KEY SCRIPTURE: 1Ti 6:17 KJV “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly to enjoy

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Apostle Paul advises Timothy to charge all those who would be rich , not to be high-minded. To be high-minded is to become haughty or proud. He tells him to tell the brethren not to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who gives us all  things freely to  enjoy. It is rather unfortunate for certain brethren to feel extremely important and superior to others because they are rich. It is an error for money to define your importance.

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I have always said that money is indispensable in this world of ours, but money should not be your Lord. The scripture  said they must not trust in uncertain riches but in the Lord.

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In Matthew 5:1-16, the Lord  gave the Sermon on the Mount. This teaching is also known   as the beatitudes. Someone explained that beatitudes mean happy attitudes. The Lord gave certain actions or attitudes that give us happiness or joy. The first statement made by the Lord is blessed, or happy are the poor in spirit, for such is the Kingdom of God. To be poor in spirit is to place an absolute importance on the need for God and to yearn for His reign over that individual’s life. The word says anyone with such a yearning for God  is blessed or very happy. It brings a state of true fulfilment to that individual.

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On the flip side, a man who places his trust and fulfilment in his riches deprives his soul of the happiness that the Lord talked about. The bible says many who have trusted in uncertain riches have pierced themselves with many sorrows.

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Our Lord Jesus is the Prince of Peace.  He said in John 14:27 as follows:” Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

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The world’s peace is what uncertain riches offers.It promises absolute security,  yet when certain calamity strikes the heart and soul of this man is left bewildered.There are so much that this worldly peace can not truly satisfy the soul and heart  of man with real peace.Do not be deceived by the deceitfulness of riches.Jesus is the only Lord who can satisfy our souls with real or true peace in the face of terrible situations.He is always able to see you through

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THOUGHT: OUR LORD JESUS IS THE ONLY ONE WHO BRINGS REAL SATISFACTION TO THE CRAVINGS OF EVERY SOUL

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Joh 16:33 KJV” These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

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Mat 13:22 KJV” He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”

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KEY SCRIPTURE: 1Ti 6:15 KJV” Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;”

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The scriptures have clearly and abundantly shown that our Lord Jesus is God. Our key scripture informs us that the Lord in “His times”  will show that He is the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings and Lord of Lords.

The phrase ‘  in His times’ refers to the end of the world when all mankind shall know that our Lord Jesus is the Only potentate, that is, the ruler with the highest authority.

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The Lord, at the end of the world, will appear as the judge of all. He would also show himself as the king of kings and Lord of Lords. The kingship and Lordship of Jesus is a truth every man must know and also surrender to Him. The prophet Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 9:6 as follows: Isa 9:6 NHEB” For to us a child is born. To us, a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders, and his name is called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This verse fully shows the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ

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It says  his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor. These are the names of the Holy Spirit. John 14 :26

But the Comforter (Counsellor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.

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Here, we see the Holy Spirit as a “counsellor.”In Isaiah 9:6, He is also called the Mighty God.Once again, it clearly states He is God. After this, He is called the everlasting Father.This is very amazing. He is the Prince of Peace. Jesus is Lord

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The essence of learning about the Lordship and kingship of Jesus is to surrender your life to Him or submit to Him totally . When a man bows to His Lordship, that man  comes under the reign of the King of kings and every other king or Lord that ruled over him has ceased. This is the essence of deliverance from every satanic or demonic power. Sin and diseases are all  forms of bondage to another kingdom.

When you admit Jesus reign over your life, you must begin to refuse or resist every form of dominance that robbed you of your peace. You would be free if you insist.

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THOUGHT: THE GREATEST REALISATION IS TO KNOW THAT JESUS IS LORD, AND THE GREATEST BLESSING IS WHEN YOU SURRENDER TO HIS LORDSHIP

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Rev 17:14 KJV” These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

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Rev 19:16 KJV” And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 6:14 WEB “that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

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Apostle Paul comes to the tail end of his letter to Timothy . He now instructs him to keep all the counsels he has given him until the coming of our Lord  Jesus. This is a word to every child of God. The instruction said he must keep it without any spot and be blameless.

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A look at the letter of Timothy has a number of issues that Paul instructed him on. He spoke about protecting the flock from false teachers. He spoke about the need for him to walk uprightly. He gave him the qualifications of a pastor or bishop. He reminded him  of correction in the church of God. He told  him  not to be partial.

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He  explained to him why he must not suddenly lay hands on any man, so that He would not be party to anyone’s sins. This referred to taking some time to observe an individual before commissioning him or her into the ministry. Timothy was instructed about the superiority of godliness over bodily exercise. He was reminded about the gift that was imparted unto him through the laying on of the  hands of the presbytery. He was called to wage a good warfare by the prophet who was given to him.

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Apostle Paul explained to him that he must meditate on all that he had taught him,  and give himself wholly to doing it. This would cause him to profit or make a positive impact in his life and all they that hear him. The above are just a few of all that he instructed him.

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Dear child of God, you must carefully go through all that has been laid down and prayerfully go through them. Your life would be enriched with the truth, and you would be blameless as well as made ready to meet the Lord.

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We live at a time where materialism has entered the church of God, and as a result, many are bereft of true love for God. For many has  become a place of entertainment rather than a house of transformation.

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A good attention to all that the book of the first letter of Timothy teaches would keep you from the errors of ignorant men, as well as being controlled  by the flesh. Trust the Spirit of God to work these things through you as you yield to Him.

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THOUGHT:THE KNOWLEDGE AND A YIELDING TO THE TRUTH WOULD SURELY MAKE YOU FREE.

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FURTHER STUDY

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1Ti 4:15 KJV” Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.”

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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.”

KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 6:13 KJV I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;

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Our Lord Jesus stood before Pilate, the Roman Governor designated for the Jewish people and was never afraid  in the  minutest sense ; He  boldly declared the truth. Joh 19:10 KJV Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?” The Lord also answered  him as  follows:Joh 19:11 KJV” Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”

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Although  Pilate  had the power either to release Jesus or Crucify Him , the Lord gave no regard to who Pilate claimed he was. He spoke the truth. The bible said that just after Jesus had answered him that way, Governor Pilate had wanted to set  Him free.

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Dear one, our confession has so much impact on how things turn out for us. The bible says our Lord Jesus is the High Priest of our confession. Heb 3:1 KJV” Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;” What does this statement mean?

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The Lord Jesus as our  High Priest  represents  us before God.

He stands by every word we speak to enforce it, so long as that word is in agreement with what the word of God  says. If the word  is not scriptural ,the Lord would have nothing to do with it.

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Please, dear, one life is like a  court scene. Our activities, especially our words, have a great impact on the outcome of events in our lives. Our words either condemn us or justify us. Mat 12:37 KJV, “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned”

As Jesus did not allow fear to make Him bow  to the threats that surrounded Him, His  fearless answer made that man of authority rather decide to favourably respond to Him , although the decision of the multitude prevailed.

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A look at the scriptures shows that salvation comes  to us through our belief in what God says and confessing it boldly. Rom 10:9,10.I said earlier that life is like a court scene, where our Lord Jesus is our lawyer and the devil is the accuser. Any word that opposes the scriptures gives the accuser the upper hand to demand before the Judge of the universe to allow that word to prevail in your life. If you say sickness is killing you, Satan would demand that the word you have said should prevail in your life. God, the judge, would have no right to stop  that word from prevailing in your life.

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Dear one, no matter the dangers or threats that prevail, decide to say what God’s word says. This is the good confession that makes you win always.

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THOUGHT: SPEAKING THE WORD  OF TRUTH WOULD ALWAYS MAKE THE ACCUSER INEFFECTIVE AGAINST  YOU.

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Num 14:28 KJV” Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:”

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Pro 18:20 -21 KJV A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

KEY SCRIPTURE 1Ti 6:12 KJV” Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”:

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In our last study, we introduced the topic fight the good fight of faith. Today, we would consider how to fight the good fight of faith, dealing with satanic attacks. Satanic attacks are real.

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A sister said that each time she slept, a man appeared in her dream to sleep with her. This encounter leaves her with a urinary tract infection. Another lady also dreamt of her arm  being bitten by a snake in her dream. She woke up to see a kind of a bite or a sting on her arm. The whole thing turned cancerous and later killed her. Some people not only encounter these things in their dreams but also physically  see certain personalities or creatures at night in their rooms, and they go through all kinds of ordeals. Some are in real torment.

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If you find yourself in such a condition, you must fight the good fight of faith to free yourself. If you speak in tongues, please spend some time praying in tongues. If you do not pray in tongues, look for scriptural verses that speak of Jesus victory over Satan. Read about verses that teach on the authority of the Christian over Satan.

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The following are a number of scriptures that teach Jesus victory over the devil. Please note that every victory Jesus won  was not for Himself but for mankind. Col 2:15, Col 1:12,13, Matt 28:18, Heb 2:14, Luke 10:19 , Eph 1:19,20

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You may go through each of them meditatively and use them to wage a good warfare. The instruction of the scriptures to drive away devils says submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you, James 4:7

You submit by believing what the scriptures say, and then you speak out the scripture declaring your victory over the enemy. You may say ,’ according to our Lord Jesus, I  have received power to tread on you devils and over all your powers, and nothing shall by any means hurt me, in the name of Jesus, I command every evil attack over my life to stop right now’

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Keep speaking

to that oppressive spirit that its power is broken, and you are free. You would surely win if you do not give up.

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THOUGHT: BY FAITH WE STOP EVERY ATTACK OF THE ENEMY AND ALSO CAUSE THEM TO FLEE

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Mat 28:18 KJV” And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”

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Luk 10:19 KJV” Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 6:12 KJV “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

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Our key scripture is a very important instruction for every Christian. The fight of Christians is a fight of faith. We are not called to fight demons, although we wrestle against those who use wiles and deception . What we watch in movies is where demons or agents of the devil throw fire at Christians, who likewise throw a counterfire at the devil. This is not the kind of fight we engage in with the devil and his agents. The enemy’s focus is to overthrow the faith of the Christian. Our victory is to keep our faith intact. This is our victory.1 John 5:4

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The Christian’s strength is the strength  of our Lord Jesus. This is the reason the scriptures say we must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, Eph 6:10. In this light, Satan’s power is nowhere near the power and might of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is the very power and might we have. It is our faith that keeps us functioning in that power. It is also by our faith that we overthrow Satan and his cohorts. Our fighting position is to keep standing, acknowledging that no matter what the enemy does, we are not defeated. This is standing in faith.

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Our fight is a fight  of faith. We hold on to what God has said and not what the devil is saying or doing. In the fight of faith, we believe in our hearts what Christ or the word of God has said, and then we say just as it is written.

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The scripture says fight the good fight of faith, laying hold on eternal life. In the context of that verse, the Christians were being persecuted, and so they had to hold on to their belief in eternal life by boldly confessing that Jesus is their Lord. We are to likewise hold on to the various provisions of the scriptures, declaring what it says. It is a good fight because we always win, which brings glory to God. In our subsequent studies, we would take specific situations in life  and learn how to fight the fight of faith in that aspect of life.

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THOUGHT: OUR FAITH  IN THE LORD JESUS MAKES

US INVINCIBLE AND SUPERIOR TO THE DEVIL AS OUR LORD JESUS.

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Heb 10:35 KJV” Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.”

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Heb 11:2 KJV” For by( faith) it the elders obtained a good report.”

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KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 6:11 KJV” But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”

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This verse tells the man of God and every other child of God to flee coveteousness. Covetousness  is a life ruled by the flesh. The Christian is not in the fleshRom 8:9 KJV “, But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” Dear child of God, a life in the flesh is a strange land for you. Psa 137:4 KJV” How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?” The strange land is a place of bondage and deep satanic oppression.

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The flesh is a realm of death, and the child of God can not for one second stay in the flesh. Dear child of God, flee that kind of life. Jude 1:23 KJV “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”

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We are admonished to pursue the ways of the Spirit. Gal 5:16 KJV “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” If we are to walk in the Spirit, then it suggests that we are dwelling there. In actual fact, that is our natural abode. The believer’s life in the Spirit is a fundamental teaching of the word of God, yet in these days of information, many are informed about these things, but the worldly influence has negatively affected most people.

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Please take an inventory of your life and ask yourself what really occupies my time? Eph 5:15 KJV See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Your time is your life. If you invest properly in it, your life will take a great leap in the Spirit.

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To pursue the spirit, you ought to be spiritually minded. You do this by giving attention to the word of God through studying and  meditation. The next is to cultivate a life of prayer.  Concentrating your time in prayer would create a spiritual aura around you that would be visible to all . This  would affect your spiritual senses. A consistent prayer life has a way of conditioning  your spirit  and the mind to be in tune with the Holy Spirit.

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THOUGHT: How you use your time determines the kind of harvest you produce

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Rom 8:10 KJV” And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

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Eph 5:18 KJV” And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”

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KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 6:9 KJV “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.”

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Do riches ensnare at all?  This answer is yes and no. It is no, because those who have placed their lives in God’s hands can not be ensnared by it. Rather, it is those who are not rich towards God who are ensnared. This verse applies to those who have made mammon or riches their god. Mat 6:24 KJV No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Sadly, lots of people are worshipping mammon or riches. Such people are ruled by it. Some people suddenly become very proud when their finances shoot up. They do not attend the fellowship  as they used to. They no longer pray and fast as they did some time ago.

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Beloved, it is not riches that have corrupted such people; they were corrupted ɓy placing riches before God in their lives. The greatest security for the souls of men is the reign of God over their lives. This is the reason the Lord said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, all thy mind and with all thy heart. Any other thing that manages to take God ‘s place in a man’s life becomes a snare unto him. Riches is a tool we use to serve the purposes of God.

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Riches in the hands of one surrendered to God means food on the table of the hungry, the prostitute would be settled, such that she takes care of her life, and would no longer stand by the street corners any longer. The gospel would go very far because money, which is the wheel of the gospel, would carry it very far. All that the Lord desires to be done for men would be done.

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The scripture must always be seen in its proper light. Money or riches are not evil. Wood or the sun is never evil, yet a man can make a god out of the wood or bow to the sun, claiming it is his god. Dear one, do not seek after  riches, but seek after God. Love and please Him in all you do. The Lord would intend to lead you wisely to possess durable riches, which would be used to glorify His name.

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Repent from making riches your god. Place God above everything. Love him above your very self and make pleasing Him your delight. This is your escape from the deceitfulness of riches.

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THOUGHT: WHETHER RICHES WOULD BE A BLESSING OR A CURSE, IT DEPENDS ON WHO GOD IS TO YOU.

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Mat 13:22 KJV” He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”

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Mat 19:23 KJV” Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 6:6 ISV” Of course, godliness with contentment does bring a great profit.”

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The scripture emphasises that godliness with contentment is a great gain. Every child of God ought to acknowledge that we are living here on the earth for our Father. We were created for His pleasure, Rev 4:11. Whatever we do, we do it to push His agenda. To strive for riches  for any selfish motive is sin and  gives a place to the  devil. Eph 4:27 ISV” and do not give the devil an opportunity to work.”

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What is the believer’s attitude to riches and abundance? The work of God is so vast, and money plays a very big role in fulfilling this great task. The child of God does not strive for riches for himself,  but  to fulfil the work of saving the lost. When the Lord died on the cross, it was Joseph of Arimthea, a wealthy man whose wealth had given him audience or influence before Pilate, who, through his influence, went for the Lord’s body from the Roman soldiers. It takes money to send the gospel  through both print and  electronic media. And one must trust God for more of it to reach the unteachable.

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In Deut 8:18, Moses, before his death, reminded the Israelites to remember the Lord who gives them power to get wealth, so that He would establish the covenant He made with the fathers. To remember the Lord as much as it is talking about knowing that their wealth comes from the Lord, to remember Him also means placing His will ahead of all they do. They ought not do anything without acknowledging His view or will concerning that thing. In this way, they would never act to satisfy their ego, as it may happen to the man who places himself at the centre of all he does. Such a one falls into the deception that godliness is a means of making money. If he places God first, then he would do all things to please him . He will be content with what he has, although he would also strive to fulfil God’s bigger view of reaching more people and blessing more lives.

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Contentment as a godly person is a great gain because he ceases to worry about the absence of what   he does not have. He rather places his trust in the Lord. This state of trust in the Lord gives the power of God an occasion to take charge of his affairs. Being content is a condition when one appears weak. It is at this point that God’s power is made perfect in weakness 2 Cor 12:10

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THOUGHT: GOD TAKES OVER WHEN YOU ARE CONTENT

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FURTHER STUDIES

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2Co 12:10 ISV” That is why I take such pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for the Messiah’s sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

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Heb 13:5 ISV” Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for God has said, ‘I will never leave you or abandon you.”

KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 6:5 ISV” and incessant conflict between people who are depraved in mind and deprived of truth. They think that godliness is a way to make a profit.”

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This time, he counsels him to be wary of those who are depraved in their minds  and also deprived of the truth. These people think that godliness is a money-making venture. This is a very corrupted view. This view is very different from the one who acknowledges that God gives us power to make wealth so his name would be glorified in our lives. God’s name being glorified is seen when the wealth He blesses us goes to promote the gospel. It blesses the poor. Abraham’s wealth was the support of over three hundred families that he supported.

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It is not for the idea of living in pleasure and pride that one should seek a relationship with God. We live in a world where money and its demand can easily make a servant of God  become covetous and start acting in all kinds of unscriptural ways.

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It is the craving for money that makes certain ministers say all kinds of nasty things about their fellow servants of God. Pastors who  contact strange powers to do ministry  are sadly corrupted by the idea that godliness is to make a profit. With such a wrong concept, they would do anything possible to make those riches. It is rather sad to hear what some of them do to  get multitudes into their churches.

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The truth is that our heavenly father knows very well we need money for His work and for our daily upkeep. His concept for blessings is to seek Him, and His righteous cause, then He would intend to add all that we need. Matt 6:33 ISV” But first be concerned about God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all of these things will be provided for you as well.” If you approach life and God’s service this way, you are not corrupted by the lust for money , which the bible says is the root of all evil. 1 Timothy 6:10 ISV For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away.

from the faith and caused themselves a lot of pain.”

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THOUGHT:GODLINESS IS NOT ABOUT YOU, IT IS ABOUT BRINGING GLORY TO GOD

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Psa 10:3 KJV” For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.”

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Mat 6:24 ISV “No one can serve two masters, because either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!