Overcoming Temptation(1)

Maintain Control Over The Mind

The mind is the ground where the battle for sin is won or lost. It is the mind that the devil offers his suggestions and the moment you begin to entertain it in your mind, chances are that you will loose the battle. Just like pregnancy naturally results into the birth of child, sinful thoughts when nurtured naturally result into sin. Whatever you allow to take root in your mind is what will manifest in the physical. If you can't overcome temptation in your mind, in all probability, you will fall in action. So you must not let the attraction of sin take root in your mind. God has given every one of us power to control our mind and choose what we think. You may not be able to keep Satan from putting an evil thought into your mind, but you can choose not to dwell and act on them.(2 Corinthians 10:5). Whenever an evil thought pops into your mind, refuse to dwell on it for a second. Drop it from your field of attention and always refuse to make your mind a fertile ground for immoral thoughts. Be selective about the thoughts you entertain(Philipians 4:8)

....to be continued....

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Our Redemption Package(Ephesians 1-2)

Ephesus was one of the biggest commercial cities as at then in Asian minor. We could term it as the commercial nerve center of the then civilization. The city also housed the 7 wonders of the world-including the Temple of Princess Diana whose image presumably fell from the sky. Being a Christian in Ephesus as at then was very very unpopular. Ephesians(a Letter) was written to the church in Ephesus to bring them to the light of God's sovereignty and to bring them out from their state of upscurity and set them on the grounds in which the ought to be.

Salutation(Ephesians 1:1-2)

Paul wanted to bring them to the light of God's Grace in their lives. It was also necessary that he declare the peace of God over their lives in view of the numerous persecution faced by the set of Christians living in the city. Paul carefully made plain his stand as an Apostle of the most high God as against his former status as a Sadducee.

Chosen By the Father(Ephesians 1:3-6)

He was speaking to a crowd mainly made up of gentiles who had little or nothing to do with God. He made it plain to them that they did nothing in making God choose us as His own, but rather, the decision was all his and His alone.

Redeemed By the Son(Ephesians 1:7-12)

Jesus redeemed us by His blood. He did so by laying down His life on the cross of Calvary for every man, that we might have a chance of truly knowing the Father. It does not really matter how far or how deep you have gone, all we know is that in Him we have total Redemption.

Sealed by the Spirit(Ephesians 1:13-14)

God's promise of Redemption was solidified by the Coming of the Holy spirit.

The Content of the Package(Ephesians 1:15-23)

• The Hope of His Calling

• The Riches of Glory

• The Exceeding Greatness of His Power

Being a child of God brings one into the realm of exceeding power soo mighty and unbounded. Unfortunately, the Church at Ephesus and indeed some of our present day Christians have not come to realize this.

Our Superb Status(Ephesians 2:1-22)

Here, Paul point out that as children of God, we have dual personalities:

• We are Human beings living in a Physical world.

• Secondly, since we died with Christ and has risen with Him, we are therefore Spirit beings.

As such, we are no longer driven driven by the dictates of this world and it's master: The devil.

Characteristics of Our Status

• Full citizenship along with God's Holy People

• Direct access to God.

• He Lives in us(we are His Holy Temple)

• We will get to dwell and reign with God.

Extracts from Rev. Mossy Madugba's message at the SUCF National Conference 2011

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Seemingly True yet very much Untrue..

Common Things That People Say That are not Biblcal but seems so.

God Helps Those Who Help Themselves.

The earliest recording of this saying is actually from Aesop's Fable " Hercules and the Waggoner." A man's wagon got stuck in a muddy road, and he prayed to Hercules to help. Hercules appeared and said. "Get up and put your shoulder to the Wheel." The moral given was: "The gods help them that help themselves." Aesop was a greek writer who lived from 620 to 564 BC, but obviously did not contribute to the Bible. As a biblical truism, the proverb has mixed results. We are more or less helpless when it comes to the work of Salvation. Most people would say that: "The Work of Salvation is in God's exclusive list." As an Instance, If one is looking forward to getting a Job, and such a person asks God for His help. This of course should not be a pretext for inactivity on the part of the individual. God is well able to do much more than that, but He expects us to always put our hands on the plough even when asking of His help(Luke 9:62).

Cleaniness is Next to godliness

Despite the strict rules given to the Israelites about uncleanliness as a metaphor for sinfulness and ceremonial washing required by the priests(see: Exodus,Leviticus), this phrase is not in the Bible. It originated as an ancient Babylonian and Hebrew Proverb, but became very popular during the Victorian Era after being revived by Sir Francis Bacon and John Wesley. Is the Proverb beyond the Metaphor? A new study shows that people are generally fairer and more generous when in clean smelling enviroument. But Jesus also exhorts us to worry more about the sin in our heart than the dirt on our hands.

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