“Pay your taxes.” ~Apostle Paul
God lets us know we have obligations. And so, we pay taxes. No big deal. Not a lot of hoopla. …
Category Archives: Vault
“The Son can’t independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing.” ~Jesus
Jesus is perfectly aligned with God. He knows He can’t doing anything without God. Jesus is determined to follow God’s …
“God cares for you” ~Apostle Peter
I need to be content with who I am in God’s family. I should not put on any airs and …
"Sloth makes you poor; diligence brings wealth." ~King Solomon
There is nothing like diligently pursuing the work of the day at hand. It is, in fact, honorable to faithfully work. …
“Now the Sower is arm in arm with the Harvester, triumphant.” ~Jesus
There are many roles for us to play in God’s world (Kingdom). Sow of us sow the seed. Some of …
“With Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid.” ~John Mark
Am I astonished or afraid? Those who simply follow get afraid. Perhaps they were more curious than committed. Jesus wants …
“The stuck-up fall flat on their faces, but down-to-earth people stand firm.” ~~King Solomon
Ah, now there we go. Down to earth people. We all seem to admire them. But is that said of …
“God Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.” ~Jesus
Sometimes I am so very tempted to get upset with the “ungrateful”. OK, truth be told, I do get upset. …
“How exquisite your love, O God!” ~King David
God has nothing but love in mind for us. It is exquisite. God’s love for us is amazing. God is …
Stunning Easter message from Judge Andrew Napolitano
A moving Easter message from Fox News Senior Judicial Analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano: On the first Good Friday, the Romans …
"Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." ~~Jesus
Jesus challenges us to not worry. God is God, in complete control and in a good mood. God will take care …
Some great Easter quotes: He Is RISEN! He is Risen indeed!
He Is RISEN! He is Risen indeed! Christ the Lord is risen today, Sons of men and angels say. Raise …
"God won’t starve an honest soul, but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked." ~King Solomon
God wants us to be honest in our core. He will give us wisdom. He will take care of us. …
“If we claim that we’ve never missed God’s goal for our life, we out-and-out contradict God.” ~Apostle John
Am I going to lay a stake in the ground, claiming that I have never missed God’s goal for my life? …
"Don’t act so surprised at all this." ~Jesus
Jesus tells us everything we need to know. We know God’s plan. We know what God wants. If nothing else, we …
"Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere; an honest life is immortal." ~King Solomon
I saw a news show recently where they spent a significant amount of time essentially making the case that every …
“Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please!” ~Apostle Paul
Our God is. He is now. His promise is now. His presence is now. He is!! The future is going …
“Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” ~Jesus
Here is a lesson in worry from our Master Jesus. Jesus wasn’t worried. He wasn’t anxious. He was just doing what …
"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow." ~~Jesus
Jesus challenges us to focus on what God is doing today, right now. That is all that Jesus did. He …
"Wise son, glad father; stupid son, sad mother." ~King Solomon
Wisdom is so important. When Solomon was asked by God what he wanted, he responded wisdom. To know and understand …
"God gives his best to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty." ~~Jesus
God’s generosity extends to everyone. He includes the evil, the bad and the nasty in His plans to redeem and …
” God, your God, is God.” ~Moses
God is God. That is all there is to it. We can count on it, day by day. God is …
"Ephphatha!—Open up!" ~~Jesus
Jesus was on a roll. A mighty move of God with healing everywhere. So, He left the region of Tyre, …
Is God always faithful?
I live in a hostile world. I call to God. To my heavenly Father I cry out. God hears me. God answers …
"My Father is working straight through, even on the Sabbath. So am I." ~~Jesus
Jesus rattles the religious leaders. He does it all the time. It is intentional. No, I didn’t mean to do …
“Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now.” ~King David
God has started something in us. It is an amazing work. We serve a God who loves us and has …
"Let’s not pretend this is easier than it really is." ~Jesus
Sometimes we are very good at pretending. We want it to look easy. We don’t want anyone to know that …
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth.” ~Apostle Paul
This seems pretty timely. The economy goes up and down. That creates a lot of uncertainty. A lot of us trust …
“Where can I go from Your Spirit ?” ~King David
I am an open book to our heavenly Father. He knows everything I am going to say before I even …
"Don’t say anything you don’t mean." ~Jesus
We say something we regret. We excuse it by saying, “I didn’t mean it”. That doesn’t cut it in God’s …
"Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth." ~Jesus
Jesus challenges us to worship God in a way we have never known before. Do we think worship is sitting …
“Perfect love casts out fear.” ~Apostle John
In our Father’s house there are many, many rooms. But the one thing there is no room for is fear. …
"And life is urgent: Announce God’s kingdom!" ~Jesus
Jesus challenges us to live life urgently. He doesn’t have a “plan B” for us. We are His plan. We …
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and discipline.” ~Apostle Paul
I don’t have to be timid or shy. Fear can’t grip my heart. He has given me His HOLY Spirit. …
"Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire." ~Jesus
Jesus sets standards for us based on a whole different world. It is His Father’s world. It is a world …
Jesus perfectly mirrors our heavenly Father
Here is a really amazing thing about our heavenly Father. He spoke to us directly through His Son Jesus. Just …
“Do not be worried about your life.” ~Jesus
The list of things I can worry about is pretty long. Give me a whole day and it grows enormously. …
"Please, no more pretending. " ~Jesus
We know we all do it. We “pretend” nothing is wrong. We pretend we are something we are not. We …
“Ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” ~James
There are times that I seem to know what I am doing. There are other times I don’t. I wander …
Is God two-faced? Is God fickle?
Is God two-faced? Is God fickle? God isn’t fickle. No way at all. There is nothing in Him that is two-faced. …
“Now to him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in his bright presence, fresh and celebrating.” ~Jude
He can keep me on my feet. I will never fall when I am in Him. I will stand tall …
"Let your enemies bring out the best in you, not the worst." ~~Jesus
There are people in our lives that simple challenge us. Many times that challenge clearly brings out the worst in …
“We can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!” ~Apostle Paul
What is it that challenges bring to me? What does all the trouble mean? I get to shout praise. Trouble …
"God is not a secret to be kept." ~Jesus
How often do I act like God is a secret? Unfortunately, more than I want to admit. I take credit …
“That’s why Jesus had to enter into every detail of human life.” ~Author of Hebrews
I know sometimes I am trying to help with the wrong thing. I think I understand the problem but I …
If I were the devil
This is way too prophetic. Commentary by Paul Harvey. What do you think?
"Your daughter is no longer disturbed." ~Jesus
Does our faith impress Jesus? Jesus challenges us to have a bold kind of faith. This woman came to Jesus and …
“Bless—that’s your job, to bless.” ~Apostle Peter
Well, this is a pretty simple job description. What is my job? It is to bless. That is it!! When …
"Other seed fell in the gravel; it sprouted, but withered because it didn’t have good roots." ~~Jesus
We know there can be a problem. There is the early enthusiasm of hearing Jesus and knowing him. But the …
“Give your servants fearless confidence in preaching your Message.” ~Apostle Peter
The apostles had already received the power of the Holy Spirit after Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended …
“Whoever would see good days must keep his lips from deceitful speech.” ~Apostle Peter
I must embrace life. I want to see my days fill up with good stuff. God’s goal for me is …
“We are His workmanship, created in the Messiah Jesus for good works.” ~Apostle Paul
There is no plan B. There is no backup plan. Contingencies are out the door. God has a goal for …
"A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." ~~King Solomon
Generosity is interesting. It brings a blessing back to me. That blessing takes many forms. The greatest is the joy …
"School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it!" ~~Apostle Paul
There comes a point where we know enough to move forward. We need “to ship” the product and move on. …
Who are we to question God?
Who are we to question God? The answer is we are in no position to question Him. God is God. God does …
"Go call your husband and then come back." ~~Jesus
Jesus knows everything. There is no reason to pretend otherwise. He knew the “Woman at the Well” had been married …
“You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.” ~God
What an amazing day this was. Jesus goes to be baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist. His Father, God, …
"When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong." ~~Jesus
We miss God’s goal when our goal is to get our own way. Jesus stops us dead in our track by …
We love God but still don’t have a clear idea what He has in mind for us.
We love God but still don’t have a clear idea what He has in mind for us. What God has …
“If I give all my possessions to feed the poor but do not have love, it profits me nothing.” ~Apostle Paul
Without love, all my charity is nothing. Love is the start and end of it all. It doesn’t matter what …
I am waiting on God. There is no point in moving on without God.
I am waiting on God. There is no point in moving on without God. In that waiting, I find strength. …
"If you enter your place of worship and you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right." ~Jesus
Jesus challenges us to live a real life, versus a fake spiritual one. God commands us to love one another. …
“If anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” ~Apostle Paul
How would Paul summarize things? Well, he would suggest that I fill my mind on some things that are positive. …
“The path of right-living people is level. The Leveler evens the road for the right-living.” ~Isaiah
Leveling a road takes a while. It is not something that happens over night. Because I am in right standing …
"Stand in line and take your turn." ~~Jesus
Jesus had been pretty busy. He took a trip to a new area thinking he could get away for a …
“Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people.” ~Apostle Paul
God made plans for us that gave Him pleasure in putting together. It was not an inconvenience to Him in …
"A good life is a fruit-bearing tree; a violent life destroys souls." ~~King Solomon
When we live the life God has intended for us, it is like a tree that gives us delicious fruit. …
Is God too slow? What is a billion years to God?
Is Jesus slow? No, not all. God has made certain promises to us. Some days we say, “OK God, when?” …
"I am the Messiah. You don’t have to wait any longer or look any further." ~~Jesus
Jesus challenges us to know who He is. He is clear. He is straightforward. He is the Messiah. The woman …
“Love always looks for the best.” ~Apostle Paul
God is love. God is always looking for the best in us. He doesn’t see our foibles and quirks. God is …
“What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” ~The Disciples of Jesus
Jesus didn’t cause the storm to arise. The storm wasn’t His doing at all. He didn’t “weather” the storm although …
"Some of the seed fell on the road; it was tramped down and the birds ate it." ~~Jesus
Jesus knows that God’s word isn’t always received well. The seeds on the road are those who hear the …
“Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them.” ~~Apostle Paul
This is a stunning way to approach relationships. And it should be our approach to all we meet, not just friends …
"Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt." ~~Jesus
Jesus challenges us to see how corrupt our heart can be and it is about our heart. Jesus says don’t …
“God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us.” ~Apostle Paul
God doesn’t hold anything back from us. God gives us the full report about what life with Jesus is like. …
“A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child.” ~Jesus
Jesus was working for GOD. One of many of Jesus gifts was being a prophet. Jesus goes home to Nazareth. …
“No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a washtub or shoves it under the bed.” ~Jesus
Jesus brings us the light of truth. Jesus illuminates us about GOD. Since we have seen the light, Jesus challenges …
“Jesus is both True God and Real Life. Dear children, be on guard against all clever facsimiles.” ~~Apostle John
Not everything is the real thing. There is the real GOD and there are clever facsimiles. It may, in fact, …
"Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness." ~~Jesus
We live in a world where we think we can get the answer to anything automatically. Technology has changed how …
“The road to life is a disciplined life; ignore correction and you’re lost for good.” ~~King Solomon
Discipline is a very important principle in God’s world. God disciplines us for our own good. God is a loving …
“This is the oldest commandment in the book, and you’ve known it from day one.” ~~Apostle John
We know what we are supposed to do. We know that the command of God and his son Jesus is …
“He knew all about the things I did. He knows me inside and out!” ~Woman at the well
Jesus knows us. He knows inside and out. Nothing is hidden from Him. God is light and in Him is …
"God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." ~~Jesus
We often worry about what might happen. Conventional wisdom says “plan for the worst”. And so we do. Jesus is …
“Do you think it’s possible in broad daylight to enter the house of an awake, able-bodied man, and walk off with his possessions unless you tie him up first?” ~Jesus
Jesus challenges us to be awake and able-bodied. Jesus knows that unless Satan ties us up first, our possessions can’t …
“The seeds in the gravel are those who hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn’t go very deep.” ~Jesus
Jesus challenges us to understand that perseverance is more important than passion and enthusiasm along. God’s goal for us is …
“Don’t take yourself too seriously — take God seriously.” ~Micah
God’s goal for us is plan, clear and simple. Jesus challenges us to love. Love God and love our neighbor. …
“My dear friends, I’m not writing anything new here.” ~~Apostle John
We seek and search for the “new thing” and the “new message”. The Apostle John reminds us that sometimes, in …
"We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear." ~~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Fear can overtake us. Anxiety challenges our ability and attitude. Some days it is like a flood. Fear can be …
"Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." ~~Jesus
Our heavenly Father is in a good mood. He always is and never waivers from that feeling. No ups and …
“The wealth of the rich is their bastion; the poverty of the indigent is their ruin.” ~~King Solomon
We know how destructive poverty is. We also know about the value of money. Jesus challenges us to be wealthy …
“He’s taking his pay, gathering in this grain that’s ripe for eternal life.” ~Jesus
Jesus challenges us to know that the harvest is ready. There is no waiting. People are ready to hear the …
"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do." ~~Jesus
God wants us to act on what He is talking with us about. Jesus gets that. Jesus knows what the …
“If Satan were fighting Satan, there soon wouldn’t be any Satan left.” ~Jesus
Jesus challenges us to be clear about the battle Satan is waging and who he is going after. Satan is …
“Their eyes are open but don’t see a thing,” ~~Jesus
Some days we just don’t see what is going on. We desperately need insight. Jesus challenges us to look to …
“Anyone who claims to live in God’s light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark.” ~~Apostle John
God’s goal for us is for us to love our brothers and sisters in Jesus, the Messiah. When we receive …
“Why the big noise, nations? Why the mean plots, peoples? Earth-leaders push for position, demagogues and delegates meet for summit talks, the God-deniers, the Messiah-defier.” ~King David
King David understood terrorism very well. He was in battle after battle for his life and his men. He defeated …
“Good people last—they can’t be moved; the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow.” ~~King Solomon
Jesus came to give us an abundant life. And true to God’s word, we have it in Jesus. God is …
“That’s the truth of the saying, ‘This one sows, that one harvests.” ~Jesus
Jesus is clear that we don’t always know our role but we have to tell everyone the Good News. It …
"All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference?" ~~Jesus
Jesus knows how to ask questions. He forces us to get clear. What is important? Perhaps the question is rhetorical …
“There’s nothing done or said that can’t be forgiven.” ~~Jesus
Jesus is in the forgiveness business. That is the truth. When Jesus says it we can bank on it. Jesus …
