Heralds Digest

“Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:30-32‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/mrk.4.30-32.nkjv The parable of the mustard seed teaches that little is much when God is relevant in the planning and implementation. When the scriptures say that though your beginning may be small, it is understood that choices of career, partnership, residency, and projects based on econometric gauges could be misleading. It was emphatic that the latter end of pursuing the perfect will of God is always gracious and glorious. Unfortunately, the pursuit of earthly gains brings riches without righteousness, prosperity without peace, and outward comfort without inner contentmen...

“For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:28-29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/mrk.4.28-29.nkjv Just as no farmer or sower can explain how scattered seeds on the ground are turned into full ripened grains in the head of crops, transformation from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light by faith is beyond the understanding of man. Notwithstanding, the change and the appearance of the glory of God in a life once dead into sin, destroyed by sickness, and detained by Satan are always unexplainable and indescribable. Yet, faith is the simple requirement from anyone who desires transformation from corruption into righteousness. Without faith, the seed (or the word of God) simply falls on unfruitful grounds (the hearts of men) and produced nothing good and glorious. Therefore, gracious grains are produce...

“Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:21-22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/mrk.4.21-22.nkjv One of the major challenges of leadership position is the willingness or readiness to compromise personal, family, and general privacy. While a good and honest leader is proud to discuss his private life on the public stand, many public servants are more secure with privileges that guarantee their privacy and confidentiality. Whereas, nations have witnessed the fall of great business, political, and public giants, when their best kept secrets finally come to the public light. Therefore, whether in the shade or along the open light, good leaders at home, fellowship, and the public speak with one mouth and hear with one pair of ears. While good virtue teaches the heart the cho...

“But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable....And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:10, 13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/mrk.4.10,13.nkjv The response of the Lord to the question of the disciples shows that God is equally concerned about the pressing needs in our lives. For the most time, life is shrouded in pressing parables begging for constant clarifications. And when the challenges of life hit the back against the wall, the residual knowledge and the understanding in man often provide divers strategies for bouncing back into activities until the insufficiency of human ingenuity is eventually acknowledged. When Jesus asked the rhetorical questions “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?”, it was the expression of His concern and an invitation to always call upon the Lord for answer to every question in life. Unf...

“And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/mrk.4.9.nkjv Like in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, sermon time provides opportunity for the shaping of life and destiny. Fire-brand preachers would leave no stone unturned to set the pulpit on fire, as long as the people are gathered to listen to the message of life. Unfortunately, the same message with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (seed) often produce divers results in the life of the hearers, depending on whether the seed fall on wayside ground, stone-side ground, thorn-side ground, or good ground of the ears. It implies that either harsh or honest hearing is not dependent on the preparation of the preacher of the word of life (who is the sower); hearing is dependent on the presentation of the heart of the listener. And with conscious determination of the hearer, the heart of man is always prepared for the planting of the word of life through the ears.

“For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭3:35‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/mrk.3.35.nkjv Without a collective understanding and acceptance of the scope and limit of authorities in any relationship, there is bound to be an overt or subtle expression of a conflict of interest. For example, in a parent-child relationship as somewhat demonstrated by the interest of the mother of Jesus for attention, many are likely to misapply the instruction for a child’s obedience to parent without reference to God’s will and call for all parties to suspend all conflicting interests at that moment, in order to receive the Rhema from the Lord. Likewise, conflicts in relationships between husband and wife and disagreements among business partners or employee-employer relationships cannot receive permanent resolution without recourse to divine counsel. And the supreme counsel from Jesus for all attentive disciples, who are engulfed in an inevitable conf...

“So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭3:23-25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/mrk.3.23-25.nkjv Proper treatment of segregation in the midst of a supposed congregation of people requires a special approach. Although Jesus was aware of the antics of the scribes and the Pharisees, He called the people to Himself to teach Saints a good lesson on the necessity of unity in fellowship. Unfortunately, sinners and Satan’s kingdom will hardly encourage segregation as do Saints in the congregation of families, fellowship and faith-based organizations. If Jesus took the effort to call the people unto Himself, where are the leaders in fractured and fragmented homes, wise men among the group of people, and the chiefs in the household of faith? Most times, it doesn’t make sense to win an argument, e...