Heralds Digest

  “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” ‭‭John‬ ‭ 4:24 ‬ ‭KJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/1/jhn.4.24.kjv Everyone who claims the knowledge of the Lord understands the centrality of worship and its relationship to acceptance, love, and fellowship. Little wonder why different views on the knowledge of God leads to divers interpretation of His interests and instructions. Whereas, the engagement of Jesus with the woman of Samaria at the well revealed that worship is deeper than human understanding of the presence and preferences of God. True worship is focused on the revelation of the person of God in all of human preoccupation. Jesus simply say ‘ God is Spirit...and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth ’. Rather than celebrating the assumed presence of God, true worshippers must live to appreciate the revelation of His way, Will, and words. Then, the question is ‘how do you differentiate among divers presentation of the way, Will and wo...

  “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭ 3:19-21 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/jhn.3.19-21.nkjv Those who religiously follow their hearts have absolute confidence in their own love lamps. Even those who claimed to know God would readily trust their hearts, rather than embrace an absolute submission to the Will of God. Unfortunately, love lamps without the necessary fuels from the living Light lead no one to safety and satisfaction. For example, Nicodemus’ lifestyle of living by His love lamp has grown bored by the time he chose to come to Jesus by night. And it does not really matter when we choose to come to the living Light. What truly m...

“It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭ 1:27 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/jhn.1.27.nkjv Managing life’s performances without reference to self is almost impossible. This is because no one is interested in taking someone who does not have confidence in himself serious. Seeing John the Baptist performing the roles that fit the appearance of the awaiting Messiah, the Pharisees wanted to confirm from the horses’ mouth. Unfortunately, they were disappointed by his reference to the irrelevance in his personality. When we are prone to cast the diligence in our disciple, the intelligence of our inquisitiveness, and even the perseverance in our prayers more than the grace and favour of God, we are already crossing the bar of relevance in reference. Even when we appear to be failing in performance, a reference to the One who assign purpose to all our engagements in life can save the soul from drowning. Therefore, the...

  “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” ‭‭John‬ ‭ 1:12-13 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/jhn.1.12-13.nkjv When Mahatma Ghandhi said “ I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ ”, there was no doubt the concern reflected the distinction between religion and righteousness. Those who have studied the combined influence of religion and politics understand the power in the will of man. Although finding acceptance and productive resolutions in human government, social relationships, and institutional management is easy on the wheel of religion and politics, it is impossible for anyone to establish a relationship with God without the redemptive power of the living Light (Jesus Christ). While it is heart-breaking for the world to see a difference in some Christia...

  “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” ‭‭John‬ ‭1:3-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/jhn.1.3-5.nkjv Just as Thomas Edison invented lightbulbs, the world has been blessed with inventors of technologies that will continue to redefine the ease with human’s living standards. Unfortunately, these advances in technology and innovation come with a sense of pride, the craving for human manipulation, and a possible apathy for an intimate relationship with the living God. Whereas, human creativity is dead without the indwelling of the spirit of God. John appeared ahead of the Son of God in order to testify to this fact - man needs the living light in order to have a meaningful life outside of darkness. We can temporarily boast of our knowledge to accumulate wealth, attain a lofty position, and create inventions. B...

  “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭ 22:19 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.22.19.nkjv While the institution of the Lord’s Supper is simply understood as the symbolic representation of body breaking with bread breaking, many often diver on the interpretation of the process of preparation for both the body and the bread. Notwithstanding, it is important to note that Jesus broke the bread in fellowship with His disciples and broke His body in fellowship with the world. And if we must do this in remembrance of Jesus always, we must understand how to carefully pick our roles in both the bread breaking and body breaking sessions (no one can outrightly sit on the fence!). While Jesus instructed Peter and John to join the preparation for the bread breaking session, Satan inspired Judas Iscariot to join the presentation for the body breaking session. Even today...

  ““But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:34-36‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.21.34-36.nkjv In retrospect of the ongoing COVID-19 invasion last year, someone humorously say ‘ 2019 is invaded, let’s abort and reboot! ’. Well, 2021 is here and the world is gradually coping with the new normal. Truthfully, life is full of surprising invasions into all plans for progress in family, career, and ministry. Staying focused always require more than fighting to develop anti-invasion strategies and their manifestations. The prediction of the last day events has declared the inevitability of indiscriminate invasions into the pl...