Author Archives: Gary Vail

You shall not plant for yourselves an Asherah pole beside the altar of Yahweh your God that you make for yourselves. And you shall not set up for yourselves a stone pillar, a thing that Yahweh your God hates. Deuteronomy 16:21-22 The obelisk, which is an ancient stone pillar, is used in church architecture andContinue reading “Stone Pillars and Other Things That God Hates”

The earth dries up, it withers; the world languishes, it withers. The elevated of the people of the earth languish, and the earth is defiled beneath its inhabitants. For they have transgressed laws; they have passed by statutes; they have broken the everlasting covenant. Isaiah 24:4–5 (LEB) Life is full of decisions and there areContinue reading “Choose Life”

 What is more, I swore to them in the desert to scatter them among the nations and to disperse them in the lands, because they did not do my regulations, and my statutes they despised, and my Sabbaths they profaned, and their eyes were after the idols of their ancestors.  And in turn I gaveContinue reading “The Struggle of Living in Rebellion to the Creator’s Instructions”

So he said to them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far, far away from me. And they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ Abandoning the commandment of God, you hold fast to the traditionContinue reading “Are Y’all With the Cult?”

On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many miracles in your name?’ And then I will say to them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Matthew 7:22–23 (LEB) How can this be?Continue reading “Miracles and Casting out Demons? Not Impressed.”

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it did not collapse, because its foundation was laid on the rock.Continue reading “Building on the Sand”

 Come to me, all of you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to carry and my burden is light.” MatthewContinue reading “Friends Don’t Let Friends Ignore Scripture”

Grass withers; the flower withers, but the word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:8 (LEB) If I were a song writer I would write a country song with the title of this blog post. When I was younger I was obsessed with mowing the lawn. It could be that one of my firstContinue reading “Who is Going to Mow Your Lawn When You’re Gone?”

Can a human make for himself gods? Yet they are not gods!” “Therefore look, I am about to let them know, this time I am going to let them know my power and my might, and they will know that my name is Yahweh.” Jeremiah 16:20–21 (LEB) There are many gods that we see inContinue reading “Making a New God is Easy”

But I say, live by the Spirit, and you will never carry out the desire of the flesh. Galatians 5:16 (LEB) The apostle Paul does a great job of condensing the commandments of God found in the first five books of the Bible for those who are not familiar with them. Paul uses terms suchContinue reading “Walk in the Spirit: Keep the Commandments Like Paul”