Heralds Digest

“And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:2-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.22.2-3.nkjv The plot and prayer of the chief priests and the scribes at the feast of Passover clearly demonstrated the power of a sincere search. When Jesus said elsewhere ‘For everyone who ask receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened’, He sincerely and widely meant ‘everyone’, irrespective of whether the object in the search is good or bad. Just as the chief priests and scribes sought ‘bad’ sincerely and the search empowered Satan to employ Judas Iscariot as available accomplice, everyone who sought ‘good’ sincerely has ever received the desire of his heart. It implies that insincerity is the problem of unanswered prayer in believers’ life. While bad sincerity empowered Satan, good sincerity in life is solely inspired ...

““But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly...Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:34, 36‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/114/luk.21.34,36.nkjv Those who have the privilege of watching over other people, especially at home, workplaces, the fellowship of like precious faith, and including own children know how easy it is to unconsciously throw caution into the wind. If the heart is intoxicated with either strong drinks or the over-possessing influences on other people on the ‘dos’ and ‘donts’ according to St. Right instead of the prayerful influence of the word of God, would it really matter to God if the offender is believer or unbeliever? Therefore, in order to keep the sensitivity of the hearts of His disciples alive, Jesus admonished all who care fo...

“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:27-28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.21.27-28.nkjv The expectations from gory gloom experiences of life will likely include down syndromes, low morales, loss of dreams, etc. With reference to the Jewish nation, their rejection of the Son of Man has attracted almost an endless period of grief with experiences of gory gloom. And when it would appear no light at the end of the tunnel, the scriptures reveal the certainty of a moment with great glory at the returning of the Son of Man. However, there is a call to begin to “look up and lift up your heads” in order to avoid a miss-out experience in the upcoming redemption. Irrespective of life’s gory gloom experiences, looking down and laying down have never produced anything good. Even for those who reject the suicide option, lack o...

“And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/114/luk.21.24.nkjv The paradox of life details the irrelevance of good without the presence of evil. Fresh fruits from grapes are never found without the furious trampling of grapes in the press. To Jerusalem, the times of Gentiles will appear a common period of persecution and tribulations; but it is the dispensation of grace or the extension of God’s righteousness at Christ expense. Unfortunately, and in times of tribulations, it is always possible to focus on the trampling of Jerusalem without looking at the triumph of Jesus. No matter the challenges life bring upon believers in Christ Jesus, these help to validate the essence of grace on the field where Jesus is sown. Obviously, the virtues of grace include patience, peace, purity and power from God; and they a...

“Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, “These things which you see—the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:5-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.21.5-6.nkjv Misconceptions about the true value of appreciation have resulted into a misplacement of priority in life. Even when physical temple was adorned with beautiful stones and donations from people, Jesus warned the people about its consequences of constituting distractions to the salient matters of life. Being the temple of the Lord, many are mostly driven to prioritize the adornment of the body at the expense of focussing on the needs of the soul. While the body fades away like stars of the morning, the soul endures for eternity with the risk of abandonment. Unfortunately, many are locked on the broadway of depreciation and a wasteful lust for worldly adornment. Whereas, every investment on th...

“So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:3-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/114/luk.21.3-4.nkjv Cordiality in human relationships is often treated fairly on the acknowledgement of the volume of the receipt of favour and fortune. It is generally taken that the quantity of the receiver’s receipt has greater value than the quality of the giver’s gift. Whereas, Jesus thought the disciples otherwise: “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all”. More often than not, relationships that are driven by emphasis on the quantity of receipt are threatened by the ego, pride and unruly over-bearing of the giver, rather than being sensitive to the leading of the Spirit of God. The ultimate Provider of needs and the Giver of gifts in life is the Almighty God. Since no one can give what he has not...

““Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭20:46-47‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.20.46-47.nkjv The interpretation of the design for human dominion only within the context of a selfish desire to consume or devour preclude man from being a reliable disciple. Therefore, Jesus said to His disciples “Beware of the scribes”. Whether at home or within the community, self-centred services are concerned about personal satisfaction rather than the desirable public services. God appeared not really bothered about the publicans and politicians because they are aliens to the gospel of salvation and deliverance from the depravity of sin. Although sinners are not spared from condemnation for not accepting the offer of salvation, scribes and religious s...