MODUS OPERANDI
“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' ?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; "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.'" Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. "For God knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 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 its fruit and ate. She also gave it to her husband with her, and he ate it. 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. 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. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where [are] you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you [were] naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." And the LORD God said to the woman, "What [is] this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You [are] cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire [shall be] for your husband, And he shall rule over you." Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, `You shall not eat of it':"Cursed [is] the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat [of] it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you [are], And to dust you shall return." And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” Genesis 3:1-24. Readers, Satan uses a serpent, the smartest animal on earth to deceive Adam and Eve, and to raise doubts in their minds.
That, raising doubts, is Satan’s most successful method to deceive us, as he did when he deceived Adam and Eve.
When we are in doubt, we will fail, and Satan will win, guaranteed. Adam and Eve may have a ton of faith in God, but when Satan succeeded in destroying their faith by making them doubt in the words of God, Satan won. Readers, I want you to always remember that faith and doubt are not compatible with each other.
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: `He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, `In [their] hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "It is written again, `You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'" Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, `You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.” Matthew 4:1-11.
Readers, Satan approached Jesus with his old trick that he used on Adam and Eve to deceive Him, to make Jesus doubt His Father. But Jesus recognized Satan. Do you recognize Satan when you see him? Satan may come to you as your preacher, pastor, or priest. Can you recognize Satan when he appears before you as the disciples or apostles who work for Jesus? I bet you cannot always. Jesus could not either, and Judas Iscariot was the proof.
Know the words of God. Memorize them well. Use them to resist Satan when Satan comes to you and offer you fruits, wealth, or happiness. Don’t grab anything that the world offers you. Why? Because you might regret it later. Why later?
Because Satan owns and rules the world until Jesus comes. I love you readers. Be smart! Hold on steadfast to your faith. He wants us to do the will of His Father in heaven.
Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” Matthew 7:21-23.
When we are in doubt, we will fail, and Satan will win, guaranteed. Adam and Eve may have a ton of faith in God, but when Satan succeeded in destroying their faith by making them doubt in the words of God, Satan won. Readers, I want you to always remember that faith and doubt are not compatible with each other.
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: `He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, `In [their] hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "It is written again, `You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'" Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, `You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.” Matthew 4:1-11.
Readers, Satan approached Jesus with his old trick that he used on Adam and Eve to deceive Him, to make Jesus doubt His Father. But Jesus recognized Satan. Do you recognize Satan when you see him? Satan may come to you as your preacher, pastor, or priest. Can you recognize Satan when he appears before you as the disciples or apostles who work for Jesus? I bet you cannot always. Jesus could not either, and Judas Iscariot was the proof.
Know the words of God. Memorize them well. Use them to resist Satan when Satan comes to you and offer you fruits, wealth, or happiness. Don’t grab anything that the world offers you. Why? Because you might regret it later. Why later?
Because Satan owns and rules the world until Jesus comes. I love you readers. Be smart! Hold on steadfast to your faith. He wants us to do the will of His Father in heaven.
Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” Matthew 7:21-23.
hkhoe@thexcommandments.com