Heralds Digest

  “Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.” James‬ ‭1:9-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The pursuit of flowers (accolades, achievements, etc) in family, career, and ministry is the understandable relevance of life. And this is the basis of celebration by both the cared and uncared at every attainment of flowers. But when the scriptures say “ Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation “, it implies that heaven prefers the celebration of the pursuit of grace instead of flowers. The lowly’s exaltation lies in his successful pursuit of the godly character and virtue; while the privileged is encouraged to glory in his ability to refuse intoxication. Unfortunately, man often live life in ignoranc...

  “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James‬ ‭1:6-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The concept of waiting is the major challenge in the subject of believers’ faith in the business of asking and receiving. Every shortcut or alternative route to waiting is always attractive. Whereas, the confusion remains how to play safe while pursuing faith and facts at the same time. For example, experiencing faith in God while waiting for the promised conception and children-bearing is difficult to align with the alternate exploring of the fact about pregnancy through intro-vitro-fertilization (IVF). While both options produce useful solutions, waiting by faith actually becomes unstable on the sea of public opinion and the myriad of alternative plans for human intervention. Notwithstanding, proper waiting prod...

  “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews‬ ‭13:20-21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Good work and good workers on every project in life are the basic requirements for great accomplishments. Even in spiritual accomplishments, the combination of good work and great Shepherd (speaking of the earthly accomplishments of the Jesus Christ in his humanity) should have been sufficient or complete. Whereas, the imperative of the God factor is presented here to “ make you complete in every good work to do His will ”. Therefore, above the limits of human diligence and the unquestionable selection of laudable projects lie the incredible measure of God’s grace for all complete accomplishments in life. Even if acceptable to man, good w...

  “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ In territory prone to insecurity, aggression and all forms of lawlessness, everyone is prepared to adopt a jungle lifestyle and watch out for himself. Even the instructions from reputable leaders and those in authority are mostly treated with suspicion. While these concerns, relating to social insecurity, are valid, the concern about soul security and the lifestyle of brethren under the influence of the Spirit is expected to be different. Obedience and submission to leadership by believers are synonymous to obedience and submission to God and His commandments. This is because the soul in disgruntled fellowship is exposed to attacks from the enemy’s camp, especially in an atmosphere that encourages insubordination. Whereas, obedience and submission set the...

  “For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The transient nature of the best of hope in this world should naturally limit the drive for earthly achievements. Unfortunately, many are often caught in the mad race until it is time to face the endless eternity. Hope in academic excellence, business breakthrough, family achievements, career and ministerial accomplishments, etc, are great but transient. While the scriptures refer elsewhere to singularity in this type of hope as miserable, it suggests here the existence of a happy hope. Fortunately, happy hope makes the heart happy or joyful always, even in the midst of inevitable negative experiences and disappointment of this wicked world. It is the hope of heavenly glory that defiles the possible interjection with earthly gory. After all, earthly glory or gory has no continuing City or citadel; there is always peace and contentment in the pursuit of the happy hope in Christ’s promise...

  “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” Hebrews‬ ‭13:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Those who rule their world with corruption and covetousness are obviously not concerned about the curses attached to their games. Like it works with the temptation of coveting someone else’s properties and positions, pre-marital sex defiles the bed and the foundation of creativity in life. Otherwise, the matrimonial bed is presented as the sacred room or studio for creativity and the theatre for the pronouncement of divine blessings. Unfortunately, today’s parade of youthful exuberance, immoral relationships, and all acts of covetousness will rather play game with God’s pronounced source of dominion and productivity in life. Yet, godly marriages remain the oasis of love, contentment, peace and satisfaction; and especially, a relief from the theatre of war, unrest, and dissatisfaction. Therefore, those who respect the blest bed in their relationships; an...

  “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” Hebrews‬ ‭11:3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Working and living in our real world reveal the limit of human intellectual capabilities. Real men understand that their achievements at home, workplace and in the society depend largely on the manipulation of physical principalities that provide the enabling environment. Little wonder why most real men are ignorant of the supernatural manifestation of the real God. While relationship with real men is limited to the computation of facts and figures, relationship with the real God demands faith in the invisible. It implies that while the real world is partly governed by the vincible intellect of men, faith in God enables believers to operate the real world with invincible intellect. While facts and figures constrained life’s achievements by the words and actions of men, faith defiles the concept of impossibili...