Heralds Digest

“And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead...And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭20:9, 12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.20.9,12.nkjv   One of the major sources of conflicts and confrontation in relationships and fellowship is the relevance of natural laws in the interpretation of spiritual matters. Of course, since natural laws are within the control of human beings, it is always difficult for any man to go docile on just the stretch of supernatural manifestation. And when matters (e.g., physical, material and financial) remain unsettled at home and in the fellowship of faith, the enemy is quick with the trigger of blame game. For example, the medical requirement for sleep hours in a day was violated by Paul’s overnight speaking stretch; and then followed b...

“Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece and stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭20:2-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.20.2-3.nkjv   The beauty of the sovereignty of God is the blessedness of a sincere submission to the Will of God. When the scriptures asserted that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose, it was an absolute expression of the fact that all wicked wiles of the enemy against the righteous are nothing less than the pilot plots of the Ancient of Days. Even when orchestrated by the wicked jealousy of the Jews, the longer staycation of Paul in Greece enabled productive engagements and fellowship with brethren, and fruitful change of missionary plan from Syria to Macedonia. And when the plot of wickedness arises or is suspected, especially wi...

“Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭ 19:26 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.19.26.nkjv     Diligence in business is naturally designed to be blessed with creativity, riches and prosperity. However, the limit of diligent hands is the promotion before Kings and the earnings of self-respect in the society. Unfortunately, the godless often is drifted to promote the work of his hands into the self-created vacuum in his life. The godless will readily seek healing for his Down syndrome by worshiping the works of his own hands. Such predicament represented the practice of the Ephesians before the intervention of Paul...”Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands”. Simply, God helps the seemingly helpless and does not need the assistance of any ha...

“Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭ 19:11-12 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.19.11-12.nkjv   Even when it is a common knowledge that good and functional system at home, workplaces, and in the larger society takes a lot of rugged reforms, it is always difficult to find volunteers on the rough runs. For the likes of unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, it takes an absolute surrendering to the will and ways of God with reasonable and unreasonable persecution from friends and fiends. Whereas, the path adopted by the seven sons of sceva is the most fashionable to tourists in the corridor of faith. There will always be great expectations for perfect system, good children, presentable partners, clean society, etc. However, good realization of our great expectations in life requires sacrificial volunteers ...

“And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭19:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.19.1-2.nkjv   The fact that fruitfulness and faithfulness sometimes does appear non-correlated represents a sufficient source of frustration in ministry. However, the Master never at any time encouraged the engagement of disciples on the field, without the primary tool of Evangelism - i.e., the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Whereas, the working of the field in Ephesus by the twelve disciples, prior to the arrival of Paul, had been without partnership with the Holy Spirit. And by the acts of Paul towards the spirit-baptism of these disciples, the pullout of the evangelical training school from the synagogue, and the practical outreac...

“This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John...for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭ 18:25 , 28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.18.25,28.nkjv   One of the challenges of ministry in our fast-changing world is finding the equilibrium between the dynamics of faith and the delivery of facts. While the focus of the latter is on what is known in the flesh, the emphasis of the former is on who is known in the Spirit. Meanwhile, the scriptures declare that the letter kills but only the spirit gives life. Even with the limited knowledge of Apollos, he ‘taught accurately the things of the Lord’ because his emphasis in all said and done remains undeviated from Jesus Christ. Leveraging on extra-Scriptural references and illustrations in ministry can be very attractive sometimes; ...

“When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭ 18:20-21 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.18.20-21.nkjv   The concept of approving a proposed agenda before embarking on its implementation is common to man; and it represents respect for a constituted authority. And with the fact that “man proposes; but God disposes”, man is called to accept the supremacy of divine authority over every of life’s agenda. Although Paul tagged the prospect of his visiting Ephesus again with “God willing”, because divine approval of it was uncertain; he was uncompromisingly sure of the divine appointment in Jerusalem, irrespective of the danger involved. Unfortunately today, security consideration in residency, career placement, or project management influences all appointments in the affairs of ...