Heralds Digest

  “You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” ‭‭James‬ ‭4:2-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Just as remote as divine desires are from human desires, true satisfaction is obviously a strange vocabulary in almost all of life’s experiences. Even though the law of economics that ‘human desires are insatiable ’ is naturally true, it is universally wrong. The scriptures say it is only true because of human misplacement of desires. Unfortunately, the pursuit of divine desires starts with a radical denial of self interests, pleasures, and desires. But if we must proceed, we will find true satisfaction at the perfect intersection of divine and human desires. The difference in the two paths is simply the approach. When we pursue human desires, we stack up Human Resources at the expense of divine inspiration. Whereas, the pursuit of divi...

  “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.” ‭‭James‬ ‭3:2-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Emotional words are generated by the prevailing forces in the environment. If the environment blows with the wind of hatred, animosity, and unfair treatment, the outbursts are often undesirable and may lead any wayfarer unto undesirable destination. “ For we all stumble in many things ”…including parenting in God-fearing homes, project management in visionary institutions, and financial management among desirable partners. The ship has always aimed for a safe and desirable destination of peace, harmony, and accomplishment; but it is always clear that no one can withstand the power of a little member (or the tongue) without the wisdom of God. Against the forces of wickedness in our world, only God can grant the grace to overcome the wind w...

  “but the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.” ‭‭James‬ ‭1:10-11‬ ‭KJV‬‬ With the exclusion of pretence, the constant denominator in all of life’s experiences is the extinction of life in the absence of the grace of God. Truly, without the living breadth of God, man is truly a walking corpse with no purpose for living. During the phase of our flower flourishing, the heart of man will consciously identify the need for God’s favour and support for growth. But in the brightness of human glory, accomplishment, and exaltation, the heart of man is easily deceived to forget God and promote self sufficiency. And, it is the reality of the flower fading phase that awakens the heart from its state of forgetfulness. Therefore, a wise man wi...

  “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James‬ ‭1:6-8‬ ‭KJV‬‬ Double focus does not bear double possessions; it is often like gambling, resulting in double jeopardy. Whereas, those who have succeeded in winning double in life are known with singular and a purpose-driven focus. In a believer's relationship with God, faith is the only focus...even when facts are pointing in different directions. “ But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering ”. Asking in faith implies the combination of asking, begging, and looking forward to something from God. And after the release by faith, the beneficiaries of faith can simply follow the leading of the Spirit to retrieve his possessions from the different channels of delivery. He who must ‘ask in faith‘ something from God does not ‘beg by fac...

  “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews‬ ‭13:20-21‬ ‭KJV‬‬ Everyone loves peace at home, workplaces, and in fellowship with people; the only challenge is the lack of agreement on the perfect path to peace. While the world would readily promote a selfish path to a perceived peace, the following characteristics of the godly path to perfect peace must be embraced: 1. The preference for seeking the will of God through prayer; 2. The pursuit of satisfaction in all requirements towards knowing and doing the Will of God; and 3. The perfect submission to the praise of the glory of God in all of life’s engagements and accomplishments. Therefore, the only path to perfect peace in life is the point of ...

  “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” Hebrews‬ ‭13:17‬ ‭KJV‬‬ The security and prosperity of the body have often demanded loyalty and respect for organizational rules, as supervised by superiors. Unfortunately, these rules are not just sometimes designed to jeopardize the security of a believer's soul; they are mostly drawn towards the personal profit of corrupt supervisors. Invariably, the activities of all supervisors (spiritual, corporate, social, etc) have either a positive or negative influence on the security and prosperity of every believer’s soul. Therefore, for an enhanced security and prosperity of the believer's soul against the influences of carnal supervision, believers must 1. recognize the positive activities of selfless supervisors and remember them always in prayer (verse 7); 2. respect th...

  “For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” Hebrews‬ ‭13:14‬ ‭KJV‬‬ The popular preacher has rightly summarized the pursuit of opportunities, position of privileges, prosperity, and powers in this world as ‘vanity upon vanity, all is vanity’ . Likewise, the exhortation to the Hebrews declared “ For here have we no continuing city… ”. But the good thing and the most amazing comfort against believers’ world of confusion and confrontation is that we have a continuing Captain, the High Priest, the Author, and the Finisher of our salvation. When we seek Christ daily and get prepared to bear His reproach, we can hardly see any personal challenge, affliction, persecution, and trial along the way. Even while Apostle Paul was held in stocks and imprisonment, he could still lead an amazing and inspiring campaign of the gospel through the grace freely bestowed by the continuing Captain. Therefore, the latter glories in the pursuits of the possibilities of grace from our ...