at work in our lives, washing us with the water of the word as Ephesians says.  Sometimes we need to just examine ourselves, and ask is everything given over to God. Are we completely surrendered to him. Do we keep any other gods in our lives. Have we removed even the Asherah poles from our lives? God wants 100% of our hearts. I think that is what I am hearing in this word, has everything been given over to God? Do I hold back any area and think I got his on my own. We need God in every area of life. God bless, LVZ. 

Naaman

9So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

11But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

13Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. 2 Kings 5:9-14

This is probably a story I do remember from my childhood being in Sunday School. Here is a thought, these healings like Elijah and Elisha performed happened before Jesus walked this earth.  God had healed people through his prophets many times. A young girl had been taken from Israel and she was a servant of this commander's wife. Naaman had leprosy. It was a dreaded disease back in these days.  The servant girl had spoken if only Naaman could go to Israel and have the Prophet of God heal him. God spoke to and through his prophets. As Naaman was traveling to Israel to find this prophet, Elisha sent his servants to Naaman before they even got to his house. Go down to the Jordan and wash yourself seven times and you will be clean.  Naaman was angry, the Prophet didn't even come to meet him. Then he send him to a dirty river, when there were cleaner rivers back home. He was on his way back home and Naaman's servants said to him, if the Prophet of God had asked you to do something great, would you not have done it to be healed. So Naaman went to the Jordan and washed himself seven times in the Jordan and he was healed. The things I see in this story. God doesn't work the way we want him to, God does it his way. It seems God looks for and desires humility. It required humility for this great commander to wash himself in the dirty Jordan River. I often have wondered when people think they are really praying and even demanding God do something. It seems God likes to be asked, it shows humility when we bow before our creator. I think it was a blind man that spoke to Jesus and said if you will, you can make me whole.  Asking not demanding. After all we are calling on the God of the universe, a sovereign God. God is not a heavenly "go for" for us to do our bidding. So we humble ourselves and ask.  I think of the different ways God has healed, not always the same. Naaman to wash in the Jordan river. I think it was both Elijah and Elisha and laid on top of a dead child and asked that they be healed. The woman with the issue of blood reached out and touched the hem of Jesus's robe. A blind man came to Jesus and Jesus spit on dirt and made mud and put it on his eyes. Peter and James walking past a lame man, silver and gold , have we not, rise up and walk.  Then I think in the book of Samuel where it says obedience is better than sacrifice. Here again if Naaman had been asked to sacrifice an animal to be healed, he would have done it. But he was angry and started to go away uncleansed until his servants urged him to be obedient to the word of the prophet and to God. After being obedient, and humbling himself, he was healed.  The power to heal is in God himself.  God will direct his servant to speak or do what ever God commands, but the healing power comes from God himself.  God bless, LVZ.

King Ahaziah

51Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 52He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, because he followed the ways of his father and mother and of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. 53He served and worshiped Baal and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, just as his father had done. 1 Kings 22:51-53.

1After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.” 2 Kings 1:1-2. 

16He told the king, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” 17So he died, according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. 2 Kings 1:16-17A.

King Ahaziah  son of Ahab became king of Israel after Ahab's death. The Bible says he did evil in the eyes of the Lord and he reigned only two years. He fell and injured himself. He sent servants to inquire if he would recover of the god of Ekron,  Baal-Zebub.  Elijah was sent by God to send a message back. Elijah was a prophet of God in Israel. God asks why do you go to a foreign god instead of asking of the God of Israel? Because you have done this you will die. Ahaziah sends a captain and fifty men to bring Elijah to him. Elijah responds if I am a man of God may fire come down and consume you. Fire came down and consumed the captain and his fifty men.  Ahaziah sends a captain and fifty men a second time to give Elijah a message, come at once. Once again Elijah says, if I am a man of God may fire come down and consume you and your fifty men. Once again fire came down and consumed the captain ad his fifty men.  Ahaziah sends a third captain and fifty men, this captain knowing what happened to the first two groups, this captain kneels before Elijah and asks for mercy on him and his men. The Lord says to Elijah to go with them, he will be safe. Elijah goes and gives the message to Ahaziah in person. You will not leave this bed, you will die. It seems God desires respect. The first two captains ordered Elijah to come with them. The third captain feared for his life and the life of his men. Ahaziah did not worship God. He continued in the footsteps of his father Ahab and worshiped other gods.  The Lord God was not pleased.  I am glad we live in an age of grace, I wonder what God would do if he had not sent Jesus to die for our sins. This country has drifted away from God. I believe God has sent Trump to try and bring us back. I am not sure it will happen. God is longsuffering, but God is still God and I wonder how long he will be patient with America, the U.S. in particular. I think our biggest issue is the abortion on demand. God cannot be pleased. We see how he dealt with Ahab when Ahab took an innocent life, it was actually Jezebel his wife that set the plan in motion. But God took action. I pray that President Trump continues in his actions that support Christians and Christian beliefs. Abraham asked God for Sodom and Gomorrah because of his relatives Lot and his wife and daughters. Abraham went from fifty down to ten, asking if God would spare the city. In the end angels led Lot and his wife and daughters out of the city moments before it was destroyed.  I am so thankful we live in an age of grace, I wonder what will happened to us if we do not turn from our wicked ways and turn back to God as a nation. Christianity and God's principles for life are the best there is.  It has been proven over and over again. The one man / one woman for life was not meant to be hard for us. But it has proven to have been the best for our children and families.  I did not improve the situation for my children when I divorced their mother. We see the same pattern in our country over and over again. I wish I could go back to when my children were small and start over.  I wish I could go back even farther and have prayed about who I married and made better choices in my life. We cannot go back, we cannot fix it. God takes us from where we are and fixes us. He uses life experiences to mold us and shape us  into the person he wants us to be. Too bad, we didn't learn to trust him early on. We could save a lot of heart ache. Perhaps there are some who learn at a young age to trust God, if so perhaps they avoid some of the life altering experiences the rest of us go through in our journey through life. I wonder how Enoch lived to please God in his day. Elijah lived in a day when they sought to kill prophets of the true God. Ahaziah did not learn from his mistakes, he repeated the same mistake three times. He did not respect God, but demanded God's prophet come to him at once. The third captain humbled himself and asked for mercy before the prophet of God. God desires us to humble ourselves today and ask and turn from our wicked way as 2 Chronicles 7:14 says.  He is a sovereign God and does want to be respected. When Ahab humbled himself after God pronounced judgement on him, God noticed and sent the prophet, that it would be delayed until the reign of his son.

27When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.

28Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29“Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.” 1 Kings 21:27-29.

He is a merciful God that sent Jesus to die for our sins. There is a payment required for sins. Some one pays, either Jesus or us. God is merciful in that he made a way through Jesus our Lord. When we humble ourselves before God, he notices and sometimes we can even alter the plan of God. Life should be left in God's hands. God bless, LVZ.

Reading For Myself

As  long as I live and read the word for myself it seems I can never get out of the word what a pastor or some other leader gets out of it. But it is necessary for my spiritual health that I do read for myself and not just depend upon a pastor for a once a week feeding. Compare my spiritual food  to my natural food; I can't go to a restaurant every day, and I certainly cannot cook like these chefs and others do. I may only make macaroni and cheese on my own and it may not compare with the fare at say Olive Garden or other places. But I cannot live on a once a week restaurant food like I receive when I go to a good restaurant. I would die if I didn't feed myself something as simple as macaroni and cheese during the week. Some days it may be something as simple as a cheese sandwich. Or perhaps it will be an egg sandwich. Perhaps it will be a simple can of soup. I cannot live on a once a week feeding. And so it is with the spiritual. I cannot seem to get out of the word that I read on a day to day basis what my pastor or other leader seems to get out of that same word.  Perhaps it is the years of experience that are behind him, or like a chef, a talent that they have that I do not have. But the point being, I need to feed myself. What if the weather is bad and I cannot get to the restaurant for a week or two, am I going to starve myself or open that can of soup?  This is the thought that came to me as a listened to the speaker today. He talked about David the shepherd boy. I have always like David, one of my favorite Bible characters.  I have been reading in the Old Testament for some time now and I read about this not that long ago.
1The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”   1 Samuel 16:1. 

6When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”

7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

8Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” 10Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

12So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.

Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” I Samuel 16:6-12.

Have you ever noticed how many times God has used the rejected people for his purposes?  I know I grew up in a dysfunctional home, but so did David, Jacob, Isaac, Moses and so many others.  But this story is about David. He was the youngest of eight sons. Samuel had invited Jesse and his sons to the sacrifice to the Lord. His purpose was to anoint the next King of Israel but to keep himself safe from Saul, he simply said to sacrifice to the Lord.  Here is what is brought out in this text. David was thought insignificant. All the other sons got ready to go to this sacrifice that Samuel was doing. David was left at home to tend the sheep.  Samuel starts with the oldest son and thinks surely this is the one. Eliab is tall, handsome and strong. Surely he is King material.  No God says, I have rejected him. All seven older sons pass by and God says no. Samuel knows it is to be one of Jesse's sons because God said so.  It is almost like an after thought, do you have any other sons? O yes but he is the youngest and he is tending the sheep. GO get him, we will not sit until he is brought. Then David is brought from herding the sheep. This is the one God says. He saw not as man sees but God looks on the heart.  David had something in  his heart that the others did not have.  He had spent time with his creator and had learned to trust his God. When a bear had attacked the sheep, David had killed it. When a lion had attacked the sheep, David had killed it. David wrote some of the Psalms and in it he describes his wonderful creator and how wonderfully made he is. David wasn't thought worthy to be brought with the other brothers.  Several of his brothers became soldiers in Saul's army and when Jesse sends David to check and them and bring them some food, the older brothers look down on David, why are you here, why are you not tending sheep?  David then in this strength of faith in a God that the others did not have, confronts Goliath and kills him. He had experience trusting God to deliver him. God delivered him from the lion and the bear and the same God would  deliver Goliath into his hands.  David had learned to trust God. David didn't go in his own strength and skills. David was the runt, he was not considered worthy to be in this army or this battle by even his own brothers. But God saw a heart that had learned to trust in God. I have to learn for myself. I don't have the skills and talents of others , but I have my own relationship with God.  Just like David, I have learned to trust God. I did not kill a lion and a bear, but I went through my own difficulties in life and saw a God that answered my prayers and brought me through one trouble after another. That is really what we all need, a simple faith in a God that takes the rejected and the broken and uses them as he sees fit. God doesn't want the perfect that have the strength and the knowledge to do it on their own. God wants to show his power and his strength. He dwindled Gideon's army down to 300,  fighting against thousands because he, God, wanted the glory. It was his doing. It is his strength, it is his plans that succeed, not ours. You just have to learn to trust God, he is a sovereign God over everything. Yes, I can never do what these preachers do, I cannot compete, but I don't have to, I just need to trust God for myself and walk with him in my own simplistic ways. I remember 35 years ago when God was dealing with me. I had walked away from God, felt I was self sufficient.  I thought Christians are hypocrites, etc.  God was wooing me back to him.  I remember thinking in my head, if it is so easy to be a Christian, show them how it is done.  Over a life time of walking with God, reading his word, praying to him, I learn one little bit at a time. Sometimes I relearn things I should have already known. It really is not hard, very simplistic, read his word and pray everyday.  There was a simplistic song we sang as children. Read his word and pray everyday and you'll grow, grow, grow. So many Christians depend on a once a week feeding, it is not enough, no matter how good it is. We need to read and pray for ourselves on a daily basis. Like Daniel that went to his window facing Jerusalem, three times a day.  Or David, that probably thought about the many Psalms he wrote as he quietly tended his sheep. It isn't that hard, just being consistent, day after day. I remember another sermon by a Pastor that went home to heaven a year or so ago, Plod on, Plod on Plod on. Ruth Graham would have a journal that she would write in her thoughts as she meditated on God in her quiet time, daily.  God bless, LVZ. 

Ahab Dies

17Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18“Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’ ” 1 Kings 21:17-19. 

34But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.” 35All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died. 36As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army: “Every man to his town. Every man to his land!”

37So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there. 38They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), ^b and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the Lord had declared. 1 Kings 22:34-37.

As I continue reading in the book of Kings, I come across this story where King Ahab, the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah joined forces to go to war against Ramoth Gilead.  Jehoshaphat recommends seeking the counsel of the Lord through the prophets. So they do that and all the prophets recommend they go to war and that they will succeed.  Sometime earlier King Ahab had desired a vineyard that was next to the palace and Naboth would not sell it to the king. Jezebel heard of it and told a couple of evil men to accuse Naboth falsely of some crime and then Naboth was stoned to death. When this was done, Jezebel told her husband that Naboth was dead and he could take possession of the vineyard he wanted.  God  was not pleased and sent Elijah to speak to King Ahab.  Elijah prophesied against King Ahab because of the evil thing they had done to Naboth. He would be killed and in the place where Naboth's blood was licked up by the dogs, the dogs would also lick up Ahab's blood.  So here Jehoshaphat and Ahab go to war together. Is there not one prophet of the Lord that we can inquire of, Jehoshaphat askes?  One Prophet Micaiah is called and he tells that Ahab would be killed. The other 200 prophets had prophesied  victory. Micaiah tells a how God is inquiring how they can get Ahab to go to battle  against Ramoth Gilead and one spirit said to the Lord God, I will put a lying spirit into the mouth of the prophets to get Ahab to go to battle. God says OK because he is going to take the life of Ahab.  Ahab had worshipped Baal and so I believe the 200 prophets were prophets of Baal. Micaiah was a prophet of the Lord God.  As the story goes Ahab was indeed killed in the battle and bled into his chariot all day.  When they washed out the blood out of the chariot the dogs licked up the blood of Ahab. God is over good and evil leaders and they rule by God permission. When God has had enough as he did in Ahab's reign when Naboth was killed for his vineyard so Ahab could have a vegetable garden in that spot. God took  him out as he had foretold. Even an evil leader reigns as long as God allows. Jehoshaphat of Judah was a good leader and as we note in this story, he inquired of the Lord God for direction.  God is sovereign and is over our leaders, good or bad, God is watching what they do.  God bless, LVZ.