“But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Here Jesus is dealing with Satan as any other christian working the word of God in real time. Satan came to Jesus in the wilderness when He was hungry and in need of much rest. He was worn down a bit from His everyday duties the same way we get. That’s when the devil came for Him. Once we are over tired and weary from life, Satan comes for us to see our response. Jesus having daily communion with Father God, kept Jesus spiritually strong even though His body was weary. It is vitally important our fellowship with God is consistent so that when trouble comes knocking, we can answer the door with confidence, authority, and power. Jesus boldly told the devil, “It is written”. Every word from God’s mouth directed at us is a promise filled experience for all who will be persistent in their faith. It’s not just about eating food for the body that we stay alive, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. That is the message for today. Without feeding our human spirits, we starve spiritually, which causes us to live the lower nature life. You’ll be into jealousy, getting even with people, self centeredness becomes blown out of proportion, and you will automatically become more attracted to the pleasures of this life which could take you straight to hell. As Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, we wouldn’t be able to resist him, if we are not submitted to God first.

“For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.” God’s word is sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). As we get His word in our hearts and minds, we become able, in time, to have these manifested qualities operating in our lives. Imagine being able to discern the intent of another person’s heart concerning you. Being able to understand the difference between your soul and your spirit, which are not the same thing, but people talk as if they are. The word of God is our only source of power to use against the evil in this world. Jesus overcame this world and its evil influences. He is the living word of God sent to us for the deliverance of our bondage to sin, and to use the written word as Jesus did to overcome everything. When we pray God’s word back to Him, He will respond. Rightly dividing the word for our specific obstacle or challenges in life is when we find the scripture that talks about our area of trouble in life, and we use that verse as our foundational power for the release of our faith back to God. Now you’ve prayed according to His will (His word, the bible is His will written on paper), and that means He hears you (1John 5:14-15). Once He’s heard that prayer from you based on His word, God’s promises to you, it will not return void of results, it cannot fail its mission in bringing you answers.

“But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror; For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.” To be a doer of the word of God is taking God at His word no matter what things look like. To be a doer of God’s word and not a hearer only takes faith. First off, without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is what connects us to the Lord’s tangible help in this natural realm where we live. To mentally assent to the word will not bring results for what you’re believing God for. Our belief in the word must come from our hearts not our heads. There’s zero power working on your behalf when you understand with head knowledge, opposed to actually acting on the word by putting yourself in what looks like a failing position. Once we give up control of our problem, that’s when the Lord can work things out for us. Many times we get in God’s way by being too much of a hands-on person. Trust is earned and it is also understood by going through much affliction. Once we’ve become a doer of God’s word there’s a new order laid out for victorious living. Now you have the backing of the Lord’s promises to you. God honors His word above His name (Psalm 138:2 KJV). Doers get the prize, hearers only understand how it is obtained.

“For whatever was thus written in former days was written for our instruction, that by [our steadfast and patient] endurance and the encouragement [drawn] from the Scriptures we might hold fast to and cherish hope.” Others have gone on before us with the knowledge we need today for victorious living. Our hope and encouragement comes from the scriptures. Knowledge of the scriptures with true revelation from the Holy Spirit gives understanding for proper growth in God. Our foundation in the scriptures is so vitally important to our survival. The scriptures give us hope and encouragement because the word of God is alive, sharper than any two edged sword. No scripture is void of power to accomplish whatever is necessary. The scriptures are God breathed so when we confess the word (scriptures), it will not return void of accomplishment and total victory in your situation. Once God’s word is sent out from the lips of a faith filled believer, it’s a wrap. Through faith and patience we obtain the promises of God. Simply reading and meditating in the word of God brings a comfort worth settling down for. If you’re tapped in securely (meditating on the word) you can feel the peace of God in your soul in such a way that your problems begin to shrink in your thought life, and when we apply God’s word through our confession over our troubles, our troubles begin to lessen on every side. You don’t understand this when you haven’t experienced it. But let it be known to all, God is alive and well, and His word will work for you. Hope and encouragement from the scriptures is only a part of the benefits of the Kingdom of God.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path because we live in darkness. This fallen state of creation has left mankind to live in the darkness of the demonic influences of this world system. Most people have no idea they are living in darkness and they may well be offended that you told them that. It’s not an offensive thing, it’s the truth on every level of spiritual and natural common sense. Look around you, can you not see or understand the obvious manifestation of evil all around us, look at the news, this was never supposed to be the way of life on planet earth. We live in a dark world dominated by the devil’s rule, because he has the temporary legal right to authority in the earth. Adam and Eve gave that rule and authority over the earth to him in the garden of eden long ago. The word of God is the only light in this world capable of shining through and dispelling all darkness in its way. Jesus is the living word of God, and is the way the truth and the light of the world (John 8:12). With Jesus in our life as Lord and Savior, we will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life in us lighting and clearing our way.

“IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.” Jesus is, was, and always will be the living word of God. Jesus was and is the fulfilment of the ten commandments. God’s word is the bible in this natural world. In order to get God’s word, (filled with all that pertains to life and godliness), into this natural realm, Jesus had to physically come to earth, which He did. He completed all that was necessary to fulfill all manner of righteousness. He is now the go between, the mediator between God and mankind. The Lord had to send His living word to us so we could be delivered from our bondage to sin. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, we got in through Jesus’ sacrifice of His own life for our sin to be forgiven. The living word of God is alive in His children because they are born again, raised from the dead man walking posture, which had us locked in place for a hellbound destination. It was through His word that God created everything (Hebrews 11:3 ESV), the Holy Spirit provided the power, as the Father God was Supervisor over it all, but Jesus did the work (Colossians 1:6 ESV). Before time began Jesus was there, He watched Lucifer get kicked out of heaven, He watched when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, and He had been watching over the centuries how sin took mankind for a serious loop out of God’s family. So God says to Jesus, yo “J” can you go down and handle my business on the earth before all of mankind winds up in eternal damnation. Jesus did His part, and now it’s up to each person to choose Him for deliverance. Boom!

“See that none of you repays another with evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody.” Our first natural response to someone disrespecting us is to react with the same measure of disrespect back to them. This is the lower nature of human make-up. Once we’ve grown a bit in Christ, we can begin to check ourselves before we repay evil for evil. Our fellowship with the Lord on a daily basis helps us keep our ugly under control. We begin to be aware of the fact, God is always near for proper supervision of our unsaved flesh. Our bodies have not been redeemed as our human spirits have. If we are seeking to do good instead of the whatever comes along I’ll deal with it however attitude, that will keep you in the snare of the devil dealing with people. To purpose to do good and show kindness to all, enforces muscle memory to keep us on track. If we’re not purposing to do good, you will be drawn into some mess sooner or later because you have no guard from the unexpected. We are creatures of habit and need training for whatever our assignment in life is. Walking with the Lord is a discipline that always uncovers hidden blessings of truth, understanding, wisdom and fortitude of a sound mind, a clear thinking mind. When these hidden blessings begin to manifest in your life, you will be fit to show kindness to everyone most of the time.

“[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, In Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins.” We have been delivered and drawn to God, out of the control and dominion of darkness into the kingdom of His Son, Jesus. We now have redemption, and the forgiveness of sins. This reality must be experienced, not just head knowledge. In other words, there must be an invoking of your will to act on the finished work at calvary. Since God won’t force His way on us, we must exercise the free will He created us with to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, (scary oversight if not acted upon). Only then will you be accepted into the family and Kingdom of God’s Son. The other option is hot and torturous damnation forever for your unforgiven sins. Jesus is the way the truth and the life, no man or woman gets to heaven without Him. He was the sacrifice for everyone’s sin, but if you don’t act on what Jesus did on the cross, there’s no other way to get to heaven. Jesus, while in hell, destroyed the works of darkness, but we can only reap the benefits by accepting and realizing Jesus is the Savior of the world. Hell on earth is nothing like hell itself. You don’t belong there after you die, fix it now!

“Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” The verse today is talking about confessing our sins to each other and to pray for each other. Who wants to go first? Exactly, most of us are not looking forward to talking about what we’ve done that’s now shameful to us, or we’re feeling guilt and condemnation from the wrong doings we did. But the way out of those negative feelings and guilt is to come clean. Confess your mess-ups to people you trust won’t go blabbing it all over town. Someone you can confide in that knows the Lord for themselves, that’s the person to spill your guts to. There is always a cleansing of the soul as we get stuff off our chest that’s been bothering us for so long. God hears and receives heartfelt repentance from everyone. Once you’ve gotten the junk out of your life, it’s prayer time. Now with a true repentance of heart, you can pray and the wrong doings you committed before have been washed away so that now God can hear your prayer without the sin in your life, which was blocking Him from helping you. This is the way to be healed. The prayer of a righteous man or woman is powerful and effective.

“From the rising of the sun to the going down of it and from east to west, the name of the Lord is to be praised!” David speaking here saying from the beginning of day until night the name of the Lord is to be praised. The name of Jesus is above every name. There is no other name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). The power that rests on the name of the Lord is available to all God’s children to use against our enemy the devil. He will stop his maneuvers against you when you tell him with faith in the name to stop. Demons are subjected to our command when we have full understanding of the power behind the name, and total reliance in the name. Our enemy knows whether or not we believe. You can command a demon to leave another person but if that demon gets wind of you not being fully convinced about the name, then he won’t listen to you. Why is the name of Jesus to be praised from east to west meaning everywhere. Since Jesus died as a sacrifice for the sin of the entire world, and once the magnitude of what was accomplished is realized, it becomes quite evident why the Father would have it this way. We are joint heirs with Christ suffering with Him through His death on the cross, and rising from the dead with Him unto eternal life. Since Jesus did the work which no other could have done, God conferred all power into the name of Jesus. Our name or title in life should represent who we are, and our purpose in life. Jesus’ purpose was to be born on earth, live a sinless life, and then to become a living sacrifice for all sin ever committed and the sin that people will commit in the future, because of Jesus we can use the name which has earned the right to be praised.