Heralds Digest

““But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭9:42‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/mrk.9.42.nkjv Making sacrifices for better tomorrow is a necessity of life. However, there is need for proper evaluation of the prospects in every sacrifice, in order to avoid the unfortunate mixup in priority. While human needs are often driven by dispensable dainties, like comfort, affluence and position, there is always the risk of creating damnable offences against the indispensable dainty of eternal life for other members in the kingdom. Therefore, Jesus said it is better to embrace a drowning lifestyle with the dispensable dainties of life, rather than throwing caution to the wind. It implies that the most delicious dainty in life’s relationships must embrace the making of sacrifices in order to promote the grace, goodness and the glory of God. The pea...

“But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭9:39-40‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/mrk.9.39-40.nkjv Faithfulness is here taught by Jesus Christ as not the same thing as an engagement in a filing parade or physical attendance in religious gatherings. Faithfulness is simply synonymous to fruitfulness. Those who religiously follow the Master in the public, whereas their private lives speak evil of the essence of the Way, the Truth, and the Life, constitutes the only worries of the Lord Jesus Christ. Likewise today, faithful followers are not known by their name tags, dressing styles, denominational affiliations, and religious attendances. The scriptures simply declare that faithful followers will be known by their fruits. Therefore, anyone who claims to love the Lord and that he has been saved from the world of sin and unrighteousness must simply show it b...

““Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭9:37‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/mrk.9.37.nkjv Finding greatness in savouring position and pleasure represents an easier concept, compared to finding greatness in seeking solution to problems. But in correcting the pleasure-prone concept in the disciples, Jesus used the illustration of enjoying the company of children. And good parents and those who are called into the children ministry know how to only find pleasure in problems created by the nuttiness in children. Similarly, whether at home, workplaces, or the large society of people and the nation, true greatness is found in a genuine thrust into the problems created by the people. Unfortunately, savouring the system that works has often rendered the potency of greatness in many a life useless and wasteful. Whereas, God makes no mistake in whatever and wherever He has called an...

For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.” But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. Mark 9:31‭-‬32 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/mrk.9.31-32.NKJV Although resurrection is one of the greatest hope from believers' journey of faith, the inevitable price was paid by the vicarious death of the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) on the cross of Calvary. While the cruel cross is a pill of pain for the recovery of peace, it has always been difficult to understand why the Prince of Peace chose to take the pill for no need of His personal peace. And just in our own little way, when the righteous is called to swallow the pills of pain for the recovery of peace in the life of the people within his sphere of influence, he must be prepared to accommodate the misunderstanding of men. And as the scripture declares that Jesus endured the ...

“Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭9:23-24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/mrk.9.23-24.nkjv The experience of the father of the afflicted child with the disciples of Jesus before an encounter with the Master warned believers about the danger of leveraging on past disappointments in the presence of the Saviour. Prior to his meeting with the disciples, the father had absolute faith that anyone from the team has the authority to cast the tormenting spirit out of the child. But since the disciples failed, his faith in divine healing became fractured. Even when he was left with no option than to hope for miracle as a ‘magic’ relief from the unwanted torment, it was an unsustainable and helpless faith. So, immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”. Unfortunately...

“Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”— because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭9:5-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/mrk.9.5-6.nkjv If only at all to Peter, the transfiguration of Jesus reveals a greater glory than just Christ the Messiah. Apparently, he had been a weeklong disturbed by the concept that being the Christ is limited to surrendering as a suffering Saviour. And now being privileged to see the transfiguration of Christ with the attendance of Moses and Elijah provides the understanding of a greater glory in Christ. When the righteous Christian is overwhelmed by the challenges of life, it is often easy to query if there are more to the benefits of grace. When the scriptures declare that Christ in a believer is the hope of glory, it implies that our prevailing challenges and trials of faith are nothing compared t...

“But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭8:33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/mrk.8.33.nkjv The concept of undergoing suffering or entertaining death is always strange to all admirers of a Spider-Man actor in any fiction movie. Likewise for Peter, the understanding of the Saviour as the Christ forecloses His possible participation in strange experiences like suffering and death. Obviously, Peter’s experience turned out to teach everyone that knowing the will of God is not exactly the same as understanding or embracing its implications. While the scriptures teach that the revelation of God’s will expect perfect performances from us, man often prefer to interpret the revelation of God’s will with his personal expectations. Whereas, he was rebuked for not mindful of the things of God - the embrace of the suffering Saviour. Although it t...