KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 4:8 KJV “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”

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Godly training is all about building up your Spirit man. Man is a spirit who has a soul and lives in a body. The spirit of man is the God-conscious part of him. It is where we have the new creation. It is the state of our Spirit that determines whether we will be victorious or not. Our Godly exercises are about training our spirit to take over our lives. The rule of the flesh is called carnality, and that is death, Rom 8:6, but the rule of our spirit is life and peace.

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We must do everything to make our spirit have dominance over our bodies or flesh.

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One of the means to let our spirit come alive is meditation. The Hebrew word is hagah, having the following meanings: growl, utter mutter, whisper, say, roar. During meditation, you keep nurturing a verse or statement of the scriptures  for a couple of minutes or for one or two hours. This act of speaking one word or a phrase in the bible for a long period actually establishes that word firmly in your mind and your spirit.

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This act must be repeated  over time. It could be done for two months or even three, repeating the same thing. In order to be successful, you have to be very disciplined, especially with your time, as well as repeating the same thing. You might start muttering, that is saying it under tone, but after some time, you may start speaking it louder, Joshua 1:8

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One great man of God who has been used in the area of healing said he had to meditate on Acts 10:38 over a very long time to find himself being very prolific in the healing ministry. Acts 10: 38 says,” How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” He quoted it as it is in the Bible, and then he began to personalise  it. In place of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, he would say ‘me’ or his name and his location. As he diligently observed it over a period, he realised that great healing anointing was functioning in his life.

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Dear one, just as physical exercises take great discipline, a spiritual one also demands more discipline. In the spiritual exercises, demons would not want you  to attain higher heights in the spirit, and so would create conditions to distract or divert your attention. LET YOUR GOAL BE CONSISTENCY  LEADING TO PERFECTION.

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Think through this message and decide on an area to master in the spirit. WHAT YOU MAY NEED IS TO SET YOUR TIME, DURATION  AND YOUR LOCATION to observe your meditation.

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THOUGHT: JUST AS DISCIPLINED PHYSICAL EXERCISES MAKE GREAT MUSCLES, SO WOULD DISCIPLINED SPIRITUAL EXERCISES PRODUCE STRONG SPIRITUAL MUSCLES

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Jos 1:8 KJV This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

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Rom 12:2 KJV “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

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KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 4:7 KJV” But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.”

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May we remind ourselves that we are taking a study of Paul’s letter to Timothy, who was the pastor of the church of Ephesus. Although the advice and counsel are predominantly for pastors, the lessons are applicable to every Christian.

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This time, Pastor Timothy is counselled to refuse old wives’ fables or silly myths that have no touch with reality or to assist spiritual growth. Well, in our time, we may not be saddled by baseless superstitious beliefs but rather are occupied with the mobile phone. A brother shared an event of pastors  where an elderly man was unduly delayed in the washroom for a very long time. He said he climbed up to see what had happened to the man. As he looked, he saw the man was glued to his mobile phone, watching pornographic videos. This was a pastor using his precious time to demoralise himself. Sadly, there are many such men who spend their private hours attending to their phones. Apostle Paul instructs us to REFUSE to attend to such things.

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He counsels that we would rather train ourselves in godliness. The Greek word for train or exercise is gumnizo, from which we derived the word gymnasium. As we know, a gym is a place where people train themselves in many ways. The next verse says that bodily exercise profits little. Meaning its impact  or benefit would be only for our physical body. He added that godly training or exercises have a greater benefit. It benefits us now and in life after here.

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What are some of these godly exercises? They are as follows.

1 prayer

2 Scriptural reading and studying

3 Meditation on the Scriptures

4Fasting

5 GIVING

6 Evangelism

Please note that these scriptural exercises train our spirit man to be agile and strong. The scripture says the spirit of a man would sustain his infirmity. But who can bear a wounded spirit? A strong spirit would not give in to adversity. Our spiritual senses, like sight, hearing and general spiritual discernment, can be developed through these exercises.

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After certain periods of prayer and fasting, one can find his spiritual sight opened, and his ears also opened, such that he or she could see things in the spirit.

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When the Lord Jesus lived physically among men, he did not function by spiritual gifts but by a developed spiritual man. He could easily know what people were thinking. Jr discrrned spirits of infirmity. He healed at will and also knew when the enemy spoke through people. By the ability of His developed spirit. Satan or his demons were never able to outwit Him.

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THOUGHT: TRAIN UP YOUR SPIRIT AND BE MORE EFFECTIVE FOR THE LORD

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FURTHER STUDIES

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1Co 14:4 KJV He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

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Jos 1:8 KJV” This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 4:6 KJV “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.”

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We continue with our discussion on keeping up with sound  doctrine. In our previous study, we said that sound doctrine is to continue in the apostles’ doctrine. One major truth that the apostles taught was about the impact of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. His death was like a seed planted, and we are the result of His planting. Isa 53:11 KJV” He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”Jesus bore our iniquities in order to justify us.

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Every seed planted produces fruit with seeds just like itself. The apostles taught that every Christian is in every way just like Jesus. 1Jn 4:17 KJV”  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” This is the mystery of Christianity. As  He is, so are we in this world. The victorious life of the Christian stems from the fact that we are one with Jesus. His life is our life (Col 3:3,4)

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God’s intention is to raise a generation of men and women who are more than  conquerors. He has called us to show the praises or demonstrate the victories of the Lord. Eph 3:10 KJV” To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.” When the Lord walked on the shores of this earth, He consistently demonstrated absolute power and dominion over devils and satan. This is exactly what He has made us. He has invested the very nature of His Son into us.

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The apostles consistently taught that we ‘ve been made victors  and should demonstrate this victory in our lives. 1Jn 5:4 KJV “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

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Now, what areas does Satan seek to dominate man?. These are as follows.

1 SIN

2 DISEASES AND SICKNESSES

3 POVERTY

4 DEATH

If in Christ we have overcome the world, then we have overcome every one of these areas of dominance of Satan. The means for our triumph is our faith. This is the truth and teaching they brought to the world by the ability of the Holy Spirit.

GLORY BE TO GOD.

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Declare the following boldly. I am born of God and have the life of God in me. I have the faith of Jesus, and so I have overcome the world. I have overcome sin , diseases, poverty, and death, for the victorious Christ is my  very life. I refuse to be deceived by the wiles or lies of Satan and insist that in Christ, I am more than a conqueror.

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THOUGHT:JESUS HAS INVESTED ALL OF HIMSELF INTO US SO AS TO DEMONSTRATE HIS VICTORY TO THE WORLD.

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FURTHER STUDIES

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1Pe 2:9 KJV “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

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Rom 5:17 KJV” For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”

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KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 4:6 KJV “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.”

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Our world is filled with all kinds of teachings and informations.The social media is laden or saturated with diverse kinds of teachings.Some of the teachings are indeed very strange yet most church members across board are being bombarded with such doctrines.The pastor would do very well to establish a line of sound doctrine that helps his congregation to easily identify error, so they may stay away from such.Apostle Paul says the pastor who does that would be a good minister of our Lord Jesus Christ , who would be well nourished in the words of faith and of sound doctrine.

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I would advise that pastors learn the message that the apostles preached and held. That was the very message the Lord said: ” I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” John 16 :12. Staying with the apostles’ doctrine is what the Lord wants evéy Christian to maintain.

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What was the doctrine of the apostles? They taught  about the divine life of God that indwells a man who believes in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.( 1 John 5:11-13, Gal 2:20) They gave insight into the grace of God and the fact that this grace has made us more than conquerors and champions of demons. The grace of God has made us one with Jesus( 1st Corinth 6:17) Joint heirs with the Lord Jesus( Rom 5:17) and has made us the very  righteousness of God.( 2 Corinth 5:17) Through the exceeding great and precious promises  we have become  partakers of the divine nature having escape the corruption that is in the world through lust( 2 Pet 1:4).

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Through the teaching of the apostles, we  learn that we no longer try to become acceptable  before  God ,but through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, we are made Holy, unbeatable, and unreproveable in His sight  . These and many more are the teachings of the apostles.

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The apostles also taught that, in the light of what the grace of God has made available to us, we must  live above the ordinary person. Sin, sicknesses should not in any way have dominion over us( Rom 6:14 , 1st Peter 2:24). Love is our nature, and so we exhibit  all the attributes of love , that is peace , joy, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness , meekness , self-control Gal 5:22).We live as people in the light without blame in a world of sin . Christ lives in us, and we manifest Him to our world as we live victoriously.

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Any kind of teaching that does not align with this teaching  of the apostles, as demonstrated by our Lord Jesus, is false, and this would assist the congregation  to know what to accept or reject.

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THOUGHT: THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE LIFE AND SUFFERINGS OF JESUS OUR LORD ARE REVEALED IN THE TEACHINGS OF THE APOSTLES

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Eph 2:20 KJV” And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.”

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Eph 3:2-3  KJV If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,”.

KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 4:5 KJV “For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”

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The Holy Spirit, at this point speaking through Paul, says that when the food is received by faith, that is, by the word of God and prayer, it is sanctified. This verse could be said this way: The food is sanctified by the word of God through prayer. This means that through the prayer, you declare what God has said. The food we take is only one of the things that we have to apply this principle to make it fit for our consumption. Food is one of the main means by which people are attacked by various kinds of diseases. We have men and women being afflicted with diabetes, hypertension, cancers and many more through the food we take. This has led food scientists and nutritionists to instruct us on the best foods to take in order to stay healthy. These things are good and very wise to apply, yet God’s word gives higher and the best counsel for faith and practice . In Exodus 23:25,  KJV” And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.” The Lord says over here that as we devote our lives to Him , fellowship and serve him, he would bless our bread and water, and He would also take sicknesses away from us. We see here that the blessing of our food takes away sicknesses from us. Do not underrate the blessing of the food we take.

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From our key scripture, our  food is sanctified, set apart or made whole through prayer as we declare the word. God’s word is His cleansing agent to make all things clean. He said in John 15:3  KJV,” Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” The Lord says that  we are purged or made whole as we  hear the word. The Lord also said in John 17:17 as follows, ” Father sanctify them through thy word.” God’s word has a very powerful cleansing ability. For the word to do so, you must say what the word says and also believe it, for all things are possible to them that believe . In dealing with our food, the scripture says you received it with thanksgiving. The first aspect is to thank God for the food  you have received. The next is to pronounce a blessing over the food and declare it sanctified

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The following could be your prayer during meal times. Thank you, Lord, for this meal. Lord, I bless this meal and pronounce that it is sanctified perfectly for my consumption and well-being in the mighty name of my Lord Jesus. After this prayer, believe that the food is perfect to keep you well and strong. The only caution is not to overindulge yourself. Overindulgence  is gluttony, and that is sin. You know sin is a transgression of the word of God, and that would surely give Satan an advantage over you. If you would not overindulge yourself, but obey the word through thanking God ,blessing the food  and pronouncing the meal is sanctified, no devil can afflict you any longer with his diseases.

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THOUGHT:GOD’S WORD CLEANSES EVERYTHING THAT IS DEFILED

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Mat 14:19 KJV” And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.”

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1Ti 4:4 KJV “For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving.”

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KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 3:1 KJV” This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”

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Apostle Paul  opens this chapter by admitting that it is true by saying that anyone who desires the office of a Bishop has desired a good thing . A Bishop basically  plays a supervisory role. He is an overseer over  the people of God    as one body or a number of bodies under  one umbrella. The Bishop  can be described as a shepherd or, better still, a pastor. Shepherds are very indispensable. Of all animals, sheep are the only animals that can never survive in the jungle or out of the jungle without a shepherd. In Mark 6:34, the Lord Jesus wept over the multitude of people who had followed  Him to be healed of their diseases and also  to listen to him preach. He said they were like sheep without a shepherd. It is always very terrible for sheep if they do not have a shepherd.

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This is the reason the apostle says that  it is a true saying when one decides to be a shepherd or an overseer  of the flock of God. The term overseer has assumed the airs of superiority, and so certain individuals attend to that office with pride. They consider the affluence and certain privileges that go with it, and that becomes their persuasion to seek that office. This is a very wrong motive. Apostle Paul describes such people in the following way. Phi 3:18-19 KJV (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

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Now the call to shepherd is never a pleasure trip. It is fully a sacrificial one. The Lord said a good shepherd lays his life down for the sheep. A true pastor would feed his flock adequately. Jer 3:15 KJV And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. Apostle Peter instructed the shepherd as follows:1Pe 5:2 KJV” Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;”God’s love for his flock is the reason why it is a very good cause for one to desire the office of the Bishop.

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THOUGHT: A SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD IS LIKE A BABY WITHOUT A MOTHER

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Jer 23:1 KJV” Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.”

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Joh 10:11 KJV” I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

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KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 2:13 KJV” For Adam was first formed, then Eve.”

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God’s word is always true about whatever it says. In our short passage, that is 1 Tim 2:13-15, it makes a few statements about women that are worth considering. These are facts that must be accepted meekly and in good faith. These statements are a follow-up to apostle Paul’s statement about the fact that women are to learn in silence , not to teach or usurp authority over men. We drew references from the scriptures to the fact that certain women have received a direct mandate from the Lord, and so they must fulfil their mandates. An example was Deborah, who the bible said was a judge in Israel. Mary Magdalene also met Jesus and was instructed to go tell the disciples. All these instances reveal clearly that there are exceptions to the statements made by the apostle Paul. Barring  that, we have to consider all the statements made about women in our passage of consideration.

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Adam was first created, and then Eve was formed out of Adam. This makes the man a leader over the woman. In order to curb all forms of disorderliness, there is a need for order. Man must therefore come first. In the order of authority . The man must be recognised, respected and given the first place. If God chooses to give a special mandate to a woman and adorn her with special graces and gifts, then those she is assigned to must adhere to her instructions as the Lord guides her. In any case, she must be subject to her own husband. If by virtue of education and some special talents she has climbed up in the corporate world, she must still submit  reverentially to her own husband. There should never be an occasion when she should be insurmountable. For peace and a proper spiritual atmosphere at home, the wife must remain submitted to her husband.

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The bible also said the woman was deceived and so transgressed by the devil’s temptation. The bible says in 1 Peter 3:7  that the wife( woman) is the weaker vessel. First, the woman is weak  in reference to brute strength compared to men . The woman is weaker emotionally. Most women will cry about certain events more than men would. Most women would express fear about a condition, while only a few men may show similar fears. All these establish the fact that women are the weaker vessels and must not take up roles that would expose their feminine weakness. In verse 15, the apostle states that as the woman submits to honouring God’s word, she shall be safe in bearing children.

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THOUGHT:WOMEN ARE DEFINITELY NOT EQUAL TO MEN

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Gen 2:21,22 KJV And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

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Eph 5:22 KJV” Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.”

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KEY SCRIPTURE:”1Ti 3:16 KJV “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

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This key scripture declares without any ambiguity the deity of Jesus. The verse never mentions the name of our Lord Jesus , yet it agrees perfectly with  what John wrote about Him. In John 1:1, he said in the beginning  was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In verse 14, he wrote,” and the word was made flesh. In John 1, we see Jesus, who was originally the Word of God,  becoming  flesh to live among men. This is where the mystery lies. How could God become flesh to live among men? Some have asked who was running the universe when he hung on the cross and even died ?

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The bible has revealed throughout the scriptures that God is one. Deu 6:4 KJV” Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:” This one God has revealed Himself as The Father, His word who took on flesh and became Jesus the Christ, and then His Spirit. Although  one God, each one of these entities, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is a unique person but one. God’s plan to save mankind made Him become a man for the redemption of humanity. 1Pe 1:2 KJV” Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” We see in this verse the tri-unity of God working together for the salvation  of men.

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1 Timothy 3:16  added that He was justified in the Spirit. This statement also reveals another mystery. How would the Holy God need to be justified? Please notice that on the cross He became sin 2nd Corinthians 5:21. When He rose again . He rose as a justified Spirit with no sting of sin on Him.

That justification was our justification. Rom 4:25 KJV Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. He was raised for our justification because in His justification, we were justified.Hallelujah.To be justified means to be made righteous. The scriptures also used another term that may appear as a paradox, which is why the scripture talks about being seen by angels. Before Jesus came to the earth to be born, He was not in the form of man. He was there as the word of God. When He became a man, some of the angels saw Him, but when He ascended into heaven for the first time, all of the angelic host encountered him as  The Man in heaven. This is the reason the word used the statement seen of angels. The Lord is preached to all men, and some have believed in Him. My question for you is, have you also believed in Him? All this mystery of God becoming a man was because of our salvation. Today, make Him the Lord of your life.

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THOUGHT:THE MYSTERY OF GOD BECOMING A MAN WAS FOR OUR  COMPLETE SALVATION

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Mat 28:19 KJV” Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

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Gal 1:4 KJV” Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:”

KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 3:13 KJV “For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

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Our key scripture reveals a great truth to us. It says those who use the office of deacons diligently shall purchase for themselves a great degree of boldness in the faith. This simply means serving the Lord in diligence  builds up our confidence in the Lord. The Lord has stated throughout the scriptures that he always rewards those who serve him diligently. Exo 23:25 KJV And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. Now just consider this. If one receives such blessings of the Lord, what kind of confidence would such a man develop in the Lord ?. We know  that when God   shows His power to  a man , he  gets to experience God on a personal level. Daniel 11:32 says, “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” This man does exploits for God because he has a personal knowledge of the Lord.

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What does serving God diligently entail? The first requirement is a genuine love for God. Anything done for God without love is empty. 1Co 13:3 KJV” And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” The apostle says if he sells all he has or offers his life in sacrifice unto the Lord without a true love for God, then it means nothing . You can serve God without love for Him, but you can not love God without serving Him. Love is the main criterion for any meaningful relationship. The service must be sacrificial. To sacrifice is to willingly offer that which is dear to you. Sacrifice also means giving your best. Abel offered his best, and so his offering was acceptable. Gen 4:4 KJV” And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:”Sacrifice involves giving the best of your time, your strength, your money and in effect to place God first in all you do. Please note that God has saved us to serve Him. Every Christian must be serving God in one way or another. You do not have to hold a special title or office before you can render service in God’s house. If the church leadership has not appointed any special role to you, appoint yourself to do something meaningful to advance the course of the church.

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You must serve joyfully. To serve God grudgingly is a curse. Deu 28:47 KJV” Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;.The following verse says God will allow you to serve your enemy under so much pain and suffering. Serving Him joyfully releases God’s supernatural abundance to you. Serve the Lord in purity. God is Holy, and any vessel that is unholy is abominable to Him. He would have nothing to do with such a vessel. 2Ti 2:19 KJV” Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

The Spirit that has been sent into you is called Holy, and so nothing unholy survives in his presence.

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THOUGHT:SERVING GOD IS THE PRIMARY DUTY OF MAN

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FURTHER STUDIES

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2Ti 2:21 KJV “If a man therefore purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work”

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Rom 12:11 KJV” Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;”

KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 3:11 KJV” Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.”

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The bible requires that the wife of the deacon must be grave,not slanderous, or not a gossiper, sober and faithful in all things. This is a description of a virtuous woman. This instruction places the responsibility on the deacon to influence his wife to become a person of great character. All husbands should take notice that the condition or attitude that their wives portray is, by and large, their cause. Eph 5:26 KJV” That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” This statement refers  to how the Lord uses the word to clean up, preparing the church to suit himself. How did Jesus win the heart of the church? By loving  her and giving himself to die for the church. Many men expect their wives to submit to them when they have not demonstrated that love for her.1Jn 4:19 KJV “We love him, because he first loved us.”

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To really understand marriage as Christians, we must learn from the relationship between Jesus and the church. The unfortunate misunderstanding of this is the result of so many suffering and stress-dominated homes. Eph 5:32 KJV “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” The relationship between our Lord Jesus and the church is a mystery; likewise, marriage is a mystery. The two become one. The Lord receives a response of submission because He first gave his life for the church. The deacon is supposed to build his wife into the woman who is grave. As we learnt earlier, to be grave means to be honourable, to be honest or full of good deeds. The wife must also not be slanderous, nor should she say things about people that she has no knowledge of. Often, it is the attitude of certain men to slander others before their wives, who likewise go about telling others. If the man is quick to stop her from saying things about issues she has no knowledge about, or she should not talk ill of others, all the slander from her would never result.

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I believe this line of argument I am making in this discussion would be a big paradox to most men. It has been taught that women are often complicated and difficult to handle. Well, I am telling you from the scriptures that, barring whatever complications that you may say it is, it is the duty of the man to make them the kind of person he wants them to become. Eph 5:27 KJV “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” It is your duty to make your wife what she should become or what you want her to become. Difficult women are often the products of men, just as loving, submissive women are also the products of men. It all begins with a selfless sacrificial love. Dear man, please take time to study Ephesians 5:21-33. This passage in the scriptures is a picture of a truly good  working marriage relationship . The scripture is therefore right when it places the responsibility of having a good wife on the man.

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THOUGHT: DEAR MAN, LEARN FROM THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JESUS AND THE CHURCH TO MAKE YOUR MARRIAGE WORK

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Eph 5:33 KJV” Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”

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Eph 5:29 KJV” For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:”