QUESTIONING GOD'S WORD...Yikes!

What.....question what God has said?

Genesis 3:1-8...............3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. NKJV

CHALLENGING GOD'S AUTHORITY...

It is God's authority we see being challenged in Genesis and chapter 3. It was a challenge to Eve. And guess who asked the question? In the context, we find the question......"did God really say that?" (Genesis 3:1) and the second was.............."God did not mean what He said." Then the added.............."you will not die if you eat from the tree." (Genesis 3:5)

How are we holding up against the onslaught of the enemy? Do we hold fast to what God has given us as instruction or do we hold on to the tradition's of man? It can come in the bad report of sickness or even something that appears to cause death to the body. It can be in relationships with others, and in the form that families are torn apart by divorce or death. It can come in the form of someone  losing that job they need to pay bills or even in cuts in wages and in hours on the job. So what we do with said information determines our outcome! Eve took the apple to Adam and the problems mounted against them.


God gave a command and expected those to follow those rules for life.

We are told this word of God will judge us!

Psalm 96:13............13 For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.

He shall judge the world with righteousness,

And the peoples with His truth.  NKJV

judge: shaphat (shaw-fat') to judge.........pronounce a sentence against

OT: 8199.......execute as in judgment, reason, rule

shaphat (shaw-fat'); a primitive root; to judge, to pronounce a sentence ( either for or against); to vindicate/punish; by extension, to govern; passively

Psalm 9:8......8 He shall judge the world in righteousness,

And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.  NKJV

Psalm 72:1-4..........72:1....Give the king Your judgments, O God,

And Your righteousness to the king's Son. 

2 He will judge Your people with righteousness,

And Your poor with justice. 

3 The mountains will bring peace to the people,

And the little hills, by righteousness. 

4 He will bring justice to the poor of the people;

He will save the children of the needy,

And will break in pieces the oppressor. NKJV

The Lord is coming and He is going to judge. And what does He judge? He judges our hearts!

Jesus came to break in pieces the oppressor.

1 Kings 3:5-9........... 6 And Solomon said: "You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. 9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" NKJV

Even King Solomon asked for an understanding heart to judge.........to discern between good and evil!

Genesis 2:15-17........15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."  NKJV

It was a plain command. "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day you eat of it you shall surely die."

As we look to the Word and hear the report of the world, certainly we are witnesses to a time of strength and prosperity, but on the opposite side is the upheaval in violent exhibitions, oppression in the most severe hostile and threatening forces on another and injustice to one's right seems to be at an all time high rating.

From reading in the Old Testament, human nature in all respects as not changed. But today, with the great technology overtaking every avenue of invention from hundreds of years ago, the moral question comes to mind. We clearly see people inventing new ways to sin and take more people with them to sin! With all this great technology, we are seeing the continual rise of people being irresponsible in regards to other people, their safety and peace. It appears that humanism, that exalting man over God has risen. As we saw with Israel, that country arrived in a place of captivity.

No truly God has to remain first and only in our hearts!

We have to remain faithful to plant God's word deep into our hearts and keep the unwanted weeds out like those of poison to our lives. Are we wanting to trade our eternal life for a moment of pleasure, of partying instead of pursuing Him, and to have a conduct that is much like being holy toward God and His things? In regard to not touching something He tells us to leave alone, will we want to do like Eve and partake to our ruin?
God wants us to have fun, but not to the extent of losing our souls.

I think of the Word like that cleaning soap for stains. You put or spray a spot cleaner on the spot or area stained, and then work it through, but the wash is still coming for that garment. You have to clean it with regular detergent and rinse it. You have to dry it, but ultimately you will wear that garment again and have to wash it again. So too, we have to keep that Word going through us, not just a peek at the Word of God and go, but actually jump into that solution God has waiting to answer the dilemma or problem that might be on our pathway.  We can get that thing out by the Word of God!

When we choose to say no to God and yes to humanism, we move into bondage again. We can devalue the call of God and pervert His ways into some kind of favorable advantage.

We saw this in Jesus' time. John 8:31-47 tells of such a thing.  The Jews believed that their physical descent from Abraham gave them God's favor.

John 8:31-47.......31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 33 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" 34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. 

37 "I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me,  and because My word has no place in you. 38 I speak what I have seen with My Father, and  you do what you have seen with your father." 39 They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 

 41 You do the deeds of your father." Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father--God." 42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God." NKJV

In this we find, Jesus telling them that they were of their father the devil. That they were not able to listen to His Word. Now, that is a bad  place to be in life. Following after the devil and his ways, operating and talking like the devil, will take you down the path Eve went down. No, it is not good to do that especially in this day and time of Jesus' soon return.

Acts 10:34-43.............34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ--He is Lord of all-- 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins." 

NKJV

Yes, that is the JUDGE! Do you see Him? He who in verse 42.Who commanded....to preach to the people.........to testify......that is HE...who was ordained by God to be........JUDGE OF THE LIVING AND THE DEAD.

Hebrews 6:4-8............4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. 7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; 8 but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. NKJV

In this we find that God accepts no excuse for failing to live His way. He provided the way to live it out day by day!

When we cultivate the Word of God into our hearts, we cultivate that life-giving force to move through and see that which is not of God. We have the heart that can discern good and evil.

Today, let's make the concerted effort to move forward to spend time, and meditate the Word that brings that life of God to us. As He has given us a way to escape the world through following His instructions, He delivers us to make a difference in someone else's life.

2 Corinthians 3:2-6............2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. 

4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. NKJV

We can overcome humanism and anything else that sets itself up against God and His Word. Seeking God daily, growing and producing fruit to a godly way of life will be evident for all to see. Amen!

Father, in the name of Jesus, it is our desire to NOT wander out of Your presence, and pursue that which is of the world and the devil. We pray that our lives will glorify You the Father in our spirit, soul and body. Today we choose to pay no attention to evil done to us, it holds no place in our thought life. We do hear the voice of the good Shepherd and the voice of a stranger we will not follow according to John 10:5.... 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."NKJV

 We thank You that today our path is growing brighter and brighter till it reaches the full light of day. Father, we pray to be those who will follow Your leading and see the path becoming brighter each day! We ask for Your wisdom today, that wisdom that will keep, defend, and protect us. That wisdom we love and she guards us. We make request that we may be filled with the full knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things, that we may walk in a manner fully  pleasing You Lord, in all things and steadily growing and increasing in Your knowledge. Today we know Jesus has been made unto us wisdom. We listen and add to our learning; we discern and get guidance understanding Your will for every area of our lives. Amen.



You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV