But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. —Exodus 8:15 “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” —Matthew 19:23-24 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. —Psalm 24:1 Who is he, this King of glory?  The Lord Almighty— he is the King of glory. —Psalm 24:10…

Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.  Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. —Exodus 7:13-14 Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. —Exodus 7:22-23 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast.  —Proverbs 5:22              Pharaoh was ensnared by his evil deeds.  The cords of his sin held him fast.  His heart was hard.  He would not listen to the…

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.  But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’  If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. —Matthew 18:15-17 For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths. —Proverbs 5:21              Conflict resolution begins with Too…

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” —Matthew 17:20              It is not the amount of faith a person has, but it is who that faith is put in.  Little faith in the eternal God can accomplish much because it is the eternal God that is ultimately in control of all things.  Surely, it would be wise to put our faith/trust in Him for all things.              Jesus said, “If you have faith as small…

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”  They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”  “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” —Matthew 16:13-16              This is a great question!  It is concise, direct and demands an answer.  “Who do you say I am?”  The importance of this question is demanding that you answer.  It is secondary what other people think, what matters is what you think.  Other…

May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. —Psalm 29:4 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. —Psalm 20:7 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. —Proverbs 4:23              How is your “heart?”  That is, how are you on the inside?  We are to be on guard because “everything (we) do flows from it.”  So, do an evaluation of your life.  What are you doing?  Why are you doing it?  Are you trusting “in the name of the Lord our God” or is your trust placed elsewhere? …

Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. —Matthew 15:6 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules. —Matthew 15:9 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.  The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. —Psalm 19:8              Beware that you are not nullifying “the word of God for the sake of your tradition.”  Now here is a dangerous thing.  Jesus said, “They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”  Watch out for those that go beyond God’s Word for the sake of their “tradition” and are teaching “merely human rules.”              To “nullity”…

God has uncovered your servants’ guilt.” —Genesis 44:16              It is true that “you may be sure that your sin will find you out’ (Numbers 32:23).  Either in this life or at the judgment, your sin will be known because “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).              As a follower of Jesus, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).  Sin for the believer breaks fellowship with God, not relationship.  So, as…

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.  Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. —Genesis 41:44-46 I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. —Psalms 18:1-2             …

One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and…