” 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 …
Category Archives: 2015
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 …
"Beware of anything that competes with your loyalty to Jesus Christ." ~~Oswald Chambers
Loyalty to Jesus, the Messiah, has lots of competition. God doesn’t just want to be first. God wants to be …
"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Technology will not save us. Technology is not the answer to our problems. God want us to turn to His …
“The wage of a good person is exuberant life; an evil person ends up with nothing but sin.” ~~King Solomon
God’s goal for us is that we be joyful and enthusiastic. When we are good and wise, we have a …
"There could be no hypocrites if there were no genuine Christians. No one would try to forge bank notes if there were no genuine ones." ~~Charles Spurgeoner
Jesus challenges us to be the real deal. Nothing worse, in God’s world, than faking it. May I be genuine …
“The Harvester isn’t waiting.” ~Jesus
Jesus challenges us to understand that God is ready to act. God isn’t waiting around. God will move. God isn’t waiting. …
Let’s redefine ASAP — Always Say A Prayer
Today is the day to start. Let’s redefine ASAP. A = Always S = Say A = A P = …
"Don’t be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving." ~~Jesus
God is in an amazing mood. He has so much He wants to give us. Jesus challenges us because He …
"If we rejoice in the acts of God without discovering His ways, we’ll question who He is when He doesn’t do what we’ve asked." ~~Bill Johnson
Jesus challenges us to understand why God does what He does. It is one thing to understand what God does. …
Today is a day to stay calm. No need to freak out. Who’s got you? God’s got you, that’s who!
Today is a day to stay calm. No need to freak out. Who’s got you? God’s got you, that’s who! …
“Obedience is thicker than blood.” ~~Jesus
Jesus is clear with us. The most important thing in our life is to obey God. That is it. That …
I don’t know the future. I don’t know what the future holds. I do know who holds it. Fist Bump!
I don’t know the future. I don’t know what the future holds. I do know who holds it. Thank you …
“But even with stories some of them aren’t going to get it:” ~~Jesus
It is sad that Jesus knows that not matter how He communicates the message, some of us aren’t going to …
New Year’s resolutions. Are we trusting in ourselves or God this year?
David Platt cautions us about making new year’s resolutions and striving to keep them by trusting in ourselves rather than …
A new year’s prayer: May a golden thread of Holiness run throughout the year
May Matthew Henry’s new year prayer be ours: “Lord grant that I may be more holy, and walk more closely than …
