Heralds Digest

  “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭17:3-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/1/luk.17.3-4.kjv Keeping the records of the past is the major functions of the brain; and it is highly resourceful when productively utilized. Unfortunately, when it gets friendly with offences, it begins to work in retrogression. Therefore, Jesus invites all his disciples to the progress portal by saying “ Take heed to yourselves.. .”. In His illustration of offences between the offender and the offendee, it is important to note that the offendee was admonished to anticipate and approach the portal with his willingness to forgive; apparently satisfied with the attendance record of the offender. Obviously, the progress portal in life is designed for letting go of all offences that are capab...

  ““What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭15:4-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.15.4-5.nkjv Even when the passion for souls is driven as a number game, everyone agrees that the business of soul-winning is better measured as a need-based activity. The needs of every soul are personal and unique; and the shepherd’s efforts are appreciated when these needs are treated with unique identity and preciously isolated. While our passion in the relationships within our circle are often subjected to complicated interests, it is noteworthy that the love of the Lord for all His children is precious and not complicated. He knows our name, and the challenges attached to our engagements in life uniquely. Even if any of us is the only lost soul in the world, the Lord would have still ga...

  “And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭ 12:15 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.12.15.nkjv Apparently, good life literally revolves around the possession of all the appealing material things and generally the addition of other’s seemingly good fortunes into the cart. While the world says life is good with the possession of these stuffs, Christ is saying life is actually loose with this lifestyle. Conversely, life is more meaningful with dispossession rather than possession, love rather than lust, and giving rather than getting. To be covetous (or loose) is to want what someone else have; but to love is to give what someone else do not have. Unfortunately, loose life is never satisfied with the possession and the getting of stuffs, either lawfully or unlawfully. Whereas, the true and sincere life is wrapped up and fulfilled in genuine love, where the essence of livin...

  “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.12.7.nkjv Although the new release ‘ Pieces of a Woman ’ revealed the typical challenges of a woman in relationships with her idol at home, it is a perfect catalogue of the emptiness in all of human interchange with his world (career, family, relationships, ministry, etc). With the current world’s unprecedented times and the new normal, there are greater cause for alarm and fear against the prospects for the New Year. Notwithstanding, the declaration of the Lord remains valid for all who put their trust in Him. He said, in spite of the uncertainty in the world, “ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows ”. Unfortunately, if all this world and human efforts can offer (career, family, relationships, ministry, etc) determines our worth, it is u...

  “Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭11:35-36‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.11.35-36.nkjv If there is no doubt that righteousness is light and any form of unrighteous thought is darkness, the only way the light in anyone can be darkness is the allowance of unrighteous thought in the pursuit of righteousness. Practical righteousness is more than doing right in all relationships with God and man; it also includes thinking right. As clearly exemplified in another passage of the scriptures “ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things (Philippians‬ ‭4:8‬ ...

  “And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭11:27-28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.11.27-28.nkjv When the scriptures say “ surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing His plans to His Servants the prophets” , what happened if the servants failed to submit to God’s Will? Well, we know God’s will cannot be defeated in spite of man’s unwillingness; but it can be frustrated in man’s unwillingness to submit. Unlike Mr. Jonah, Sister Mary willfully submitted to the plan of God; and the people’s response to Jesus’ manifestation of God’s plan became “ Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You! ” But He said, “ More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” . Likewise, our willingness to ...

“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭ 11:23 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.11.23.nkjv Without the introduction of a compelling conflict of interest, it would be difficult for anyone to differentiate between loyalists and sycophants in any human system. But in moments of difficulties and the challenges of life in the family, work and life circles, individual partners are easily drawn to divergent interests for easy separation of true loyalists. In the fellowship of Jesus, the crisis of faith and the call of duties have drawn some to query His authority over demons. Likewise, believers are often faced with challenges arising from the crisis of faith in their lines of duties. But early overcomers have posed a useful poser to their distractions in times of similar crisis, like “ We ought to obey God rather than men ”. Therefore, believers’ daily duties remains their obedience to the Will of God, in spite of all of human confl...