Summary: 3 of 4. Paul related the moral qualifications for deacons of the Church. Character traits for deacons of the church are definitive/unequivocal. ?How is the deacon’s fitness determined? The deacon’s fitness is decided thru...

The DEACON’S FITNESS-III—1Timothy 3:8-13

Attention:

Fitness/Able/Suitable/Appropriate/Pertinent/Apt/Proper

The ‘Fiscal Cliff’s’ application/initiation/commencement.

Severe Federal budget cuts were initiated on March 1st, 2013 which were designed to SLOW Governmental overspending. To keep the reach of Federal government from strengthening & expanding so that dependency upon Federal monies is recognized & limited. To make us wake up to the fact that our Federal Government—as is— has become & maintains an inherent invasiveness, costliness & destructiveness to personal freedoms that have neither been experienced nor anticipated fully.

These cuts will hurt many & those in Washington will now be forced to deal with such measures decisively & specifically. Will the cuts be redirected & guided OR will taxes be raised—essentially denying the pervasive existence of politics built upon greed & dependancy— allowing the governmental fingers of greed to continue unchecked as at present?

Now it appears, Congress & the President are willing to meet for extended hours late into the night in order to resolve their difficulties.

Thru the Fitness(application) of these newly initiated measures, we will discover exactly how dependent we—as individuals—have become upon our own federal government!

It is very Fitting that such forced meetings are now occurring to deal with what has always been known.

Need:

Paul related the moral qualifications for deacons of the Church.

Character traits for deacons of the church are definitive/unequivocal.

?What character traits define the deacon’s fitness for office?

?How is the deacon’s fitness determined?

Characteristics by which an deacon’s fitness for office is decided.

The deacon’s fitness is decided by...Collaborative/Collective ...

We discovered previously that The deacon’s fitness is decided thru...

1. His REVERENCE(:8a)

2. His HONESTY(:8b)

3. His SOBRIETY(8c)

4. His FREEDOM From MATERIALISM(:8d)

5. His CHRISTIAN COMPLIANCE/Surrender(:9)

6. His UNIMPEACHABLENESS(:10)

7—The deacon’s fitness is decided thru...

His COUNTERPART(:11a)

Explanation:(:11a) Designated Driver(God’s chosen spur to greatness) Fulfillment/Complement/Companion/Team

:11—“Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.”

The focus of this passage is upon the deacon’s teamship with his wife. This sheds much light upon the deacon’s ability to accomplish the Lord’s work fully, properly & competitively(vying for the hearts of the lost).

Concerning Gen. 2:20—Along with the provision & prohibition, YeHoWaH, concerned for man’s well-being, also provides on another plane. God does not want man to be “alone.” It seems evident from YeHoWaH’s decision, that personal loneliness is detrimental to His plan for the man. God’s solution is to provide “a helper” who is similar/“comparable”/meet for him. Thus this helper will offer real aid. The man too must have a counterpart within his own kind.

A godly “wife” supplies a counterpart to her husband’s(deacon) vulnerabilities. A godly ‘husband’ supplies a counterpart to his godly wife’s vulnerabilities.

A godly couple aids each other in overcoming their individual vulnerabilities. They work together in the Lord’s will.

This does NOT say that deacons ‘must’ be married. But it is important for a deacon to be a husband ‘if’ he is married.

God designed marriage for man & thru a man’s willingness to become a husband, he becomes the better for it.

Again the word “likewise” comes into play. This assumes that verses :8-10(minimally & :1-7 maximally) not only apply to the “deacon” but also to the deacon’s “wife.” These descriptors would also rightly apply to the pastor’s wife.

As with the bishop/overseer(:4-5), so it is important that every deacon’s family fall under spiritual scrutiny. The “deacon’s” “wife”(gunh) is specifically mentioned here whereas the bishop’s is indirectly implicated thru the ruling of his house which secures his children’s obedience. The wife & mother to the children of both deacon & pastor is the vital link to obtaining such obedience with reverence among their children.

Due to the culture in which we live(in America) the mere concept of a wife as counterpart necessarily does away with the idea of homosexuality.

“Likewise”[See :8]—wsautwv—In like manner, likewise. Strong—As thus, i.e. in the same way.

“Wives”—gunh—1) A woman of any age, whether a virgin, or married, or a widow; 2) A wife—2a) Of a betrothed woman. Strong—A woman; specially--A wife.

Argumentation:

Ezek. 44:19-24—““When they[the priests, the Levites] go out to the outer court, to the outer court to the people, they shall take off their garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, & put on other garments; & in their holy garments they shall not sanctify the people. They shall neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow long; but they shall keep their hair well trimmed. No priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court. They shall not take as wife a widow or a divorced woman, but take virgins of the descendants of the house of Israel, or widows of priests. And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy & the unholy, & cause them to discern between the unclean & the clean. In controversy they shall stand as judges, & judge it according to My judgments. They shall keep My laws & My statutes in all My appointed meetings, & they shall hallow My Sabbaths.”

The fitness to hold office of one exemplifying God’s will(in Christ) is tied directly to the character of his Counterpart(wife) or closest companion(true friend). Both work together to circumvent the devil’s influence & encourage the work of God.

Aquilla & Pricilla(Married Co-workers in Christ):

Acts 18:1-3; 18-21; 24-26—“After these things Paul departed from Athens & went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla(because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); & he came to them. So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them & worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.”.....“So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren & sailed for Syria, & Priscilla & Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow. And he came to Ephesus, & left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue & reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus.”.....“Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man & mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; & being fervent in spirit, he spoke & taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila & Priscilla heard him, they took him aside & explained to him the way of God more accurately.”

Rom. 16:3-4—“Greet Priscilla & Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.”

1Cor. 16:19—“The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila & Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.”

2Tim. 4:19—“Greet Prisca & Aquila, & the household of Onesiphorus.”

Paul & Barnabas(Friends & Co-workers in Christ):

Acts 13:4-12; 42-49—“So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, & from there they sailed to Cyprus. And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant. Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas & Saul & sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him & said, “O full of all deceit & all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, & you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.” And immediately a dark mist fell on him, & he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”.....“So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews & devout proselytes followed Paul & Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; & contradicting & blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul & Barnabas grew bold & said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, & judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. “For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad & glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region.”

Acts 14:8-12—“And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently & seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped & walked. Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” And Barnabas they called Zeus, & Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.”

Eph. 5:22-33—“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; & He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church & gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify & cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy & without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes & cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh & of His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father & mother & be joined to his wife, & the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ & the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, & let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

1Cor. 7:27-35—“Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; & if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you. But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, & those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away. But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord--how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world--how he may please his wife. There is a difference between a wife & a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body & in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world--how she may please her husband. And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, & that you may serve the Lord without distraction.”

Complement—Make up the difference

Illustration:

Football team/Quarterback needs his Center in order to work the football—The offensive line to protect him—The receivers to pass to—the running backs to hand off to/Without these it is not possible to have a game at all!/His COUNTERPART

Rugby/Everybody on the team eventually handles the ball propelling it forward/Everyone has someone to whom they must lateral or pass back/His COUNTERPART

Application:

?Do your deacon’s COUNTERPART’S/Wives exemplify godliness?

?Do your deacons exemplify godly COUNTERPARTs?

?Your deacon/deacons Fit for Office?

?How do you measure up regarding the same qualifications?

8—The deacon’s fitness is decided thru...

His WIFE’s REVERENCE(:11b)

Explanation:(:11b)

:11—“Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.”

Indeed her integrity is concisely described, as is her husband’s, yet with a similar but not exact wording.

A deacon’s “wife” is first of all expected to be “reverent.”

A question to be asked is do these terms flesh out “reverent” or are they intended to stand on their own?

If the following are descriptors of “reverence” then we will discover their individual contributions to that concept as we move thru their meanings.

If “reverent” is meant to stand alone, then we will discover its unqualified contribution to the measure of the deacon via his wife.

“Reverent” appears to be unqualified here(as with her deacon husband) but is instead listed concisely as a character trait.

In other words, the wives of deacons must approach all others(in general) & all situations with a “reverence” which bespeaks the same regard Christ has towards them/it. This of course can only be done by the saved sinner when she allows herself to be controlled by Insultingthe Spirit of God.

“Reverence” is not a characteristic specific to wives of deacons &/or overseers. It is a characteristic which adorns anyone who properly adorns the Gospel of Christ.

This does NOT mean that a deacon & his wife are never to ‘have fun.’ But that they would properly weigh the ‘fun’ they enjoy together with all the gravity afforded those vested with headship as empowered of the Holy Spirit.

“Reverent”[See :8]—semnov—Adj.—August, venerable, reverend; 2) To be venerated for character, honorable— 2a) Of persons 2b) Of deeds. Semnov is that which inspires reverence or awe. In classical Greek it was often applied to the gods. But frequently it has the lower idea of that which is humanly venerable, or even refers simply to externals, as to that which is magnificent, grand, or impressive. Strong—from sebomai[an apparently primary verb; To revere, i.e. adore] Venerable, i.e. Honorable. Used 4X.

Argumentation:

Php. 4:6-8—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; & the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble[semnov], whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue & if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.”

A deacon’s wife thru her “meditation” upon things that are “noble” will desire & seek to emulate & imitate such noble things in her own life in order to please God thru Christ.

Job 4:6—[Eliphaz the Temanite to Job] “Is not your reverence your confidence? And the integrity of your ways your hope?”

Prov. 28:14—“Happy is the man who is always reverent[dxp pachad], But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.”

Thus the opposite characteristic of a reverent person is one with a hardened heart. That is a heart closed off to the realities of authority & his/her relationship to them.

Mal 1:6-14—““A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence[arwm mowra']? Says the LORD of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’ “You offer defiled[lag ga'al] food on My altar. But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the LORD is contemptible.’ And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame & sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the LORD of hosts. But now entreat God’s favor, That He may be gracious to us. While this is being done by your hands, Will He accept you favorably?” Says the LORD of hosts. “Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you,” Says the LORD of hosts, “Nor will I accept an offering from your hands. For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations,” Says the LORD of hosts. “But you profane[llx chalal] it, In that you say, ‘The table of the LORD is defiled; And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’ You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,” Says the LORD of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, & the sick; Thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” Says the LORD. “But cursed be the deceiver Who has in his flock a male, And takes a vow, But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished-- For I am a great King,” Says the LORD of hosts, “And My name is to be feared among the nations.”

Eph. 5:22-33—“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; & He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church & gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify & cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy & without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes & cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh & of His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father & mother & be joined to his wife, & the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ & the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, & let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

1Pet. 1:13-19—“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, & rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish & without spot.”

1Pet. 2:13-17—“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers & for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men-- as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”

grave/serious

venerable/venerated

Illustration:

No church wants one or more of their deacon’s(or pastor’s) wives to be seen ‘partying like a rock star’!/Such would dishonor Christ & thus dishonor His Church/His WIFE’s REVERENCE

No church wants one or more of their deacon’s(or pastor’s) wives to embarrass themselves at the high school football game, by getting angry because of a ‘bad call’—Cursing the referee—Insulting the coach’s ability—Insulting other players/I once pastored a church where I was told that the former pastor(of 32 yrs.) would regularly ‘get into fights’ at church-league softball games!/His WIFE’s REVERENCE

This does not mean that Christians cannot have ‘fun’—I recall one of our churches where the ladies group was very tight/They took a retreat every year usually to the beach—nothing serious, just to unwind/One year they traveled to Gulf Shores, AL/Planning ahead of time, one of the ladies had secreted a dead anole on the trip(specifically for my wife’s enjoyment)/My wife entered the bathroom at night half asleep & upon turning on the light, spied the dead anole on the toilet lid!/Of course she panicked & screamed the apt. awake! To this day she still talks ‘fondly’ about it!

Application:

?Do your deacon’s Wives exemplify a godly REVERENCE?

?Your deacon/deacons Fit for Office?

?How do you measure up regarding the same qualifications?

9—The deacon’s fitness is decided thru...

His WIFE’s TONGUE(:11c)

Explanation:(:11c)

:11—“Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.”

Apparently in some degree parallel to her husband’s disassociation with being “double-tongued”, so deacon’s wives must not be considered “slanderers.” This word particularly attracts attention as it is a name descriptive of & translated as the “devil.” The devil actively “slanders” humanity before God.

Obviously this is not a trait for which any deacon’s(or pastor’s) wife should be recognized. If so, she would readily be called to account by the church for such a demonic attitude. This of course would not only tarnish herself but would disqualify her husband from the diaconate.

“Slanderers”—diabolov—Adj.—Prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely—1a) A calumniator, false accuser, slanderer; 2) Metaph. applied to a man who, by opposing the cause of God, may be said to act the part of the devil or to side with him. Strong—A traducer; specially, Satan[compare Njs]. A name often translated as ‘devil.’

From—diaballw—‘Through throwing’—as in throwing out that which is damaging to another.

Eng.— ‘Diabolic(al)’ Spanish—el Diablo(the devil)

Argumentation:

Ps. 101:5—“Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look & a proud heart, Him I will not endure.”

Ps. 140:8-13—“Do not grant, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; Do not further his wicked scheme, Lest they be exalted. Selah “As for the head of those who surround me, Let the evil of their lips cover them; Let burning coals fall upon them; Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, that they rise not up again. Let not a slanderer be established in the earth; Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.” I know that the LORD will maintain The cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor. Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence.”

Note the association of “slanderers” with wickedness, evil, violence, affliction upon others, injustice, unrighteousness & crookedness.

Pr 10:18—“Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool.”

Jer. 6:27-30—““I[YaHWeH] have set you[Jeremiah] as an assayer & a fortress among My people, That you may know & test their way. They are all stubborn rebels, walking as slanderers. They are bronze & iron, They are all corrupters; The bellows blow fiercely, The lead is consumed by the fire; The smelter refines in vain, For the wicked are not drawn off. People will call them rejected silver, Because the LORD has rejected them.””

Mk. 7:20-23—“And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, “thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within & defile a man.””

Rom. 1:28—2:2—“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.”

James 3:1-13—“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, & we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large & are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member & boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, & sets on fire the course of nature; & it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast & bird, of reptile & creature of the sea, is tamed & has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God & Father, & with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing & cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water & bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water & fresh. Who is wise & understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.”

Illustration:

I’ve seen people(saved & lost) turned away from the church by women(& men) who innocently attend a brotherhood or WMU meeting & hear the backbiting(slanderous talk) agaoinst those both inside & outside the church/You(& I) are Jesus to others...representatives of God’s truth & His power to change lives!/His WIFE’s TONGUE

Application:

?Do your deacons Wives exemplify a godly TONGUE?

?Your deacon/deacons Fit for Office?

?How do you measure up regarding the same qualifications?

CONCLUSION:

Visualization:

The ‘Fiscal Cliff’s’ Fitness to our inflated & rapidly inflating government.

Action:

The deacon’s fitness is decided thru...

7. His COUNTERPART(:11a)

8. His WIFE’s REVERENCE(:11b)

9. His WIFE’s TONGUE(:11c)

1. His REVERENCE(:8a)

2. His HONESTY(:8b)

3. His SOBRIETY(8c)

4. His FREEDOM From MATERIALISM(:8d)

5. His CHRISTIAN COMPLIANCE/Surrender(:9)

6. His UNIMPEACHABLENESS(:10)

Presented 03/10/2013pm to:

Needmore Baptist Church

1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.

Woodleaf, NC 27054