Heralds Digest

“Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common...praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:44, 47‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.2.44,47.nkjv The main problem of today’s church could be traced to the complexity with who is responsible for the sorting of the alleged ‘Christians’ from the world into the church. When the scriptures posited here that, at the early church, ‘the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved’, it simply means that the Holy Spirit is responsible for sorting the called out Saints. Receiving the word and realigning with the ways of the church are commendable; but until the Lord add those who were being saved to the church, they are simply referred to as ‘church-goers’ and not Christians. Little wonder there are always challenges and struggles with the call on the supposed peculiar people of God to live daily for the praising of God an...

“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:37-38‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.2.37-38.nkjv Without bible references, access to documentaries, and google search, Simon provided an unprepared speech at the day of Pentecost. Needless to mention that it was actually the Spirit’s sermon and not Simon’s speech. Citations of references from Joel and Psalms without the privilege of scriptures searches was simply made possible by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Little wonder the 3,000 audiences were convicted and converted under the unprepared sermon. And many other contemporary preachers and teachers of the gospel message have given the right of access to the delivery of the Spirit’s sermon, with the ...

“Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?...—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:7, 11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.2.7,11.nkjv Speaking simple statements in a complex world is mostly complicated. Therefore, human statements and expressions in life are always indicative of the challenges (social, economical, cultural, spiritual, etc) they are faced with at home, workplaces and the society. Unfortunately, our statements and expressions often give away our desirable audiences in the journey of life, and attract undesirable elements to us. But when the power of the Holy Ghost came upon the Apostles and disciples at the early church on the day of Pentecost, language barriers were broken and removed. Dwellers and religious tourists in Jerusalem were united with purpose to become the recipients of the wonderful works of God. It implies that when God speaks through H...

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place...And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:1, 4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The very first act from the Apostles after their waiting for the baptism of the Holy Ghost is speaking. This underscores the place of speaking in all of life’s engagements. Unfortunately, many a life’s projects and engagements are destroyed when speakings are negatively guarded and motivated by bad influences, like pride, anger, jealousy, etc. But after the Apostles became filled with the Holy Spirit, they no longer have the capacity to speak unsound and unguarded words; but as the Spirit gave them utterance. And if man’s tongue can be made to ever speak Spirit-inspired statements in all of human interactions, there would always be sound-influenced senses in all of human interventions.

“These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.1.14.nkjv Except for those who do not believe in prayer, no one has any problem with customary prayer. It is easier for all to adopt the lifestyle of the saying of prayer as part of a list of agenda at religious or social meetings, rudimentary offering in times of challenges, etc. The only difficulty in life is a call for a consistent or persistent prayer, especially for its apparent boring and withdrawal call out of worldly influences. The lifestyle of persistent prayer is simply the act of living daily with absolute dependence on God’s word and will. Being fully convinced to completely withdraw from worldly attraction, the disciples demonstrated their needs for the fulfillment of the promise of God by engaging in persistent prayer. Although the needs of the Lord today appears more desperate, the ...

“....“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭1:11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.1.11.nkjv If we could give a penny for the thoughts of the disciples while watching the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven, there is doubt that it would probably represent a bundle of prayer points around their preparation to accept the responsibility of their new ministry: “And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel”. A sudden shift from looking unto Jesus the Son of Man into looking toward heaven had become a reality they are preparing to accept. Meanwhile, this type of gaze standing represents an inevitable preparation that distinguishes between lookers from askers, between askers and seekers, and between seekers and knockers of the throne of grace. Sometimes, unless the familiarity ...

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.1.8.nkjv When the people say absolute power corrupt absolutely, it is obvious that the power that lacks the influence of the Holy Spirit is being referenced. Although just barely recovered from the limit of the combination of Pilate and the Pharisees’ power on the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, the disciples haven’t fully resolved the perceived mixup between the intoxication of political power and the inspiration of the promised power. Unlike the Pilate, Pharisees, or the political power of this world, the promised power from God is not given for self advertisements; but rather given for kingdom expansion “...and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”. And in all of life’s waiting g...