Heralds Digest

  “ This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” II Timothy 2 : 11 - 13 NKJV While the understanding of a righteous reign suggests the reality of unrighteous reign, the latter is transient, twisted, and tragic at the end. Mostly unattractively, righteous reign requires faith to endure pain, problems and persecution from the system of the prevailing culture and circumstances. From the tragic example of afar-following Peter, those who must follow facts and figures have no withholding order to the option of betrayal, compromise and denial of the truth. Whereas, “ For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him” requires an abiding faith in God’s promises, even if our call to His service implies the sacrifice of lives on the stakes. Unfortunately, those who choose unrighteous reign prefer to liv...

  “ Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth .” II Timothy 2 : 14 - 15 NKJV The first responsibility of a worthy ambassador is self-recognition as a stranger in the current state of residence; and as a soldier of a foreign state. Unfortunately, this responsibility gets easily messed up by the pressure of accommodation in the current state of residence and the pursuit of approval from worldly assessors. Therefore, in Apostle Paul’s parting charge to Timothy, believers are reminded of the primary focus on God as their approver in this solemn responsibility of all ambassadors. Without prejudice to the inexhaustible list, approved ambassadors must be strong in grace to (1) love their enemies, (2) endure unfair hardness, (3) avoid quarrel and envy, (4) stand firmly on the tru...

  “ And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ .” II Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Without a close reference to the lifestyle of hardship demonstrated by Apostle Paul, anyone could also credit the faithfulness of filthy followers of unrighteousness in our world to their shady deals. While the primary motive of these filthy followers is to escape hardship, they are skillful with the recruitment of soldiers who are faithful, loyal, and committed to their assigned tasks. Unfortunately, with the trading of filthiness for hardship, it is often easier to recruit filthy soldiers for the Devil and his kingdom than the enlistment of faithful soldiers for Jesus Christ. Therefore, just as the admonition of the persecuted and chained Apostle Paul to young Timothy, believers and labourers in the kingdom of God must be prepared to endure ha...

  “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” ‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ There is something unique about every true and honest bride. She reserved her beauty only for the attraction and embrace of the true and worthy bridegroom all the life of their matrimony. As long as she is approved of by her husband, being ashamed by every other standard by the world or the opinions of other people is not consequential. Likewise, every believer is a purchased bride of Christ, and called to present herself approved only to Him. Unfortunately, those who are infected by approval syndrome in the world and its standards are wrongly pressured to pursue the line of compromise to the word of truth. Whereas, to rightly divide the word of truth, believers must be prepared to get ashamed by men in order to retain the approval of God. After all, Jesus is the truth-personified; and those who do not need to be ashamed of ...

  “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” ‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Desiring the preservation of the flocks of God in the truth requires more investment of time and personal resources from any called minister of the gospel. While members are encouraged to adopt the principles of success and prosperity in their chosen disciplines rightly, the priority of additional commitment into the word of truth is promoted by approved apostles of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, digging a little bit deeper in the knowledge of GOD and the pursuit of righteousness is not fashionable in our present world of popularity. Against this backdrop, Timothy and all servants of the gospel are admonished to be diligent to focus on presenting self approved to God. Needless to say, those who cherish the approval of man at home, workplaces and the society of people above the approval of God cannot even invest in the preserva...