Heralds Digest

   “ Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.” “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. ” 1 Corinthians 10 : 31 - 33 ; 11:1 KJV By ‘even as I please all men in all things ’ expression of Apostle Paul, followed by “ Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ ”, it is easy for anyone to understand that profitable pleasing implies pleasing God at all times, by all means and entails the pursuit of the glory of God. Those who must please men in isolation from God are merely motivated by their own personal gains and self-centred promotion; and they are always quick to bend backwards into compromises and all forms of unrighteousness. Whereas, doing all things with God’s glory in view attracts perseverance in persecution,...

  “ Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10 : 12 - 13 KJV The Christian race is far from being a talk show. Most talkers are not doers, especially when confronted with the reality of life at home, workplaces, and the society. Unfortunately, even when we think to stand tall on the pedestal of integrity, honesty and righteousness, we often fall flat on some reality checks; and then fake the consistency stance. Whereas, when Apostle Paul admonished the Corinthian church on “ Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall”, he was calling the church out, just as the Holy Spirit is awakening believers to the faithfulness of God on the reality race. Without God in the race, talk shows ca...

  “ The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. ” Ecclesiastes 10 : 12 , 15 KJV If scripture says wise words are gracious and foolish words are grav-ious, it implies that the opposite of grace is grave. Unfortunately, the seemingly smart people in our world know just how to use their lips for human manipulation with lies, position seeking with wickedness, and wealth accumulation with greed, while seriously aiming at pulling down their fellows in pursuit of these ambitions. With these outright expressions of bluntness, bitterness and betrayal, promising homes and families are destroyed, prosperous project and business partnerships are truncated, and great social ties and relationships are sacrificed. Ultimately, all efforts and exchanges in all of life’s engagements without absolute submission to the grace of God are mere simple exca...

  “ For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him .” Ecclesiastes 7 : 12 - 14 KJV The greatest discovery on earth is the work of redemption from sin and slavery unto repentance and righteousness, etched by the work of grace on the cross of Calvary. Right after the fall of man, those who have found grace have had to lay down their arrogance and pride to embrace the finished work of grace. While it is God’s righteousness at Christ’s expense, man has always struggled to obtain human morality through the works of the flesh, like the accumulation of wealth, attainment of political positions, and intelligent display of authority and privilege; but...

   “ But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. ” 1 Corinthians 7 : 17 , 22 - 24 KJV It is important to underscore that the fundamental benefit of every believer’s response to the Lord’s call is the satisfaction of the heart with rest. True rest vacates every tendency to respond to extra-scriptural commandments and worldly ordinances. Therefore, wise walk produces the fear of the Lord, while abiding or resting only on His commandments. Definitely, the world will always have its say of commanding allegiance, affection, and affliction; but God will make the way of those whose hearts are fixed on the purposes of God. Unfortu...

  “ I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. ” Ecclesiastes 3 : 10 - 11 KJV With diversity of religious, professional, and social interests, the growth and nucleation of different groups of watch-parties are consistently dynamic. While cutting across diverse fields of professions, devotions, and preoccupations, the preacher has seen the travail of endless watch-party and the foundation of restlessness and mindlessness in our world. Little wonder, with all the multiplication of affluence and wealth, the heart of the preacher is consistently polluted with anxieties and recklessness, showing that there is no rest for those who ignore the invitation to God’s own rest. The divine endowment of the heart of man with increased knowledge, scientific discoveries, and soph...