On December 4, 1780, Colonel William Washington surrounded British Loyalists in a barn and house near Camden, South Carolina.  The Colonel was a second cousin to General George Washington, but he lacked the artillery he needed to overpower the Loyalists.  He came up with a plan to use a log from a pine tree to make it look like a cannon, and threatened to blow up the house and barn if the Loyalists did not surrender.  The plan was successful, and the Loyalists surrendered without a single shot being fired.

        “Words from Above” in the Bible tell us about the devil, the enemy of God and the enemy of our soul, convincing Eve in the Garden of Eden to eat of fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden, which God had forbidden her and Adam to eat or touch.  The devil twisted what God had told Adam and Eve, and he made it sound like a wise thing for them to do.  He still tries to trick people today, and the apostle Peter describes him as “a roaring lion, walking about and seeking whom he may devour.”

        In John 16, Jesus informs His disciples that He would soon be leaving them to return to His Father in heaven, but that He would not leave them to be alone.  He specifically told them that He would send them the Spirit of Truth, and that the Spirit would guide them into all truth.  He explained that the Spirit would hear from God, and then would tell the disciples what God had to say.  He also told them in John 14 that the Spirit would teach them all they needed to know, and also remind them of all the things they had been taught by Jesus.

        Of course, none of us was present on the Earth when Jesus lived here, but we can read about what Jesus said in the Word of God.  So, the Spirit of God can remind us what we read, just like He could remind the disciples of what they heard Jesus say.  But it absolutely important to understand that the Spirit of God cannot remind us what we have read in the Bible if we have not actually read what the Bible says. If we do not actually read the Bible, the Spirit of God cannot remind us of what the Bible says.  This is where the devil takes advantage of us, because he knows what the Bible says, and he can easily twist what the Bible says without us ever knowing he has done it.  This is why it is absolutely necessary that we read and study the Bible.

Larry R. Steffee is pastor of the Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Miller Road in Smithville.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  For informa-tion, you may email lrsteffeetn@yahoo.com.