By David J. Stewart
Deuteronomy 8:16, “Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end.”
God provided manna (which had a similar flavor to coriander seed the Bible
says). God told Moses to instruct the Jews NOT so save the manna until the next
day, lest it rot. It was not a situation where the manna might rot, or could be
prevented from rotting if kept cold enough; but rather, the manna would rot,
guaranteed, if saved until the next morning. Why did God do this? Why wouldn't
God allow them to store manna for a week or longer?
The
answer is faith. God wanted the Jews to trust Him to provide for them from
day-to-day. This truth is plainly evidenced in Deuteronomy 8:16, where the Bible
says God led the Jews into the Wilderness to have their faith tested, to see
whether or not they would obey His Commandments. Because most of the Jews didn't
believe the Gospel (Hebrews 4:1-2), they complained at Moses and God often.
Unsaved people complain morning, noon and night and are ingrates for what God
provides to them. They were God's people, but most were not God's children.
Romans 9:8 and 27, “That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. ...Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.” So, clearly, most Jews are NOT saved. Jesus warned that except a man (or woman) be BORN AGAIN, they cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5-7).
You see my friend, neither you nor I can live on yesterday's spirituality. Yesterday's spiritual meat was intended for then. We need to hear fresh, daily, from the holy Scriptures. God wants to speak to our heart, but we must humble ourselves by praying and seeking His face, turning from our wicked ways.
I don't care how high of a mountain-top experience you may have today, it's all over tomorrow and you must start over. There's just something about going to sleep and waking up the next day, like a big pencil erasure or chalkboard erasure brush. You have to start all over. Each morning seek the Lord earlier, read the Bible. I love to listen to the Bible while sleeping.
But if we abide in the Scriptures and pray, seeking God's face and asking for His blessings on our life, then we'll start off a little closer to Heaven each day, than the day before. I believe that. No one can stay spiritual from a Bible study done a year ago, or Bible camp you attended as a teenager, or the church that you used to go to. We need daily manna from Heaven.
The Bible tells us these famous Words in Deuteronomy 8:3...
Deuteronomy 8:3, “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.”
Did you read that? Jesus quoted these powerful Words in the New Testament to the Devil while enduring temptation...
Matthew 4:4, “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.”
The
Bible plainly teaches that man cannot survive spiritually without eating the
bread of God's Word daily. And we need EVERY WORD if we are to live for God.
That's what's wrong we all of the new corrupt Bibles on the market, that is,
that have been butchered and are missing words. There are 64,000 words missing,
changed or added in the New International Version (NIV) as compared to
the trustworthy King James Bible.
Satan uses the love of money to recruit evil Bible butchers, to agendacized the Bible to appease gays, lesbians, transvestites, Communists, unbelievers, feminists and Roman Catholics. If you are to live by EVERY WORD of God, then you need an EVERY WORD Bible. Praise God!, we have the precious King James Bible!!!
God is a wonderful God, full of mercy and love. 1st John 1:9 says that God is faithful and just to forgive those who seek it, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But the Bible warns that if anyone denies being a sinner, they are not saved. 1st John 1:10, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” In sharp contrast, as believers we are commanded to confess our sins (1st John 1:9) and to forgive others of their sins in the Lord (Ephesians 4:30-32).
Read and study the Bible daily. I recommend getting the Alexander Scourby's DVD of both the complete Old and New Testaments. MP3 versions and iPod are also available. You can listen to the Bible at the click of a button on your computer. It takes 75 hours from Genesis to Revelation. You'll hear things you never noticed while reading, and your life will be blessed as you go to read and verify the things you just heard. There is a wealth of Scriptures in the Bible. Romans 10:17 says faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Amen!
Love the Scriptures. Jesus commanded in John 5:39 to SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!! Mankind seeks for answers everywhere except in the Scriptures. Famous U.S. Patriot Benjamin Franklin was a Jack-of-all-trades. Franklin studied all the difference sciences. Like Al Gore bogusly claims to have discovered the internet; so did Benjamin Franklin bogusly claim to discover electricity (like no one ever had seen lightening before that). Franklin seemed to know a lot about everything, all but one subject, the Scriptures! In the latter years of Franklin's life, a man wrote to him asking if Franklin believed in the deity (God in the flesh) of Jesus Christ. Franklin wrote back and said that he honestly had never studied the subject and cannot say, not knowing. This is plain evidence that Franklin was not a Christian.
Life is short my friend, whoever you may be. What you do with Jesus Christ will determine where you spend eternity. Most people these days are too busy, too preoccupied, to enamored with eating, drinking, sports, television, video games, music, marrying and giving in marriage, just as it was in the days of Noah when the flood came upon them and they knew it not until it was too late (Matthew 24:37-39). Jesus asked in Luke 18:8 if He'll find any faith upon the earth when He returns, and He relates that faith to the continued prayers of the saints (Luke 18:1-8). Most professed believers don't even pray one minute per day. Hardly anyone is saved these days.
Few will enter Heaven Jesus said. Luke 13:23-24, “Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”
Did you read that? Many will seek to enter, but will not be able. Do you know why? It's because everyone is swallowing a big lie today. Most people are listening to all the false prophets in the world. People believe the lying newsmedia. People believe the lying Catholic religion. People believe the lying Jehovah's Witnesses and lying Seventh-day Adventists. People believe the lies of Bahá'i' Faith, Mormons, Church of Christ and all the fake televangelists. Most people have been sold a lie that they can get to Heaven by giving up their sinful ways, committing their life to Christ, faithful service, and trusting Jesus. That's is all self-righteousness!!!
A further problem is that the cross has been left out. Jesus died, was buried and raised up from the dead (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). That's the Gospel message. If you believe in Jesus, so did Judas. But Jesus said Judas had a devil in him (John 6:70). Judas didn't believe that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah, the Son of God. Judas followed Christ. In fact, Judas even repented of his sins and gave the 30 pieces of silver back (Matthew 28:1). But none of this is salvation. Amending your ways is not salvation. Following Christ is not salvation. You must trust upon Jesus that He is the Christ, the Only begotten Son of the living God (Acts 20:31). John 6:48, “I am that bread of life.”
Also note that the word “repented” (to feel remorse afterwards) concerning Judas is very different than the meaning of to repent unto salvation (which means, a change of mind). Judas had it all, but he didn't believe on Jesus Christ. Judas was a known thief (John 12:6).
And finally, when Judas saw Jesus condemned, he hung himself. If Judas had only been a genuine Christian, he could have done as Peter and simply prayed for forgiveness. 1st John 1:9 promises that God is faithful to always forgive and to cleanse us so we won't do it again hopefully. God wants to cleanse and help us not to sin, which is a Biblical principle. Jesus wants us pure as He is pure. 1st John 3:2-3, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
Each And Every Believer Ought To Study The Scriptures
There are so many applicable things I could say concerning staying spiritual; but the main thing to remember is that the Word of God is our anchor in these dark times of sin. 1st John 5:19 says the world has always been evil. However, we are entering into the Last Days (2nd Timothy 3:1-5), and perilous (hard to endure, difficult) times are here. King David said in Psalms 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” You won't make it without the Bible. So many people today are looking for answers apart from the Bible (Romans 1:25,28). The Bible means nothing to them because they have no faith in God. They have no fear of God (Romans 3:18). They are unbelievers and the Gospel is foolishness unto them (1st Corinthians 1:21). They are ever-searching for the truth, but can't find it...
2nd Timothy 3:5-7, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
The world is filled with educated fools. You can tell them right away by their contempt and rejection of the Words of God as the Final Authority in all matters of life and faith. As Christians the Bible is our very life (our daily milk, bread and meat that nourishes our soul); but to skeptics and unbelievers it's merely a book (because they are spiritually dead and have no hunger for the things of God). Thank God for His precious Words!!! I don't care who you are, you will not grow in the Lord if you don't study the Bible.
And if you're not saved forget even trying, because you won't understand anything that you read (1st Corinthians 2:14-16). The Bible must be studied in the presence of the Author (God). If you are saved, then you have the promise of God's Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9) to guide you into all truth (John 16:13). There's a lot of anorexic looking believers walking around today, who haven't been nourished up on the milk, bread and meat of God's Word. Others are deformed because they were fed poison and never got saved to begin with. Society is saturated with spiritual mutants, mal-nourished believers and sickly saints who don't even know which Bible to use anymore these days. I'll help you... only use the King James Bible!!!
If you have hard time understanding it, then study it. 2nd Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Avoid studying on the internet unless you 100% know the person or source of the material. Always find the name of the church, denomination or group behind the website. If it's an individual, then find out what church they go to or what denominational' beliefs they subscribe to. If they won't tell you, it's too dangerous, move on to another website. If you can't find anything, then it's likely Seventh-day Adventists and straight out of Hell. Don't study with any website that doesn't use the King James Bible exclusively.
Here's some great sources of spiritual food to help get you going. I can't tell you how many times I've felt down, but after listening to some Bible preaching I felt the closeness of Heaven, the Savior and the troubles of this world seemed to fade away into the background. This is what Romans 10:17 means when we are told FAITH COMETH BY HEARING! Titus 1:3 says that God has hath manifested His Word THROUGH PREACHING. You'll learn 100 times more Bible from Gospel preaching than you will from reading books by deadbeats like Joel Osteen, Max Lucado and Joyce Meyer. The great need of this hour is PREACHING PREACHERS!!!
Here's some life-changing preaching from History's mightiest Baptist preachers and faithful men of God...
Here's A Great Start To Bible Study | Listen To Lots Of MP3 Preaching
