Heralds Digest

“I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭25:26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.25.26.nkjv   Although the organized corporate world has a system of objective assessment for career progression, many systems struggle to deliver a truly acclaimed free and fair examination. And like the examination of Paul before king Agrippa, most appraisals of fellow human’s ability and competency in our everyday affairs are largely determined by activities and inter-relationships prior to a set day of examination. But unlike man, God examines the intentions in man’s heart rather than the actions in man’s hands. Let the whole world proceed in fairness with its extemporary examination of man’s actions and inaction, the intention behind life’s disposition at home, workplaces and in the general society ...

“But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭25:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.25.9.nkjv   In today’s day of social distancing, even favour from the most trusted allies, partner, and associates are treated with suspicion. Actually, we  merely have an unprecedented moment of exposing the innate characteristics and the derivative of seeking true help from mortal man. For example, in governance and the provincial politics of Caesarea, the newly appointed Governor Festus apparently needed the solidarity and support of the Jews in Jerusalem in order to prove competence and control in leadership. While the politics of favour that embrace the association with men is not bad, the version of such politics that encourages the alienation of God is the problem. Even with the favour that comes from God (position, prosperity, personality, etc), man...

“Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭24:25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.24.25.nkjv   One of the things smart people do is the placing of the indices of time on the incidents of the truth. As long as time enables the smart manipulation of any system for the prospect of personal advantage, absolute truth in life is mostly devalued. Even when Felix trembled and fret at the truth about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, he procrastinated his decision for the prospect of commercializing his privilege and position. The whole wide world has never experienced such scale of winding down on the indices of time like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And while the world rushes into panic mode, believers are expected to raise up the banner of the treasured truth; instead of mourning the unfortunate devalue of th...

“But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets...This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭24:14, 16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.24.14,16.nkjv If there is anything so clear about the accusers of Paul, it is the fact that they also claim to worship God, the undisputed Father of the Jewish’s forefathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. Then, what is the cause of the disparity in the strive between them and Paul? Human commitments to social strive in life have always looked after the cordial coexistence, interdependence and interrelationships among people within a system (family, institution, society, and nations). While good intention with these commitments has a good record of resolving crisis, it is easier to step outside the bound of c...

“For we have found this man a plague, a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes...And the Jews also assented, maintaining that these things were so.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭24:5, 9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.24.5,9.nkjv In our wicked world of deceit and power struggle, the enemies of peace are often the loudest propaganda of the gospel of peace. They are much skillful to invade the privacy of any system with their peace and prosperity offerings, wrapped with a time-bomb of disagreement, dissociation and disaster. For the team comprising the high priest and elders from Jerusalem, who came to Caesarea in order to accuse Paul before Governor Felix, politics or praise of peace was leveraged to invade the system with plague. And as long as the rhetoric of peace is attractive in any home, work and societal system, the enemy of peace will continue to thrive with plague offering, after the injection of chaotic and panic mod...

“And he called for two centurions, saying, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at the third hour of the night; and provide mounts to set Paul on, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭23:23-24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.23.23-24.nkjv   In seasons and territories laden with insecurities and fear, good dreams and promising ambitions are subject to risks of truncation or destruction. And the fear of falling among the bandits of terror can prevent the necessary fist towards getting started. Unfortunately, every good and worthy course in life is either passively or actively surrounded by bandits, accusers, and opposers. It is noteworthy that it was after God encouraged Paul to get ready for the next mission to Rome that 40 bandits sworn to fatally take him down. However, we learn that God divinely arranged about 500 wall of Roman soldiers, horsemen and spear-men to protect Paul merely against the ly...

“But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭ 23:11 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.23.11.nkjv   The variance in the discovery of God’s will and the delivery of God’s way is the major source of discouragement, despondency and despair in anyone’s family, business, career and professional life. When realization failed to match expectations in the pursuit of God’s will, the heart is often flooded with unanswered questions, like “where did I get it wrong?”, “is there even light at the end of this tunnel?”, “do I need to consider the alternative option to the previously assumed God’s will?”, etc. When Paul apparently found himself in such state of despondency, God intervened with a night vision, saying “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome”. It shows that what Paul must ...