Heralds Digest

  “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.” ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ One of the beauties of leaving for the pursuit of God’s glory in career, marriage, ministry, business, and social life is the grace to face the consequences without shame. Apart from leaving with the disappointment of negative consequences, the shame on every flashback on the pursuit of self-will is always self-defeating. Whereas, true and obedient Christian do not follow the dictates of his flesh in arriving at life’s decision. And whenever these decisions are faced with strange suffering, he gets the relief of acquitting self from shame. As long as self is not to be blamed for the turnout of life’s engagements, the season of shame is always a game. After all, the evidence of God’s glory in a believer’s life is inaccessible with human intelligence. And while the world may appear to be counting the laurels of smartness and the dividends in the pursuit ...

  “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭4:10-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Gifted stewards in civil service and the general human engagements can aspire to be decorated masters, albeit with a reliable system of performance assessment and job appreciation. The only drawback is the temptation for intoxicated steward to run his services as master, even while awaiting promotion or decoration. Therefore, gifted stewards are called to be good stewards in order to retain focus on services, rather than the gifts. In kingdom business, steadfast stewards focus on the manifold grace of God for service delivery. In fact, the desire for promotion or service recognition is alwa...

  “Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.” ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭3:11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Peace-loving in all relationships of life is simple and straightforward, if the dynamics of peace-making is completely controlled by the peace-lovers. No matter the personal desire for peace, the dynamics of peace at home, workplaces and the society are all influenced by a blend of the good and evil intentions, emotions, manifestation, and manipulation. For example, a peace-loving husband and father must do more than defining and desiring peace at home. He must be prepared to pursue peace in the midst of the worst disposition of his wife and children. Turning away from whatever seems evil to a peace-lover is always easy. Whereas, candidates for peaceful pursuits must learn how to understand the definition of evil in the eyes of others; and the pursuit of others’ concept of good, as much as possible for self and pleasing to God.

  “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;” ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭2:21-22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ While sinful suffering understandably serves repudiation, it is always hard for anyone to accept the ministry of sinless suffering in the pursuit of righteousness. But by following the example of Jesus Christ, we know that sinless suffering enables gracious separation from the demand of the flesh; and it consolidates the virtues that depict godliness. Although the agents of sinless suffering in believer’s life are not commendable for their acts of wickedness, they create the atmosphere where Christ is lifted up for the world to behold His glory. Christ can no longer be lifted up on the cross of Calvary, being already risen from the dead. He is constantly being lifted up in believer’s absolute submission to sinless suffering, imposed through persecution, unjust denials of...

  “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭2:9-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Praises for physical and material prosperity, financial breakthrough, family and business enlargement, and career progression or promotion are comely. Unfortunately, these give-and-take praises embrace the needs of the body at the expense of the needs of the soul. But when the scriptures presents a different type of praise from peculiar people, it becomes obvious that these self-promoted praises are not peculiar. Peculiar praise singles out God alone for His redemption plan and the deliverance of His own special people from darkness into the marvellous light. Even when we cannot see a personal reason for praise in our moment of pain, persecution, and p...

  “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭2:2-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Godliness is no doubt a great work of grace, particularly starting with the experience of the second birth. Notwithstanding, the experience of man in our complex and challenging world has sharpened the concept of great gain, irrespective of the status of any man’s relationship with God. The reason why the mixed milk of the word (a sensible blend of God’s word, Will, and way with the opinion of relevant principalities) is the delight of everyone today is not far-fetched: the concept of spiritual growth, without a measurable dimension of physical and material growth, no longer makes sense. Until the understanding of great gain is situated at the centre of great grace, the desire for the mixed milk remains inevitable. The scriptural revelation is presented here as “ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious”. The ...

  “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James‬ ‭4:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ God is not only good, everything and everyone He create is good. The bad and ugly come from the imposter and the deceiver of mankind. Even after our redemption from the depravity of sin, the redeemed still often struggles with the required consistency in doing good. The struggle is borne out of every attempt at fellowshipping with anything and anyone in this world beside God. Knowing God automatically creates the sense of good in man, but not the power to constantly do good. Doing good and getting good delivered at all of man’s engagements in life requires the unalloyed fellowship with God. Therefore, we must consistently remove the attachment of our emotions from the inevitable fellowship with the elements of this world in order to constantly fellowship with God; and thereafter courageously do good at all times.