Living by every word of god

Speaker(s): Pastor Glen Cannon, Testimonies from the congregation
Sermon # 11366
6:30 PM on 11/12/2017

P. Cannon

This is such an honor and privilege to stand here. The beautiful testimonies. We’re going to have a memorial for Delores also. This time in the service is my favorite part. I’m spiritually always hungry. It’s amazing how well fed we are, but even being well fed, when I come to God’s Word and expect something that is supernatural and it is going to touch me and go on the power of 40 years. Is that a verse? 40 days, 40 years.

De 8. These were my devotional thoughts this morning. It helped me and so praying it will minister to you also. I heard a testimony of an Englishman who strayed from the Lord and wasn’t walking with God for many years and God brought a crisis in his life. I heard the character for crisis in Japanese means trouble but an opportunity in the trouble. This wayward believer was in a crisis and looking to God for direction. He was working in Egypt. He went to an Egyptian church, the only one in his town. Egyptian speaking so couldn’t understand a word that was said. He said I was never more miserable than I was. What am I doing here? I can’t understand a word. In the middle of the sermon, the pastor quoted a hymn both in Egyptian and English. “I may not know the future but I know the God who holds the future.” This was the turning point for this man. He realized it was a God problem. His future wasn’t the issue but God was the issue.

De 8:2-4, So 40 years. When I read that this morning I’m coming up to 40 years of walking with Jesus Christ which is quite amazing because I’m such a young man! 40 years. Life can be wilderness like. We can all identify. We have a table in the wilderness. It’s almost like this relationship with God is like so sustaining and fulfilling but it is hard. Life is hard. We know that. God says I want you to remember something. Thank God for remembrance. I was thinking of familiarity. Some demons called familiar spirits. This is probably the greatest danger. P. Stevens used to always warn us. This verse we shall not live by bread alone but by every Word. We read something that we’ve read many times and can become bored or dull with it. Some things God wants us to remember.

How he led us all the way in vs. 2. Maybe another 40 years for me, I don’t know, but at least we can know we are not alone. He will give us what we need. That gentlemen backslidden in an Egyptian church heard a word from God and that rhema was what he needed. This is why we come. We are looking for what we need. I led you to this place to humble you and test you. The greatest thing, the longer I serve him the sweeter he grows. God knows what is in my heart. One thing I’ve learned is my heart is wicked. My heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. That’s so good to know. It’s like P. Schaller’s sketch. It’s not about us doing better. The more we fail or fail others, this revelation of our being nothing but everything to God. He loves us. He became like us. This humility of being human. This wilderness all the way led by God, if you can learn this lesson God is saying to test us. We know what is in our heart and whether we will keep the commandments or not. Will we trust him? This is the giant lesson of life. Will we believe God’s Word? He humbled you, he allowed you to hunger. God on purpose in the wilderness will keep things back. We’re being weaned from this life which we call by bread alone life. Bread alone life is first floor living. You meet someone who used to be in our church and hasn’t been for many years. Hopefully they are going somewhere else. They say are you still going to that church? That’s so interesting. What was I trying to say there? The word was by bread alone. Maybe there are brothers and sisters that forsook God in this wilderness walk and their mantra, maybe they wouldn’t say it but it’s by bread alone. God created us with this insatiability, this wrestleness, this longing we have. I long to be with him and nothing satisfies except for God. God allows us to hunger. He works the details of our life in his providence. All things work together but he allows me to hunger so I can realize this amazing truth. He might make you know man shall not live by bread alone but man lives by every Word which proceeds from the mouth of God. That is the story of my life. One word from his lips.

I was thinking of the day I got saved. It’s still fresh in my memory. The thought of being cleansed in my sin. Once an enemy, now a friend. On my knees in my bedroom alone. 40 years ago.

It’s still why we do the things we do and took time to come here. We are hungry for his Word and want the Word. We have forsaken the first floor. Thank God for bread but it’s not enough. We need the second floor. We need the relationship.

vs.17. When I look at you, the church of Greater Grace in Baltimore, we are overcomers. God says I’ll give you hidden manna. Manna is so interesting. What is it? We can’t even say what it is. It’s bread from heaven.

Ps 78:24-25. Heaven’s grain. Food from heaven, angel’s food cake.

God has set a table here tonight, Ps 36:8-9, we are feasting in the abundance of your house. We come to God’s house and it’s a feast. You give me drink from your river of delight. Back to Eden, back to walking with God. God has resources. We are so weak we hunger. God says I have food from heaven and it is my Word. I’m going to send it. The manna will be there.

Rev 2:17 I will give you hidden manna. In eternity we will feast from these words from God. It’s our life, our source, it’s Jesus Christ. He is the manna. We have communion. We take the body and blood and assimilate it. It gives us strength. It’s supernatural. It’s manna. This is how we live. I’ll go with you all the way and be with you in your wilderness.

Let’s live by every Word that proceeds out of God’s mouth. Not be familiar with it. Let’s come like children. I don’t know these verses. God humble me and test me and show me what is in my heart. The greatest life is a life that lives by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.


Please enjoy these sermon notes from the messages preached at Greater Grace Church in Baltimore. These notes are provided to aid in your study and understanding of the Word. Note that these notes do not represent complete, word-for-word transcriptions. Also, they may contain omissions as well as some errors in spelling and structure, etc., as we attempt to provide them as soon as possible. Our hope is that these notes serve as a way to help you search and connect with messages on related subjects and passages. Thank you for your interest in the ministry of Greater Grace.

Living by Every Word of God — Sermons, Bible Studies, Articles, and Essays

Metaphors of God’s Word

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Christ says His words are Spirit and Life; they have a quality above human words because their source is divine. If ingested, these words lead to eternal life.

Every Word?

‘Prophecy Watch’ by Pat Higgins

God frequently admonishes His people to be careful to observe His commands. Carefulness in living by God’s every word may have life-or-death consequences.

Fully Accepting God’s Sovereignty (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Eternal life is to live a quality life as God lives, having developed a close relationship with God, living by faith and accepting His sovereignty over all.

God Is Writing His Law

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

God promises to write His Law on our hearts and minds. When we experience the consequences of our or others’ sins, we learn the depth of how bad sin is.

Words Versus Images

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Spiritually, relying on images leads to shallowness of thought at best and idolatry at its worst. Virtually everything we know about God comes through words.

Don’t Cherry Pick God’s Law

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Kim Myers

While many people like some of God’s laws, they like to pick and choose, preferring a blend of their own preferences with some of God’s laws added in.

Do You See God Working in You?

Sermon by Kim Myers

Job was able to endure the multiple trials and tragic events by seeing the hand of God in his life, realizing that God works in both good and bad times.

How God Deals With Conscience (Part One)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

God orchestrated the repentance of Joseph’s brothers by carefully crafted words and enforced solitude to refresh their memories and expose their sin.

Approaching God Through Christ (Part Two)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The brazen altar symbolized total sacrifice. We have to be willing to give up everything, bearing our own individual cross, forsaking all to follow Him.

Israel’s Missing Characteristics of God

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Faithfulness is living continually by faith, acting even though doing so may cost us. Love is not primarily a feeling, but faithfulness in applying God’s Word.

Prayer and Seeking God

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Rather than having an apathetic relationship toward God, we must ardently, earnestly, and fervently seek God in order to imitate His behavior in our lives.

Fearing God

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Kim Myers

If we fear our boss, college professor, employer, or spouse more than God, we are guilty of idolatry, putting human figures in the place of God.

Do We Truly Honor God in Our Actions?

Sermon by Kim Myers

We’ve all read the verses that state that the Word of God is the Bread of Life, but do we consistently practice what it teaches, and thus honor God?

Human Will and God’s Sovereignty (Part Three)

Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh

God-designed personalities, having His character, will make up God’s family, not self-made personalities created by human will. We must yield as He creates.

The Sovereignty of God (Part Ten)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Like Job, we must surrender to God’s will and purpose for our lives, realizing that both pleasant and horrendous times work for our spiritual development.

Is God a Magician?

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Technology makes us susceptible to the ‘quick fix’ mentality, expecting miraculous solutions to all problems, making us susceptible to false miracles.

The Jewish Testament?

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Bible never calls the Old Testament ‘the Jewish Testament.’ The New Testament cannot be understood without the foundation of the Old Testament.

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Fifteen)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Things written in the Old Testament were written for us. The differences in the covenants focus on justification and access to God, not doing away with the law.

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Fourteen)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

No part of God’s Law has been ‘done away’. Jesus came to magnify the law, giving it a far more penetrating, spiritual application. Man flounders without law.

Colossian Law-Keeping

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Nominal Christendom cannot see God’s law even though it is in plain sight. In Colossians, Paul reiterates or alludes to all but one of the Ten Commandments.

Elements of Judgment (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The last days of the Worldwide Church of God demonstrated a dearth of righteous judgment. God expects us to judge wisely within the parameters of His Law.

Hebrews (Part One): The Stage Is Set

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Early converts from Judaism claimed to accept the Law but had difficulty accepting the Lawgiver. Today, many claim to accept Christ, but will not accept His Law.

Sincerity and Truth (Part One)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We have been given the priceless gift of God’s Word of sincerity and truth which has the power to sanctify. We must guard it as a life preserver.

Elements of Judgment (Part Five)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We dare not ‘do away’ anything that is part of God’s mind, or we will not be in His image. Acts 15 did not give Gentiles exemption from keeping God’s Law.

Forms vs. Spirituality (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Love, justice, mercy, and fidelity (the weightier matters of the law) God desires more than meticulous, mechanical religiosity.

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Six)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Circumcision is a token, sign, or seal that one was the heir of Abraham. No physical sign has the power to transfer righteousness to the doer.

Life in the Church

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Outwardly, many members in Sardis bore Christ’s name, but like the apparently religious Pharisees, they were in reality hypocrites, full of dead men’s bones.

The Sacrifices of Leviticus (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Like geodes, hiding magnificent structural and aesthetic designs, the biblical types, emblems, or allegories are deceptively simple on the surface.

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Sixteen)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Righteousness consists of applying the Law’s letter and/or intent. Sin constitutes a failure of living up to the standards of what God defines as right.

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Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

If a foundation is flawed, the building cannot stand. God built His spiritual temple on the prophets and the apostles, and Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone.

Four Views of Christ (Part 3)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The dominant emphasis of Matthew is the kingly qualities of Jesus as a descendant of the royal house of David, representing the Lion of Judah.

Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4 tells us, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” What exactly did Yahshua or Jesus Christ mean by that statement? What does it mean to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God?

In this Bible study in the form of a blog, let us take a deeper look at what it really means to live a life by every word of God. Let me share with you 5 effective ways on how you can live by every Word of God.

5 Effective Ways on How you can Live According to Every Word of God

A background to Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4

Jesus just finished fasting for forty days and forty nights. Matthew 4:2 tells us, that “He was hungry.” Obviously, this is like a simplified statement. Imagine not eating food and drinking water for forty days and forty nights!

Jesus was on the brink of death. Physical exhaustion and extreme hunger sucked the life out of Christ’s body.

This is where the greatest duel of all time happened. It is the battle between Jesus and Satan – the perfect epitome of the fight between good and evil, right and wrong. With Jesus’ great hunger, Satan seized the golden opportunity and tempted Christ with food.

Satan said, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” The Devil is testing Christ. He is challenging the authority of the very Son of God. No temptation could have been more plausible than asking Christ to turn a stone, which abundantly lies around them, into bread.

Here we read the powerful and perfect response of Jesus. He said, “Man shall NOT live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Jesus was quick to pull out the spiritual sword of God, which is His Word, to battle His enemy, Satan.

Now, let us examine what it means to live a life according to God’s word.

1. Living by God’s word means to humble yourself

Christ’s answer is a direct quotation of Deuteronomy 8:3. The whole eighth chapter of Deuteronomy is about Moses instructing the nation of Israel to remember the Eternal their God.

We read:

SO HE HUMBLED YOU, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”

From this verse, we can read that if you want to live by God’s word, you need to first humble yourself. If you are not humble, God will first need to humble you through trials and hardships. He will test and humble you before He can use you for His purpose.

Why is humility so important? Because humility is required for complete submission to God. You can’t live by every word of God if you are full of yourself. You can’t live by every word of God if you are filled with pride, arrogance, and conceit.

Humbling yourself does not necessarily mean thinking less of yourself. It is the recognition that you are nothing without God. It is the ability to see the awesomeness, majesty, and power of God and yet, He is loving and caring at the same time.

Sometimes, God allows us to be hungry so that He can “feed you with manna.” We need to first humble ourselves so God “will lift [us] up” (James 4:10).

2. Living by God’s word means believing His word

You can’t live by God’s word if you don’t believe it in the first place. Sadly, some people think that they can be Christians by accepting some parts of the Bible while rejecting other parts of it. Some people believe the New Testament while rejecting the Old Testament. Some people observe two or three commandments while dismissing the others. Some believe the theory of Evolution while still call themselves Christians.

Isn’t it foolish to believe in a God when at the back of your mind you consider parts of the Bible, His very word, as myths, fictional, and just desperate ways of men to explain their experiences?

The Bible is very clear when it says:

ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16).

Thus, the Apostle Paul mentioned that ALL scripture – no exception – is given by inspiration of God. The word ‘inspiration’ here literally means, God-breathed. If you want to live by God’s word, you can’t be just selective in which portion of the Bible you believe. It is either all or nothing. You can either call God a liar or accept His word as factual, accurate, or perfect. There’s no middle ground.

3. Living by God’s word means to follow His commandments

While the first step to following God is to believe in Him, it is not enough. You need to translate your belief into action. Living faith is a TRANSFORMATIONAL faith. It does not just change our thinking, but it also changes our words and actions. IT CHANGES WHO WE ARE.

If you aim to live by God’s word, it is not enough to just believe what God says. It is NOT sufficient to admire the nobleness and perfection of God’s word. No, that’s just playing Christianity. Living by God’s word is not a passive state of life, but it is ACTIVE, DYNAMIC, and ENERGETIC.

Living by God’s word demands following His commandments. After telling the Israelites to remember God and to understand the importance of His words, Moses instructed them to “keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him” (Deuteronomy 8:6).

God is saying here that we must follow His commandments if we want to live by His word. Learning God’s expectation from us, His will in our lives, and the purpose of our existence should behoove us to follow His instructions.

4. Living by God’s word means to recognize that God is our ultimate Provider

Jesus said that “man shall not live by bread alone.” It means that there is more to life than food. Jesus later instructs us “not [to] worry about [our] life, what [we] will eat or what [we] will drink; nor about [our] body, what [we] will put on.” He continued by asking the question, “Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing” (Matthew 6:25)? Instead of worrying about our physical needs, Christ made a compelling, yet unpopular statement. He said, “Seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (verse 33).

One of the primary concerns of people is food. When it comes to following God, they fear that they might lose their jobs, displease other people, and eventually lose the ability to provide for their own needs. BUT LIVING BY GOD’S WORD DEMANDS US TO HAVE FAITH – to entrust God our lives and believe that He will provide all our needs as long as we seek first His kingdom.

For forty days and forty nights, Jesus did not rely on physical food for His sustenance. He recognized that God can provide more than just what our physical body demands. He knew that if we are to survive, we also must partake of the spiritual food that only God can provide.

Make no mistake about it: God can and is more than willing to support us every step of our Christian journey.

5. Living by God’s word means seeking His will in our lives

“The carnal mind is enmity against God” (Romans 8:7). Naturally, we want to seek our own good. We want to be a “god” of ourselves. We don’t want God telling us what to do. We don’t want anyone to “limit” us or curtail our “freedom.” However, if we really want to live by God’s word, we must submit our lives to Him and follow His commandments.

We can’t simply read God’s word and just select those things that are convenient to us. We can’t also say, “God, you know, I believe in you, but I can’t do what you require me to do.” It never worked that way. Our faith should manifest in our thoughts, words, and actions.

If we are to live by God’s word, we need to surrender our will, make God our priority, and put Him first in everything we do. Whatever it is that God commands us to do, we can have the assurance that it is for our ultimate good.

Final words

Living by every word that proceeds out from the mouth of God is not easy. It is tough and challenging. However, it comes with GREAT rewards – rewards for both today and for the life to come. At the end of the day, living by God’s word is the best way to live this life. God’s word is perfect, and you can’t improve something that is already perfect.

So decide today to live by every word of God. Endure until the end because when you reach the top, you can look down and say, “It’s all worth it.”


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We Live By Every Word that ‘Proceeds’ – Simple Present Tense Not Past Tense

We Live By Every Word that ‘Proceeds’ – Simple Present Tense Not Past Tense

We live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. The word ‘Proceeds’ is simple present tense not past tense.

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Deut 8:3, Mt 4:4)

The past tense of the word ‘proceed’ is ‘proceeded’

‘Proceeds’ is simple present tense of the word ‘proceed’

(Some Bible versions use the word ‘comes’ but the original word is ‘proceeds’)

In the above mentioned verses (Deut 8:3 Mt 4:4), God did not make a mistake by using the word ‘proceeds’ neither did the scripture (Bible) writers make a mistake.

When Jesus was tempted by Satan, Satan took a verse from the Bible and said,

‘If you are the Son of Man, command that these stones become bread’ (Mt 4:3)

Whose mouth did the above word proceed from – God or Satan? Satan! Reason Jesus answered

‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’ (Mt 4:4)

Satan takes Bible verses and speaks them out of his mouth.

We live not by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, meaning that we live by every word that is presently (now) coming out of the mouth of God.

There are 3 categories of people in accordance to the verse;

  1. Those who live by bread alone
  2. Those who live not by bread alone but by every word that proceeded (past) out of the mouth of God
  3. Those who live not by bread alone but by every word that proceeds (present) out of the mouth of God

(This teaching is not of those who live by bread alone)

Majority of today so-called-Christians live by word that proceeded out of the mouth of God – they live by what God spoke in the past not what He is saying now. What does this mean?

This means that their ‘god’ spoke in the past but today he is silent or dead. That is not the True Living God Jesus Christ.

A dead person cannot speak so it is with dead ‘gods’. Because you are living, every day words are coming out of your mouth and so it is with God ‘I AM’ – every second minute He is speaking.

The question is; how do you know you have/are serving Jesus Christ? If He is speaking to you now (present). And because He is speaking every minute to us, we live by every word that proceeds out of His mouth.

The scripture (Bible) contains word that God spoke in the past. Its only when God takes His word from the scripture and He Himself speaks to you that you can live by it.

And if you look carefully, the word in the scripture was mostly spoken to others not to you. You cannot take what God spoke to others and speak it to yourself and live by it – you are a thief. Even Jacob and Isaac never spoke their father’s (Abraham) blessings to themselves.

See Incantation – speaking Bible verses to yourself is witchcraft (next)

Many people live by the scripture (Bible) without knowing that Bible contains word that proceeded (past) out of the mouth of God and that Bible only testifies of Him, Jesus Christ. This means you must go to the One Bible testifies of, Jesus Christ, for Him to speak presently to you for you to live.

Reason I taught you that Bible is dead, Jesus Christ is alive – He is risen.

Scripture (Bible) is a book to teach, rebuke, correct and train you in righteousness not to speak to you for it has no mouth

2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

Jesus Christ has mouth thus He speaks reason it is Him through the Holy Spirit to teach us the Bible not the Bible to teach itself to us as written

John 16:13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. See clearly from this verse that Holy Spirit speaks.

If the Bible is the one that speaks to you, the Bible is your ‘god’. If Jesus Christ is the One who speaks to you, Jesus Christ is your God. If its money that speaks to you, money is your ‘god’. Who speaks to you?

When Jesus Christ speaks to you presently what is in the Bible and even beyond, because He is Life, you live. But if you take what is in the Bible, speak it to yourself, the Bible itself is dead (contains past) thus it cannot give you life but death. Many people are in hell because they thought Bible will give them life.

Many people calling themselves ‘Bride of Christ’ today are dead. A dead person is ‘past’, a living person is ‘present’ (now). Reason signs miracles and wonders are history, of the past not present with them.

What’s the difference between the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ and the Pharisees, elders, scribes, Sadducees?

Jesus disciples lived by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of Jesus every minute while the Pharisees, elders, scribes, Sadducees lived by scripture, scroll – words that proceeded (past) out of the mouth of God.

And that is the difference between religion and the Bride of Christ, between religious people and those who walk in the spirit.

When God speaks now to a religion person through His servant saying e.g., ‘you will die if you do not do this and that’, the religious runs to scripture quoting Bible verses then they die. Why?

Because they are living by the word that proceeded (past) to others out of the mouth of God not what God is saying now.

From the deliverance of the children of Israel in Egypt to the Promised Land, they lived by the word God was speaking through His servant Moses then Joshua.

If they did not live by every word coming out of the mouth of God, when Moses instructed them, they could have disobeyed and asked like today religious, ‘where is it written in the Bible’. When told to kill a lamb, take blood and put it on the doorposts and lintel they could have asked Moses, ‘where is it written in the scroll’

Living by word that proceeded (past) out of the mouth of God not by every word that proceeds (presently) is disobedience and rebellion; the result is death – hell.

Korah and his company chose not to live by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God and the earth opened and shallowed them alive to hell (Numbers 16). Look at entire Bible and see what happened to people who chose not to live by the word issued at that moment from the mouth of God like Saul, etc.

When the children of Israel needed water, God spoke a word at that moment and their thirst was quenched

When the Egyptians came after them, God spoke a word at that moment and delivered them from Egyptians forever

When they needed meat, God spoke a word at that moment and quails come to them

When they had no food, God spoke a word and manna was with them until they entered the Promised Land

In the words that proceeds (presently) out of the mouth of God is where your provision is for today. Many people lack provision today because they live by the word that proceeded (past) hear God not or other things speak to them like humans, education, etc.

Provision for the children of Israel was in the wilderness not Egypt. If the children of Israel obeyed not the voice of God to come out of Egypt, they could have perished in lack. If they could have chosen other ways to seek for their provision they could have perished in lack. Evaluate yourself.

In every situation of the children of Israel, God spoke a word at that moment and they lived. And so it is today, in every situation God is speaking a word out of His mouth for you to live. He only wants your obedience.

Not only in situations but God was giving direction to the children of Israel by word from His mouth. And so it is today, God is issuing direction to every person today out of His mouth but only few people hear His voice.

If the children of Israel did not obey the voice of God issuing direction each moment, what could have happened to them? They could not have reached the Promised Land. Many people will not inherit heaven because they are disobedience to every word coming out of the mouth of God giving them direction now.

Many people today, their direction is given by money, friends, relatives, world, world education, search for bread, desires and lusts of world but not by God. Many people jobs and so called ‘careers’ are a result of world education not God but they claim it is God which is a lie! Did God speak a word from His mouth for you to go for that job or career?

Before God came to me, I lived life like many people today – after jobs, money, world education, businesses, etc. When I met Jesus Christ, I realized though these things appear good in the eyes of men they were not from God to me and not God’s Will for my life. If I could have died then, I could be in hell today.

When I met Jesus Christ, He spoke a word, I left everything, obeyed His voice and followed Him and today I live by the word that proceeds out of the mouth of God to me not by what I think, want, what seems good or what the world dictates. Back then I really lacked, was not content and stingy but now I never lack, with extra to help the needy and am content.

And God has taught me never to do anything because it seems good or I have thought of it without me hearing His word. If I ask you, you will tell me doing business is good but is that the Will of God for your life. If you do business and it is not God’s Will, you will be in hell. Many people are doing will of the world, people not the Will of God and the result is hell.

I will teach you about thoughts of a human and why you are not supposed to go by them but wait for the Word of God to you (later).

Tell Jesus Christ to speak a word now on your life, disease and sickness, your situation, breakthrough, provision, family, etc and obey

Walking in the spirit is living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God

Jesus is Coming

Repent Repent Repent

Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand

Living by every word of God

Greetings to all my friends in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ! All the glory to my Lord and my Savior, Jesus Christ!

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into[a] the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days, He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”But Jesus answered him, saying,[b] “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’

Jesus began His ministry on earth at the age of thirty years. As soon as He was baptized in water, He was filled with Holy Spirit, who lead Him into the wilderness. There He was tempted for forty days. Jesus fasted those forty days. Though we don’t have a clear idea as to how Jesus was tempted those forty days, its clear enough that Jesus resisted all temptations, with fasting, prayer and the word of God. A Spirit filled and a Spirit lead person is not free from temptations, but have an assurance of victory over all temptations by the power of His Spirit. The three temptations faced by Jesus, as quoted in the gospels represents three aspects of our lives being tempted: the body, the spirit and the soul.

In the very first temptation, we see four arrows of the evil one:

  1. A challenge against flesh.
  2. Doubting the identity of Christ.
  3. Using divine authority for selfish purpose.
  4. Contentment with half knowledge of God’s word.
  5. A challenge against flesh. Temptations depends highly upon the situations. The devil waits for the opportunities when our body or we might seem to be the weakest. He came with the offer of turning stones to bread, when Jesus felt the hunger. Though He had spent 40 days without food, He did not feel the hunger until He ended the fasting. Two things we see here.

1st- Jesus allowed Holy Spirit to take control over His natural feelings of hunger during fasting. He was so much into prayer and meditation that He forgot or mortified hunger. Once His mission of taking up 40 days of fasting was over, He felt or allowed the pangs of hunger to be felt in His empty stomach. It is possible not to feel the natural feelings or crucify the power of flesh through fasting and prayer.

2nd – The devil did not offer Jesus bread during those forty days of fasting. He waited till Jesus felt hungry. The evil one knows our feelings to a certain extent. When our flesh is weakest, temptations are strongest. Flesh is weakest when challenged at the basic needs of survival, like, food, clothing etc. Jesus was challenged at the necessity of having food, when he felt the pangs of hunger the most i.e. after 40 days of no food. It is not wrong to eat food when hungry, but it is wrong to meet any of our basic needs outside the will of God. Isaac would  not be wrong in thinking of going to Egypt for escaping the famine, but would have been wrong in doing so in spite of knowing God’s will about him to continue to stay in Canaan in midst  of the famine (Gen.26:1-3).

B & C – Doubting the identity of Christ & Using divine authority for selfish purpose -The next attack was on the very identity of Christ. The phrase ‘If you are the Son of God’ invites doubts into our faith life. The subsequent attack was on misusing the divine authority for selfish purpose. The latter was provoked to prove the earlier. Indeed the need to use the power to turn stone to bread was at its peak, for so extreme was the hunger after 40 days of fasting. However, the urgency of the need was linked to wrong action.  Many times, though the things we do might be right, but somewhere we go wrong while linking the same with the reason. Let us be reminded that the Lord weighs our intentions more than our actions. In addition, we need to discern to divide rightly the spiritual intentions from the fleshy ones. In addition, the Word of God is that sword that pierces into the bones, marrows….a discerner of intents and thoughts (Hebr.4:12). Jesus discerned the intentions rightly and resisted the evil intention using the sword of the Spirit i.e. the Word of God.

Jesus did not answer the exact question of the devil, yet He answered him very wisely. He did not find it essential to prove the devil about His identity. It is not necessary for us to answer every provoking question or comment. Let our silence and calmness prove the strong foundation of faith deep rooted in our hearts. Neither did Jesus ever use His divine authority for any of His personal of self-centered desire. He used His divine authority to feed the hungry crowd of 5000, but He never used it to feed Himself.

  1. Contentment with half knowledge of God’s word – In these temptations, the evil one came in quoting the scriptures. Had any person be a person with half knowledge of the Word, he or she might have fallen in these temptations. Hence, Jesus said that a man shall ‘live by every word of God’. Each word of the Bible is equally important. The complete Bible is the word of God. The complete Bible is the ‘truth’. It is very important for us to study His word in complete sense. Half-truth is not the truth, but a lie. But sadly, we see many lured into contentment with half knowledge and such lives, consequently fall sooner or later in their: faith life. They stumble on that part of ‘the truth’, which was set apart from their lives. Jn.8:31-32, ‘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.”’ Truth cannot be known overnight. It’s a gradual process, a step-by-step process. It’s possible only if we continue steadfastly in regular and orderly meditation of the Word. The more we seek, the more is revealed to us. Jesus resisted the temptation of half and incomplete knowledge with complete knowledge of the Scriptures.

We see Jesus resisting the temptation by quoting the scriptures. But let us not forget that the prayers and the fasting taken prior to it enabled Him to quote the right scripture at the right moment. While the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, the prayers and the fasting empowers the indwelling Spirit to use the sword of the Word of God promptly and rightly, to cut away very arrow aimed to push us off the track of faith. As the devil roars like a lion, seeking to devour lives, let us be sober, vigilant and always in full armor of God to resist every temptation. Our Lord’s coming can be expected any time. Temptations tests our faith and only tested lives will inherit the eternal life in Christ Jesus. James 1:12, ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.’

God bless us all!

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