Hardest Words To Say

I was wrong. I am sorry. Will you forgive me?  We have all offended someone at sometime. We have needed to say these words.
1And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin^a are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.^b 3Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” Luke 17:1-4.
Forgiving is a core value of being a Christian. It should be a core value of life. If we claim to be a Christian or not, we would benefit from having this type of attitude.  What I see in me is I want to explain myself, why I did what I did, sort of justify our wrong. Perhaps we just say the words and don't mean it. When my grandchildren were little, my granddaughter did something with a stuff animal that was my grandson's favorite. It upset him. She knew she got him, and she says with a big smile on her face, I am sorry.  This was Jewish teaching of the law to forgive seven times in a day. 21Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21-22.  When Peter asked for clarification at a time, Jesus told him seventy times seven. It needs to become a way of life. A core value. Scripture says it would be better for a millstone to be hung around our necks and cast into the sea than to cause a little one to stumble.  Forgiving is that important. True forgiveness comes from the heart. It is a heart issue.  I think we all struggle with saying those words from the heart without explanation, without justifying our actions, just saying I was wrong, I am sorry, will you forgive me? Perhaps it is something we need to practice. Jesus forgave us of worse than anything that was done to us. And he forgave willingly, even to his death on a cross. It really needs to be a core value of life. All of us have offended someone at some time, and all have been offended at some time. One preacher said it is as common as breathing, to offend or be offended. It happens regularly. Have we developed an attitude of forgiveness? We need to. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:15. Here it says we cannot be forgiven if we do not forgive others. It needs to be a core value of life. It needs to come from the heart. It is a heart issue. God bless, LVZ.

My Journey

My journey of faith has been rough. I grew up in a church that taught they were the true church. The next thing I say I want to be careful of. My father was a minister for a time in that church. But he was abusive, his actions did not line up with the Bible he taught as far as a husband that is to love his wife. Ephesians say to love our wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.  Jesus  died for us, his church. But what I have found in my journey is that this church is not the only one that felt that way, they were the true church. One thing I know, I did not wake up the morning after I became a Christian and suddenly knew the Bible from cover to cover. In fact through the years I learned some bad things. Christ one time spoke to the leaders of religion in his day and called them hypocrites. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. Matthew 23:15  We follow the leadership we have. I have and I have had to search for good leadership. I remember the time I went through my first divorce. I was a Christian, this was about 9 years after I returned to Christ. A Christian lady I worked with and I had a talk one day. I expressed the desire to stay celibate during this time of my life. This Christian lady told me I was unrealistic, I lived in the nineties.  Some times we listen to the wrong voices. I had left the legalistic church of my upbringing at this time.  I was in a good place as far as Biblical teaching was concerned. Later the pendulum swung from the legalistic side to the permissive side. I did not want to be legalistic. There are many Christians that are legalistic. I still tend to lean that way simply because of my upbringing. But as I tried to get away from the legalistic view point, I went to churches where people lived together outside of marriage. And perhaps even today there might be those in the congregation where I attend. If so I don't know it for a fact. But I do know that I as a Christian was there myself for a while. After all I was living in the nineties. But this progressive life style has spread even farther, to where it is OK for man to be with man and woman to be with woman.  And we call it good.  Scripture condemns sexual sins, be it man with man/ woman with woman/ or outside of marriage.  My journey went from legalistic to permissive. But am I really grounded in my faith? Am I like Christ in either area? Isn't it Christ that we teach we want to be like. Maybe this blog doesn't make any sense to any one but me. Ever hear of the 4 chairs? Google it. I have sat in different chairs through out my life time. I was in a chair one time where I did not go to church. They are all hypocrites, and I wouldn't go to church at all. For about 4 years, I sat in that chair. then I came back to Christ in that same church. then about nine years after my return to Christ I went through my first divorce.  What a difficult time that was. I had to leave the my home. For a short time I lived in the back of my pickup in the canopy. All my clothes everything I owned was in the back of that truck. My employers security caught me and told me, you can't do this, you got to find a place to live. I went from living in the back of my truck to renting a room, to a studio apartment, to a very small apartment with its own shower and kitchen, to living with a woman in a house. I was searching for a place to belong. My Christianity suffered during this time. I did things I believe were wrong. I got married so as to not live in sin. But that marriage did not last. I married again thinking it is better to marry than to burn. If it doesn't work out I can get divorced again. And I did get divorced again, after one month of marriage we were separated, we got evicted from our apartment and I was told I could come back but she could not. I think God taught me a lesson. I had the most difficult time getting divorce from that woman. I married again and once again I was dealing with a woman that was not faithful.This marriage my fourth, lasted only two years. This time I prayed O God please help me, if you don't want me to be married, help me to be happy and contented in my singleness. Keep me from doing this again. I still struggled being alone. I lived with another woman from Church for a while and that was not good, I knew I did not want to marry that woman. It was a very difficult time in my life. Yet I remained in church. So you could call me a hypocrite, I knew better and I was praying about it, I repented many many times. I believed in Jesus and have asked him many many times to forgive me for the sin in my life. I don't want to sound flippant about it but I really struggled with the sin in my life. I look at those years, and how carnally I lived, while claiming the name of Christ. I think of Ephesians  chapter 5 25Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.^a  I believe God was working on me, washing me with his word. I had a difficult journey through divorce in a progressive society and I didn't do well. Then I think of John.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9. And the next verse continues: If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 John 1:10
Yes my Christian journey has been difficult. I identify with the publican in Luke 13:18. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  Other versions of the Bible call him a tax collector, the lowest of Jewish society.  Yes that was me and I still claim the name of Christ and trust that on Judgment Day I will stand before God clean because I have trusted and believed in his name. I believe Jesus died on a cross for every one of my sins. I remember them and they are not something to be celebrated but scripture says my sins are removed as far as the east is from the west to be remembered no more.  It has been a difficult journey. You can truthfully call me a hypocrite. But I trust in Jesus and his forgiving power. And I will to the day I die. My hope is in Jesus and that he has forgiven me of all my sins. Past, future and present. He died for me on that cross so many years ago and I believe I have been forgiven. I have confessed these and many more sins. My journey has not been easy but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I believe I have been forgiven. I believe I will enter Heaven some day. Eternal death or damnation, or eternal life with God, those are the only choices we have. There is no salvation in any other name under heaven. There may be a lot of hypocrites in heaven, forgiven as they submit to Christ. They will stand before God with out spot or wrinkle because of Jesus.  Cleansed by the washing of water with the word. It has been a difficult journey, one that I do not want to repeat. I am thankful for Grace and Mercy. Getting what I did not deserve and not getting what I did deserve.  God bless, LVZ.

Character Or Comfort

God is more interested in the development of our character than in the provision of our comfort. I am guessing I have blogged about this before, not sure. Bill Wolfson in Hemet CA stated this in a sermon and that is what triggers this blog.  I do not understand everything about God. I do not understand every trial I go through. I do believe that God is more interested in developing my character, than how comfortable I am. I do not understand why some face sickness, as I write this, I know of a ten year old girl that is fighting cancer. We have prayed and prayed for this little girl and the last I heard, hospice is coming to her school one day a week.  I heard in a sermon of a minister that died from his illness, he was planning a writing a book how God healed him, he was truly expecting to get healed, God took him and he never wrote the book. We don't understand. God's ways are higher than our ways. We Christians are criticized for supporting Trump, an imperfect man. Yet we see God's hand in this administration.  Moses led God 's people and he was a murderer.  He got angry and struck a rock with his staff instead of speaking to it to obtain water in the desert. God still allowed the water to come forth, but Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land. We do not always understand everything God does. How could God be with me during all my carnal years, yet I believe he was. Yes he dealt with my character over and over again. Yes he dealt with King David's character over and over again.  He dealt with the prophet Eli's character and he didn't submit, later God took him and his evil sons on the same day. I remember a difficult time in my life and in the midst of this particular trial, I realized how self righteous I was. In that moment I realized I would not have seen my self if it had not been for that trial. I thanked God for showing me and tried to correct my self. But still I don't always see everything God is doing or understand every last detail. But I have seen enough and understand enough to trust God. I want to be able to look at the Red Sea crossings in my  life, to look at God's provision in my desert wanderings to recognize that God is at work in my life, and he is more interested in my character than in my comfort. For that I am thankful, that God takes a personal interest in my life to correct me and change me as I submit to him. 43Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.  Psalm 107:43.  God bless, LVZ.

Another Funeral

I think I have gone to more funerals in the last seven years since I have been to Mississippi that the rest of my life. I guess I am at that age when people younger than me are dying. It is always easier when it is a Christian. I didn't know Kevin personally, I only met him one time. He was only 45. I know his parents and it is not suppose to be the parent that bury their children. But Kevin impacted many people. I know his parents are hurting. But in Psalm 139, which they used at the funeral, something Kevin picked out. God knows every one of our days before one of them is to be. It is planned. Kevin had a brain tumor and he did suffer some. But it was sad for so many people and his wife and two children.  But as scripture says when we are in Christ, Jesus is with us every step of the way, from life and then on into eternity. This life is like a day of training to prepare us for eternity was a thought that was spoken. Think of it, one day of training for an eternity of living.  That is about what it compares to, our life here on earth is so fleeting. I am closer to the age of his parents than I was to Kevin, in fact Kevin is the age of my children. This is a pain of life I have not had to face.

16You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

before a single day had passed. Psalm 139:16

That is one thing the speaker mentioned about Kevin, he knew this day was coming long before it happened, he fought the brain tumor but it took him. That is something I noticed at our Wednesday prayer / Bible study. There were 16 different types of prayer requests and then at the bottom of the page there were 42 names listed as having cancer.  As a Christian we don't always understand why, but as Job says; 10“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Job 2:10 

God brought this calamity upon Job, there is none like Job in all the earth, God said.   Think once again of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 16Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us ^c from Your Majesty’s hand. 18But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18. Their faith was strong in the face of adversity. They did not waver when thrown into the fiery furnace. We do not always understand  the way God thinks or know his purposes. I heard one lady's testimony with many afflictions, she had been part of the name it and claim it crowd and didn't understand why she was never healed, but once she accepted God was sovereign, she has had a good life and is happy in spite of her pain. I think I have over and over again read things about the sovereignty of God,   as I go through the Old Testament.  Kevin's purpose has been fulfilled and he is now with his Lord. One person said, this time on earth is like one day in training for a life in eternity.  There is no sickness, no pain in Kevin's life anymore. God stayed with him through it all. It was told how Jesus did not heal everyone he came in contact with, He can and does, but his purpose was to preach the gospel. That gospel is Jesus is enough, what ever the situation, if we are in Christ we are OK. Some prosperity preachers may tell you that God wants only good and blessing for you, sickness is not for the Christian neither is being poor, but that is not true. They preach Jesus plus, but Jesus is enough, what ever life brings. If we are in Christ, God is with us every step of the way. This life is simply preparation for eternity. One day in training to prepare us for eternity. Don't know what is ahead, but I also am in Christ. I think of the carnal years of my life, claiming to be a Christian but living o so carnal, God brought me through it. He worked on me, cleaned me up, changed my thinking. I once used King David's life as an excuse for my own sin. King David repented and so have I. Life is so short, are you ready to meet God face to face?   16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. John 3:16-18.   Sometimes I am not sure if I am more thankful for Grace or more thankful for Mercy. Grace, getting what I did not deserve or Mercy, not getting what I did deserve. There are only two places to spend eternity, we get to choose where we spend it. God bless, LVZ. 

Set Free

18Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord:
19that he looked down from his holy height;
from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
20to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to set free those who were doomed to die,
21that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord,
and in Jerusalem his praise,
22when peoples gather together,and kingdoms, to worship the Lord. Psalm 102:18-22
In the middle of this passage is the Lord looked at the earth to set free those who were doomed to die. That is every last one of us. Our time on earth is like a vapor compared to eternity. But we are doomed, we all have sinned. Every last one of us. The penalty for sin is eternal death. we are literally doomed to die. That is the bad news. The good news is the gospel, Jesus came to pay the penalty for our sins. He was the perfect sacrifice that was needed to atone for the sins of the world. When I think of eternity, mine to gain and hell to shun, I am not sure what I am more thankful for. Grace, that I received what I did not deserve. Christ paid the price for my sins, every last one of them, and I have my ticket to heaven. Or am I more thank for Mercy, that I didn't get what I did deserve. For my sins I deserve hell. I could have received evil consequences for some of my sins that I did not get. I received mercy. Actually they go hand in hand. I am thankful that God looked down on me from his holy height and extended Grace and Mercy to me. I accepted both when I answered God's knock on my hearts door. God alone is worthy of our worship. I didn't deserve either one, Grace or Mercy. I am thankful for both. Grace that I received of God that I got what I did not deserve. and Mercy that I did not get what I truly did deserve. It sounds like a win, win to me.
16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. John 3:16-21 God bless, LVZ.

Israel in Egypt

8“So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. 9Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. 10You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. 11I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’ Genesis 45:8-11 Here we see Joseph understood he was in his position of authority by God's design. All the troubles he went through in his life God used to bring him to this place. When I think about this and how I am in Mississippi, I believe I am where God wants me to be. I think I have grown in the last few years. One of the things I am grateful for is the church I am a part of. There are containment churches and churches that try to grow people into the best they can be. I believe Hope is the latter.  Hope is not trying to contain people, if Hope is not for you, the pastor will help you to find what you are looking for. I believe their purpose is to grow people spiritually. To borrow the Army's motto, to be all that you can be. Until the last few years, i have never prayed for my President daily, I pray for our church leaders daily.  Hope tried to find places for people to serve others.  hope's vision is to gather, grow, serve, and go. I feel I have learned a lot. I have had a desire for public office, a place to serve. Just a small town board of Alderman, but I lost in the last election. But that desire is still there. I feel that is what Christians need to do, to run for public office.  Christians have stayed out of it for too long because we felt politics was dirty. Well it really is as we have seen in the last few years. Part of the reason our country is in the mess it is, is because Christians have been absent. Our Governor recently made a statement, when he stands before God, he wants to be able to say, he fought for the unborn. Or something similar. Just in the last few days I was at an open house for Eight Days of Hope and was talking to a couple of people about politics, no surprise coming from me. I just picked a table with someone I didn't know, and the conversation was like that about how Christians need to serve others.  Eight Days of Hope is a good example. There national headquarters in here just outside of Tupelo. It was started on a whim, and father and son and a couple of friends went to New Orleans after Katrina hit to try and help out. After that first trip they had donated supplies left over so they decided to continue until the supplies ran out. After the second trip they had more supplies left over than after the first trip. An organization was started and has continued and grown. I think it was Houston Texas, recently they had 5 thousand volunteers show up from all across the country to help rebuild hundreds of homes in Houston. Many years ago when a Tupelo Police officer was killed, Eight Days of Hope,  helped the city of Tupelo fix a home for the widow and her children as the mayor mentioned at this grand opening of their new facility, 60,000 square foot. They believe God orchestrated their development.  They were there to help clean up after the tornado of 2014.  They have a trailer build with shower stalls that they can haul to a disaster site to support volunteers. I think it is 10 or more shower stalls. They have a trailer set up with washers and dryers, I think it was 15 sets, to support the volunteers and even the area so people that have lost every thing at least have a place to wash what clothes they have (free of charge). They have trailers set up ready to go with kits having every thing they need to clean out houses, and dry them out after they are flooded. I think that one trailer had $100,000.00 worth of equipment like commercial dehumidifiers and fans ready to go to a disaster site.  It has crossed denominational lines, as many as 10 different denominations have supported their efforts to serve in disaster areas. I believe they have had volunteers from all fifty states show up at different times.  The 60,000 square foot facility was built with donated labor, a metal construction company put up the metal frame work. The metal roofing and siding was  donated by a local company. Eight Days of Hope tries to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a disaster area, Christians working to serve others. I know I got off track from the scripture above, but this Grand Opening was just recently and on my mind. They have also set up a regional facility in New York, I want to say Buffalo, but I am not sure. A 100,000 square foot facility set up just as this national facility outside Tupelo is. A person donated the 100,000 square foot facility to them. They are working to develop a regional facility in Cedar Rapids IA.   Any disaster and they respond as they did recently in Lee County Alabama after the tornado. Or recently in  South Carolina. God developed this after they volunteered to help in  Louisiana after Katrina hit and it is amazing to see what God has done and continues to do using Christians to serve others in their time of greatest need. Yes they do witness and pray with the people as they go.  I am not so sure I got off track as God orchestrated Josephs life to be in Egypt to save the lives of many.  I have met several people that have retired and serve with Eight days of Hope. Christians are not perfect but they are some of the most giving people I have met. 
Here is a picture of the new facility taken on my phone.  The picture does not show the whole warehouse. An interesting side note. While they were building this warehouse,  they had been using an empty warehouse in New Albany that had set empty for years, the owner could not sell it so he allowed Eight Days of Hope to use it. After they were able to move the equipment here, God blessed the man and he finally sold his warehouse in New Albany.  Global Outreach sits next door and they donated the nine acres of land for this facility. God wants us Christians to be his hands and feet to serve those in need. This, I think is a good example of Christianity in action. God bless, LVZ. 

The Lord Knows

8Take notice, you senseless ones among the people;

you fools, when will you become wise?

9Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?

Does he who formed the eye not see?

10Does he who disciplines nations not punish?

Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge?

11The Lord knows all human plans;

he knows that they are futile. Psalm 94:8-11

Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? Does he who disciplines the nations not punish?  God who knows everyone of our days before one of them came to be. How many times do we think we get away with stuff because the consequences are not immediate. Here we are told to take notice.  Knowledge and wisdom come from God. Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge? Our plans are not hidden from God.  Except the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it. When will we become wise and understand that God is over all. He keeps a record and that record does not lie. God doesn't come down to earth and zap us for doing wrong; many times I imagine he just sits back and watches as we bring destruction on ourselves by not heeding his words. God was so disgusted with the children of Israel when they were about to enter the promised land. He told Moses, I will let them go because I promised it to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but I will not go with them.  Moses pleaded with God and God relented and once again went with them. How many times are we the senseless ones and do not remember the things God has delivered us from. God brought water out of a rock, quail into the midst of the camp, manna from heaven, brought them through the Red Sea on dry land and destroyed the Egyptian army that were chasing them. How many times have I been just like Israel? God extends grace, gives us what we do not deserve; and mercy, does not give us what we do deserve. Noah was righteous in his generation and God spared him and his family. The world around him was evil. Is it not that way to day? Do we think God does not see and hear?  Are we any different than the people in Noah's day? Are we any different that the peoples of Sodom and Gomorrah?  Do we think we will escape punishment for our evil deeds aside from Jesus Christ? Do we think enough good works will erase the bad?  I look back and there go I except for the grace and mercy of God. We escape the punishment  we deserve for our sins, only through Jesus Christ. God sees, God hears and God knows. God bless, LVZ. 

Hear God's Voice

Today, if only you would hear his voice,

8“Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, ^a

as you did that day at Massah ^b in the wilderness,

9where your ancestors tested me;

they tried me, though they had seen what I did.

10For forty years I was angry with that generation;

I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,

and they have not known my ways.’

11So I declared on oath in my anger,

      ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”  Psalm 95:7b-11
I believe these verses are referring back to the children of Israel under Moses. Because of their unbelief they angered God and he vowed they would not enter the promised land.  Then God led them around the wilderness for 40 years until that generation died off. Joshua and Caleb were the two spies that came back with a favorable report,  the other eight spies died with the other unbelievers in the wilderness. It is God's desire that we believe in him. So this applies to us today. We too will not enter the promised land, eternity, if we do not believe in God. God's word is there to tell us the way to God.
  16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.John 3:16
Here it is that belief in God and his son that died on the cross for my sins and yours.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. John 3:18
If we do not believe we stand condemned already. There is no other way under heaven where we can be saved. Our works are not good enough. I can write millions of blogs about God, and it will not gain me a place in heaven. I can give everything I have to the church and it will not gain my entrance into heaven. I must believe in God and in Jesus Christ to gain entry. God is a just God, when the books are opened and our name is not written down, we will not enter heaven and there is only one other place to spend eternity. Believing in God is something everyone is capable of. But it is a choice, a choice that God honors.If he is knocking on your hearts door today, let him in. That is the most important decision of my life time. But I still see a problem in me. I have been very impulsive. Yes I pray and try to hear from God but then I either don't wait for God to answer or go ahead and do what I want anyway. I think I could have fit in with the children of Israel in their wilderness journey.  They angered God being stiff necked. Moses went up on the mountain to talk to God, and they say they didn't know what happened to him and created their own god a calf made out of gold. Moses became angry with these people and during their murmuring, he struck the rock to give them water instead of speaking to it.  I wonder if I try the patience of God sometimes. I have been on this journey a long time, If you count from my childhood when I remember praying to God at age five, I have the children of Israel surpassed, time wise anyway. Yet there I times when I listened and reaped the benefit of actually listening to God.I am still learning and God is still patient with me and is still working on me. A father chastises the son whom he loves. Yes I know God still loves me, he is still working on me. God was ready to sent the children of Israel on into the promised land to keep his promise, but he was not going with them.  Moses interceded and pleaded with God to go with them and God in his mercy continued with his children. I can only wonder how has put up with me all these years, but I am eternally grateful that he has and still is working on me.  I often think of young Samuel and how he said speak Lord for your servant is listening. I so want to be like young Samuel and listen for God's voice. How much trouble I could have avoided, perhaps a wilderness journey if I had learned to listen and recognize God's voice. O God help me to be a Joshua or Caleb and believe in you and listen to your voice. God's voice in what ever way it comes, through a burning bush or circumstance or what ever will agree with his written word. When a voice is contrary to God's written word, it is not the voice of God. God see the future and can advise us if we will listen. The children of Israel could have avoided a wilderness journey of 40 years if they had but listen to the voice of God. They sent ten spies to go ahead because they were not listening. God told them they were able to conquer the land, God was with them. So it is today, God is with us if we believe in him and trust him. Hear God's voice, it will agree with his written word.  God bless, LVZ.

Most High Over All The Earth*

18that they may know that you alone,
whose name is the Lord,are the Most High over all the earth. Psalm 83:18
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.  Isaiah 42:8
For You are great and perform wonders; You alone are God. Psalm 86:10
That they may know that you alone, are most high. Who is the they in this verse? I believe that would be me and you. The humans that inhabit the earth. We are the they that need to know that God alone is over all. He is higher than any other. God does not want to give his glory to another or to a graven image. This is the God of creation. Over and over I hear in the Old Testament that God is sovereign. God is over all the earth. I remember in my early years at the company I worked for for 32 years, someone said; you have to know someone in this company to get anywhere. I remember thinking at that time, I know God and he is over the CEO.
This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of mankind, and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.' Daniel 4:17
Here in Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of Babylon has a dream, and Daniel tells him the interpretation of the dream.  God is going to to take him down and he will eat grass like the beasts of the field until he acknowledges that God is over all. A year goes by and Nebuchadnezzar is reviewing his accomplishments, and a voice from heaven tells him the kingdom is taken from him and he will be driven from it until he acknowledges God. He ate grass of the field just like he was told.  And so it is today, God sets up kings, rulers and takes them down.  Our President has acknowledged God publicly and I believe that is why he remains strong. That is something we all need to learn, God alone is God. No one is higher than God.  God blessed my time at my employer and sometimes I wonder if I progress as I had because I realized God was over all. God does not share his glory with another. This President has done great things in spite of the opposition and the opposition continues. But know that God is over all, and he can bless whom he will for his purposes. He can take them down again just as he did the great and powerful Nebuchadnezzar. God performs his wonders, can heal the sick, raise even the dead. He takes down the rulers and raises them up. God alone is sovereign. God, the Lord is most high over all the earth. Praise his name, he does not share his glory with another. Acknowledge him and seek him while he may be found. God bless, LVZ. 

God Respects Our Choice

If you do not want to live for God, it would be better to never read the word. I am held accountable for everything I know.
Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. James 4:17 (NLT)
When we stand before God on judgement day we will be held accountable for the good that we know but refuse to do. I want to follow God. I read in his word each day trying to learn more. I feed myself spiritually by reading scripture. But I think if you no not believe in God and do not want to believe in him, it is foolish to read scripture. For one thing, I believe as your read the word it will accomplish the purpose for which it was sent. I believe a person that continually reads the Bible will eventually want to follow God. The word is meant to transform us into a new person from the inside out. That transformation begins the moment we believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiving of our sins. I grew up being taught in three separate works of grace. Salvation, sanctification, and being filled with the Holy spirit. Today my understanding is different than it was some 30 or even 60 years ago. I believe the Holy Spirit is in us guiding us from the moment of new birth in Christ. Those that believe the same as  I was taught years ago, that fine, I don't have an issue with with them. But I believe sanctification is a continuing work in our lives as we walk with God day to day and we learn new things. God is washing us with the water of his word as it says in Ephesians. so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, Ephesians 5:26 (NASB).  Here is another thing that changed in me over the years. I use to read the King James Bible  only, having been taught it was the best version. But what happens when you are not English speaking and don't have the King James version in your language?  Sometimes if we are not careful, we add to the word of God and attribute to God those things. I think of a friend recently that felt bad about something he was teaching and someone pointed out to him a different scripture that shed a different light on things. We interpret the word by the word.  We want to be careful with using one off scripture. I do that much of the time, thinking about one particular scripture at a time. Many times there are other scriptures that help us interpret the scripture we are focusing on. Some things are cut in stone, Jesus is the only means to salvation. There is salvation in no other name. Some things are not cut in stone and we may actually believe a little differently than the next person. The example given for that is talking about eating meats sacrificed to idols. Don't do it if you think it will cause a brother to stumble. I don't believe it is wrong to drink a little wine for your stomachs sake, other believe in total abstinence. That is OK too.  The Bible is meant to be lived as we know it, to transform us as we know it. We don't always know everything we read. We may not fully understand it. We are after all works in progress, being sanctified and transformed daily as we walk with God. It is a relationship as we walk side by side with God. It is a lifestyle that we develop as we seek to know God on a daily basis. If I choose not to believe in God, I would not read his word. It is a choice that we make, God does not force himself upon us. God desires we serve him out of love just as he served us out of love and sent Jesus to the cross for our sins. Because he first loved us. God loved us before we ever knew him. But God respects our choice. God may knock on your hearts door, it is your choice to accept or reject his knock. But if I chose not to believe, I would not read or listen to his word, it will condemn you on judgement day.  If you don't believe in God you also don't believe in a judgement day. We will see some day who is right. If I am wrong I have lost nothing, if a none believer is wrong on his choice, he will have lost everything. God does not want us to follow him out of fear but through love. God's love is greater than any other love we will find. It is a transforming kind of love. Even in trials, God may be performing a work in our hearts because of his love for us. What an awesome God.  God loved us before we ever knew him and sent Jesus to the cross for our sins.
God bless, LVZ.

A Thousand Years

2Before the mountains were born

or you brought forth the whole world,

from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3You turn people back to dust,

saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”

4A thousand years in your sight

are like a day that has just gone by,

       or like a watch in the night.    Psalm 90:2-4 
One thing that stands out to me here is a thousand years in God's sight are like a day that has just gone by. God created time, and he can mess with it any time he wants.  As God did in Joshua chapter ten.  Astronomers have found that one full day is missing in our astronomical calculations and they trace it back to the day of Joshua.  Many have tried to explain this happening in many ways and want to dispute that this could happen. The God of creation that set the delicate balance in the universe could do this and he alone. There is a lengthy article that speaks on this subject, I have copied the link here:   https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_625.cfm
The God of creation, that formed the earth, that created time in the first place, why could he not do this? It is God that holds the universe in its delicate balance. God who knows everyone of our days before one of them comes to be. What an awesome God that created all that is and still answers the prayers of man. Our days are numbered, I do not know the number, but God does. God transcends time, he has been from the beginning and will bring us into an eternity. God bless, LVZ.

Righteousness and Peace Kiss Each Other

10Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.
12Yes, the Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
13Righteousness will go before him
and make his footsteps a way. Psalm 85:10-13
Being a Christian is a lifestyle. I know I have said that before. Steadfast love and faithfulness meet. This caught my attention, what does it mean?  Righteousness and peace kiss each other.  The next verse says faithfulness springs up from the ground, righteousness looks down from the sky. There is one that is good and faithful, his name is the Lord. He is our righteousness. His throne is in the heavens and he lives within our hearts. Peace and righteousness go together. You will not have true peace without a relationship with God. That doesn't mean you will not have storms in your life, but you will have peace in the storm, when Christ is your anchor in life.  God makes a way, where there does not seem to be a way. There is peace in a right relationship with God. Righteousness comes from a right relationship with God. There have been many troubles in my life as a Christian, but God often carried me through the difficult times. I think of the poem of footsteps in the sand. It starts out with two sets of foot prints in the sand and then suddenly we just see one set of foot prints in the sand. Those foot prints are God's, that is when he carried us through the difficult times. There is peace in a right relationship with God. Trust him in every difficulty. God will see you through.  God bless, LVZ.

Blessed Is The One Who Trusts In You

10For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
12O Lord of hosts,blessed is the one who trusts in you! Psalm 84: 10-12 
Being a Christian is a lifestyle. We don't know everything the morning after we become a Christian, but we continue to learn all through life.  That is why I keep saying Christians are not perfect, just forgiven.  My thought this morning is, God's precepts, his commands, his laws, they benefit us. It is like learning to forgive, it does nothing for the other guy, but it is for me, it heals me. Someone once said being unforgiving is like drinking poison and expecting the other guy to die.  Being unforgiving only hurts us. The other guy may not have even known what he did wrong.  I think of the commandment with promise, children honor your parents that it may be well with you and you may live long. “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. Deuteronomy 5:16.   It really doesn't do that much for the parent. sure it is nice to be respected and all that , but the promise is to the child. The children are the ones that it will go well with and that the children will have long days. What this means is you give weight to what a parent says. You still have to do what you think is right, but if a parent says something you should at least think about it and ponder it. Don't just throw it away lightly. When you live God's way in a marriage and love your partner, and do for them, give your self for them as Ephesians 5 tells us. we reap the benefit that comes from a good marriage. In life when we consider others better than ourselves instead of the me first mentality, it is we ourselves that reap the benefits. God's ways work, they are for our benefit. Our world will be a better place to live in as we follow God's ways. God bless, LVZ.