Heralds Digest

  “ But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. ” II Thessalonians 3 : 13 - 14 NKJV Since the scriptures admonished elsewhere “ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5 : 16 )”, it does suggest that ‘good works ’ are some special kind of fruits to be cultivated from a fallow ground of evil, wickedness, and darkness. If Apostle Paul could observe the discouraging impact of unruly brethren and bad influencers among the Thessalonians, believers in this age of social media influencers, celebrities, and political gurus can relate well with the challenges of holding up unto ‘good works ’ in today’s churches, assemblies, institutions, societies and homes. Growing good is like working in a field of thorns and walking barefooted on broken bottles. If we really and truly bel...

  “ Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. ” II Thessalonians 3 : 16 NKJV Truth be told, the pursuit of righteousness is simply and straightforwardly the following of the right pathway, not necessarily the safe, the polite, and the popular pathway. Little wonder Martin Luther King once said, ‘On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, “ Is it safe?” Expediency asks the question, “ Is it polite?” And Vanity comes along and asks the question, “ Is it popular? ” But Conscience asks the question, “ Is it right? ”’. Unfortunately, finding the right pathway is not up to philosophers, psychologists, and politicians in our world, to whom there is no such thing as absolute truth. Whereas, the pursuit of the right pathway is the following of the One who says “ I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me ( John 14 : 6 )”. Jesus is the only Giver of peace; He gives grace, guidance, and ...

  “For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.” ‭‭II Thessalonians‬ ‭3:11-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The concept of dominion in God’s original plan for humanity is productivity in business. In line with the curse of fruitlessness due to the fall of man, fruitless engagements would dot almost all activities of busy people or busybodies. Even in the fellowship of God’s people, busybodies are loud infidels with the perfect ideas of walking without working and consuming without producing. Unfortunately, these people often have the loudest template for business propositions, and work implementation plans. Their disorderly manner of business executions always become evident after the deal is done, either at home, or outside in the fellowship of people. And like the exhortation to busybodies in the church in...

  “ For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.” II Thessalonians‬ ‭3:11-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Idleness is not just the absence of fruitful engagements; it does include the abundance of wasteful work. Promotion of hateful speech, peddling of wrong information, and a deliberate incitement of people’s mind against lay down rules and regulations would readily shut down any promising system. Since a good leader must do more than just giving orders and command in order to arrest the onset of disorderly manners, Apostle Paul had to add exhortation to his command, and prayerfully through our Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Engagements in wasteful work does not primarily target an individual. It is a strategic damage mechanism against the system of uprightness and orderliness. Anyone who ignores the onset of was...