with Elder Elico Manenji
✝️In this final chapter of the book of Second Timothy, the Apostle charges Timothy to be diligent, incessant, and faithful in his preaching, to watch, suffer patiently, and give full proof of his ministry. The Apostle then predicted his own death as he was about to be poured out as a drink offering.
However, even when he was to be poured out, he had fought a good fight, he had run the race and finished the course, so the Lord Jesus will give to him a crown of glory even to those who will be faithful until the end. He desired Timothy to come and see him as several of his companions had forsaken him,Demas had forsaken the faith and only Luke, the physician was with him. He tells Timothy to bring the cloak, book and parchments which he had left at Troas.
Of those who had opposed his ministry was Alexander the coppersmith but however he stood alone at his first defence before Emperor Nero and the Lord had supported him and was saved from execution.
He finally send greetings
to different of his fellow associates in Ephesus and Rome were he was detained as a prisoner for the sake of the gospel of Christ.
1️⃣2 Timothy 4:1-8: Preach the Word of God in season and out of season.
⏹️As a servant and soldier of the Cross, the Apostle charged Timothy to preach the Word of God in season or out of season.
The Psalmist says, "Before the LORD: for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth" (Psalm 96:13).
⏭️The charge is made before God because as a sinner saved by grace, he was once far off from God but brought nigh by the blood of Christ.
The Apostle says, "I give you charge in the sight of God, who vivifies all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession."
(1Timothy 6:13).
⏭️The charge was made before Lord Jesus Christ by whom Timothy was ordained to ministry and that as a faithful minister he now had a present sight of Christ and His righteousness, he now behold His glory and should speak of His salvation and present Him as the Living Saviour.
The Apostle says, " I charge you before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that you observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality" (1Timothy 5:21).
⏹️ It is the duty of every minister of God to reprove, rebuke, exhort, even to set Christ before the people and lay down the gospel clearly and compel people to receive the grace and salvation Christ offers to them.
The Revelator says, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent"(Revelation 3:19).
⏭️He as a minister of God was to preach with long-suffering the truth as the Divine revelation, the Word as a written system of truth and not the tradition of men but as the revealed Word an Will of the living God.
The Psalmist says, "I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: see, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, you know"(Psalm 40:9).
2️⃣2 Timothy 4:9-22: The Apostle's personal concerns the Apostle's final salutations.
⏹️People need companions, they are necessary for the heart hungers for a friend’s love, human companionships are very changing as caused by distance, death, depravity.
The wiseman says, " Your own friend, and your father's friend, forsake not; neither go into your brother's house in the day of your calamity: for better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off" (Proverbs 27:10)
⏭️Human companionships are often great blessings such as Luke was with Paul, Mark was to be brought to him as a great helper, Timothy should come and empathize with his elderly spiritual father as he stood trial before Emperor Nero.
The wiseman says, "A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24).
⏫Human companionships sometimes prove a great afflictions as Demas, Alexander who had abandoned the Apostle, sometimes people suffer at the hands of friends, they are wounded in the house of their friends.
Human companionships must sometimes fail us and as friends are sometimes scared by poverty, failure, shame. Besides, companionship can do little in our intense bodily pain, mental anguish, spiritual conflict, threats of death.
The patriarch Job says, “My brothers have stood far from me; they have acknowledged strangers rather than me: and my friends have become pitiless" (Job 19:13).
⏹️ But, despite all circumstances, the Apostle adheres that he has fought a good fight, he had ran the race and he confidently says, he awaits a crown of glory at the coming and appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Apostle says, "And everyone who competes exercises self-control in all things. Now they compete in order that they may receive a perishable crown, but we compete for an imperishable crown" (1 Corinthians 9:25).
⏫ He reminds Timothy that he is not the only one who will receive this crown but all those who will patiently remain faithful until the coming of the Lord.
The Apostle Peter says, "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory" (1Peter 5:4).
⏹️The Apostle final sends greeting to and from many of his associates, as he urges those who question us with regard to our hope that we should be able to give an answer regarding our faith.
He urges that those who are of the household of God should exercise a forgiving spirit towards erring brethren, that when we feel weak, we should seek the assistance of the Lord to strengthen us and give us hope.
The Apostle says, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as also God in Christ forgave us"(Ephesians 4:32).
⏫That when we are delivered from the power of the evil one, we should glorify God and that we should remember that the Lord alone can save and preserve us both in.this life and the life to come.
The Psalmist says, "You that fear the Lord, praise Him; all you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him; let all the house of Israel fear Him" (Psalm 22:23).
🅰️Appeal
Truly there is a heavenly kingdom, to which the Lord will preserve His faithful witnessing or suffering servants for the sake of the gospel. We ought to give God the glory of all past, present, and future deliverances, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Speaking of Christ, the Psalmist says, "You have removed my acquaintances far from me; they have made me an abomination to themselves; I have been delivered up, and have not gone forth" (Psalm 88:8).
Elico Manenji
(+263712952704).
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