Heralds Digest

  “ Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. ” Hebrews 4 : 11 - 13 KJV Has anyone ever expressed the dilemma of waiting on the scriptural injunction “ For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry ( Habakkuk 2 : 3 )”? Nothing more than the personal experience of waiting on the fulfillment of a 24-year vision can best illustrate the dilemma in understanding the meaning of “ though it tarry ” and “ it will not tarry ” in a single ...

  “ Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?” Joel 2 : 15 - 17 KJV By referencing the concern of Apostle Paul with the Corinthians “ If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable (1 Corinthians 15 : 19 )”, the burden of Prophet Joel on the challenges of heathen heritage can readily come alive. When believers’ passions and drives are motivated and limited to the rat race for political positions, economic stability, earthly comforts, and the world’s standards of...

  “ But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it .” Obadiah 1 : 17 - 18 KJV Everyone knows about the foundation of hostility between the house of Jacob and the house of Esau. While the house of Jacob represents the generation of those who hold the promises of God, including freedom from oppression, destruction, and damnation, there is no deliverance in sight as long as the house is bewildered in hostilities. Unfortunately, New Testament believers are not equally free from oppression, destruction and damnation as long as they are entangled in the hostility house; despite the fancy claims to salvation experience through faith in Jesus Christ. We live in the host...

  “ Order my steps in thy word: And let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Deliver me from the oppression of man: So will I keep thy precepts. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; And teach me thy statutes .” Psalm 119 : 133 - 135 KJV Inspiration by the words of the Lord is simply the enthronement of God as the centre of our human instruction in life, family, career and relationships. There are so many religious activities in these days of manipulation by social media, economic standards, and the pressure of performance. Irrespective of our professional practices, the practical steps of most believers are ordered by social and economic standards and etiquettes. And when the psalmist prayed “ Order my steps in thy word: And let not any iniquity have dominion over me ‘, he was not alone by all practices today. The prayer is sincerely deeper than “ Order my speeches in thy word… ”. Many preachers can give sound speeches on holiness and righteousness; but they are denied th...

  “ The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; Therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, To the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly Wait for the salvation of the LORD. ”  Lamentations 3 : 24 - 26 KJV Depending on the cause of exertion and weakness, there are sundry sources of refreshment for the body and the soul of man. For tne most parts, with the prospect of monetization, emotional breakdown and disturbance are readily refreshed by financial inducement. Little wonder, even the scriptures say “ A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things ( Ecclesiastes 10 : 19)”. Notwithstanding, money refresheth not all things. Even after the abundance of wealth and the provision of material resources, there is always a void in the heart of man that only God can fill. The presence of God in all life’s circumstances is the real refreshment. And whenever our fellowship at home, coll...

  “ This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men .” Titus 3 : 8 KJV Doing good is readily taking for granted because of every believer’s experiential knowledge of the grace of God. If the Giver of grace, Jesus Christ, in the days of His earthly ministry went about doing good, it is natural to expect all the takers of grace to be ‘do-gooders’ . As apparently insulting the ‘do-gooders ’ term seems in our days, John Wesley once encouraged “ Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can ”. Without this careful devotion, we have seen too many supposedly Christian workers and leaders being used as unfortunate pawns in the hands of the enemies of the grace of God. Doing good requires careful mainte...

   “ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works .” Titus 2 : 11 - 12 , 14 KJV With prejudice to the import of the grace of God in the affairs of anyone, people will always mistake popularity for peculiarity. Truth be told, the grace of God doesn’t promise the redeemed of the Lord popularity, but rather peculiarity. Unfortunately, those who abuse the privileges of grace have often engaged in the teaching and practicing of ungodliness, licentious lifestyle, and all forms of wickedness. Truly, these nefarious lifestyles can promote popularity with affluence, avarice, social, and political advantages; but they will obviously deny anyone the hope of being part of a peculiar people of God and candid...

  “ For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers .” Titus 1 : 7 - 9 KJV One of the fundamentals of a successful ministry in the vineyard of the Lord is stewardship.  And by Apostle Paul’s reference to steward of God in his admonition to Bishop Titus, it is evident that Bishop can be steward of men rather than being steward of God. To be steward of men at the expense of stewardship to God is to become influenced by either the provocations or preferences of fellow men. The moment our actions and inaction are influenced and controlled by the affections, afflictions, and atrocities of men, we become self-wiled rather than being selfless stewards of the Lord. It is i...

  “ How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: Therefore I hate every false way. ” Psalm 119 : 103 - 104 KJV By reference to the scriptural injunction in the New Testament about the world’s way, it is instructive to understand why the psalmist embraced the words way. The world’s way includes the system of lies, lust and looseness in the administration of business, relationships, and management at home, workplaces and the society. Those who patronize the world’s way do sometimes read the words of the Lord, albeit religiously at home, churches and in the society. The only problem is that the world’s way is considered as the potent path to prosperity, popularity, and power; while those who practice the words way are considered losers. Unfortunately, the schemer of the world’s way is wiser than most professing Christians and church goers, leveraging on his scheme of deception from the beginning at garden of Ed...

  “ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works .” 2 Timothy 3 : 16 - 17 KJV One of the fundamental purposes of the release of God’s words is correction. Christians study the word of God daily for access to its cleansing power. And for those who do release their hearts to the revelation of the words of God, they are empowered by God to get aligned according to divine purpose from deception and destruction. The havoc of sin and transgressions against the commandment of the Lord is the hardening and separation of the hearts of men from the revelation of God’s words; but by the inspiration of God through His words, the bondage is broken and hearts are released to response again to divine instructions. Unfortunately, proud hearts do not understand nor appreciate the potency in “ All scripture is given by inspirat...

  “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2 : 21 - 22 KJV Privileged and powerful purposes in life, career and ministry are desirable by everyone, but not everyone believes and understands that privileges and opportunities start with purposeful preparation. And in God’s vineyard and kingdom purposes, vessels of honour derive their purposes from being purged portions. “ If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use “ throw out the challenge for self-purging on everyone who desires privileged and powerful purposes in life. It implies that the primary objective of any man in any challenging situation and circumstance is making himself a purged portion i...

  “ Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.” 2 Timothy 1 : 13 - 14 KJV Only sound or wondrous words can keep a man contented in a dark, dank dungeon with a hole in the ceiling for light and air. Apostle Paul was in ‘chains’ (2 Timothy 1:16), ‘like a criminal’ (2 Timothy 2:9). He was lonely, bored and cold (2 Timothy 4:9-13). Death was inevitable. According to tradition, he was condemned to die by beheading under Nero’s persecution. Yet, he kept the wondrous words which were committed unto him alive; and was more concerned about passing the same good thing unto Timothy. Obviously, we can argue that compromisers and those who cannot uphold the words of Jesus Christ amidst the challenges of life haven’t actually encountered the wondrous words. The wondrous words of Christ are quick, powerful and sharper than two-edged sword,...

  “ If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. ” 1 Timothy 6 : 3 - 5 KJV For those who do not subscribe to wholesome words, it is readily easier to relate with the dynamic of their submission to wandering words. In today’s world of artificial intelligence, social media connectivity, and sophisticated music and entertainment, the lives of professing believers are easily taught otherwise, rather than by the wholesome words in different decisions regarding cultures, residence, careers, relationships, etc. Unfortunately, the higher the human exposure to wealth, opportunities and privileges, the more diffi...

  “ Before I was afflicted I went astray: But now have I kept thy word. Thou art good, and doest good; Teach me thy statutes. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; That I might learn thy statutes.” Psalm 119 : 67 - 68 , 71 KJV As described elsewhere, the wholesome word is given by the inspiration of God and profitable “ for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness ( 2 Timothy 3 : 16 )”. Invariably, the wholesome word of GOD is meant for every believer’s teaching and training; but the training times are the affliction, oppression, and persecution times. According to Smith Wigglesworth, “ Great faith is a product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials”. And like the psalmist got admitted into the school of affliction immediately after his anointing and graduated with great wisdom and skills for palace administration, mastery in security strategy, and proficiency in...

  “ Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” 1 Timothy 4 : 15 - 16 KJV For an unexpired relevance in this world, anyone must take “ For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart ( Hebrews 4 : 12 )” more seriously than any other words. There are words according to government policies, and words formulated by principals, partners, and problems or principalities. But the moment the word of the Lord is released, every other words should normally become irrelevant. Unfortunately, the reality in believers’ home affairs, workplace engagement, and societal expectations has shown that it is always a challenge for an...

   “ And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory .” 1 Timothy 3 : 16 KJV Like General Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of the coalition forces in the gulf war of 1991, said “ Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy “. Little wonder Apostle Paul spent tremendous spiritual resources in mentoring young Timothy on leadership by the transformation of character by the grace of God. Using the model of Jesus Christ, “ God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory”, it implies that the original plan of the godhead in making man in the image of God is actualized by the redemptive plan through the great godliness. Without the formation of the charact...

  “ And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you: therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever. ” Jeremiah 35 : 18 - 19 KJV Since prayer is the key that unlock the access into the presence of the almighty God, anyone would expect every redeemed child of God to possess the endowed prayer pass with ease. Unfortunately, the reality is that the prayer pass of most believers is either expired or invalidated by their compromise and ungodly fellowship. The prayer pass is authenticated by every believer’s appearance in the presence of the Lord; and it cannot remain validated by anyone’s absence from the presence of the Lord. When Jonadab passed the prayer pass to his children, he emphasized on the cond...

  “ Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them .” Jeremiah 33 : 25 - 26 KJV The Old Testament relationship between the God of Heaven and the children of Israel, who are the seed of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David, is the practical model of the New Testament relationship of God with Christians today. It is built on love, freedom and fellowship between the God of Heaven and His image the redeemed man. Now, understanding this mercy mafia gives believers the assurance of complete deliverance from all the strategies of the enemies of God’s purposes in the life of His children. Unfortunately, a misunderstanding of the sovereignty of the mercy mafia between God and man often lea...