Heralds Digest

Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! Luke 17:1 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/luk.17.1.NKJV It is considered a paradox of uprightness for an inevitable action in any human relationship to attract condemnation. When Jesus said “It is impossible that no offenses should come", everyone would expect no one to take responsibility for the offering of offenses. Whereas, all offenses are mostly the escalation of a deliberate refusal of a party to accept or provide an apology in a strained relationship. Being particular of the little ones along the chain of offenses, Jesus underscores the common medium for the abuses of privileges, positions, parenthood, principals and partnership in relationships. When the family, social and work relationships are encouraged to breakdown due to an avoidable offensive offering, it is often a clear indication of a prior breakdown in the heavenly relationship. Unfortuna...

““The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭16:16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/114/luk.16.16.nkjv The problem with the pleasure of the world is not the taste, but the trust of pleasure. It is the creation of a never-ending kingdom of mammon of riches in the heart of man. But the hope of spending eternity in the kingdom of God promotes the pressing of the heart for peace, purity and the power of God. In response to those who were not satisfied with Christ’s hard stance on pure pressing, Jesus related the story of Lazarus and the rich man. While the rich man with his pleasurable pressing ended in Hell Fire, Lazarus with his pure pressing was carried to the bossom of Abraham in the kingdom of God. Unfortunately, when the rich man realized the futility of pressing for the kingdom of God too late, he pleaded in vain for an heavenly assistant, in order for five brethren to escape the deceitful...

““No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭16:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.16.13.nkjv Although the lesson from the parable of an unjust steward is clear, it is easy for anyone to get confused by Christ’s commendation of the steward’s shrewdness in the unrighteous liquidation of his master’s resources. The point here is that while the children of darkness in this world appear more convinced about the fruits of unfaithfulness, the children of light are often less persuaded about the fruitfulness of their faithfulness in the service of the Master. Unfortunately, without consistent faith in the fruitfulness of little service, the door to greater service becomes shut and inaccessible. Therefore, all weary heads must know that it truly pays to serve the Lord. No matter the apparent delay in the recognition of believers’ faithfuln...

“So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭15:29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.15.29.nkjv Many would readily treat the prodigal son as the only lost son in the parable of the lost son. Whereas, Jesus teaches the needs for repentance from two perspectives of both the misuse and disuse of sonship. While the younger but prodigal son misuse his sonship right, the older and prudent son disuse his sonship privileges. Although the misuse of sonship right turned the prodigal son into a slave in a strange land out of the reach and the mercy of the Father, the disuse of sonship right admits the prudent son into the colony of servants right within the vineyard of the Father. Eventually, the loving and merciful Father lost both the riotous and religious sons to a misuse and disuse of relationship rights...

“And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭15:9-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.15.9-10.nkjv Everyone understands or appreciates the ease of working and living in a system, institution and society that works. When opportunities, privileges and great values in life are lost, it is often easier to shift blames than taking responsibility. The parable of the lost coin teaches the need for a sense of responsibility, against the ease of shifting responsibility. In a process of building a system that is secure and prevent the loss of personal property, there is need for taking responsibility for the promotion of personal safety and careful living. When Jesus emphasized the careful coinage of the woman with the words “for I have found the piece which I lost!”, it undersco...

“Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭8:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/114/act.8.4.nkjv When one of the greatest moralist ever lived gave the valedictory statement “May your roads be rough”, there was no doubt he sincerely meant well. Reflecting on the experience of great joy with the disciples at carrying out the great Commission during the early Church, there is no doubt God approves the morality of painful paths to breakthrough in life. The scattered disciples started their experiences of persecution with great lamentations over the death of Stephen, followed by great havoc from Saul, but ended with great joy from the preaching of the gospel in Samaria (and the outmost parts of the world, as commissioned). Unfortunately, disciples are often tempted to ask “where is God?”, especially at the entrant of every painful path in life. Whereas, the precious presence of God is heavily loaded in the word of peace from the mouths of all His faithfu...

“I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭15:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.15.7.nkjv The parable of a lost sheep was presented by Jesus to address the complaints of the Pharisees about His being a friend of sinners. However, the clear concept for those who care to unravel the parable is that Jesus acclaimed that scribes are sinners who need no repentance. There are many comfortable sinners in religious assemblies: physically present, but spiritually absent; actively compliant, but passively corrupted; physically loyal, but emotionally lost; and outwardly consecrated, but inwardly conforming. And how can seated scribes on the gospel pew be possibly reached with the words of salvation? They have become a bunch of no-joy fellows in fellowship. In the words of Reinhard Bonnke “A church that does not save the lost is lost itself”. Invariably, an unappealing sain...