Heralds Digest

  “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭29:29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Everybody loves secret tellers, especially when the shared information enhances control. If only all revealed secret information embraces the wholesome truth, there would be no cause for alarm. Unfortunately, the quest for secret things from sources different from the presence of the Lord has led many people into danger, destruction, and, most times, death. Just like this ‘curiosity killed the cat’ mindset of the children of Israel led to their disobedience to the commandments of the Lord, we are equally used to qualifying the word of God with ‘what if? ’, when the wholesome words are challenged by life’s situations and circumstances. Whereas, the revealed words of God in life are sufficiently wholesome for believers’ obedience and fruitfulness. Every attempt for anyone to explore an e...

  “And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭28:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Unless the disciples of the Lord receive the true revelation of being above only, the Lord’s promise of making His disciples the head and not the tall will continually be a rhetorical statement of intentions. Sincerely, the primary source of confusion for believers in life is the diluted conception and shaky conviction about the fact that God is the only Source of all true promotion and prosperity. Even when some significant men are actively engaged in the process, “ the Lord will make you the head ” cannot be misconstrued as “ these men will make you the head” without falling away from diligent heeding the commandments of the Lord. Whereas, in every situation and circumstance, a believer's heeding to the commandments of the Lord is the only ...

  “Also today the Lord has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments, and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be a holy people to the Lord your God, just as He has spoken” Deuteronomy‬ ‭26:18-19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ High stakes in career and professional lifestyle have common metrics for recognition. While celebrities and high performance figures in our world can indulge in character flaws until they are caught, God’s special people cannot afford to compromise the heavenly stakes for recognition. They are so proclaimed special, both in charisma and character, to the Lord their GOD and for Him alone. Unfortunately, when the people eventually get the charisma right by human recognition, in praise, in name, and in honour, they often tend to ignore the stake for holy character. Whereas, the special stakes for God’s special people is for both the charisma a...

  “For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭23:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The consciousness of enemies without freaks almost everything within anyone out, unless by the special grace of God and an absolute awakening to our god-given responsibility. Rather than God delivering the enemies into our hands, believers would readily get engaged in the business of strategizing the downfall of our supposed enemies. Unfortunately, when the believer’s camp (or his heart) gets contaminated by anger, malice, and bitterness, he loses the favour of God and becomes exposed to the devil’s attacks. Whereas, “ For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you “ suggests that believers’ primary responsibility is the maintenance of a clean camp. When believers get truly focussed on God...

  ““You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. “You shall not wear a garment of different sorts, such as wool and linen mixed together.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭22:10-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ While equity is centred on fairness, equality in today’s world is mostly a clear contradiction of the rule of fairness. Just as God said an ox should not be treated on the same scale of service with a donkey, there is a clear distinction in the design of human being on the basis of gender. Whenever equity is being deliberately misinterpreted for equality, it is important to note that someone is possibly trying to play deceit on someone. And wherever the distinctiveness of all the creatures of God is always treated with dignity and respect, there is bound to be peace, progress, love, and unity in our homes, workplaces, and the society. It is a fact that complementary contributions are always more rewardable, compared to competitive contributions. By the service of equity and respect for our distinctive desi...

  “then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones. Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭17:5-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The pronouncements of strange services in the Old Testament were originally guided by diligent enquiring from the Lord through the ordained priests. Obviously, with time, the process became tainted by compromise and self-centeredness. Even in the days of Jesus Christ with the woman caught in adultery by the Pharisees, people can truly see how dangerous it is to commit strange services in the name of doing the Will of God. From the knowledge of the offering of Jesus Christ Himself and all the martyrs, like Stephen, in the Acts of the Apostles and in our contemporary times, one must honestly ask ‘How can I reliably retain the offering of sacred ser...

  “Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, except when there may be no poor among you; for the Lord will greatly bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance—” Deuteronomy‬ ‭15:3-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ It is interesting to note that the practice of setting up an endowment for the release of debts or financial incapabilities is scripturally a biblical injunction to the children of Israel. By extension, the major and irrevocable principle for New Testament saints here is that the brother’s blessings are simply the divine arrangement for distribution of earthly resources to the needy. And if by so doing, “ the Lord will greatly bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance ”, God’s blessings are both ways to the poor and the rich. Unfortunately, not everyone is sensitive to the injunction “ you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother ...