Heralds Digest

"They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth." (Hebrews 11:37-38 NKJV) Deliverance speaks basically about the release of self from the wrath of the system of the world, through the demonstration of faith in a superior power. Normal deliverance brings great relief from torment, torture and tribulation; and releases the body to testify of the goodness of the Lord. These deliverance stories are relevant when life is reserved for greater glory in the kingdom of God on earth. But for those who are privileged to foresee the irrelevance of being spared from the wrath of the present world, a voluntary release of self into the wrath of the system of the world is preferable. The soul of any martyr of God is gloriously delivered from the unworthy world, eve...

"By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace." (Hebrews 11:31 NKJV) The socialization of the stigma of sin is usually rationalized for economic reasons. And apart from the temporary sense of pleasure, sin does nothing good but to distort, destroy and discard. Unfortunately, Rahab had worn with pride the distorted dignity as harlot for many years before her encounter with the representative of the Redeemer. Faith in God represents an escape from the route that lead from dignity distortion to destiny destruction.

"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days." (Hebrews 11:30 NKJV) Supernatural manifestations are often conceived as wholesome expression of heavenly engagements, once the initiating faith is triggered. However, the sit-down-look concept would find sufficient embarrassment in the senseless 7-day match of the children of Israel around the walls of Jericho. Obviously, it was not the progressive accumulation of the Israelites' matching force that eventually brought down the walls of Jericho. Rather, life's Jericho walls finally fall with consistent confidence in the faithfulness of God, even when a senseless engagement is demanded.

"By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned." (Hebrews 11:29 NKJV) The eventual passage of the children of Israel through the Red Sea was not without earlier hesitation about where to turn at the brink. It was a passage powered by God's word " Go forward " into the Sea, without a consideration of the possibility of getting drown. Until this " Rhema " is received in every challenging situation of life, strategies of man matter. Even when rhema passage is surrounded by walls of the Red Sea of life, absolute faith in God guarantees a thoroughfare.

"By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible." (Hebrews 11:27 NKJV) God's projects and assignments require organized preparation for effective implementation. And as one of such projects, Moses was forced to a 40 years training camp in Median (away from the distractions in Egypt). Drawing from the experiences of Moses outside Egypt, endurance is imperative for useful deposit of godly virtues, especially during evaluation of wilderness experiences. Hasty possession can disdain the endurance of holy pre-occupation, its eternal reward cannot be denied.

"By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin." (Hebrews 11:24-25 NKJV) The call to register name in God's book of faithful followers is constantly open in every project or preoccupation of life. Whether in a family setting or corporate affairs, the vote for the right remains a call to polularity contest. The challenge with the call has always been the possibility of passing the contest. When faced with the privilege to choose between being identify as either Mr. Pharaoh or Mr. Levi, the decision goes beyond the spelling of the letters in a name. Moses' preference to be identified as a slave, rather than a prince, cost him 40 years in the wilderness. Only faith in God can consistently crunch the crisis of identity within and without compromise.

"By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command." (Hebrews 11:23 NKJV) Many readily struggle with obedience to clearly defined missions of God, especially when the risk of implementation appears high. However, Moses' parents aligned with the conviction that the conception and delivery of Moses was unique, even without knowledge of his mission in life. They preserved Moses' life against the king's instruction because of an un-clarified interest of God. We really do not need logical disposition of God's express will in order to justify our obedience. It was faith in the undefined mission of Moses that preserved him; albeit sufficiently guided by his beautiful complexion.