The people of God must hide the Word of God in Just berore that scripture in Matthew 7 He speaks or

our hearts. We must study the scriptures and be washed the broad path leading to destruction that the majority or
by the water of the word (Ephesians 5:26), renewed in people end up on, and the narrow path leading to eternal
our minds (Romans 12:2), having the mind or Christ (I lire that few lind (perhaps the majority think they're in the
Corinthians 2: 16). Study to show ourselves approved "few" category) and He reveals the danger in heeding
unto God, workers that don't need to be ashamed, rightly ralseness that looks like truth, saying we will know what
dividing the word of truth (II Timothy 2: 15). people are about by the rruit they produce. A good tree
Psalm 119: II says, Thy word have I hid in my heaI1, brings rorth good rruit and a bad tree brings rorth bad
that I might not sin against thee. The Bereans were rruit. What is the rruit Jesus is talking about?
considered noble in the Apostle Paul's day because they All throughout His teachings, Jesus speaks about
received the word with all readiness of mind, and love. He tells us to even love our enemies. The fruit of
searched the scriptures daily .• I!. the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22 starts with love, then
, ""~ reI.< ~ '" joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
to see If , t"e u>rl!. ,,~S 1'r", est-
ve
what thev r •... we lleL,e .• t"erS '''' .wrt"w meekness, and temperance.
• ,'I!. lAS~"'I.<0 , ester to
were being 1'0s,t,o",e to serve ~",I!. w..'''' et- Those people who were called workers of iniquity
told is true. If er",Ar~~"'s~s 'LL.!leeCo~st~L~"'I!.w.., and told to depart from Him prided themselves on being
'S w"o W' \"
we're doing re f IACjec
, ~re~s ~s
terror 're~ses
''''c
'''' able to cast out devils and prophecy in His name, but
those actions are not the fruit our Lord has in mind for us
anv• less
these, we're t"e VI."" e
't I!.st~tes ...
than in lr~O~I':oL~'~t~~"':~:~~'~~~~ ••• - to bear as we call ourselves followers of Him during our
danger of being - caught up in short eal1h life. Those are just some signs following
deception. Of course, the Bible (that very important those who believe (Mark 16: 17).
love letter that our loving Creator has preserved over Galatians 5:24 spells it all out for us: "They that are
centuries for us all) does warn us or great deception, Christ :,.have crucified the flesh with the affectiollS alld
especially in the latter days which I believe are upon us. lusts." Ifwe're claiming to be Christ followers then our
We really need to heed the Word orGod. It's our priorities are not about casting out devils and
weapon against the enemy, That's how we will thwart prophecying, but overcoming the junk in us and replacing
the enemy's efforts at deception. it with real fruit, the good stuff - LOVE, joy, peace,
It's up to us to take heed, Jesus gives a parable in raith, gentleness, meekness, and so on.
Luke 8 to declare that seed railing on good ground bears • We will want to
much rruit and then He tells you and me to take heed ... We pr~l:!e" aVe" believe" we were to step hear our
how we hear. It's up to us to make sure the word ralls on o~t OVefaith aVe" buil" a house oVe I-toli"al:! precious
good ground versus thorns, rocks, or the wayside. Is aVe"~ We coul" Veot affor" a COVetractor Savior say
so I bu,lt ,t 0 ,. .£' • "W II
The most effort that some put rorth as Christians is the, ,"" Ves"eer \ a,th we or"ere" to us, e
dressing up on the first day or the week and going to a first sh'prueVet of luruber. A stmVege done thou
building called church to listen to someone telling them carue uVcexpecte"ll:! a"", frarue" the eVet' r good and
what they should already know irthey've read the garage - free. I learVee" froru hiru hOW,;e faithful
f rarue the rest of the howe
scriptures for themselves. Far too many American ~. A oVee-1egge" 0 servant,"
Christians don't even understand the need to read the war veteraVe helpe" rue put OVethe f not, "Depart
el"erl 'b roo . AVe
scriptures ror themselves leaving it up to another " I:! Vee'gh or helpe" pour COVcCrete A from me, I
a,l,,,,,, t' .• . Ve
human being who gives them his or her twist on what h . -", re ere", ruaster electriciaVe wire" the never knew
the scriptures say, just trusting that everything they're Ot.<se - free. severaL tiltU.es Our /l\..to e you."
told is true, Perhaps this is onc or the major ways raVe out, but exact aruouVets of Ve I:! We must
deception enters in.
expecte"ll:! carue iVe the ru 'l ruoVeel:! UVe- realize that
It's important to note in this context that Jesus
Veee"e" ruaterials' a, to pal:! for the only way

warned not everyone who thinks they're sare will be.
Matthew 7:21-23, "Not every olle that with ull/o /lie,
Lord, Lord, shall ell/er illto the killgdo/ll of heaven, but
he that doeth the will of /IIYFather which is ill heaven
MallY will say to /lie ill that da}: Lord, Lord, have we IIOt
prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out
devils? alld ill thy lIa/lle have dOlle 1I/lIllYwOlldelful
works? But He warns that He will say to them, "llIn'er
kllew you, depart frOIll lIIe,ye that work illiquit)'. "
Page 2
that's going to
happen is if we abide in Him and stay true to Him all the
way to the end of our earth life as evidenced by our fruit.
There's nothing more important that we can do while
living this short span of life on this earth.
o love the Lord, all ye his saints for the Lord
preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the
proud doer. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen
your heart. all ye that hope in the Lord (Psalm 31 :23).
- Julie Turner, Editor