Heralds Digest

  “ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. ” James 3 : 17 - 18 NKJV Just as light shines on darkness for celebration of illumination, the wisdom from above is meant to enlighten the wicked wisdom of this world. When Jesus says ‘I am the Way’ , it implies that relationship with Jesus is meant to offer the perfect wisdom of coordination in our wicked, self-centred and wayward world. That the world is broken and disconnected from the understanding of God is not news. What is always news is the righteous’ misrepresentation of the wise way in our wicked world. Therefore, God is more concerned about believers who are disconnected from the wise way than unbelievers who are creatively connected to wickedness. There is always a wise way out of the wickedness at home, workplaces, neighbourhood,...

  “ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace .” James 3 : 17 - 18 NKJV Wise works are usually misrepresented as proud works until they are proven otherwise. This is because carnal wisdom does nothing better than self-projection and image laundering, through the building of personal profiles by breaking down peaceful participation. Whereas, the actual wise works do exactly the opposite of the deliverables of carnal wisdom. Truth be told, there is no way the true wise works can operate with purity, peace, gentleness, submission, mercy, and goodness in our polluted world, without the divine connection of the heart of man and the spirit of God. Little wonders why our works and social interactions are readily polluted by envy, malice, and wickedness, whenever the heart is left to take care of...

  “ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. ” James‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The difference between self-seeking and system-seeking is not the absence of wisdom at all, but the presence of weird wisdom. Of course, meekness is distasteful to the concept of self-seeking in all of human relationships. Whereas, God’s love teaches believers the opposite of the weirdness of wisdom, which is self-sacrificing to promote the glory of God. And where there is agitation for self-centred rights, there cannot be the want of envy, bitterness, and the manipulation of lies in the name of smartness and diplomacy. Unfortunately, we cannot hope to have the best of the world’s evil merchandise and the best of heaven’s riches and righteousness at the same time. Therefore, those who care to retain the presence of God must place...

  “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.” ‭‭James‬ ‭3:2-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Emotional words are generated by the prevailing forces in the environment. If the environment blows with the wind of hatred, animosity, and unfair treatment, the outbursts are often undesirable and may lead any wayfarer unto undesirable destination. “ For we all stumble in many things ”…including parenting in God-fearing homes, project management in visionary institutions, and financial management among desirable partners. The ship has always aimed for a safe and desirable destination of peace, harmony, and accomplishment; but it is always clear that no one can withstand the power of a little member (or the tongue) without the wisdom of God. Against the forces of wickedness in our world, only God can grant the grace to overcome the wind w...

  “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.” ‭‭James‬ ‭3:2-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Besides other numerous and attractive achievements, one of the pride of advances in knowledge, status and position in life is the right to accuracy. But when the scriptures say “ For we all stumble in many things ”, even though the truth of the matter is that the statement may not settle well with many, it provides the secret of a consistent trust in the Lord and the treasure of the heart relying always on the revelation on bended knees. No matter how convincing the statements of facts from human inquisition, wise men and anyone with a sense of self-control will always be cautious to take position without giving it a prayer. For to stumble in word is to fumble in prayer. And a man’s eagerness to always speak out to fellow men is almost an...

  “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” James‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ While life is full of the mixture of the known and unknown issues and circumstances, it is sometimes difficult to draw a distinguishing line between both worlds. Without gracious self-control, the self-promoting attributes in man will readily distribute knowledge and information without validating the authority. Whereas, humility or self-control teaches the virtue of keeping silence, especially when the scriptures or the spirit of God is clearly seen not to assume authority. Unfortunately, when self speaks, there is imposition, pride, and most often the violation of the commandments of God. For example, even though an invitation to contribute to public opinions in this age of information technology is largely free from regulation and widely freaky, every idle word and posting is not free from the judgment of God. Obviously, let not many of you become teacher...