Heralds Digest

“And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭ 16:18 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.16.18.nkjv   The silent operations of the spirit of the Antichrist often succeed in their agenda on the platform of subtle opportunities granted by believers. When wickedness, witchcraft and waywardness openly wear the regalia of advocates for freedom of speech, Charity, ecumenism, etc, many watchmen are ignorantly bought over and stripped of their weapon of war. Whereas, the scriptures say “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we not ignorant of his devices”. The ignorance is sometimes synonymous to a lack of the spirit of discernment. For example, if Paul had been carried away by cheap or free advertisement of his ministerial accomplishments by the spirit of divination, he would have succeeded in authenticating sorcery and spir...

“Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭ 16:14 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.16.14.nkjv   Normally, it takes effective management skill for anyone to keep frustration out of relationships, through a consistent adoption of the interaction mode (and not the intervention mode) in communication. There would always be reasons for frustration, even before the possible presentation of the primary purpose of engagement, by either by faulting time, space, or the developing events and circumstances. For Paul in Philippi, even his audience (being women) at the riverside could have resulted into conflict of belief. Rather, he interacted with them while leaving the work of intervention to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, our contradictory intervention in the affairs of people in life closes their hearts against possible inspiration by the ...

“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...