HAS GOD INDEED SAID?

(Gen 3:1) Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"

O' Lord, my God, how attentive we must be to know your word. To refresh ourselves daily in Holy Scripture. It is through knowing Your word that we practice, and as we practice we become strong. The devil is very crafty and is very good at what he does. He is a deceiver, a doubt creator, a liar, a cheat. Help us Jesus, help us to be strong. Help us Holy Spirit to be educated in the word, to be strong in what we hold in truth from the Holy Book. The more armor we protect ourselves with, the less successful the devil will be against us in his temptations. In Christ, Amen.

(Mat 4:3-4,7,10-11) And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, ….and He answered, …..It is written.....It is written......It is written....Then the devil left him.

Jesus, our Lord, our King went to His own defense using scripture as His mighty shield. Think about that. GOD, our lord Jesus, used the Old Testament [Torah] to battle the temptations of the Prince of Darkness. There is power in the Word.

The Bible is our personal road map. It teaches us to follow the way of the Lord. If we put what we learn from scripture into practice. What we learn can also help protect us from error and sinning against God.

In the 13^th chapter of 1^st Kings, Jeroboam created his false altar. Appointed false priests and prophets. One TRUE man of God was careless, was deceived and allowed himself to directly disobey the word delivered to his ears by the Lord. It did not end well for him:

(1Ki 13:16-19,26) He said, "I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. "For a command came to me by the word of the LORD, 'You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.' He said to him, "I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.'" But he lied to him. So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water. Now when the prophet who brought him back from the way heard it, he said, "It is the man of God, who disobeyed the command of the LORD; therefore the LORD has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke to him."

God delivered the instructions to the man of God directly. The man of God knew this beyond doubt. Yet, the man of God allowed himself to be redirected from his task by an outsider, a slick talking snake-oil-salesman to deviate from God's direct instructions. You see how careful we all have to be? Knowledge of the Word is power.

(Gal 1:8) But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

How do we know what God wants? How do we hear from Him? How to we stay true to His instructions? We read, study, learn, remember, and practice that which is written in His book.....the BIBLE.

(Psa 119:11) Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

In a unique school many years ago, I learned a rule called Runda's Rule. It was very simple and to the point--

“WHEN IN DOUBT....CHECK IT OUT!!”.

When you hear or read something that just does not quite sound right, and a little flag pops up, open the book. Read the TRUTH.

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?