EVERY WORD

"And he humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know, that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by EVERY WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live." Deuteronomy 8:3

God was preparing the stiff necked, Israelites to enter the promised land in Deuteronomy. He repeats much he told them in Exodus. There is much for us to learn from what God taught them. He was reminding them of all He has done for them on their journey and all that happened to those who did not abide in him. Like us and Jesus. The whole generation that left Egypt had died out because of their sin (Numbers 14:26-38). Because of their murmuring, grumbling, fear of man, and so on. Because of their sin, God said they would not enter into the promised land. Even Moses was forbidden by God to enter (Deuteronomy 4:22). Only Joshua and Caleb of old (a remnant), were permitted to enter with the new generation. It is amazing to me that from the beginning of time until now, man is still so stubborn and self-righteous. Stuck on himself. Stuck in his sin.

"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

When Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days and nights, he fasted, and then the devil came to tempt him. Jesus when tempted with his immediate need of food, answered with God's ancient words, long written down. Jesus was teaching us about God always providing a way of escape from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). God is always there. It is us who turn away.

We are in the midst of the 70 hour challenge. A challenge to read God's word through in 70 hours. i have been reading with new and open spiritual eyes this time around. It takes longer, but God's truth is revealed. This Sunday, Pastor Craig said something that tied together what i have been learning as i read through the Old Testament. He said, "The Israelites lived physically, what we live spiritually." That is true. When they obeyed God, he fought their battles, provided all their needs.

We have in the Bible, a treasure of God's teaching, of his love for us and his desire for us to love him, to abide in him (John 15:4-7, 1 John 2:6) to know him (Luke 16:15, John 10:27, John 13:35, John 17:3) and sin not (1 John 2:1). To be consumed in His presence and know him intimately. i have written numerous blogs on loving him and keeping his commands, on our hearts and how wicked they are (Jeremiah 17:9, Matthew 12:34, Proverbs 4:23), and being doers of the word. This is the essential and basic beginning of our relationship with him. Sin wants our hearts. If we say we love him, or know him, then those words must mean we are praying, reading his word and bringing it to others the way he commands us to. By reading his word with the Holy Spirit for truth and understanding in our lives. By praying, hearing God speak into our lives. By preaching it to others as we go to the widows, orphans, hungry, thirsty, shut-in, etc. If we are not living this life, we are liars in saying we know Him and we, with all sinners, are destined for an eternal place in the lake of fire...Revelation 20:12-15, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:21, Ephesians 5:5...

i can only tell everyone what i know, and what i know is God speaks clearly to all his people when we draw near to him and leave behind and die to what the world offers (friends, family, homes, wants, desires other than his, and our lives). He did in the days of the Israelites and he does now, and he will forever. He speaks in EVERY WORD of the Bible, in EVERY WORD he has for us. There is a clear, distinct and unmistakable voice of God, but to hear it, we have to draw near to him in Godly sorrow (1 Corinthians 7:9-10) and with pure hearts (Hebrews 10:22, Psalm 24:4, Matthew 5:8). We must cleanse ourselves from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9), fear God (not want to be displeasing unto him), not man, and walk in his ways (Deuteronomy 8:6, 10:12, 11:12, 19:9, 26:17, 28:9, Psalm 128:1, 1 John 2:6...).

Do you think the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament, was provided for us to learn from? That in reading it in the Spirit we can gain knowledge and wisdom from God? Well, we can. It provides such a picture of God's unending love for us. Jesus used it to teach and we can learn much from it also. People have not changed from the beginning. We get busy in life, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, and forget to include God in all of it. We do not pray as families to stay strong in the world, we do not build each other up, we do not read the word together. We do not share his word as we live. We say we are "Christian" but do not live as Jesus lived. No power, no faith, no trust, no fear of God. And we wonder why we can't hear him, why we struggle, why he does this or that, or does not do this or that....No God.

i will harp on this till the day i die, READ, read, read, and read some more, the Word of God. PRAY, pray, pray, and pray some more. PREACH (do, share), preach, preach and preach some more, the word of God. We must live the Word of God with each breath he lets us draw, each step he lets us take. There is no other way to live this eye-blink, vapor of a life. We must be consumed by our God. There is only a remnant that will be saved, and God says if the righteous scarcely be saved (1 Peter 4:18)... What do you think that means? The righteous also are in danger of eternal separation from God. We ALL (me too) fall short (Romans 3:23) and must work at staying in right standing with God. Time is short, there is an urgency, amen, this is the hour, amen. We must hear EVERY WORD that proceedeth from the mouth of God, amen.

God is God all-mighty, our Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost who is God in us. Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient. There is no other. We need to realize what that truly means in our lives and if we believe it. Amen.