Are You Kidding

So here we are in a civil war on Facebook, Twitter, Parler, Instagram, and who knows what else.  If we don't agree with the left they have a bunch of phobic or gynist names for us. If you say only a woman's body can have a baby or menstruate you will be labeled one of those names. We can believe in the flat earth and face less ridicule. We might not want to discuss politics with them but we don't find a Phobic or Gynist name for them. We read or see videos where the defund the police still requested police protection for their protest. And believe it or not, in our great country they probably got police protection as it probably voiced more reason we need police than all their protesting. We read all these reports where masks really don't do much to protect us but we wear them to feel good anyway. The attacks on Trump get worse. He is probably the best President in our lifetime. We protest the wrongful death of George Floyd and kill 17 and more innocent people in those protests. But a leftist wants me to trust them when they say anything. It must be as important as the gospel because a leftist said it. The ones that don't believe in a God-given morality want to be our moral compass. We need to social distance except when protesting and rioting and looting. We don't need voter ID because Blacks can't get ID. Blacks can fly, buy booze, cigarettes, get passports do everything we can do but they can't get IDs. And we are called racist.  And a leftist wants me to trust the left and believe what the left tells me. They don't have a problem with forged national guard papers because the end justifies the means. We have a video of Biden calling for quid pro quo but accuse Trump of it. They want to stop a cartoon because it had a police dog on it. There is more if I can keep thinking of them. We have had the most popular TV shows, where the ones most-watched, got the advertizers because of their ratings, but we must cancel Live PD because they were too popular. We can require masks but cannot require young men to pull up their pants. We can arrest people for opening up their business and working to feed their family, but cannot arrest protestors that burn down buildings, destroy businesses and city-owned vehicles. This is the United States we want to promote?  Are you serious? We cannot refuse to bake a cake or make a flower arrangement but if someone disagrees with our message we can refuse to let them speak. Is it just me or are there some crazy people in this country?  We can fire people for liking the wrong post on social media, but we cannot regulate bad language on social media.  These leftists also want to destroy a government that is better than any other government in the world since the beginning of time.  What in the world do they have to offer?  Everything they have touched they have ruined and people want to put them in charge!!! God help us. God bless, LVZ

So Political

I hate that I am so political. I find I piss off family and friends. But I want to stand up for God.

10Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”

11The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

13But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” Exodus 4:10-13.                                                                                                                         I thought of this verse where Moses is telling God I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to me. I feel the same way, and sometimes I want to say to God Please send someone else. I am not good at the things I do that I feel God has asked me to do. I honestly do not feel I am very good at blogging and writing these things. I do videos and I do not feel very good at it. But God says to Moses, who gives human beings their mouths?  It struck me, God gave me the ability to whatever measure he wanted. Who makes them deaf or mute, or who gives them sight or makes them blind?  NOW GO? The capitalization is mine. I imagine God is getting frustrated with Moses and raises his voice as I do when frustrated. God who knew every one of my days before I was born, if he asked me to do these things, he already knew my ability before he asked. So I continue to do these things, writing a blog and recently started doing videos and I don't even know who reads them or in the case of videos I sometimes know when someone encourages me. I recently blogged about the parable of the talents and it says God gave them according to their ability.  God already knew my ability if this is indeed God. When I first started First Step Prayer, I thought it might just be a grandiose Leon idea. I wasn't sure about it. But as the months have gone by and I see how troubled our land is, I believe God put these things on my heart. I feel I piss a lot of people off here in Mississippi and even back on the west coast. But I feel I am exactly where God wants me to be. In 2000 long before I was ready to retire, I thought about moving south.  But when  I was looking on the internet I was checking out Mississippi. I had never been here to Mississippi before. In 2001 I took a long road trip to Mississippi. Texas is south, Alabama is south as are Georgia and Florida.  But my focus seemed to be on Mississippi. I did have a friend from 1998 that was from Natchez, but I also had a long time friend from Alabama. God knows every one of our days. I believe God was preparing me for where I am right now. I don't understand a lot of this, but I believe I am where I am supposed to be. I have still made mistakes, but moving here is not one of them. We are in troubled times. It is like a civil war on social media and I often feel I am in the middle of it. I am not eloquent, I often listen and read back what I speak and write and I see so many mistakes. But God gave me what ability I do have. He allowed me to speak and didn't make me deaf or mute. Here I am, I feel like Moses but I don't want to bury what God gave me in the earth and dig it up when he returns. He knew before he sent Moses, what talent and abilities Moses had. Perhaps it was Moses's heart that God saw. Moses that did not like seeing his fellow Israelites mistreated. The Moses that helped his future wife water their stock. The Moses that pleaded with God to spare Israel when God became angry with them in the Wilderness. God looks on our hearts, just like he did with King David. God gave us Trump, a fighter. God knew ahead of time what Trump would face. God knows what I will face, and I believe he is telling me to continue to pray for our nation even if it is by myself.  He gave me a mouth and what little writing ability I have. I can argue with God, I am not good enough, but in the end, perhaps God is saying I already knew your abilities before I asked you to do anything.  So this is the real me, ability, or lack of it trying to do what God has laid on my heart. If I am pleasing to God that is what really matters. God bless, LVZ. 

Slaves?

15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.  Romans 6::15-18 
Slaves a word that gets kicked around so often today.  We in this country had a past history where a small percentage of our collective ancestors had slaves. Today we hear the term leave the plantation, the Democratic plantation.  We call those that believe the Democratic lies slaves to the Democratic plantation. At least that is what we hear from the other side, the conservative side. I don't mean to make this a political post. I just want to look at current happenings as I ponder this word. We are slaves to the person or group or ideology we obey.  I want to put out a positive message. We hear day after day after day a negative message. It is meant to tear us down, to discourage us. These verses above tell us we are all slaves to the one we obey. Many of us are slaves to the evil one and don't know it.  We can be slaves to the righteous one. the God who sent his Son to die on a cross for our sins. There is a sin problem in our world today. There was evil in the heart of the man that kneeled on George Floyd's neck until George died. That evil is caused by our sin nature. We are slaves to sin. But what I find so interesting is so many that are protesting the death of George Floyd are slaves to the same evil one.  The very same evil one that goes around spreading discord in our nation. We are slaves to the evil one when we go around our country and kill others in the name of George Floyd. We are slaves to the evil one when we destroy businesses and police vehicles and homes and lives. You are indeed slaves to the one you obey. But we can be freed from the evil one and be his slaves no longer. The Bible tells us we serve one or the other. We either serve God or mammon.
Why not say--as some slanderously claim that we say--"Let us do evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is just! Romans 3:8
24“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [i]mammon.Matthew 6:24:8 (KJV)
Mammon: wealth regarded as an evil influence or false object of worship and devotion. 
So today we find so many doing evil that good may result. It does not happen that way.  If we go around doing evil, good is not going to happen as a result of it. We can destroy, riot, loot and protest in the name of George Floyd hoping to change our country and all we will accomplish is to destroy it. You do not accomplish good by doing evil. Your actions tell who you are serving. You cannot serve God and Righteousness by doing evil. You are a slave to sin and the evil one. But God sent his some Jesus to the cross to die for our sins that we could be freed from the bondage of the evil one. It requires a heart change. There was evil in the heart of the cop that killed George Floyd just as it is evil in the hearts of those that are killing in the aftermath of George Floyd. You will not fix this country by destroying it. It is a heart condition that only Jesus can fix when we allow him into our hearts and lives. This verse talks like we become slaves of righteousness doing the will of God. We serve one or the other. It sounds much better to serve God. But it requires a heart change. God bless, LVZ.

A Tree

That 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. Psalm 1:3

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23
Psalm 1 has been a favorite Psalm of mine. The Psalm is describing a Christian as a tree planted by streams of water.  My thought today is the fruit that tree should be bearing. Often when we think of fruit we also think of the tree that bears that fruit. Jesus went to a fig tree to get come figs off of it and it was baren and Jesus cursed the tree and it withered and died. Mark 11. So this fruit that we as Christians are to have is called the fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit of God. Notice it is fruit, singular. Even though there are nine things listed is does not say fruits, it says fruit. We are to have all nine items hanging from our spiritual tree. We are to show love, in the things we say and do. If ye love me keep my commandments, scripture says in one place. By our love, people will know we are children of our Heavenly Father. Love is part of the fruit hanging from our spiritual tree. Joy is the next one and that should be evident even when we go through hard times. Right now Christians across the world are in a spiritual battle and it is depressing, but we should still have joy because we know our God is sovereign. He is in control and this hatred and fear that are sweeping across our land did not catch God by surprise. We should still be joyful because God is still in control. Whatever happens in November is because of God's will, nothing to fear. Peace, we are to have peace. This no justice, no peace is not scriptural. Even when things go wrong we are to have peace, God is still in control. Forbearance is not a common word today and I think we would better understand it as tolerance. Patience, self-control, restraint and tolerance are all similar words. This is something that seems to be in short supply today in our nation. If we don't think like the left. we are called racist and worse. This spirit that does not tolerate the other side is not from God. Yes we need to stand for our beliefs but it can be done without tearing the other side to shreds.  Kindness, when I think of this word sometimes when we show kindness we leave somethings unsaid that we would like to say.  Like the little picture I have on my wall, THINK before you speak, T- is it true?, H- is it helpful?, I- will it inspire?, N- is it necessary?, and K- is it kind? I don't always think of every one of these before I speak. Goodness, when I think of this word do we desire to teach our children to be successful or good. Which is more important? Faithfulness to our cause. Are we faithful? Gentleness is often viewed as a weakness but it actually shows strength, especially when we can still be gentle under pressure.   Self-control seems to be lacking in our culture today. Do we do what is right or what we desire? This fits in with so many of the previous words, do we show love when it is hard to do so, are we kind when it is difficult? Are we still joyful under difficult circumstances or has our countenance fallen?  Do we have peace in the midst of the storm or do we react negatively to the circumstances we are facing? Self-control seems to be an intrical part of the other eight, I think they all fit together and thereby are called fruit, singular.  Is this the fruit our spiritual tree is bearing? In 2 Peter is a somewhat similar list and it says if we have these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep us from being ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of Christ. Christ is the one we follow as we try to be a tree planted by that stream of living water.  For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8   God bless, LVZ.

Look Up and Inside

8Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or dissension. 1Timothy 2:8
Hard to do, it really is. We are being bombarded with hate and fear every day. We do not trust in horses and chariots, I think Psalms 20 tells us. Without anger and dissension.  This that we are being bombarded with is not from God. Hatred for our fellow man does not come from God. Dissension does not come from God. These things that are tearing our country apart is not coming from God. This is spiritual warfare we are in and it is meant to tear us down. But our hope is not in man's ability. The left thinks our hope is in Trump, it's not.  We don't trust in what we see here below. How many stories have we read where God made water come out of a rock? Manna from heaven? Have we not read where Joseph was sold into slavery but God was preparing him for something great to save his children Israel. When it looks bleak, God is at work. What we are seeing is not real. This fear and hatred that is being thrust upon us every day in every newscast is not from God.  It is like every rope hanging from a garage door is a noose. Like they say "Fake Noose", (Fake News). We are being bombarded with it every single day. Every day we hear the latest tally of the dead. Go to your Facebook home page and on the left is the COVID -19 information center.  I did not ask for that on my page. I don't even want it there. The enemy of our soul wants us to fear, turn on the news, it will be George Floyd's wrongful death or Rashard Brooks. God does not call us to fear and hatred. God does not call us to kill 17 or more innocent people because of a wrongful death. God does not call us to burn down the Wendy's because a man resisted the police and in the scuffle and running away got shot in the back. These actions are from the evil one. Meant to tear us down. Stay in prayer, keep hoping in God. Keep looking to the hills where our help comes from. GOD made heaven and earth. God was not taken by surprise when COVID -19 happened. God knew the day and the hour when George Floyd would leave this earth as well as Rashard Brooks, Micheal Brown, Eric Gardener and so many others. God is still on this throne and I imagine him shaking his head and saying when will they learn to call on me? Our help comes from God who made each one of us and the whole earth. I think of the young man that sat on the train tracks a few years ago locally, wanting to end his life. He is more messed up than before but still living. COVID -19 will not take you out before God says so. God is saying my children put your trust in me. I am still on the throne above heaven. I still see the deeds of mankind.  It is not the time for you yet, keep praying and keep trusting. Not in anger, not in fear, they come from the evil one but look around GOD is still painting the evening skies in the west. It does not matter if Trump loses or wins. God is the God of the people in China and Russia and Iran. He transcends all governments. They cannot take out Trump with every dirty tactic they throw. It will be according to God's will. God gave us Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush Clinton, Bush Obama and even Trump. God is still in control and it happens according to his plan.  We just keep praying. I remember reading of a King in Israel or Juda in the book of Kings, I forgot his name, but he was only king for seven days. God allowed him to take out the evil family before him, that was it and then God took him and set someone else up as king. We are so divided, we allow the evil one to trouble us with what is happening and God is still there working his will in his time. I think of the native Americans that have seven directions, not just North, South, East, and West but Up, Down, and Inside.  Are we looking up and inside?  God is still on his throne, none of this is taking him by surprise. Look up and Inside, God alone has the number of our days. Are you ready to meet him face to face? God is only a sinner's prayer away. God forgive me a sinner. God bless, LVZ.

Are We Going To Get What We Deserve?

21you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”  Romans 2:21-24
 As I am praying and thinking/meditating on God's word,  reading the scripture above, it scares me what the future holds without God.  Morality comes from God, from the Ten Commandments, God's word. There is no morality that just comes naturally. We are fools if we think otherwise. You who teach against adultery, do you commit adultery? Do we do the things we teach against? It bothered me when I was living a carnal lifestyle and it should have. We who want to teach the law, do we break it?  When God looks into our hearts what does he see?  Do we look like Jesus? Is morality something we just speak about or is it how we live? God bless, LVZ

Videos

I watch a lot of other people do videos. I started to do some of my own and when I look at them I see myself not complete sentences, broken thoughts, incomplete thoughts. Mispronounced words every so often. But I still want to do them. I see the lighting in the background was awful and I tried to make it better. I catch myself and see when I don't complete a sentence. I am not very good at it, but it is still in my heart to do them when I feel strongly about an issue. Will I get better? I hope so. But I think of our heavenly father taking us where we are and fixing us. That is the amazing thing about becoming a Christian, we start right where we are. We don't wake up the next morning and know how to live a Christian life perfectly. We have rough edges, we have imperfections and our Heavenly Father works on us and in us and makes us into the image of his son. Maybe it is a passing fancy and I'll get over it, I see enough of my mistakes and I will quit. But God doesn't quit on us. It doesn't matter how bad we are, he continues his work in us. I have started several things in my life that have not been successful compared to what I think is successful. I started First Step Prayer in Verona and would like to see at least a representative from each of the Christian Churches in Verona to participate. When I look at what is happening in our nation today, I am convinced more than ever God laid this on my heart. What God is happy with I may never know except God says obedience is better than sacrifice.  I'm trying to be obedient. I started writing a blog over  8 years ago and in my eyes, I have not been very successful, but I don't see what God sees and if he is pleased I am successful. I remember years ago a supervisor told me, Leon, you do more than you even realize. It seems I had an influence outside the little office area I worked in that I was not even aware of.  I may not see everything that God sees. If I am found pleasing to God that is what really matters. Sure I think of the people that have a video go viral or a post get a lot of views. I was reminded of the man that led Billy Graham to become a Christian. I can't even remember his name, but just about everyone knows the name, Billy Graham. Billy Graham has had a tremendous impact, but who even remembers the name of the man that won Billy Graham to the Lord? I remember that time of struggle leading to my becoming a Christian, it was like God was saying if you think it is so easy show them how it is done. I think in my own way I am trying to do just that. Whatever God asks us to do we do it the best we know.  That is what being a Christian is doing what God asks you to do. It may not be popular, it may not get a lot of attention but if it pleases God, someday you will hear the words well done. God bless, LVZ.

Our Actions

What do you base your actions on? I have been called a hypocrite because on my Facebook my profile picture says "pray for 45".  The person that called me this is probably a 20-year friend.  I have questioned the using of George Floyd as an excuse for BLM and ANTIFA to protest, riot, loot and I think the last total is 21 other people have been killed in these riots. The stats anyone can find do not support the narrative that the police are racist and go around killing young unarmed black men. In my cover photo on Facebook which Shows behind my profile picture is 1 Timothy  2:1-2


 I wonder what this person uses to justify the killing of 21 people because of the wrongful death of an unarmed black man. They scream no justice, no peace. If these 21 wrongful deaths are justice for the death of George Floyd, what will the justice be for those wrongful deaths?  People are now out of control. There was another death that is now being protested. A drunk man fell asleep in Wendy's drive-through lane and Wendy's called the police.  The police came, a fight started as they were about to arrest him. In the struggle, the drunk managed to get one officer's taser and started running away.  As he was running with the police after him, he turned around to shoot the taser at an officer and he was shot in the back. It is a justified shooting but the officers have been fired. If this is what justice looks like, what will be the justice for this killing and how many more will follow it. Someone said the Wendys was burned down. This is all because some don't like that Trump won an election and seems to have a good chance at reelection for a second term. What truth do these idiots base their unlawful behavior on? The black lives matter and Antifa mobs? There are consequences for our actions if not in this life than in the next. I am not afraid to stand before God because of the above pictures. What will this friend and so many others say when they face God? What will those that killed these other 21 people say when they face God? I hope they ask to be forgiven before they reach their finish line. It is crazy like one virtual mob after another on Facebook.  Even if there is no justice on this side of eternity there will be on the other side. God knows the truth of every situation and of every heart. The record God keeps does not lie. I will continue to pray for my President.  God bless, LVZ.

The Anger

One thing that stands out almost every day when listening to the news or listening to post on Facebook or other social media is the anger.  I feel it and I really think everyone does.  Anger is an emotion and I feel so much of what is happening is driven by emotion. Have you ever gone through a divorce or other personal issues where emotions have been high?  One piece of advice almost always given and if it wasn't given it should have been given is this: Don't make important decisions in this time period. WHat until the emotions subside. Because you can make a mistake in judgment when your emotions are running high. So when you join a mob are your emotions running high? Think about the fact that people rioting and looting because of the George Floyd death has taken the lives of 21 more people. How does that make any logical sense? Many in these mobs are angry and they might have a right to be angry about some injustices. But are they really making a rational decision when they get caught up in the emotions that are running high and do something that could land themselves in prison for the rest of their lives? I do not want to even listen to the news anymore at all. Even if I try to listen to the local news sooner or later it goes to the issues we are facing in this nation and we are angry. The left is trying their hardest to keep us angry until November so we will not think rationally. It is not President Trump that is dividing our nation. We see him over and over again spotlighting some person or group of people that are making a difference in our land. He has probably recognized the good deeds of Black people more than even Obama. What are we really angry about? Is it the Corona virus? Or is it actually the lockdown,  the loss of jobs, the loss of freedom we are all facing. I use to sit with some guys almost daily and talk just talk about anything. Barbara and I use to go out to dinner on Friday night with a group of friends and we have not been able to do that for a long time. We have loved ones or friends in the hospital or in a nursing facility and we cannot visit them. A friend for family member dies and we are unable to attend the funeral and we always have been able to do that for my whole life. In just a few months time we have lost much freedom just in these few things. We are angry. They talk about a new norm, they are trying to keep this going until November. Hoping we will not reelect Donald Trump. Do you really think all the expensive sports stadiums and race tracks and concert venues will never be able to operate again in our lifetimes under the new norms? One person described this as burning down a house to get rid of a mouse. All this is designed to bring down one man Trump. They will destroy us all if it takes that to put themselves in power. I believe once Trump is gone we will have the old normal back but is that really what is best for us? We need to calm down and look at the situation. We need to recognize this shutdown was not caused by Trump, the losses we are facing were not caused by Trump but by the establishment in Washington to defeat one man. Isn't it amazing how much we have gone through leveled at just this one man?  Think Russia hoax, impeachment, and one thing after another for three years plus all leveled at this one man.  He has exposed more corruption in DC than anyone before him because he is not of the elite society that governs us.  They have enriched themselves at our expense. Health care way above what we receive.  Retirement, just work four years in the government and get a full pay retirement after just those four years. How many poor people when to Washington DC to represent us and after a career in politics has ended up millionaires? I snitched on a man that was stealing from the company and the main reason the whole shop was mad at me it ruined their chances to do the same thing, to work on projects for home at the job, and getting paid for it. It is sort of the same thing and they know it, If Trump cleans up the swamp and we put in regulations to make the people that represent us live under the same rules as the rest of us, it ruins the good thing they have going. Not all the people at Boeing had the same opportunity, it was mostly the people in Mockup that had these cushy jobs and they knew it. I was ruining it for them and at least one man explained it that way to me. That is why they were mad and made everyone else mad at me even if they did not partake of the same unofficial benefits for working in mockup. That is about as good of an explanation as I can give. We are angry but let us calm, down and think it through. We do not receive the same benefits and retirement and healthcare and even protection from being sued for improper sexual conduct as those people in Washington that are supposed to represent us. Have they lost wages as so many Americans have when they cannot work? No, it has not affected them, but they want us to be angry and keep them in office and not think this through. God help us, LVZ.

Discernment

14But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:14
In reading Hebrew 5 this morning this stood out to me. We have a spiritual problem in this country. Are we still able to discern good from evil? When we see the mobs on Facebook on both sides I begin to wonder. So I am writing this, so I must be mature? I wonder? 2 Chronicles 7:14 is telling Christians like me to turn from our wicked ways. I am on one side of this political battle which is actually a spiritual battle and thee are ministers of the gospel that are vocal on the other side. I read my Bible every day, I pray, and I ask God to help me. Don't these Pastors do the same?
Look up deception or being deceived, you can even google it and you will be overloaded with scripture to tell us to be careful. And you will find warnings about pastors and teachers. I fit into that category because even though I do this practice to feed myself I post this for all the world to see. Do you believe what I write because I write it and perhaps I seem spiritual? SO are these Pastors and teachers on the other side. Does the fruit off of our tree match what we say?  Do we pick and choose which scriptures we choose to obey and discount others? Notice the word constant practice, that is what I try to do every day, make this a constant practice. Which of us is wrong? I want to be so careful with my words. Anger does not produce the righteousness of God. Do you have any idea how angry I am at things that are posted on Facebook? On top of that, someone was angry and called me a hypocrite because I posted pray for 45 and on my Facebook cover page I show 1 Timothy 2:1-2.  It is a scary world we live in. Pastor friends have Black Lives Matter on their profile picture and post inflammatory articles. I posted negative stuff about Joe Biden and here we go with a war of words. It seems to me that turn from your wicked ways is more relevant than ever. Are we really discerning good from evil or are we part of the problem and are the ones that are calling evil good and good evil? Don't think because I write this I think I am exempt, This word is for me to check myself and if you are reading this, you may need to look in the mirror also. Civil authority is meant for our good, the President, and on down the line to the policemen that are being attacked in our current time.  There is a major spiritual battle going on in our country today. Am I on the side that is promoting good works or am I on the side that is working to destroy? When I see what is happening in our world today it is so easy to become angry, but am I trying to distinguish good from evil? Am I trying to use discernment? I think many times the anger clouds our judgment and I wonder if we are seeing clearly. When Christians should be uniting in prayer and building a bridge across the divide in our country we seem to become part of the problem. I hope I write this in accordance with one finger pointing outward and three pointing back at me. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord. I looked at my hand just now as I made a pointing finger, and noticed the thumb was pointing upward. Am I looking upward? Are there three fingers pointing back at me? God help me to look at my own wicked ways. God bless, LVZ.

One Talent

In Matthew 25:14-30 is the Parable of the Talents. The Master preparing to go on a long journey and he entrusted to his servants his property. He gives one servant ten talents, he gives the second servant two talents. To the third servant, he gives only on talent. He gives to each according to his ability.  This parable has stirred me to try to do more of late. I don't want to be the one talent person that hides what the master has left in his hands and buries it in the ground to hide it. Much of my life I wanted to hide. In the dysfunctional home I grew up in, I learned the inner do not talk rule and it has governed me most of my life.  I was happy to be in the background and do my job. I always found people that knew more and were smarter than me. One day that parable hit me and I realized I just wanted to bury what God gave me in the ground because there are always people who are smarter and more talented than me.  I do not believe when I say I am a one talent servant that I am displaying false humility. I remember the story of a preacher that wanted to show how humble he was so when he would go up to preach as he got to the stage, he would crawl on his hands and knees to the pulpit and them pull himself up by the pulpit to show how humble he was. Probably just an illustration. That is not why I say that. I look at the videos I have done and I see so many that do much better. I don't talk smoothly. I don't like looking people in the eye and I do the same thing in my videos. I don't stutter but I don't complete thoughts, I mispronounce words. I repeat myself. Maybe with practice, I'll get better. I am the same way in my writing as I am doing now. I am unsure of punctuation, I misspell and thank God for spell-checking. I see people gathering for prayer and they have crowds, I have never had more than eight people in attendance at First Step Prayer. The last two meetings were three people. I look at all this as my ability is not that great. BUT I push myself to do what I feel God has laid on my heart. If God has laid it on my heart it is the Talent he wants me to take care of until he returns.  I want to make excuses like Moses.  But here I am and I keep trying. I keep writing and every so often I do another video. I try to talk from my heart. I do not want to stand before God and say I knew you were a hard man... And God says to me thou worthless and unprofitable servant. I want to be able to at least stand before God and say I tried. I really think there are a lot of us that can always find someone better, more talented but that does not give us an excuse to do nothing. All of us one talent people need to stand up and be counted. God is watching and listening. I have often heard more important than ability is availability. I want to make myself available and do what I can. God bless, LVZ.

Angry Times

We are living in angry times. I have been writing a lot as of late, stuff I don't feel comfortable posting. I see such a divide in our country between Black and White. We hear about White privilege and we see what I would describe as pandering.  I am reading in my devotional time in Acts. This morning in Acts chapter 19 and there were difficult times for Paul. He was preaching and teaching about Jesus and having a tremendous impact.  There were silversmiths that lived in Ephesus that made silver statues to the goddess Artemis. It was affecting their livelihood, they made these silver statues of Artemis to live on and it was just one silversmith but at least several. This guy Paul is doing us damage and they stirred up the people against the people of the way as they called it at this time. The people of the way were believers in Jesus as Paul preached. There was a lot of anger being directed at the disciples. Here we are in this country facing angry times. What are people so angry about. They are being stirred up right now about two main things. The economic shutdown, the destroying of small businesses. The rules that are being forced upon us. We walk to go into the store at Walmart and the entrance is marked off with tape so we are made to walk 50 feet further and then back to the doors to go in. I have watched this numerous times and it does nothing. If people are going to follow the social distancing, they follow it. So what if you parked 50 feet further into the parking lot you can distance yourself if you want to as you walk up to the store. The courthouse has a person at the door directing you to wear a mask and providing one for you if you don't have one. then instructing you to keep six feet away from the next person by standing at lines marked on the floor. Tire shop had a person outside addressing everyone that came to the tire store outside and directing you into the office one at a time. The barber had to hire a person to stand at the door and ask questions before you came in and give you a mask and let you come in one at a time.  These are crazy times. Then people start protesting this George Floyd death and when they protest, they are not keeping their distance and the stupid leaders in Washington want the discord hoping it will keep Trump from being elected and they want to loosen the rules for these protestors. But when Trump wants to have a rally, they second think that and decide no we can't do that. Whatever we do it must hurt Trump's chances at reelection. It is that crazy in our country right now. And so much of it is simply to keep Trump from being reelected. It is crazy. Politicians do photo ops. I remember Dixie Lee Ray in Washington state, I think her big thing was all these photo ops when she was governor. She would get photographed on a Caterpillar, then int the Tulip fields, one crazy photo op after another. Our President did a photo op in front of a famous church near the White House holding up a bible. Then the Democrats do a photo op wearing Kente Scarfs and kneeling. Then someone reports that the scarf represented a tribe that had sold other blacks to the Europeans into slavery. It is crazy. that is what we are facing in this country. Fear of the Coronavirus. Anger at the death of a criminal that was high on drugs at the time of his death by the hands of police. People are being stirred up hoping to keep Trump from being reelected. I did a simple search on google and do you know the videos of George Floyd's funeral being shown on the news coverage were about 13 hours long compared to about 8 hours for President George H W Bush's funeral in 2018. I want to remember to acknowledge the family of George Floyd, it was a wrongful death. They are legitimately hurting. But this is crazy to make a saint out of a life long criminal. He did nothing in comparison to a President of the U.S. It is only because of a wrongful death of an unarmed black man at the hands of a White Police officer.  No one is defending the police officer.If he had been killed in the same manner by another black man that was not a cop we would not even hear about it. All this protesting could end up hurting the prosecution of a person that needs to spend the rest of his life in prison. What do you think will happen if they overcharge this cop with second-degree murder and he gets a very good lawyer like OJ Simpson and gets off. The charge is too high and the cop really did wrongfully kill the man. What will happen then? What if he gets off because of a good lawyer and a technicality? So much of this is fake to keep Trump from being reelected. Hate and fear is being used to keep a good man from being reelected. Is this not insane? But still we cannot get Christians to gather together to pray for our nation. We can protest. Some will loot and riot, burn buildings, loot stores, and protest for justice when four police officers have been fired and have been charged with murder/manslaughter. What if all this happens to hinder finding an unbiased jury and the cop gets off? I believe it could happen. This is known internationally.  This anger is not accomplishing anything good.  This lockdown is not accomplishing anything good. What the hell is the matter with the U.S.? God help us. LVZ.

Lystra

Here in Acts chapter 14, we read where Paul was stoned and left for dead outside the city of Lystra. There was much persecution from the Jews even in other countries and cities far removed from Jerusalem. Paul was now preaching to non-Jews the gentiles. Why is there such great opposition to this Christian faith? The demons of Hell work hard to keep anyone from escaping their doom. In our own country at this time the battle we are facing seems to be political but in reality, they are spiritual battles. Battles between good and evil. I believe if Hillary had won instead of Trump in the last election, the economy would not have grown like it did under Trump. We would not be facing a lockdown and economic shutdown. The left would be in power and there would be no need for these battles. The media would be praising everything she did as we sink into socialism and take more of our freedoms away. Remember a few years ago when Christians were killed and they were called Easter Worshipers? I just recently listened to Glenn Beck and he was angry as he spoke about how he supported the lockdown because he believed the narrative about flattening the curve so our hospitals would not be overwhelmed. But then we see these crowds of rioters and looters and the same people are making excuses for them. The same people that told us the good people to stay at home. Now suddenly its not that important when looters are stealing and destroying businesses.  Even going so far as to call it good. It is a battle between good and evil. Our government works for good people, people that will self govern and be self-controlled. He spoke of the Tea Party protests of years ago that were nothing like the looting and stealing we see today and they were called evil and needed to be stopped.  But some of these idiots on the left are encouraging these looters and rioters and even going so far as to bail them out of jail. Yes, tempers are high and police are doing a very difficult job trying to protect people and property and at the same time seeing these activities encouraged that put them in danger. Now we see police being targeted and shot. I think there have been 16  or 17 deaths as a result of the protests, looting, and rioting over the death of a career criminal. Chanting no justice, no peace. Where is the justice in killing these 16 or more people over the wrongful death of one man? No one is defending the police involved in this wrongful death. We will not see the end of bad police action occasionally as long as there are humans. Why do we pick on the police and expect them to be perfect when they have one of the most difficult jobs around? Incidents are far and few between but in an election year, especially when the conservatives look to be in the lead, expect them to be on national news and every name that fits the same narrative for the last ten plus years to be mentioned again. After the election year is over it will not make the news anymore. This is a battle between good and evil and we need to pray and pray and pray. If we win it will be God's will and nothing short of another miracle. The demons of hell are fighting against our freedoms. But to lose our freedoms will not be a peaceful existence either. This is a battle between good and evil and we need to stand up and fight by kneeling and praying for God's will to be done.  God bless, LVZ.

Shirttail Relations

26And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, Acts 17:26-27 
Here in Acts, I find this verse: God made every nation from one man. This is the Apostle Paul speaking in Athens and he sees all these idols people are worshiping, and actually saw one inscribed to the unknown God. And this is the unknown God Paul is telling them about, the creator of all that is. The God that gives breath and life to each of us. There is one race, the human race, we all came from one man and woman named Adam and Eve and we even have a common ancestor closer that Adam and that is Noah and his wife and their 3 sons and wives. All the millions were drowned in the flood at that point except for Noah and his family. Everyone on earth today came from one of Noah's sons. We need to begin to look at Character once again and forget about the skin tone.  They created mobs in the days of Acts to fight against the truth and it seems the same is happening today. We all have a common ancestor and his name is Noah. This truth comes from the word of God. All nations, all ethnic groups came from Noah and his sons. We are all shirttail relations. God bless, LVZ.

Racism Is Wrong

There is something about a post I saw on Facebook that just bothers me so I feel I have to write about it. There is no doubt in my mind that racism is wrong.
RACISM :
: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race

 I saw this post on Facebook and at first glance, it seems sound.

We can disagree on many things & still remain friends. Racism isn't one of them. #Period 100

But right from the start it didn't feel right to me. And that is why I want to talk about it. I had that same feeling some years ago when I first ran across this question on Facebook: When did you decide to be straight?  It implies without saying so that God made Gays the way they are. That it is not a choice.  Yet homosexuality is a sexual sin as is adultery. So I compare it to another sexual sin. Adultery,  when did I decide to be an adulterer?  There it is not looking so innocent. I had a choice when adultery presented itself to me. I acted on it and it became easier and easier to excuse it. I had that same feeling when I saw the statement about racism. Am I a closet racist and don't know it, is that why it gave me that sickening feeling that something wasn't right about that statement. Once again Racism is wrong.  But does that mean when someone thinks Trump is a racist and I don't think he is, we cannot be friends?  I remember when Obama first ran for president if you disagreed with Obama's politics than you were racist. I don't think it ever happened with a candidate before that if you disagreed with him then you were racist. This almost feels like it falls in the same bucket as your truth my truth.  I don't know if I am over analyzing this or not but something with that statement strikes me as wrong. I am not sure I can really put my finger on it. In the south, the racism that exists between Black and White occasionally raises its ugly head and I do feel it is a spiritual problem in nature. It would seem prejudice is closely associated with racism. We all have prejudices. It was just a feeling when I first read that statement that bothered me. I am not sure I explain it well. Often we hear racism used when we disagree with someone like Trump when everything else fails he is a racist and perhaps it is seeing that used as a catchall that causes my feeling that all is not well with that statement. It is not used just against Trump but many conservatives as well. When we disagree with a leftist position we are racist. I think perhaps that is what causes the uneasy feeling with that statement. God is not racist and in His sight we are all the same. It is sin that is the root of racism.   I think writing this down has helped me to understand that feeling I got when I read that statement.  IF racism is systemic in our nation it is because sin is systemic. So perhaps I should shut out all sinners also? That I know is not right because God reaches out to all sinners. Loves the sinner and hates the sin. I think I am really beginning to understand why it didn't feel right.  God bless, LVZ.

Angry Mobs

I have seen so many angry posts in the last few days. I listen to Dennis Prager fireside chats every week and this week he was notably angry. He even said at the end of the chat that it was his angriest fireside chat ever. I happened across Glenn Beck, I have never listened to him before so I don't know his normal disposition, but he was very angry in the post I saw this week. I was on Facebook and I saw a post from a pastor friend of mine and I was very disturbed by what a pastor was posting. And as I was looking at this I saw a whole bunch more Trump Derangement syndrome type stuff and I thought I do not need to be this man's friend.   I can handle some disagreements and views different than mine but when it is spewing some very false info, I felt it was time to disconnect. It is very tempting to become just as angry.  I have prayed to God what wicked ways do I need to turn from to meet the conditions of 2 Chronicles 7:14. This anger being promoted on Facebook is like joining a mob.  And we see what happens when a mob gets out of control. I have heard reports where peaceful protestors have found pallets of bricks dropped off in an area they were planning to protest. People are fanning the flames of discord. It does not help.  Nobody is defending the cops that killed George Floyd.  Someone pointed out the Attorney General of Minnesota is a Muslim and a Black man, does anyone in their right mind think that justice is not going to be gotten for George Floyd under this democratic administration? If this area has been under democratic rulership for 50 years why are they saying systematic racism? You start looking at this and seeing the questions being asked and answered and you wonder what is this really about?  I tend to want to be angry also. 
Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. James 1:20 (NLT)
25So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Ephesians 4:26
31Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32  But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Colossians 3:8   I don't want to join the angry mob on Facebook or in person. Help me to be a minister of reconciliation. So I think about my prayer and what "wicked ways" do I need to repent of and here I am reading all these angry posts and here is what God's word says about anger. I do not want to become part of the angry mob on Facebook. Is there injustice and wrong in our land. Yes, I think of Amiya Braxton and I wonder why there were no protest about this 7-year-old girl. I think of the angry police officers post, I don't know if he was a chief or what his rank was but he was angry also. He was critique by a reporter for looking at his phone in a news conference, and he replies yes I was, I was getting the latest updates on a five-year-old girl that was shot in the head while sitting in her father's lap in a drive-by shooting. He continued, you all can give me the names of many of these men like George Floyd but can you name three of the last victims of senseless violence right here?  Not his exact words but close enough. Lets not become part of an angry mob on Facebook or in person. It does not promote actual justice. Righteousness and Justice go hand in hand.  God bless, LVZ.

Fixing Cars (This is really not about fixing cars)

When fixing a car that is not running or won't start you have to first figure out if it is an electrical problem or a fuel problem, a majority of the time. I suppose a few times it could actually be a mechanical problem.  So it is with our race relations. They are always looking and demonizing the police department, especially in an election year. George Floyd's death was an unnecessary death at the hands of the police. But automatically we hear embedded racism in our police departments. It is not true. No one is denying the police are at fault. But of the 7400 deaths of Black men in I think it was 2018, 200 were at the hands of police. Keep in mind the Blacks are only 13% of the population in this country but yet are responsible for approximately 50% of the violent crimes.  That means the other almost 7200 were other means, the majority were black on black killings. I can try to fix an electrical problem on a vehicle when it is not getting fuel and it still will not be fixed.  You can hammer on the police force till the cows come home and if they are not the problem, you still will not fix the problem. If we look at the statistics, the narrative of police brutality is not true. There are isolated cases like the Floyd case. If you don't fix the 50% of violent crimes committed by 13% of the population, you will never fix the problem. You will never have an absolute perfect police department because they just like all the rest of us are human and flawed. I am not condoning this death, but if we want to fix the problem it may not be embedded racism in the police department. We may need to figure out why 13% of the population commits 50% of violent crimes. Or how about the fact that 75 to 80% of black homes are fatherless.   There is a problem but we have yet to address the real issue. I had a mercury that had an electrical problem, it wasn't getting fire to the sparkplugs. I was working on it, trying different things and did not notice a friend on mine was spraying ether into the carburetor every time I got into the car and turned the starter over. I finally got fire to the sparkplugs and it went Kaaboom really loud. I feel the same thing is going to happen if we keep trying to get fuel to the cylinders when it is an electrical problem. Perhaps it is already going Kaaboom in our nation today. We need to troubleshoot this and fix the real problem and according to statistics it is not embedded racism in the police departments. There are more blacks in the prison system per percentage of the population, that is real, but also part of that equation is 13% of the population commits 50% of violent crimes. Could this also relate back to the 75 to 80% fatherless homes?  Are we looking for a fuel problem when it is electrical? You will never fix it if you keep fixing the wrong things.   God help us, LVZ.

Christian

19Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists^c also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. Acts 11:19-26
Here I am reading in Acts chapter 11. I probably read it before but as I am reading this I see where Jesus came to the Jews first, and then through visions, Peter started preaching to non-Jews also. And they received Jesus into their hearts the same as the Jews. In Acts 11, this was fairly new. Peter explains to the church in Jerusalem what is happening and their understanding of the gospel is expanded. Both Jews and Gentiles can hear the gospel and believe and be converted to Christianity. Another thing to note is in Antioch is where disciples of Jesus are first called Christians. The name of Christian has followed us that believe on Jesus for centuries already. I don't know what year this was but Peter, Paul and many of the apostles that had been walking with Jesus are still alive. Great numbers believed, both Jew and Gentile, and became Christians. The persecution that Paul was a part of had scattered the Christians out from Jerusalem. In the beginning, even though they had scattered to the north along the Mediterranean they still were preaching to Jews only. But God using tribulation scattered them away from Jerusalem and through visions and personal interactions like Phillip and Peter had spread the message of the gospel to the gentiles. I am one of the gentiles, so many years later that has believed and am now called Christian. This message is for anyone who will believe in Jesus as the savior of the world. Thank God for the message of the gospel that has been passed on through the centuries and then even as a child I heard this gospel and as a young adult through the ministry of one Mike Mathis in 1984 in Burlington WA, I rededicated my life to God and became a Christian. So many years ago, so thankful that someone warned me of the disaster that is coming our way and I repented of my sins and became a Christian. So thankful. I have said many times that it is the most important decision of my life to become a Christian. 36 years and counting. Not a perfect life, but one forgiven of many sins. God bless, LVZ.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Praying

1At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, 2a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. 3About the ninth hour of the day^a he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” 4And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. Acts 10:1-4
Here we see a gentile named Cornelius prayed continually to God. And his prayers were as a memorial before God. It seems to me whatever Cornelius was praying for, he did it day after day after day. God heard and sent Peter to him. I see the crap going on in our country and everybody is posting something, expressing their opinion either positive or negative. We are not going to fix this country, it seems the most we do is stir up emotions. I think it is time to do what Cornelius did and pray to God day after day after day. Pray until God walking around heaven is bumping into our prayers everywhere he walks. If our country survives this it will be because God intervenes. Neither the Democrats or the Republicans are able or even willing to fix the things that are wrong. We need God to intervene in our affairs. It is time for the United States of America to bow before God and pray before we kill each other off. How does anyone in their right mind think spewing hatred towards the other side will solve anything? How is looting and rioting and killing police officers and destroying businesses, police precincts, and stealing TV sets is going to solve anything? This is like a two-year-old in a store throwing a tantrum for something they think they want. In reality do they really even know what they want. Justice is happening, the officers have been fired. The one kneeling on the man's neck has been charged with murder. The other three are still under investigation. Is the looting and rioting and burning buildings, police cars, killing officers fixing anything? If you are promoting evil and participating in evil, do you think you will eradicate evil? Why even write this, not one ANTIFA or BLM protestor will even see this post. It is time to pray to an almighty God that sees and hears.  God bless, LVZ.

The US Needs To See A Counselor

Number one, our country is crazy.  Our President did a photo op walking to a church in DC and holding up a Bible. Then some pastors from what I understand went to the same location and did a photo op showing them praying and criticized the president for his photo op.   Are not both the Bible and Praying symbols of Christianity? Were not both used as a political statement? I think back to 2016 when Ronnie Schumpert was killed and the Black Pastors formed a Coalition of Concerned Pastors and Leaders.  As far as I know, all of the group were black. To make my point, if a married couple was going to a counselor to solve issues between them wouldn't the best scenario be for both sides to meet?  When I asked about this because all I ever saw were black ministers and leaders at the CCPL meetings at least on the stage, there may have been other races in the building, anyone can attend. I understood that, but I felt if you really want to fix race relations, don't both sides of an issue need to be involved? I didn't see anyone on the board other than Black. So here we go again, we want to fix race relations, but it is BLM on one side protesting and ANTIFA on the other side protesting and Looting and destroying property.  SO if this Husband and Wife were to show up at the counselor's office and trash each other none stop, how successful do you think they would be? Most likely they would end up in divorce court and find another partner later and do it all over again. First of all, if all you are doing is trashing the other side, how are you looking at your own issues? That's about what I think of a coalition of Black Pastors and Leaders, they are there to trash the other side and not even look at their own issues. Does this country have issues? Yes, I think it does but I think we would accomplish more by looking at the things done right and building on those. We have done some things correctly and we no longer have separate drinking fountains. We no longer enter by separate doors. One race does not sit at the back of the bus and other at the front of the bus. We see many more interracial couples today than ever before. We even had a Black President for two terms.  We have made progress. Can we start to look at the things done right instead of tearing each other down? And can both sides be involved in a discussion that affects both of them? Think back to the married couple going to the counselor. If only one side is heard, how successful do you think it will be if you're the side that is not heard? This isn't about justice, no justice no peace.  Nobody is defending the officers in the George Floyd incident. As far as I know, all the officers have been fired and the main one shown kneeling on Mr. Floyd's neck is being charged with Murder/manslaughter and I believe the other officers are still being investigated. So is this not justice in the works? Yes, it has happened before and we don't want it to happen again. But as long as there is evil in this world, I predict it will happen again. Have we been able to rid the world of all evil? Do we really want justice or do we just want to fight because we are angry? Do we just want to punch holes in the wall and throw a tantrum or do we really want to make America better? If so I think we need to think about this and let cooler heads prevail. Are there any Billy Grahams or Dr. Martin Luther Kings out there we can confide in? God help us,  LVZ.