February 15, 2022

“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.” jn 8:44 nkjv

When Yeshua [Jesus] spoke the above New Testament words, He was referring to these Torah verses:

“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…" gen 2:8-9 nkjv

“Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend [guard] 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.” gen 2:15-17 nkjv

“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.” gen 3:1-7 nkjv

As a side note, we are yet today sewing “fig leaves” over our sins… because our nakedness is always before the LORD GOD… heb 4:11-13

Yeshua speaking in Chapter 8 of John, was in a sharp exchange of “words of truth,” with the unbelieving Jews who hated him… He also said to those “believing Jews:”

“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.” jn 8:31-32 nkjv

In the above short scripture references, we have the two most conflicting powers in the universe; namely, the truth [Torah Word] vs the “anti-truth” Lies of the serpent. Both have power, and whichever one you pursue will determine your eternal destiny. However, I suggest you choose wisely, as "Truth" being the Word of God [Jn 17:17 nkjv], it will prevail in the end.

Yeshua, the Word that became flesh (jn 1:1-14 nkjv), from the beginning, is known as the “Tree of Life.” He is the “good seed” the sower went out to sow, the Word of God. The evil one, Satan [serpent in the garden] also sows seed… that comes from the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” Simply stated, you become what you eat… think about it.

AND… please note that there IS NO middle ground between these two “powers” where one can vacillate. 1 Kgs 18:21 nkjv

As a “Bonus” included herein, which hopefully will stimulate your thinking, and add to your Biblical study, and strengthen your daily walk in these challenging times, I am adding a video/audio message with this weekly devotional.

Namely, because there is so much controversy about the times in which we live [i.e. Last Days?], and many have had questions about the “jabs/gene therapy” being related to the mark of the beast, etc. The video/audio message by Joel Richardson provides some interesting food for thought… I am not promoting this thinking, but I think it rates as information that I will keep on one of my “mental shelves” for connecting to any dots that may be revealed in the future… compare its commentary to your Bible, an let the Holy Spirit guide your thinking...

Should you prefer, here is an alternate mp3 audio only link: Revelations-The Number, Name, Mark, and Image of the Beast.

Shalom... John