Heralds Digest

“Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭ 16:10 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.16.10.nkjv   It is natural that those who struggle with steps in life must have difficulties with stops. However, it is often easier to focus on learning the right steps in life without embracing the wonderful lessons that stops proffer. Meanwhile, Paul and his companions were prevented to go to both Asia and Bithynia because the Lord wanted them to go to Macedonia. When ‘what we want’ or ‘when we want it’ is not right, ‘stops’ are often presented as ‘steps’ for reasonable compromise. But with either step or stop, immediate action along a strong conviction about the perceived will of God is simply embraced by obedient children.

“Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭16:3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.16.3.nkjv   The discovery of Timothy at Lystra by Paul was synonymous to an attractive love story. But unlike the love of man, it was the display of the sacred romance of a surrendered man in the arms of God. Little wonder, Paul just ‘took him and circumcised him’ as though he was a piece of toy on the shelf. Unfortunately, labourers in the service of the Master are often entangled by merchants with attractive mammon and manifest of this world. Consequently, the days of an absolute surrendering to any will of God (in the choice of career, life-partner, business, ministry, etc) without an attractive side-effect are old-fashioned. Whereas, God still count on fully-surrendered servants who can freely render a plug- or unplug- service to their Master, without backu...

“Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭15:39-40‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.15.39-40.nkjv   Finding the generalized and acceptable will of God for parties at the verge of division is either here or there. When love in family and fellowship excludes affection for what the parties cherish and accommodate, it will always be painful to find a point of reconciliation. Although it was painful for Barnabas to compromise Paul for John Mark, the company of Paul in the presence of John Mark wouldn’t have been productive. For Paul, the choice of Silas instead of John was a comfortable compromise until time could enabled the resolution of the concern of fruitless exploration, if John is engaged in his missionary journey. It implies that, sometimes, temporary division and separation in fellowship are p...

“However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there. Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭15:34-35‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.15.34-35.nkjv   Profitable deliveries in life, career, relationships and ministry start with productive engagements. Howbeit, it is difficult sometimes for a man to depend on his casual intelligence to make the right decision on retainer-ship. Before engaging on the first missionary trip, Paul and Barnabas were separated and discharged from Antioch in order to embark on the mission. Now, they joined Silas to remain in Antioch to continue the mission of teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, because it seemed good to them to accept the Spirit retainer. The moral lesson here is that the right retainer-ship is not driven by economic, social, demographic or security considerations. A life that is driven by the right metrics of worldly standards and not retain...

“it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭15:25-26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.15.25-26.nkjv   It is almost difficult to paint the picture of pain in the heart of any firefighter, who has just lost the soul after being brilliantly pulled out of the fire, without tears. There is always a bond or an automatic connection of souls at every sacrificial expression of love. Little wonders, the apostles and elders in Jerusalem could not miss the language of love in the ministry of Barnabas and Paul...”men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. The expression of love in parenting, partnership, pastoring, and presiding over any matter and system in life is not in rhetoric but in risk-taking. Whenever we chose to stand where Jesus stood with the attending risks in all our relationships, we wou...

“‘After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the LORD who does all these things.’ “Known to God from eternity are all His works.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭15:16-18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.15.16-18.nkjv In the multiplicity of engagements, it is almost impossible for any man to foreclose a misplacement of attention and an exercise in futility. The Apostles and Elders were here noted to have laboured in disputes and in an exchange of passion in the promotion of works against the will of God, until the voice of the Spirit was entertained. God works and we work; but we know that every work outside the scope of God’s works is wrong work. Therefore, it is sufficient for man to pursue just the knowledge of God’s works, if known to God from eternity are all His works. Obviously, working with God i...

“So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭15:3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.15.3.nkjv   By treatment life and its constituting relationships as a gift on trust, man is likely just to be able to focus on the right perspective in approach. Without a primary focus on who among the two teams on the conflict of theology is right or wrong, a major lesson is learnt from the priority of the team Barnabas and Paul, even on their way to Jerusalem for clarification...”they caused great joy to all the brethren”, as they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria. The simple message of the gospel is the causing of joy to the world through our relationship with the people. When the pursuit of right or wrong takes the best part of any relationship, it would be evident to all that the much ado is about personal joy rather than the people’s joy. ...