KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 1:12 KJV “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;”

One of the greatest insights a child of God can have is the acknowledgement of the fact that it is a great privilege to be appointed to serve God.Serving God is the highest honour on earth to be given to any man.God is the Monarch of the universe and He is the highest paying and the most noble engagement to be accorded any one.2Co 4:1 KJV “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;” He says it is an act of mercy to be called to serve God.He says further that as a result of such mercy or privilege being given to us he does not faint or surrender to any negative pressuresLet’s consider another statement Paul makes about his service.Rom 11:13 KJV” For I speak to you Gentiles, since I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:” Once again Paul expresses the great joy of service.He says I magnify my office.To magnify has the following meanings.It means to praise or to esteem very high, to give it the highest attention,or to celebrate, to hold in honour, to adorn with lustre and also to render it excellent.It is no wonder he excelled so much in ministry.

Dear child of God every area of service God has called you to serve must be seen in the light of what has been described above.You must attend to it with great joy and pleasure.Sadly, many children of God have no appreciation at all about what God has asked them to do.Many also think that since I am not a preacher then I am not a minister.Please do not deceive yourself. Why would God judge each one of us , if he did not give us a task to do on earth for him? Amo 6:1 KJV” Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!” The scripture says woe to them who are doing nothing in the house of God.Woe is an expression of grief or calamity on such a person.You are in serious trouble if you are not in any service of any kind in the house of God or in service to God.

Dear one, you do not have to be a pastor, prophet, apostle evangelistic, or teacher to be a minister.The word minister simply means a servant or a slave. You are God’s slave but this time, a love slave because you joyfully serve him.Joyful service endears you to the blessing of all thingsDeu 28:47 KJV” Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;” God always loves those who are cheerful about whatever they do for Him.2Co 9:7 KJV” Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” This is the joy of life, and that is for God to rejoice over you.This is the reason for creation and especially creating human kind.Rev 4:11.Make your life meaningful, rewarding and exciting by your joyful engagement in serving God.Indeed God has counted you worthy to be placed in His service.

THOUGHT;SERVING GOD IS THE GREATEST EMPLOYMENT

FURTHER STUDIES

Joh 8:29 KJV” And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”

2Co 9:8 KJV” And God can make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:”

KEY SCRIPTURE: 1Timothy 1:11 KJV” According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.”

Apostle Paul in the previous verses reveals that the law works in those who have rejected the gospel, and so death works in them.The gospel shows us that. , the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus.The man without christ according to the gospel is dead unto God.That is the reason the sinner does the works of sin or the works of death.The gospel , God’s power to save, heal and to stabilize man in every way comes as a result of believing the gospel.Rom 1:16 KJV” For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Apostle Paul says this good news is committed to his trust.He says woe is he if he does not preach the gospel 1st Corinth 9:16.Paul by his commitment to the gospel demonstrated that he had indeed been entrusted with the gospel, He testified of his position concerning the preaching of the gospel in Rom 1:14,15 as follows:I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

Apostle Paul faithfully accepted the trust God the father placed in him, and so went about sharing the gospel everywhere he went.Dear one, now Paul is no longer around , you and I now have the button to run with it as fast as we could.Our world is more sophisticated than it ever was Technology is at its peak.We have more simple avenues to reach multitudes than we’ve ever had.We have to maintain a faithful walk with the Lord and use every good means to save as many as we can. If you are a child of God, stop showing just your face on social media and use that opportunity to share a thought about salvation, even how you were saved.You have no idea how many lives would be touched with your personal testimony .Tell us how your life was, before accepting Jesus.Secondly talk about how you were saved.Thirdly talk about your present state, the great change that has taken place in you. Please, we do not have enough time ,Say as Paul said, woe is me if I preach, not the gospel.”.The first disciples of Jesus were so successful, although they lived under a more crude and hostile environment than ours , yet they conquered.Act 17:6 KJV “And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;” What a testimony.May it be said of us that we are the men that have turned our world upside down for Jesus

THOUGHT: WE HAVE RECEIV3D SO MUCH, AND WE SHOULD’T FAIL THE LORD

FURTHER STUDIES

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

1Co 9:16 KJV” For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gosp

KEY SCRIPTURES: 1Ti 1:9 KJV” Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,”

We continue with our study of Paul’s first letter to Timothy. .In the previous vers he wrote that there are occasions when the law may be applicable, that is when it is applied in a lawful or acceptable way.We discussed about one acceptable way that the law could be applied.This was in the upkeep of the ministers of God as was done under the old covenant.

This time we look at a general application of the law.The law is generally applicable to any one who rejects the provisions of God’s grace.We partake of the provisions of God’s grace when we believe on the great sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans 2:6- 9 the bible says the followingRom 2:7-8 KJV “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,.” Now to those who received the word and live by it receive God’s grace and blessings.
But to the disobedient and unlawful indignation and God’s wrath.This is the judgement of the law.Which one do you choose? To live by faith and experience the provisions of God’s blessings of peace and life ( 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.) or be disobedient and suffer the reign of death..

It is a terrible thing to live by the law or to live under the influence of the law.1Co 15:56 KJV “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.” The law is the strength or power of sin.Sin is also the sting of death.Our key scripture speaks of the profane,the lawless, disobedient;ungodly, sinners, murderers and what have you are all under the power of death.Dear child of God please know that anyone without Jesus is miserably ruled by death.Rom 5:12 KJV Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:The works of sin are just the vernom of death working in their life.We mist strive in prayer and aggressively reach out to them to get them free or saved.

THOUGHT: FIGHT FOR SOULS TO FREE THEM FROM DEATH

FURTHER STUDIES

Rom 8:2 KJV” For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Rom 6:23 KJV” For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 1:8 KJV “But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;”

In John 1:17 the Holy Spirit writing through apostle John said the law was given by Moses, yet grace and truth came by Jesus.In Galations apostle Paul said the law was a school master that led us to grace which comes or operates by faith.The scripture even says sin shall no longer have dominion over us because we are not under the law Rom 6:14.All these suggest to us that the law lacks so much good or in a sense grossly deficient in delivering one from the power and influence of sin.In our key scripture the scripture said the law is good if one uses it lawfully. This means the law can be applied in instances if only it is lawful to do so. How can the law be used lawfully? I believe that for us to answer this issue, we ‘ve got to look for an instant in the new covenant that the Holy Spirit appeals to the law for its function.

In 1 Corinth 9:7-8, it says” Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?1Say these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?” In this very matter apostle, Paul appeals to the statements made from the law.What is the issue at stake? This concerns the upkeep of the pastor. He even said the levites who minister on the altar must live by the altar so should the minister of the gospel live by the gospel.He says in 1 Tim 1 :8 ,that, the law could be applied lawfully .In this instant it is just lawful that the minister must live of the gospel.Under the law the levites lived through tithe and offering.If it is lawful that he lives of the gospel then the lawful way for the minister should be the way of the law, that is tithe and offerings..This application is clear as rain and sunshine

I am very much aware of the many who have tried to condemn tithes as under the law and an offence for pastors to take tithe.Please the real import of tithe is not only about the man of God who would be enriched but the blessing of favour that would come to the man who pays his tithe.Jesus said in comparing the giver and the receiver, the giver is more blessed than the receiver.The real problem of people who attack the paying of tithe is because some pastors have become so rich..Please be mindful of what the Lord said about those who have left all to serve him.Mar 10:30 KJV” But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” Stop attacking these men who are making great impact in the lives of multitude and ask, are they bearing fruits of sin or just because they have great wealth.There are some who live very carnally which is unacceptable, ,but a great number of them have the plight of the people at heart and have all kinds of relief programs to answer such needs.

THOUGHT: THE LAW IS GOOD IF USED LAWFULLY

FURTHER STUDIES

Mal 3:10 KJV Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Mal 3:12 KJV And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 1:6 KJV “From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;”

Apostle Paul stated in verse 5 his reasons for instructing Timothy to prevent people from teaching wrong doctrines in the church. He said his reason for making that request is because of his love, presumably for Timothy and the people who may be erring. He added that this love motivates three virtues, which are
1 pure heart
2 Good conscience
3 faith unfeigned.
He said people who ignore these virtues enter into error. Dear reader, we live in a period where deception and wrong doctrines abound. Just as apostle Paul said, people who fall into various degrees of error have forsakened these virtues. Neglecting these three virtues makes people very subjective because they are told to accept whatever is said without asking any questions. The second ground where people find themselves in error is because they develop itchy ears. That is, they want something that excites their ego. For example, if certain congregations are told that they would be given a prayer formula that would kill all their enemies, they would quickly jump and scream hallelujah without asking what the scriptural bases for this kind of prayer are. Who constitutes their enemy? Is your enemy your neighbour who picks a quarrel against you over the least thing you do? A man with itchy ears has certainly thrown away a pure heart, a good conscience and definitely would not have a sincere or an unfeigned faith. Thirdly, people enter into error because they do not diligently search and study to know the truth.

Some years ago, a fellow minister friend of mine asked me to accompany him to see an elderly prophet who was in one of the orthodox churches. We went to see this elderly prophet. In his spiritual directions, he asked that my friend get a sheep for some sacrifice. After leaving his place, I asked my friend why a sheep was sacrificed. Is the blood of Jesus not enough to meet any demand of the spirit realm? I told him directly that this is an error and I would have nothing to do with that man. Dear brethren, what saved me from falling into that trap of the devil? I held to a pure heart. I was not seeking an undue advantage. Secondly, I maintained a good conscience and kept faith in the truth of scripture. And lastly, a sincere faith in God. I need not cut corners to seek blessings of any kind. Sadly, many preachers have become occultists all in the name of BREAKTHROUGH. Breakthrough is not necessarily about having a good car with wealth, no. Breakthrough is about lives being transformed for Jesus, the sick and oppressed are set free, souls are won into the kingdom of God, and the name of the Lord is glorified. This is what a breakthrough is about.

Once again, a people or a particular doctrine or faith would be in serious error if followers are threatened not to question their teachings. If a faith teaches that a man can beat up his wife and that cannot be questioned, then such a faith is in serious error. If the faith teaches that former members who decide to abandon the faith should be killed, poisoned or persecuted, yet this directive is not questioned. If your faith teaches that people who sacrifice their lives for their faith will marry many virgins in heaven, yet flesh and blood do not go to heaven. They are told not to question such teachings. These teachings would only be possible to be accepted if the proponent of this teaching ignores a pure mind, a good conscience and an unfeigned faith. They need to question these things to avoid deception.

THOUGHT: BE FAIR TO THE TRUTH TO AVOID DECEPTION

FURTHER STUDIES

Mat 11:5 KJV “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”

Act 23:1 KJV “And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.”

KEY SCRIPTURE:2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV” Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”.

We are of the Spirit and are made of the Spirit of Christ (Rom 8:9). Man is a Spirit who has a soul and lives within a body (1 Thess 5:23). Our Spirit is created after God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:23. The scriptures say further in 1 Corinthians 6:17 KJV “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit”. We are one with Christ. Our recreated Spirit is the very Spirit of Christ. (Gal 2:20). The word says in Romans 8:10, that, “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness”. Christ lives in us.

The Spirit of Christ is our true identity. When the Christian says I, he or she is not referring to the former self, that is, Mr A or Madam K. 2 Corinthians 5:16 KJV says,” Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more”. We do not know any Christian after the flesh. We do not know ourselves after the flesh. We know ourselves after the Spirit, which we are. The error most Christians make is that when they say ‘me’, in their mind, they are referring to that old human being with all the human weaknesses.

Any Christian who sees himself or herself as the human being that he or she has always been is bound for failure. He is failing to apply the scripture that says, “we know no man after the flesh.” The man who is not born again is not in Christ and does not come into the sphere of people the Bible is talking about in 2nd Corinthians 5:16. Remember that that which releases the power of the Spirit to function in you is when you acknowledge that you are one with the Spirit of Christ. From now on, when you say I, know that you are referring to the new man, who is one with Jesus and has all the potential of the Lord Jesus. See yourself as very superior to the ordinary individual. Say to yourself, I am a superior breed. God has given birth to me, and I am a kind of the first fruit of His creatures (James 1:18)

CONFESSION

I died with Jesus but have been resurrected with His life. The very life force that powers my body is the Spirit of Christ. I have His abilities, I have His wisdom, He loves through me, touches men through me, Oh what a life.

FURTHER STUDIES

Galatians 2:20 KJV” I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”.

Colossians 1:27 KJV” To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 1:5 KJV” Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:”

Apostle Paul instructs his Son in the Lord, Timothy, to make sure that he corrects those who may be teaching wrong doctrines to desist from it. In our key scripture, he states the right attitude by which he makes this instruction. He says it is out of a pure heart, good conscience and faith unfeigned..This attitude he has must also be the same attitude Timothy must hold in correcting those who are erring. This statement applies to three persons who are involved when making any corrections.

The first is the right heart. This means it must be done out of love. This relates to the person who is being corrected. Be empathetic towards that erring brother.

The next is a good conscience. This relates to having a fair mind, and it applies to you, the one correcting.

And finally, faith unfeigned, which relates to a right standing before God.

This teaches us that anytime we relate to people, we must hold these three persons in the right perspective. These are the person being corrected, ourselves, and then our attitude towards God.

Let’s consider in detail our approach to the one we are to correct. The bible says it must be of a pure heart, that is, a loving attitude. Vindictiveness and a judgmental spirit are always products of self-righteousness. In John 8:1-11, the Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus, accusing her of committing adultery. These people were full of bitterness, seeking a poor soul to condemn and stone to death. Their heart were far from being pure. The Lord asked them Let the man who has no sin cast the first stone at her. None of them could do it because they were all guilty. It is the universal guilt of men; that is why we must deal gently with those who err.
It is in the light of this that the Holy Spirit admonishes us in Galatians 6:1 as follows: Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”⁹ Please consider the last part, that is, consider yourself less thou be tempted. Dear one, only God is without error, and we must always be considerate in correcting those who might have erred. The error committed by most people is demonically influenced. If you act in self-righteousness, the spirit that caused the fall of the brother can have an advantage over you.

The next attitude he talked about is a good conscience. The conscience is the sense of right or wrong that we hold about the things we do. A good conscience is being fair to yourself or being sincere about whatever we do. A good conscience has no prejudice of any kind. It seeks no advantage or selfish motive.

The last is our attitude towards God in handling the wrongs of others. Unfeigned faith is acting such that God’s name and word are purely honoured. We must always relate to people bearing in mind God’s standards and expectations of us in relation to that particular matter. We must do all things without a consciousness of the fear of God.

THOUGHT: ALLOW THE SPIRIT TO CONTROL YOU IN CORRECTING OTHERS

FURTHER STUDIES

Mic 6:8 KJV” He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

Jas 3:17 KJV” But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 1:3 WEB As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine,”

The issue of wrong doctrines is a real menace in the body of Christ. In John 10:10, the Lord Jesus spoke about the thief. Although the interpretation has largely been referred to the devil, a critical scrutiny of the passage in totality reveals that the thief the Lord Jesus spoke about was the false teachers or prophets who came before him. The basis for fallacies proceeds from a wrong interpretation of the scriptures or traditionally held beliefs. With traditional beliefs, such individuals do not read the scriptures for themselves. They just pick up teachings that were given to them. A case in question is the Arian doctrine about Christ. Arius was an eloquent 4th-century priest who taught that Jesus is not one with the Father, but a created being. This teaching was the reason for the church council at Nicea that adopted the Nicene creed and also excommunicated Arius from the church.

It is rather unfortunate that the founder of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Charles Taze Russel, also adopted the teachings of Arius about our Lord Jesus. Every pastor must never approach the bible with traditional held beliefs that are contrary to the fundamental beliefs of the universal church. He must always have a very open mindset and trust the Holy Spirit to rightly interpret the scriptures to him or her. The bible can not be well interpreted when you do not read the Bible well. The whole truth must be drawn from various portions that join together to clarify the truths.

Isaiah 28:13 shows us how to properly interpret the scriptures. Isa 28:13 KJV But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backwards, and be broken, and snared, and taken. It is when you have gotten a hold of the truths of scripture that you can also instruct those who err to stop their wrong doctrines. In the interpretation of the bible, the contextual truths should not be compromised, as the tenses of the verbs must be clearly observed for one to appreciate the meaning of the passage. One other principle is to always ask yourself what the original person who made the statement tried to convey to his or her audience or the person he or she was speaking to.

THOUGHT: KNOW THE TRUTH TO HELP THOSE WHO ERR

FURTHER STUDIES

2Ti 2:15 KJV” Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Col 2:8 KJV Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 1:2 KJV “Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord”.

Apostle Paul indicates to Timothy that he is his own Son in the Lord. Paul, on his second missionary journey, came into contact with the young man Timothy. Paul saw the great dedication and commitment in him to add him to his missionary team. Paul delegated him to go on a number of missions for him, Phi 2:19 KJV “But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.”
Spiritual mentorship is a very necessary act that every Christian or growing child of God must engage in. It is one of the means to transfer knowledge and the proper nurturing of younger people in the Lord. The Lord Jesus applied the principle of mentorship to raise the disciples to a position where they could take over from him. The Lord taught them orally about the kingdom of God. He also trained them by doing certain miracles that they observed to go do likewise. He then trained them as He asked them to go out sharing the word of God. Matt 10:1

Apostle Paul instructed Timothy to also give or instruct faithful men to also teach others 2Ti 2:2 KJV” And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” Scriptural mentorship is always God’s way of raising strong believers to increase the impact and extension of the word. A serious Christian should live an isolated life without impacting other younger Christians. Please note, a word Apostle Paul used in 2nd Timothy 2:2. 2:2.The word is faithful men. How can one find faithful men? Faithful men are always a product of the faithful lifestyle that the mentor demonstrates to the protege 2Ti 3:10 KJV But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,.Apostle Paul had demonstrated a life of great discipline and a high level of integrity before Timothy, so he expected him to live likewise. The Lord Jesus said Sanctify myself so they may be sanctified John 17:19). It is the duty of the mentor to grow those faithful tendencies in the protege.

Apostle Paul asked for grace, mercy, and peace from God. These are indispensable virtues that every child of God needs to effectively serve the Lord. The grace of God is the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit working in the life of the Christian. Mercy is God’s kindness and goodwill He expresses towards our failures and shortcomings. Peace is the stability of the mind and heart despite what pertains around. We need to ask the Lord daily to grant them to us, as well as those younger in the faith.

THOUGHT: Make disciples of converts

FURTHER STUDIES

Mat 28:20 KJV” Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Mar 4:11 KJV” And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:”

KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 1:1 KJV” Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;”

Apostle Paul introduces himself by the mandate he has from God. He says he is an apostle of Jesus Christ. The word apostle is the Greek word ‘apostolus’, which means one delegated to fulfil a mission. It also means a messenger or one sent forth with orders. Paul did not send himself. In Acts of the Apostles 26:16,17, the Lord said the following to himAct 26:16 KJV” But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things. Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;” In the preceding verses, the Lord appeared to Paul and instructed him to take the gospel to the gentile world. This task was keenly executed by him to the letter. Rom 15:19 KJV “Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” Speaking about the journey from Jerusalem to Illyricum can be compared to traversing the whole of Africa, for example, from Cairo in Egypt to Cape Town in South Africa. Although not every one of us may have the same apostolic mandate as Paul had, every Christian has been commissioned to go to his world and share the good news with all that we encounter.

Secondly, he said he is an apostle through the command of God our Saviour. Please take note of the fact that God is called our Saviour. In Titus 1:3, the apostle Paul reflects on the fact that God is our saviour. Tit 1:3 KJV” But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;” The bible clearly establishes that our lord Jesus is our saviour. Mat 1:21 KJV” And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”.The name of the Lord Jesus means Jehovah is saviour. This statement clearly reveals that Jesus and God the Father are one. Let’s consider a prophecy of Isaiah concerning Jesus, which states the following: Isa 9:6 KJV” For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. From this verse, we see that the Lord Jesus is called the everlasting Father. This statement reveals that the father is one with the son. The Lord Jesus is the creator of the Universe.

Apostle Paul refers to our Lord Jesus as our hope. This statement refers to the ultimate return of our Lord Jesus. This is our hope, and our activities must be done in the light of His coming 1Jn 3:3 KJV “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” Paul reminds Timothy that he’s got to maintain the hope of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This consciousness would make you serve diligently and uprightly as well.

THOUGHT: JESUS IS GOD AND YOU MUST LIVE IN EXPECTATION OF HIS RETURN

FURTHER STUDIES

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.”

Act 1:11 KJV” Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”