KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:8 ” Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

Hebrews 12:14 teaches that we should follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man would see the Lord. Without holiness you have no audience with the Lord. Our key scripture also teaches without purity no man would see the Lord. From these statements we can conclude holiness is equivalent to purity.

Purity from the advance learners’ dictionary is being undiluted or unmixed with extraneous material.   How do we get impure? When we allow our hearts to process or dwell on stuff or material that opposes the word of God. This is how the Lord Jesus put it. Mark 7:21-22 ” For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:”

These things come out of the heart because they are already there and have been given attention to. When the Lord said he who “looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart”. (Matt 5:28). This person did not just see the woman, but saw her and used his reasoning faculties to desire her. Job says he has covenanted with his eyes not to think on a maiden. (Job 31:1). How does the eye think? The eye looks and the mind does the thinking. He is saying, I have decided I will not use my mind to think and imaging any wrong desires about a girl.

How does impure information get to us?

1.Demonic suggestions Ephesians 2:2nd Corinth 11:3

2. Materials we watch, read from all kinds of sources. (Mark 4: 24

3.Influence from friends (1st Corinth 15:33)

4 Vulgar music of our modern day attacks our righteous souls.

Now anything that does not agree with the word of God will defile or make you impure if you allow it.

How do we stay pure.?

1.Convince yourself that you have to stay pure and that you can stay pure. (Isaiah 1:18)

2.Do as Job did. Decide not to dwell or think about any material, scene, words or feeling that opposes the word of God.

3.Feed your heart with the word of God (Psalm 119:9&11)

4 Say the word to yourself and practice what you read.

5 Never think you are above been deceived and defiled. Stay prepared.

Remember that, if without purity you can’t see God, then it simply means you have no portion in heaven. YOUR PURITY IS NO. ONE

CONFESSION

I have decided to keep pure so I would not miss heaven. I give no attention to any unwholesome material by refusing to let it dwell on my mind.

FURTHER STUDIES

Psalms 119:9, 11 ” Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee”.

2 Corinthians 11:3 ” But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Exodus 28:2 ” And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.”

The Lord commanded Moses to make a special garment for the high priest. It was a holy garment. From our key scripture it was for beauty and glory. Glory and beauty are synonymous. This means they could be used interchangeably. Glory is magnificence, beauty and power, and beauty manifests all these. Without holiness a man is without magnificence, power and beauty. This is the reason holy men are such a great threat to devils. They can’t simply stand their presence. Remember, holiness is purity, absence of evil, perfect light, perfect love and perfect justice.

The Lord exhorts his saints to worship God in the beauty of Holiness. Psalms 96:9 “O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth”. True beauty is not that outwardly but the beauty produced by holiness. When apostle Peter was advising wives about the best way to decorate themselves, he advised them to seek the beauty of the inner man.1 Peter 3:3-4 ” Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”

Most woman and specifically wives spend so much money to decorate the outward man. Many of such people are filled with hurts, quarrels, pride producing homes that “burn with fires” of confusion. Apostle Peter says let your focus be wearing the garment of holiness. This is what he calls an ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which in the sight of God is of a very great price.  How glorious and beautiful our homes would be, if husbands and wives will put on this garment of holiness. A meek and quiet spirit would not strive or hold grudges. Husbands will not have girlfriends outside the marital home. Wives will also not be unfaithful. Financial problems in the home will not attract ‘guns and weapons’ but in submission to each other workable ways would be sort to ease the heat generated by absence of money.

Holy men and women always exude or radiate an aura of beauty and glory. I am not talking about pretenders, but genuinely holy men or women carry true beauty.

CONFESSION.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in me, makes me holy. I take advantage of that and walk a life of practical holiness. I carry the beauty of the Lord so His glory and power are seen in me.

FURTHER STUDIES

Psalms 29:2 ” Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”

Psalms 93:5 ” Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, forever.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Psalms 47:8 “God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness”.

God is holy and lives in holiness. Everything about Him is attributed to be holy. Just consider the following:

Psalms 89:35 “Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.” God swears an oath and will not swear by his power or might. He did not swear by his name. God swore by His Holiness. Psalms 93:5 Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, forever. This implies the very dwelling place of God is holy.

How does the angels address Him? Revelation 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. These special angels do not rest throughout eternity. All that they say to the Lord Holy, Holy Holy. Indeed, holiness is the foundation of His being and Holiness remains the only grounds He relates with everything. EVERYTHING THAT WILL HAVE ANYTHING DOING WITH GOD MUST BE HOLY. It was on the basis of this, that our Lord Jesus would have to die to deliver us from sin so we could become a people as pure as Himself.  Colossians 1:22 ” In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:”

Please just consider the way you are living? If God will only relate with holy things. Are you walking in holiness? Are you pure with no evil in you? Are you walking in the light? Are there hidden things of dishonesty about you.? What about living in love. Is there any hatred for or towards any man? How sincere are you? Beloved brother and sister, if you are not holy then. According to the revelation of scripture God cannot relate with you. Dear child of God, do not hide under the pretext of God’s grace and keep living in sin.  GRACE IS GOD’S DIVINE PROVISION FOR PERFECTION. (Rom 6:14) It is your fear and trembling at His word that allows that heavenly ability of uprightness to function in you. The fear and trembling at His word is our FAITH in the word that opens up His supplies which is His grace to live right. Philippians 2:12 “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

Please remember without holiness, no man will see the Lord. Dear child of God the coming of the Lord is nigh and God is calling on the church to sit up and prepare adequately for Him. Pray in fear for him till your heart is ready to walk FULLY in His ways.

PRAYER

O heavenly Father, I pray that every carelessness will from today be taken away from me. That my actions and thoughts will continually be accepted before you.

FURTHER STUDIES

Revelation 3:15-16 “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.”

Ephesians 5:27 ” 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.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 1:16. Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Holiness is the nature of God. It is an attribute of Got. It is also a communicable attribute of God. This means his creatures like mankind can also be holy. Love and kindness etc. are all communicable attributes of God. His nature or attribute like omnipotence, omnipresence, and His immutability or His ability not to change are all not communicable. That is, He does not share it with man. No man is immutable, omnipresent, or omniscient.

As discussed above man can be holy and must be Holy.

What does it mean to be holy? Holiness comes from the Hebrew word Qodesh and the Greek word Hagios. They all have the idea to be sanctified, hallowed, dedicated or separated critical assessment of the meaning of Holiness in relation to God, is that holiness is purity, absence of evil, perfect light, perfect love and perfect justice. Holiness in relation to God is a FULL EXPRESSION OF HIS MORAL UPRIGHTNESS.I use the word ‘ in relation to God’ so man could get a reference point when man considers God’s demand for him to be Holy.

From the above description we see holiness as a complete package. You can’t talk about holiness and leave out love for your fellow man, or fairness to all persons at all times. In our definition of holiness, we said it also involves absence of evil. What is evil? I will categorise evil into three aspects

1.Evil is anything that destroys good (John 10:10a)

2 Evil is anything that defiles (Jude 1:8)

3 Evil is anything that breaks God’s law or word (1st John 3:4)

Holiness is perfect light. James 1:17 reveals God is light with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning. There is no shadow in light .Light is pure. Light is very proactive, always revealing all under its influence. Holiness hides nothing but manifests the truth.

God is love and true love is always sincere. This is the God kind of love which have no sense of selfishness. The God kind of love shows His holiness

The last aspect of holiness to look at, is the fact that holiness is perfect justice. This is uprightness and fairness to all and under all circumstances. It is this aspect of holiness that makes God treat all men equally and favors non.

These explanations give us the clear portraits of holiness. It gives us a platform to stand on and make the journey into this very amazing topic, called Holiness.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father give me a clear understanding of these things as well as the ability to fully walk in them. I receive a transformation of my life as we go through this study. I thank you father in Jesus name.

FURTHER STUDIES

Hebrews 12:14 “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Acts 15:26. Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We bring the curtain down on the character study of Paul. What kind of man was Apostle Paul?

 Apostle Paul was an outstanding successful servant of Christ.  His success was not the worldly concept of success. The worldly success is to possess wealth and to be of great affluence.  He was successful in revealing Jesus to his world.  Galatians 1:16 “To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:”

 Paul lived as a dead man for Christ.  Acts 20:24 ” But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God”.

 He did not live to be wealthy but lived to lift the name of Jesus high up in all men. 2 Corinthians 6:10 “As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things”.

 He was a deeply spiritual man.  Philippians 3:8 “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,”

 He was given an abundance of revelations concerning the dispensation of grace. Ephesians 3:2, 4 ” If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you ward:

Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)”

 To fulfill his mission, he survived a lot of death threatening circumstances. 1 Corinthians 15:31 ” I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily”.

 He never married or had any child so he could effectively fulfill his mission.1 Corinthians 7:33 ” But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.”

 He met his death as a Victor and a fulfilled person.  2 Timothy 4:6-7 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

If a man of like passions has been so successful why can’t you also be so successful. Take a clue from him and do great things for Jesus.

PRAYER

Father in the name of Jesus I receive grace and the heart to live a fearless life for you. Lord I surrender all to honor your name alone.

KEY SCRIPTURE :Acts 28:23 ” And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.”

Apostle Paul finally got to Rome. All the prisoners were put in prison as the law demanded, yet Paul had a whole house to himself, but with a guard. He could receive visitors as much as where he was staying could accommodate them.

Apostle Paul invited the Jewish community in Rome so he could share the word of God with them. Throughout the studies of Paul, we see that, it was his custom to first share the word with the Jewish community first, before getting to the gentile. CHARITY ALWAYS, BEGINS AT HOME. The following is how Paul communicated to the Jews. Acts 28:23. And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.

Paul was speaking to a people whose knowledge was mainly from the laws of Moses and the prophets, so he explained the gospel from that angle to them. We live at a time when we have various influences. The following are some of the persuasions and must share the gospel from scriptures that addresses their particular persuasions.

1.We have Religious people to reach out to

2.We have the careless sinners to reach.

3.We have atheists to reach out to.

4 We have those who accepts every religion as the way to reach to

5.We have the confused to reach to

6We have the deceived (Christian sects, e.g. JW, LATTER DAY SAINTS) to reach, and many more.

To effectively reach out to these various groups, you would have to rightly divide the word of truth to them, please find my series of teachings on personal evangelism (SIMPLE TRUTH 2017). Go through that material and you would learn how to share God’s word effectively to these different persuasions. In the absence of that material, you need a good grasp of the Bible as a° whole. Get to know the °persuasions of these various groups concerned. Look for the relevant scriptures that address their topics Apply the scriptures intelligently trusting the Lord to win them ultimately. Pray much for any group of people you seek to win for Christ.

PRAYER

Lord I pray for all men, that in your mercy you would reveal yourself to all those who stubbornly resist the gospel. Grant me wisdom to win them for your kingdom.

FURTHER STUDIES

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

2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Acts 28:10 ” Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary”.

Apostle Paul manifested the glory of God on the island of Melita. After Paul had healed Publius father, the bible said the following in verse 9.”  So, when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were cured”.

The scriptures added that after the mass healings, the inhabitants also honored them with many honors. They also put on board the things they needed for their journey. Be mindful of the fact that they had thrown their valuables into the sea when the storm was against them. Now, through the power of the Holy Spirit working in Paul they received such favor that all their valuables that were lost were given back to them. No selfless servant of God shall lack the presence of God that brings solution in times of need.

Apostle Peter asked the Lord.in Mark 10:28 “…Lo   , we have left all, and have followed thee. The following was the Lord’s answer, Mark 10:30 ” 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.” The Lord said those who have left all to follow him shall receive a hundredfold of what they left plus persecutions. To serve Christ is to present the news and message that brings liberty to men. Such a man would equally be blessed by those he has served with the good news. The only caution is that no man of God should merchandise the power of God. God’s grace should not be sold for money. This is an abuse of the power of God.

According to the Lord Jesus, true servants of God have a hundredfold of what they have lost. Let’s all be careful about how we attack certain men of God. As a child of God, you may be endangering your own life by doing so. You may not know the degree of sacrifices they have made for God. Attacking them may bring you against God’s anger. Dear child of God if you are a Christian then you may be very cautious about speaking against certain men of God. There are some people whose actions are purely against God’s word and we only relate or talk about their actions in relation to the revealed will of God.

PRAYER

I pray for all true servants of God to lead. Very selfless lives and to be true light to many who are seeking to know the truth. May the Lord also expose every wolf in sheep ”s cloths.

FURTHER STUDIES

Romans 14:4 ” Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand”.

Matthew 7:15 ” Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Acts 28:8 ” And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him”.

 Apostle continue with his exploits on the island of Melita. Paul healed the father of Publius who had fever and dysentery. He healed many that were sick. Paul was a man who knew his God. True knowledge of God is the bases for doing exploits in His name Jesus. Daniel 11:32 “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”.

The Bible says those who do know their God shall wax strong and do exploits. Dear child of God, seek to know God for yourself. Sadly, a lot of people know their man of God, yet the God of this man they know not. The word says those who do know their God shall wax strong. Knowing God imparts stability, courage and decisiveness to a man. Failure in life is  mostly a function of weakness. Weakness breeds subjectivity

This is what makes people yield to various conditions that show up. A true knowledge of God  stabilizes your focus. There is no success in any endeavour without a decisive focus on what one is aiming at.

Apostle Paul declares in 2 Timothy 1:12 that “. I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

I ask again, do you know this God? How much prepared are you ready to commit everything into His hands? Paul’s achievements in Christ, were all due to his absolute dedication to Jesus based on his knowledge of Him. You can also know Him if you would seek for Him with all your heart.(Jeremiah 29:13)He says he will make himself known to you if you would keep His word and do them (John 14:21,22)You can also know Him as you search the scriptures. John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me”.

Remember, those who seek in truth always find

CONFESSION

I know the Lord. I am made strong and stable because of my knowledge of Him. Nothing moves or shakes me in this life. I am full of outstanding successes in all I do. God is always glorified in me.

FURTHER STUDIES

Jeremiah 29:13 ” And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart”.

John 14:21 ” He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Acts 28:3 &5 “And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.”

Paul. and the rest of the people on the ship arrived on an island called Melita, which in the present day is known as Malta.

The inhabitants of the island were extremely hospitable to them. They made some fire to keep them warm. Paul collected some sticks to add to the existing fire. Instantly a viper sprang out of the fire and fastened on his hand. Vipers are very poisonous and very aggressive snakes. The fire will even make it more aggressive since its life was threatened. This will make it instinctively sting or bite Paul. Paul did not act like a terrified person. He likewise shook off the beast into the fire.

Everybody present expected Paul to die. They waited for some moments and then concluded; he is a god. (Acts 28:6)This event explains something mysterious about the Christian. The scriptures teach that all those who received Jesus by believing on His name were given the power to become sons of God. Who is a son of God?  A son of God is a divine being in the class of God. A son of God is a god.

 Psalms 82:6 ” I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. I believe he knew that Jesus had said believers would take up serpents and it shall not hurt them. Mark 16:18. Now from the scriptural account Paul did not panic in any way. He quietly shook the creature into the fire. The secret of the Christian’s victory in this world is our faith in the word of God.

Paul did not wait till the hour of evil to look for faith to overcome. He was always ready. Faith is the victory that overcomes. (1st John 5:4). The scripture says all things are possible to them that believe. Our place in Christ has opened us into a world of possibilities. Feed your heart with God’s word ready always to shake off every evil attack into God’s ever ready fire to consume it.

What would have happened if Paul had panicked? There would have been no divine security for him. He would have died and God’s program for his life would have been aborted. NOTE: OUR SECURITY AS CHRISTIANS IS ONLY GUARANTEED ON THE BASES OF OUR FAITH IN GOD.

CONFESSION

I am deeply rooted in God. I am one with my Lord. My faith is always ready to overcome every fiery dart Satan throw at me. God is always glorified in me.

FURTHER STUDIES

Ephesians 6:16 ” Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

Matthew 14:30-31. ” But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Acts 27:33. “And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, this day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing”.

Once again Apostle Paul demonstrates leadership and also caused his light to shine so brightly. The Lord taught us in Matthew 5:16 that we should let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven. Paul did not hide his light under a bushel.

How did Paul go about demonstrating his light?

1.He was not quiet about his convictions. In a sense Paul was not shy or afraid to say what he felt God wanted the people to know. Many talents, potentials and abilities that could have blessed many and made celebrities out of certain individuals, are hidden or unused because those individuals were shy or afraid about voicing their views or standing up to say this is what I think. Real failure is not doing or saying what you are supposed to. Your fear to share the gospel to certain people at a specific moment could spell the doom and destruction of that person. Now listen to what the Lord says about we taking advantage of the moment, He asks us to say, what He has asked us to say .Jeremiah 1:17 “Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them”. The Lord says, if you fail to say what he asks you to tell whatsoever he commands you to tell them, you would be confounded before them.

2. Paul demonstrated his light by loving the people. Loving people is always radiant. In love for them he stood before them, being concerned about their health status for not eating for two weeks. He advised them to take some food for the sake of their health. Acts 27:33 “And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, this day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing”. Love is self-less and kind. Your demonstration of love would bring peace, trust and brotherliness to any group of people. It will make you shine, and the name of the Lord will be glorified

3. Apostle Paul also demonstrated his light by expressing his faith in God. Faith releases the supernatural power of God and brings answers to men. It always remains a wonder to natural men causing them to give glory to God. When the group of men on the ship were in a serious bewilderment, Paul spoke in faith assuring them that, non shall lose a strand of hair and that all will be safe. Acts 27:34b” ……. for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you”. As a child of God your words in a moment of crises, fear and despair must be of faith, bringing comfort and assurance to your audience Trust in God’s faithfulness, and speak of his protection, supplies and his love to save mankind from calamities. As a child of God, you are Christ representative, so speak in the name of the Lord and FOR Him.

CONFESSION

I am a representative of Christ and He is my Lord. I am not ashamed about anything, but to see His name honored and glorified. I shine to His glory, demonstrating   the love of God and the power of God to bless many lives

FURTHER STUDIES

Philippians 2:15. “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world”;

John 2:11. “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him”.