Listening

I am still reading in the book of 2 Chronicles.  I am reading about Hezekiah, a good king. He restored worship to the one true God and led Judah back to the Lord God. In Kings we read where he was going to die and Hezekiah prayed to God and before the prophet of God had left his house giving him the bad news. The Lord told the prophet to turn around  and inform Hezekiah that he had added 15 years to his life.
 20Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. 21And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered.
2 Chronicles 31:20-21
So we read here that Hezekiah sought the Lord and served God with his whole heart and prospered. God watches our lives and looks to the condition of our heart.  Toward the end of his life in 2 Chronicles it sounds like Hezekiah became a little prideful and became sick, Hezekiah humbled himself, I don't know if this is the same time as recorded in the book of kings when Hezekiah prayed and God added 15 years. Kings and Chronicles tell some of the same history. He is remembered as one of the good kings. He followed God's precepts, rules, and the law. That is what those things are put there for, for us to live the best life possible. Success is doing what God intends for us. One thing that has really stuck in my mind in reading the Old Testament was Samuel listening for God's voice and when Eli the old prophet told him when you hear that voice again say, speak Lord for your servant is listening.  It is my hope to hear from God as I read his word. Many of the principles we live by can be found in the Old Testament. We learn what God expects and how God responds and what moves the heart of God.  Humility touches the heart of God. 4The reward for humility and fear of the Lord  is riches and honor and life. Proverbs 22: 4.  Hezekiah trusted in God  and led the people back to God. Even when he got sick, he turned to God and God blessed him. He sought God with his whole heart. If we are seeking riches or serving God to get riches, I think we will miss it.  Solomon when told by God to ask for anything, he asked for wisdom to lead God's people.  The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is what many people seek for. But is is in knowing God and seeking him that we are blessed. It is in living according to his commands, his precepts, that we are blessed. Over and over I see God responding to humility. Ahab an evil king, humbled himself and God responded by delaying his judgment to the next generation.  Fear of the Lord is a respect for God. We acknowledge who God is and that he is sovereign. These are things we can learn from the Old Testament. What moves the heart of God for good and bad.  Humility and the fear of the Lord, (respect) is moving in the right direction. Psalm 119 talks over and over again about following God's precepts, laws, commands, rules, standards. I think there are about 7 different words that repeat themselves in that Psalm, it is in following God's ways that we are blessed. God wrote the rules for life in his book the Bible. That is what Hezekiah tried to do, to follow God according to the law he knew, and God blessed. I don't want to give the impression that the way to riches is through following God. We can prosper in many ways, health, long life, friends etc. I think when we seek riches our heart is on the wrong path.  God is looking on the condition of the heart, and God does not give us more than we can handle. Riches can be a downfall for many. God did bless Hezekiah for his faithfulness. Hezekiah humbled himself before God, sought God for direction and honored and praised God and led God's people back to the one true God. Hezekiah was a good King. I am listening for God's voice as I read in the Old Testament. What will God speak to me through his word. God bless, LVZ.

Needing Restoration

18For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon everyone 19who sets his heart to seek God, the Lord, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.”^a 20And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 21And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with all their might^b to the Lord. 22And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the Lord. So they ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord, the God of their fathers.

23Then the whole assembly agreed together to keep the feast for another seven days. So they kept it for another seven days with gladness. 24For Hezekiah king of Judah gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for offerings, and the princes gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And the priests consecrated themselves in great numbers. 25The whole assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners who came out of the land of Israel, and the sojourners who lived in Judah, rejoiced. 26So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven.  2 Chronicles 30:18-27.
I am continuing reading in 2 Chronicles and we come to a good King. King Hezekiah has the temple cleaned up. They consecrate all the utensils of the temple and remove all the filth. The temple has been neglected for many years. Many evil kings have passed and worshiped other gods.  Hezekiah calls the people together to worship the Lord God. They celebrate the Passover  but probably because it has been so long since it has been done many people didn't consecrate themselves before the Passover as was required. Hezekiah prays for them and God heals them. I saw a video of people gathered together in the White House recently, just singing praises to God. I was thinking in comparison it has been a long time  since Christians have felt comfortable to praise God in the White House. God heard Hezekiah's prayer, and God heard the prayers of the Priests and the Levites. This scripture says their voice was heard and came to his holy habitation in heaven. When we honor God and worship him, God is pleased and restoration can take place in our lives and hearts. that is really what God is looking at, the condition of our hearts. When our hearts are not right, God will withraw himself and sometimes even send discomfort our way. Life will go well with as as we honor God and return to him. We in our nation are in a spiritual battle. We have asked God out of our lives, out of our public places, out of our government; but as we invite him back in, I believe God will bless and heal our land. Our land is desperately in need of healing. It is common place to hear of shootings and violence in our land.  Our nation is sick and we need the healing touch of God. God will respond as we invite him back in to our lives and hearts and healing can take place. If we humble ourselves and turn from our wicked ways, call upon God, God promises to heal our land. 2 Chronicles 7:14. There can be great joy in our land again as we turn back to God. Clean our temple, (our Bodies) and invite the God of creation back in. God bless, LVZ.

Each Generation

6And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 7Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and since he had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever.  2 Chronicles 21:6-7.
Each generation needs to find God for themselves. Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat reign for eight years. He did evil in the sight of God. At the start of his reign he killed his six brothers and worshiped other gods as Ahab King of Israel had done. God sent a  plague upon the children of Judah and Jehoram developed an incurable disease and he died. God spared him for a time because of the promise he made to King David. God is long-suffering  and gives space for repentance. Jehoram had a disease that was incurable and he died in great agony. Ahaziah also did evil and reigned only one year and his mother, Athaliah reigned after him. And she killed all the royal family of the house of Judah, except for one son of Ahaziah named Joash. Joash was hidden in the house of God for six years. Joash was protected in the house of the Lord by the Levites and in the seventh year of Athaliah's reign, they set up Joash as king and Athaliah was killed. Joash started to honor the Lord God at the start of his reign and removed the high places of the false gods and once again returned Judah to follow after God. Joash did good as long as Jehoiada the priest was there to guide him. Joash was only seven when he started to reign. Jehoiada was 130 years old and he died and Joash started to worship other gods. God sent a small army to execute judgment  upon the much larger army of Judah because Joash had forsaken God after the death of the priest that guided him. We see God's blessings on his people when they served the true God, We see trouble when they turn away and God withdraws his hand and even sends judgment. Each generation must find God for themselves. Sometimes God spares them for a while because of a good ruler before them, but in the end it is each generation for themselves. God brings judgment upon them for their deeds. Joash started out good and was repairing the house of God, but he strayed away after he no longer had the good counsel of the old priest. May we follow after God all the days of our life and not turn away. God bless, LVZ.

Forget your Misery

16You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away.   Job 11:16

I just happened upon this verse in following a rabbit trail. I am still reading in 2 Chronicles and reading about the Kings of Israel and Judah.  There are several things that come to my mind this morning and as I read this verse.  I thought about my marriages.and the difficulties I went through. I remember after my first marriage when I was so emotionally drained that my employer through their medical department sent me home and gave me a month of medical leave. In the words of the doctor I had nothing left to give, I was emotionally drained. This was many years ago and I have indeed forgotten much of the misery of those days. I remember during the next few years as I would talk about incidents that had happened, my hands would tremble.  As the years have passed I have forgotten much as it should be. I can speak about it and my hands no longer tremble.  You will forget your misery, and I have. I have moved on and occasionally I will recall something for one reason or another, but the memories are fading like waters that have passed away.  We all perhaps have a dark history, a history behind us that is better left in the past. More important are the things we have learned and have changed in our lives for the better. If I would constantly speak of these things, the bad things that had happened, would they pass away as waters that passed by? I have met people that they will constantly speak of the passed wrongs and not let it go. We learn from our mistakes and often we learn more from the mistakes we make than anything else. But we let the past go and it slowly passes away.  I went to a Black History program, and I didn't like it. This is where I am making a comparison between what I call my dark history and Black History. These things happened and we need to learn from them, and we need to correct them. But I did not like being reminded of the failings of the past. Slavery of course was mentioned as was the Black Code. Jim Crow was mentioned and I felt like we were reliving the evil past. Yes these things happened and yes they need to be remembered as history. Can we move past them? Things are not the same today. I am in a good relationship in my current marriage. Things are not the same today in our country. We have came a long ways and no longer do we find white and black drinking fountains.  All ethnic groups have the same right to vote in our country. It is not harder for blacks to vote, they get drivers licenses or photo ID's to conduct all other business in our modern world. We are not suppressing voter rights  but trying to keep the voting booth honest. Blacks no longer have separate seating in our churches. Except we do have Black Churches and they seem to want to remain a Black Church. We have a month dedicated to Black History. How will we ever move past it, if we keep the bad in the forefront?  Can we just move on and become one people? God created only one race, the human race. These divisions we celebrate are not of God. I don't want to minimize the wrongs of the past, but I do want to leave them in the past and move on. Is my thinking is this area wrong? I don't want to minimize the past wrongs and stick my head in the sand and say it never happened. Like the holocaust, there are some that want to believe it never happened. But it did, and we have moved on. Like a bad marriage, can we learn from it and leave it in the history books. Read it once in a while to remind ourselves to never do this again. But can we let it slowly pass by like the waters in a stream. We have made progress in this country, things are much better than they were. I am in a good marriage and I'd like to keep it that way. Let the past slowly pass away like the waters in a stream. Lets become one people.  Let me an my wife become one as the Bible says and forget the past, maybe not totally forget it but learn from it and move on. Let it be just a dim memory.   You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away.   Job 11:16.  God bless, LVZ. 

The Battle Is The Lord's

15And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.  2 Chronicles 20:15. Here we see Jehoshaphat being afraid in this chapter as a horde of Ammonites, Moabites, and Meunites are coming toward Jerusalem to fight against them. Jehoshaphat cries out to God and prays asking God to intervene.  A prophet Jahaziel gets up and speaks the words in the verse above to Jehoshaphat and the people gathered in the Temple. Jehoshaphat refered back to Solomons prayer in 2 Chronicles 7.  Do not be afraid, the battle is not yours, it is the Lords.  It is the same for us today, the battle, what ever it is , is not ours, it is the Lord's battle and he will fight for us.  God did fight for Judah, in fact the battle was won before they got there. Judah found dead bodies and took three days collecting the spoils. I remember many years ago a preacher said those words to me.  Many times we take things to God and pick them back up again as we leave the altar.  I see that now but at the time I didn't. Perhaps there are times I still do the same thing, pray about something and pick my worry back up as I leave the altar. Many battles we face are spiritual battles, and they are fought in the heavens. What our country is facing is at its core a spiritual battle. It is a battle between good and evil. I am amazed at how many things backfire. Jussie Smollet is just the latest thing. He attempts to make President Trump look back and hires two men to attack him. Get this, Jussie pays them with a check with his name on it. It gets found out. Video surveillance at the store and they buy the rope and hats and everything at one store. The battle belongs to God. We can take our battles, what ever the situation to God if he is our God and expect God to fight our battles. Don't bother if you have not accepted God as Lord and Savior. The first prayer God wants to hear from you is one of repentance.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12
Do not be afraid, the battle belongs to God.  God bless, LVZ.

No Partiality

7Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking bribes.” 2 Chronicles 19:7 
These words were spoken by Jehoshaphat as he was setting up judges in the different cities under his rule. Let the fear of the Lord be upon you. God does see everything we do and the words of our mouth This scripture stood out to me. I thought back to a time when someone advised me when I was seeking counsel between me and my first wife. I remember his words did I not support the family, and that I could persuade the church I belong to, to support my cause because I am the one paying money to the church. I remember feeling this is not Godly advice. That incident came to my mind as I read this passage. As I compare this passage of scripture to that time, I was not a judge or in any position of authority other than to be the leader of the home. As I think of that time, it feels like that would have been on the order of a bribe. Consider my part to carry more weight because I am the one bringing the money into the home. I felt in my spirit this was not from God. When God advises us through his word or through another person it will align with his word.  Fear of the Lord is respect, it is not a fear like God is going to squish us like an ant if we do wrong. We give weight to his words, we consider God's words and use them to guide our response and the way we live in this world.  God does not look at the husband as more valuable than the wife because he may be bringing home more bacon.  There is no partiality with God. God does not consider the wealthy more important than the poor. God looks upon the heart. As MLK once said in his I Have a Dream speech, look at the content of our character. God is just, he deals fairly with man, he does not consider the wealth, or the good looks, or perhaps our intelligence. God does look on our hearts. Is our character, the content of our heart in line with his precepts, his ways. Jehoshaphat was in good standing with the Lord because he had led the people of Judah back to God. He made a mistake when he made an alliance with Ahab because even though Ahab was the King of Israel, the other part of God's people, he was an ungodly king and did not follow the ways of God. In that battle where Ahab and Jehoshaphat fought together that Ahab was killed and Jehoshaphat was spared. The commander of the army they were fighting against had told his chariots to go after the King of Israel. Jehoshaphat went into battle in his kingly robes, and Ahab went in disguised, without his royal robes. Yet it was Ahab that was killed, and Jehoshaphat was spared. You cannot fool God. God protected Jehoshaphat and allowed Ahab to be struck down as he had spoken through his prophet. God judges according to the content of our hearts. God is more concerned with our character than our comfort. I read that statement in a book once and it comes to mind. There is no partiality with God as far as wealth or good looks, God judges by the content of our hearts. Those were the words God spoke to Samuel as he was looking over the sons of Jessie for the King of Israel to replace Saul. That is how we want to live in this world, to judge by the content of our character and not by the color of our skin, or wealth, or good stature. God bless, LVZ.

Seek God

6But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” 7And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” 2 Chronicles 18:6,7
Jehoshaphat is now King of Judah and Ahab King of Israel. They have an alliance together and God has been blessing Jehoshaphat because he has been following the Lord God, but Ahab has followed other gods. Ahab is wanting to go to war and wants Jehoshaphat to go with him. Jehoshaphat wants to inquire of the Lord God first.   All of Ahab's prophets prophesied good that they would be successful. But Micaiah the prophet of the Lord God prophesied evil concerning this battle.  They go to battle and Ahab disguises himself. As the battle progresses, Ahab is shot with an arrow and is propped up in his chariot, but dies from his wound that evening. Jehoshaphat is spared. Micaiah had prophesied that the Lord sent a lying spirit to speak through Ahab's prophets to entice Ahab to go to battle so the Lord could take him. Ahab did not like Micaiah's prophesied and had him thrown into prison until he was to return. Micaiah told him that the Lord had not told him he would return. It is good to inquire of God for direction in all that we do.  Jehoshaphat survived this battle and God protected him because Jehoshaphat had followed the Lord God as his ancestor David had.  God desires us to follow him only and does not want us to go to other mediums for direction.  We have the privilege of going to God directly for ourselves. We do not need to go through a prophet but since Jesus came we can seek God for ourselves. God bless, LVZ.

He Was Found

3For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, 4but when in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. 2 Chronicles 15:3-4 

Here in this chapter we find Asa destroying the false God's. He even destroyed the image his own mother had made. Asa removed his mother from being the queen mother because of her acts of idolatry. God comes to Asa through a prophet and says the words above. It is the same for us today, we we look for God, he will be found. When Judah repented God restored their lives and brought peace. God's covenant with them from the beginning was conditional. If they followed him, he would bless and protect them. If they walked away, God would withdraw his hand of protection. Often the troubles we face are not always God bringing them on us, but just God withdrawing his hand of protection and we end up reaping what we sow. When Judah or us today, seek God, he will be found.  Judah the southern Kingdom was receiving God's blessing, while the northern Kingdom, Israel was still receiving various forms of distress.  

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8

7But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7

God also tells Asa his work at restoring Judah will be rewarded. I took courage in these words because many times it seems we plod on without much happening. But God is promising our efforts will be rewarded. God bless, LVZ. 

The Queen Of Sheba

In 2 Chronicles 9, the Queen of Sheba comes to visit Solomon. She had heard stories about this King and came to see for herself. The Bible says she asked many hard questions of Solomon and he answered and explained every question. What caught my attention was the gift of 120 talents of gold.  the explanation at the bottom of the page I was reading says this was about 4 and 1/2 tons of gold. It seems Solomon had a lot of gold. Chapter nine says he received 666 talents of gold yearly. That is truly a lot of gold. It is estimated all the gold ever mined in the world to be 185,000 tons. If Solomon reigned 40 years and received 25.5 tons yearly that would be a little over a thousand tons of gold. The Bible does not say a lot about the Queen of Sheba, but it seems she was impressed with Solomon's wisdom and his wealth. Solomon did not ask for wealth, he asked God for wisdom to rule God's people Israel and the wealth was an extra blessing God bestowed on Solomon because of his noble request for wisdom. Solomon's throne was elaborate and covered in pure gold. There were three steps up to his throne with a Lion statue at both ends of each step. Six lions all covered in gold. Solomon is still thought to be the wisest man that ever lived. Wisdom is defined as experience , good judgement, common sense, discernment. Wisdom is the ability to think and act  using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, insight. I know there is a lot more knowledge today than there was even 25 years ago. Wisdom is being able to use knowledge in a beneficial way.  As I was reading this ethics was also mentioned. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5   Scripture tells us we can ask God for wisdom and he will give it generously.  When you think of it does not the God who created the universe and hold the planets in their orbits a wise and all knowing God, to able to create this world, this universe and all its splendors. We live in a beautiful earth, every where you go, we see the majesty of God's creation. Surely God has wisdom to spare. If I could go back and live my life over, I feel I would want to do many things differently, that comes from experience. But starting from scratch I would still not have the experience I have today and I would probably err in the same ways. We don't gain experience without living. But God can impart wisdom to us if we ask. I have often desired discernment. That too probably comes with experience.  God bless, LVZ.

God Heal Our Land

13“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14.
Here we come to a verse I have quoted many times over the last few years. As I read this section of the Old Testament, Solomon has completed the Temple for the Lord God. He has sacrificed thousands upon thousands of animals and the Israelites have celebrated for seven days. God comes to Solomon night and says the words from verse 12 to the end of the chapter in verse 22. In verse one of chapter seven, Solomon finishes his prayer of dedication; God was pleased with the sacrifices and sent down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifices. Was this in a dream or was this an audible voice, the Bible is not saying, it just says God spoke?  God was making a conditional promise to Solomon and to his people. What I see here is first there is some sort of trouble and God has sent this among his people to get them to return to following him. It could be no rain, it could be locusts devouring and eating everything in their paths. It could be sickness. God is sending this trouble to get his peoples attention.  When they realize the error of their ways and turn back to God. First it says they will humble themselves. They will once again recognize, God is a sovereign God, he is over everything. Everything we have is his, we depend upon God for the very breath of life. Humble them selves; many times in the Old Testament, people would lay prostrate on the ground, cover themselves with ragged clothes and sprinkle ashes upon themselves to show they are sorry for their sins. In the previous chapter, in his prayer of dedication, Solomon says they will sin, and Romans tells us all have sinned. 1 John says if we say have not sinned we lie.
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.1 John 1:8-10 If we confess our sins and repent, God is faithful to forgive. Verse 14 above says if we pray and seek God's face, here we see humility before God and seeking him.  Then the verse continues and turn from their wicked ways. Repenting is making a choice to walk a different direction. We acknowledge that we have sinned, we call out to God, we turn from our wickedness, the things we are doing that displease God. Perhaps God will speak to us in the night or through his word to tell us what it is that we have done wrong. God is displeased enough that he sends trouble our way to get our attention. I feel we are living in a day when we are troubled, we seem to have had a lot of disasters in various ways. Fire has consumed large portions of our West. Hurricanes and tornadoes have struck our land, some of the worst in decades.  We talk of measles on the news making a comeback after being almost wiped out. There are shootings in our schools and other places. God is allowing disaster upon disaster upon us. California went through a drought, then a fire, then tremendous rain. We have indeed sinned, especially as a nation, and God is not pleased. Will our nation repent and turn from their wicked ways? The State of New York recently celebrated abortion up to birth, the governor of Virginia says if a baby survives the abortion, they will discuss what to do, while the baby is fighting for its life. We seem to be able to shoot and kill at a disagreement over trivial things. We are sick as a nation, will we repent and turn to God. Will we seek his face and turn from our wicked ways. God promises if we do, he will hear from heaven and heal our land.  Our healing is dependent upon our response to God. I believe God is trying to get our attention, will we listen? Will we humble ourselves, repent and turn from our wicked ways? Will we call out to him? God help us to repent as a nation, and heal our land. God bless, LVZ.

3,000 Baths

As I am reading in 2 Chronicles and Solomon is building the temple for God.
4The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. 5It was a handbreadth ^e in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths. 2 Chronicles 4:4-5
I try to write about something that catches my eye in my daily reading of the word. Sometimes I am not sure I can unpack this to get its meaning as my pastor says as he expounds on the word. My attention was caught by the sea that Solomon had created. In trying to understand this I googled it and it seems this water held in the sea was for the washing of priests as they came in to do their priestly duties. It held 3,000 baths, or my understanding is 18,000 gallons of water. Right now I am building a sun shower. Campers sometimes use a sun shower to cleanup when camping. I guess that is why this caught my attention. When I am on a road trip, I stop at a truck stop for a shower and it costs these days about $15, so I was trying to design a sun shower I could put on top of my camper, to save that $15 a day for a shower.  I don't know yet how well it will work. I have made mine out of 3 inch PVC pipe that I will paint black to absorb heat from the sun. I have calculated it will hold about 8 gallons of water. Dividing 3000 (3 thousand baths) into 18,000 gallons equals 6 gallons so I guess I am close to a Biblical bath. 😊 Much of what I wrote the day I started this particular blog disappeared after the emoji. But I remember I had looked at Ephesians 5:

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing ^b her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” ^c 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.  Ephesians 5:25-33.   I remember a time some 20 plus years ago when I was reading this particular passage. This is how we clean ourselves spiritually by the washing of water by the word. 20 plus years ago I was reading this and asking God how do I apply this to my life. At the time I was in my second marriage to a Black woman. She had asked me to pray about a church for us to attend. I had been praying about that issue. As I read this passage and asked God how to apply this to my life. I felt like God was saying to me to attend Second Baptist Church in Everett, WA. This was her culture, she had two Aunts that attended this church. The man that gave her away was a Deacon at this church and I thought this is the way I can apply this passage to my life. Men ought to love their wives as they love themselves, and the scripture goes on to say and gave himself up for her. I saw this as a way to do that, by picking a church of her culture, her family and her friends.  Thirty days after my wife  had asked me to pray about this, she asked have you decided? I said yes, Second Baptist. She said; "How the hell did you pick Second Baptist?" Hindsight being 20/20, I do believe I heard correctly from the Lord. It was an experience that changed and corrected some thinking in my life.  It was the first time I ever attended a Black Church and felt like a little white dot in a field of Black.  But they treated me good and it wasn't long before I was on the board of trustees, and felt I was a part of this congregation, even though I am white. I believe healing for his nation will have to come through the church. 10:00 to 12:00 on Sunday morning is the most segregated time in America.  When I first came to the south , I was concerned about where to attend church. Once again I prayed about it.  Everything in the South seems to be so segregated. The Black churches are almost all Black and the White churches all white. God didn't lead me in the same direction this time. The church I felt he lead me to was basically a white church. There were a couple of black families attending 6 years ago , but an amazing thing has happened, over the last six years this church has really become integrated. There must be at least 60 to 80 Blacks on a given Sunday. Two of our Elders have been Black and one of our current Deacons is a Black man. This is the way it is suppose to be, integrated.  I have not been to every church in the Tupelo area, but the ones I have seen, Hope is the most integrated. A few years ago there was a crisis in Tupelo,  a Black man was shot and killed by a White officer as he fought with the officer. The community was outraged and as happened across the country, there were protests. They tried to have a community prayer service to pray for healing for the community. The Black churches would not meet with the White churches for prayer. I think that is really sad state of affairs when Black and White cannot meet together to pray for healing. They formed a coalition called Coalition of Concerned Pastors and Leaders.  They wanted to work on healing the divide between blacks and whites, or so they said. They called for Black representation on the Police oversight committee, which makes sense to me. But I asked about White representation on their board. O anyone can attend their meetings, but it seemed when I did attend the board was all Black.  If healing is to occur, I believe both sides will have to work together. Do you know that in DNA only .01 percent of our DNA identifies our race. 50 % of our DNA comes from our parents. 25% from the mother and 25% from the father.  I really went a long way down that rabbit trail.  God created one race, the human race. It is easier to identify the race of an individual by sight that by our DNA.  God bless, LVZ. 

Laminin

Google Laminin and you can find this image.  Laminin is something you will need a microscope to actually see.
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20

Here is another example of God showing us himself in nature.  Men will be without excuse one day when they stand before God, because God reveals himself to us outside of his word in the very universe we live in. The protein that holds our cellular structure together show up under a microscope in a crude form of a cross as show in the middle picture above. When all hell brakes loose and everything is going wrong, God holds us together as he says in  Colossians above. The universe that God created and holds together at his command to this day points to this creator God. It didn't just happen, God spoke the world into existence, even us. And he points to the cross where Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. Jesus is the only way to God. There is no any old way will do, because if it had been possible to find some other way to God; Jesus would not have needed to die and conquer death on that cross when he rose again.  God bless, LVZ.

Valentines Day

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.  Exodus 20:12
Yesterday I saw an example of this that would probably warm anyone's heart.  Barbara has received  a single rose in a vase every year from her son on Valentines Day. She was just beaming when she came home. That is one area as a single mom she seems to have done well teaching her son to honor his parents. Although his dad is still living but was not very involved in her sons life growing up. This son has learned to honor his parents. This scripture says that you may live long in the land the Lord is giving you.
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3“so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-2
Here in Ephesians talking about that same commandment, it says a commandment with a promise; that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life.  A commandment with a promise.  Notice, "so that it may go well with you and you may enjoy long life".  Not just a promise of long life, but that it may go well, and that you may enjoy long life. God gives us these commandments not as a means of making life difficult, but showing us the way to live the best life possible.  These rules and precepts that God lays out for us are for our good. Society will be a better place if we learn to live by God's commands and his precepts and his ways. We will live the best life possible as we learn to live in God's grace.  Barbara keeps those roses every year and they dry out and are saved. She beams as she shows me what she received from her child.  Children note, this is a commandment with a promise and really it is something we all want. It may seem like a little thing, but God honors his promises and if you want to live the best life possible, obey God's commands. All of them, but his one has a special promise with it.  God bless, LVZ.

Solomon Asks For Wisdom

As I write this morning, I am reading in 2 Chronicles. It is the beginning of Solomon's reign over Israel.  Solomon starts off good. God asks Solomon what he desires and Solomon asks for wisdom to lead God's people. God grants his request and because of the unselfish nature of his request he also adds wealth and other blessings.

7That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

8Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. 9Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

11God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.” 2 Chronicles 1:7-12

Solomon was known for his wisdom. I am not far enough in the book of 2 Chronicles to read the story of the two women that are fighting over a child and Solomon commands the child be cut in half, one half to each mother, knowing that the real mother would give the child up to save his life. Solomon had wealth, had many wives and concubines. God blessed him because of his father David and because of his unselfish request.  When I look at the world we live in, are we not selfish? Do we look to consume or can we like Solomon ask for wisdom to lead God's people. Do we look to bless others?
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, Philippians 2:3
Many even in today's society have found success as they valued others and worked to help others. Martin Luther King Jr, worked for the good of society and had tremendous impact on our nation.  Compare MLK to the self serving work of Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton today. I think of Bill Gaither and his work to promote other musicians, he has been blessed in helping others to succeed. I have heard stories of wealthy who consistently gave to others and they seemed to always get more. Our own President Trump has many times used his wealth and good fortune to bless others. Used his private plane to fly a sick child, given opportunity to many others. Here in a man in  our day who has become wealthy and could live in ease his last days, but chose to lead this country for free. He donates his salary to others.  He is under constant battle, just listen to the tweets and facebook posts. He chose to try and lead this country in a better direction and has had to fight for us every step of the way. Do we live selfish lives or are we concerned about others. God was pleased with Solomon's request for wisdom to lead God's people Israel. I believe God is pleased when we try to serve others and make this world a better place.  We can't help everyone, but we can bless those we come in contact with. Like the man walking along the seashore, tossing the starfish that were stranded out of the water. He threw them back in. There were thousands and he couldn't help them all, but it made a difference to the ones he did come across. There is wisdom in helping others. the story is told of a farmer that consistently raised the best corn crop. He blessed his neighbors with his superior seed and in turn his farm was surrounded with better crops. Any cross pollination from the neighboring farms was from his own seed and in turn he still had the best crops. We are to be God's hands and feet.   God bless. LVZ 

If You Seek Him, He Will Be Found

“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. 1 Chronicles 28:9  
Here I come to the end of the book of 1 Chronicles. King David is old and Solomon his son is going to reign as King over Israel.  These words are spoken by King David to Solomon.  God's promise to Israel was conditional, if they followed God's plans , his precepts, his commands, God would establish his throne for ever. The lineage of David would sit on the throne forever if they followed God.  If they forsook God, God would cast them off. As we read the history of the Kings, we now know they did not always follow in Davids footsteps.  God was long suffering  and still honored his word for many generations. God rejected Israel after many bad kings that did not follow after David. If you seek him he will be found. If we search for God, we will find him, if we reject God, we will be rejected for ever. Those that don't follow after God will be rejected for all eternity.  The Bible tells us there is only one way to God. That way is through Jesus Christ our Lord. Under David, they sacrificed animals over and over again. When Jesus came, he was the one sacrifice for all time, for all sin.  I remember the night of my salvation. I did seek Jesus and was forgiven for every sin, past  present and future in that one moment. I did find him and am blessed because of it. Note the scripture above says the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan.  God looks upon the heart, he know the plans of men.
Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Psalm 119:35

Psalm 1

1Blessed is the one

who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers,

2but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

and who meditates on his law day and night.

3That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither—

whatever they do prospers.

4Not so the wicked!

They are like chaff

that the wind blows away.

5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

I love Psalm 1. If we follow God with our whole heart God will watch over us. I know God has been with me every step of the way on my journey since that night in 1984 when I gave my heart and life to God.  Through the troubles, he has been with me. Through the good times God has been there. Through my sins, God has corrected me. I am blessed to have found the Lord. God bless, LVZ. 

In The Image Of God.

It seems the devil uses this racism thing to divide us over and over again. Why can't we see that God only created one race. DNA that identifies each of us singly, can identify our parents and our siblings and other relatives through DNA. Yet according to one article I read the DNA that identifies one race from another is only .01  percent. It is easier to recognize  a persons race by sight than by DNA. Yet a child will have 50 % of its parents DNA but only .01 percent identifies the different races.  Yet by sight I can identify the race of a person before I recognize family features. Different races are a social concept and not a scientific one. As science progresses it is harder and harder to defend evolution. But the creationism  become more credible as science progresses. One of the difficulties the supporters of evolution have is fossil representation of transitional species. There are missing links. And as more and more fossils are found they do not support the evolutionary beliefs because there is no fossil representations of the different steps between monkey and man that were depicted in text books years back. Those were fictional depictions, some artists rendering that were not based on fossil representation. As more and more fossils are found they do not support evolution. The human cell, the human DNA is so complex for it to just happen, with a blog just randomly to happen is just simply unbelievable. One tiny little piece of a cells make up is missing and there is no life.  Even our complex computers with all the electronic pieces in place will not operate with out a program to run it. Why is it so hard to believe in a God that created and programs us?
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 NLV.  Even without the Bible there is so much evidence of God in creation,  man will be without excuse for not believing in God. Man will be without excuse when they stand before God some day. We are made in the image of God every last one of us. I have often wondered at what my DNA would tell me about my ancestors.  Some one showed a beautiful book with many pictures and said would this book just happen with out intelligent design if we just threw paper at a printer? Are we not much more complex that a book, yet we believe it takes intelligent design to create that book, it doesn't just happen. So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 NLV.  It  would seem to take more faith to believe in a mass of stuff to just suddenly evolve into a living thing  than to believe in Gods creative abilities as in the Genesis account. God bless, LVZ.

How I Became a Christian

This morning I am wanting to write down about my journey to God. I was raised by parents that went to church as long as I can remember. I was in Sunday School and what they called Gleaners, the name for pre teenage children group in the church I was raised in. As Teenagers we then became VLB's, Victory Leaders Band.  I remember praying as a 4 or 5 year old child. My earliest memory of a prayer I prayed. I was with my Dad out in the country surrounding Bismark North Dakota where Dad was unloading a load of dirt off his pickup truck. Dad was digging a basement under the house at Bismark North Dakota. Shovel by shovel unto the back of his truck and then into the country to dump it. Dad's truck wouldn't start this particular time and he was angry. I was scared. I walked a few steps away and asked God to please let the truck start. The truck started. I remember that time as Dad said to me you better start praying. I didn't know how he knew I was praying. I remember praying at an altar when I was 11 during some sort of church service, a revival or convention or something in Bismark North Dakota. I remember asking God to take me home, I didn't want to live anymore. I was saved and I wanted to go home with him while I knew I was OK. Of course that was 50 plus years ago and I am still here. I remember there were some older men, older than me praying with me.  I remember hearing them say to each other, did you hear what he is praying? I remember being in Sunday School and I was in a class with teenagers, I was probably pre teen age and they didn't have a class for my age group and they put me with the teenagers. It was pre 1965, because one of the boys in the class said he didn't believe the 1965 cars would come out before the second coming of Christ.  Just some memories that stuck with me for whatever the reason over the years.  I know there were many times I prayed at an altar for salvation in my going up years in church.  Once in a youth camp at about 18 or perhaps it was a men's retreat or something like that as I was a young adult, I remember thinking I wanted to work for God and felt I needed to be a minister or something like that. I didn't want to be around the secular influence of my job at the time. Now I realize that is probably where we do the most work for God, just in our everyday lives as we live out our Christianity before others in what ever we do. I was somewhat active in doing church things even in to my twenties. I became a church treasurer for the small church I attended in my mid twenties. I did a good job of keeping the books for the church, I always had the books balanced down to the penny, I actually loved doing that job as far as record keeping and handling the money. It was also my downfall, because in that position I saw what every member in the church was doing financially. It was foreign to me that some Christians didn't pay tithes regularly.  I remember  one preacher from my youth saying if you have a member that is not paying his tithe, you don't have a saint, you have a sinner. I allowed a root of bitterness to grow in my heart because of the lack of faithfulness in the financial area of church members. I was in a church that taught perfection and I guess I thought that Christians were perfect.  I dropped out of church and thought all Christians were hypocrites for several years. I walked away from church, and thought, its not for me. God didn't let me go. My marriage was also troubled at this time. I got laid off from the job I really liked. It seemed life was really going down hill. I went up into the mountains east of Everett on a logging road as far as I could get. I had a 22 rifle with me and I intended to kill my self. I prayed God if you really love me send someone to help me.  I put the rifle under my chin, but I couldn't pull the trigger.  I cried and cried, feeling like nobody cared, but I couldn't do it. I got the pinto wagon turned around and took the long way home through Darrington. When I got home the momma goat I had at home with triplets had tore herself up in a fence and I didn't have any money for a vet so I took her into the woods to shoot her and the 22 wouldn't fire. I had to borrow a gun to put her down and bury her.  I limped along in life, very discouraged, my marriage was troubled, I was laid off from work, and it just seemed life sucked. My father-in-law called and asked if I would bring Jenie up to a revival he was having in his church to sing. I said sure, no problem, I hadn't been to church in a long time but I was sure I could sit through another church service no problem. I went, it was in Burlington,  WA,  the first Sunday night after the New Years holiday in 1984.  The service progressed, they sang songs, they took up an offering, Jenie sang her special song. It was time for the preacher of the evening. His name was Mike Mathis, he had come from Texas to pastor the little church in Arlington that I had been a member of. Mike got into the pulpit to preach his sermon and he said from the pulpit; "Leon, someday you will stand before God to give an answer for your life. God is not going to ask you who hurt you or who did what to you. The only question he will ask is; What have you done with Jesus? Have you accepted him or rejected him?"  After just those few words I made my way to the altar and asked God to forgive me again. My marriage didn't heal, in fact I went through 4 divorces in about 11 years. I did get back on with the job I loved, but even there I went through more troubles, to the point one day I asked God to help me to go in there, because I was hated.  I had more ups and downs in life, but something had changed.  Every situation God was with me and helped me through it.  I have never regretted that decision to ask Jesus into my heart and life that January night in 1984.  I have sinned and had to repent many times over different things over the years. I have not lived a perfect life. But God had stuck with me through the journey.  I suppose there are more parts to the story, like the prayer I prayed in 2001 when I was driving down Yakima Street in Tacoma and God answered that prayer as I was still driving. I have had ups and downs but God has been with me all the way. I am thankful for that day in 1984 when it seemed everything changed. I still had troubles but God was there to help me and even forgive me when I sinned. I realized life is not perfect but God will help us through every difficulty. When I have sinned he has been there to pick me up and clean me up.  It took me a long time to turn everything over to God. There are still areas of my life God is working on. I am blessed to have known God for these many years. I am eternally grateful for that night in 1984 when I repented of my sins and asked Jesus to come into my heart and life. God bless, LVZ.