Heralds Digest

  “In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”” I Corinthians‬ ‭11:25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The basis of the institution of the Lord’s Supper is the remembrance of the Lord’s sacrifice for the disciples’ salvation. The Saviour’s blood was atoned as a sacrifice for sin. Even though it was the Saviour’s sacrifice for service to humanity, the institution of its remembrance came at the end or towards the end of service. Every service in life attracts sacrifice; but a focus on the sacrifice always distracts laudable attention from the ongoing service. Whereas, all service sacrifices can be treated as privileges on the basis of the Saviour’s sacrifice. The same sacrifice by the Saviour still provides abundant grace, peace, and joy for both weary and vibrant soldiers of the Cross on the service lane. The only evidence of every disciple’s remembrance of the Saviour’s sacrifice is throu...

  “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” ‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭10:11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The wilderness experience of the Israelites provided a vivid interplay of God’s mercy and love in the midst of the people’s stubbornness and mistrust. That in spite of the riches of God’s goodness and provisions, He wasn’t so pleased with most of the people’s rebellion and backsliding. Even though the story isn’t different today (and probably even worse), it is instructive to note that God was mindful of the peculiarities of this end-time generation even while dealing with the past generation. Men of God in the past generation were purposefully inspired to document those experiences for the admonition of the present generation. And where are the men of God of this generation and their mindfulness, while dealing with the people in their lives and ministries? Not many people are conscious of being mindful of writin...

  “But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.” ‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭7:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ There is no doubt that the family is the smallest unit of the church; while the state or society is a reflection of orderliness in the church. While a concerned reflection on disorderliness in the church quoted that “ Prayer is no substitute for work; equally true is it that work is no substitute for prayer ”, Paul recommended orderliness in walk or work for every believing member of a family unit as…’ so let him walk’. Unfortunately, the alarming disrespect for family institutions and the decadence in the characters of churchgoers have instructed that the passing down of church creed or doctrines to members cannot substitute leadership by example. Therefore, like Paul today, leaders must learn how to walk their scriptural convictions right from the family unit to orderly ordain the church prayerfully.

  “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” ‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The saying that ‘ignorance is not a tenable excuse in a court of law’ is always true, especially as the abuse of intellectual property attracts grave consequences. Unfortunately, life readily goes on probably well with several abuses until someone is caught to serve as scapegoat. Now, beyond the ownership rights by creativity, believers are often ignorant of the fact that they are God’s special patent by redemption. When the world imposes its styles, opportunities, ambition, and purposes on us, do we often respond to self with “ Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you” ? For the church at Corinth, they struggled with their rights to self-associate or self-segregate, engage or disengage, and probabl...

  “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” ‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Relationships are simply a game of emotion. Therefore, sincerity and smartness are mostly required to play a good game. Even in spiritual matters, comparison between spiritual matters and carnality often provide clear illustration and understanding of the situation of things. However, it is important to understand that while human minds are moved by things pertaining to their body’s security, welfare, and advancement; God is rather concerned about the wellness of human souls and eternal destiny. Notwithstanding, human spirituality at best can attempt to compare the material things within one’s life’s experiences with the spiritual things. But when Paul spoke about comparing spiritual things with spiritual in his engagement with the Church at Corinth, he represented a discourse above the level of human u...

  “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, ” ‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭1:4-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Anyone who is carried away by the central theme of the first epistle of Paul to the church at Corinth will miss the vital lesson on the role of appreciation and the grace of God, even in any fragile fellowship. While the church had focussed on segregating the spectrum of light on individual believers in the fellowship, Paul brought up the role of appreciation and the influence of the grace of God on all. Everyone in the church can relate with the little light that brought salvation, the privilege of speaking in unknown tongues, and the influence of the knowledge of the scriptures to solving complex problems of life. Irrespective of the diversity of spiritual gifts and differences in the scale of our achievements in t...

  “ Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me ”. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Support services from mentor to mentees, parents to children, and leaders to the led are common; but not many will welcome the reverse services from the less endowed to a superior. Sometimes, pride often makes the matter worse, even when it is readily obvious that leaders and masters need assistance. And considering the superior position of Apostle Paul and his preceding exhortation to brethren at Rome when he ended with a plea “ Now I beg you, brethren…that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me. ” Praying for one another in every work and fellowship system builds unity of purpose and a strong family out of all relationships. Particularly, after the marching orders and the proceedings of exhortation, when the master asks the servants for support services, he gets a community of devoted s...