Heralds Digest

  “ Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord, Through which the righteous shall enter. ” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Believers are often quick to claim the promise “ I shall not die, but live ”, without an accurate reflection on the part “ And declare the works of the Lord” . Most often than not, the works of the Lord require the navigation of the gates with apparent defeat, darkness, and, sometimes, death. Yes, the death of the righteous is never ever a violation of the promise “ I shall not die, but live ”, as long as the works of the Lord are declared. Therefore, the pursuit of righteousness in duties, devotion, and declarations of the people of the Lord requires a consistent focus on the heavenly resources. It is important to note that anyone who can be distracted by earthly benefits cannot stay on the glorious gates. So, the next time we want to claim ‘I shall not die’ , let’s be sure the prim...

  “ For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity. My son, fear the Lord and the king; Do not associate with those given to change; For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin those two can bring? ” Proverbs‬ ‭24‬:‭16‬, ‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ As we grow older, physical falling becomes too scary and damaging exercise. Likewise, the risk of financial, career, and professional falls are difficult for anyone to manage without the grace of God. Fortunately, the narrative is amazingly comforting for a righteous man. “ For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again “ implies there is a crystal difference between a fruitful fall and a free fall. The former fall is divinely driven, while the latter is carnally motivated with irredeemable consequences. Unfortunately, we are often tempted to treat the two types of fall with the same assessment. And when this happens, believers risk committing the sin of giving to change. I...

  “ Let those who fear the Lord now say, “His mercy endures forever.” I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. ” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Without messes in the believer's life, many people who claim a reliable relationship with the Lord will not appreciate the privilege of prayer. Whereas, prayer is more a channel for partnership and relationship with the Lord than a chamber for handing out provisions from the throne of grace. Therefore, those who have experienced the mercy of the Lord are expected to see the constant mercy of the Lord in the continuous messes that life serves. It implies that the messes in our social, work, and family lives are simply the reflection of the mercy of God in disguise. If architects of believers’ messes have known the merciful outcomes of their maltreatment and wicked disposition, they would have always wished to switch roles. But, unlike appreciated by Judas Iscariot, everyone is invited to accept the...

  “ Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD .” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭KJV‬‬ What a man knows, can do, and does have represent the metrics of his greatness; and no one can contest why these metrics are the common definition of the meaning of life. Even in pursuit of the counsel of God, many believers are easily confused and distracted by the interferences or prevalence of these great glories, especially when they appear to be in parallel to the fulfillment of the divine counsel. The reality is that everyone needs the manifold mercy of God everyday to stay focussed on the true meaning of life. “ So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but ...

  “ What shall I render unto the LORD For all his benefits toward me? O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: Thou hast loosed my bonds .” Psalm‬ ‭116‬:‭12‬, ‭16‬ ‭KJV‬‬ Knowing God and making Him known are the summary essence of human existence. Unfortunately, the hearts of men are preferably bonded unto other things as the essentials of beautiful benefits. This is the reason why hearts that seek not first the kingdom of God and all its righteousness cannot possibly appreciate the knowledge of God’s will in the midst of the challenges of life. Unlike the psalmist, these ungrateful hearts could only rather yield to complaints and the expressions of overwhelming frustration to the Lord for allowing bond barricades instead of evidence of social and financial welfare. Whereas, a believer's faith in God is intimately developed by the wilderness experiences and the bonds benefit from life’s experiences. While testimony without a test is immoral, ...

  “ A wise man is strong, Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength; If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small. So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, And your hope will not be cut off .” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭24‬:‭5‬, ‭10‬, ‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Without prejudice to the benefits of physical exercises, physical and material strength is never a match to real life challenges and emotional disturbances. The day of adversity is a typical day of reckoning, when the limitation of every man’s pride and reliance on human achievements stirs him in the face. No matter how physically, socially, financially, and materially endowed, we are all restricted in life by this ‘small strength ’ phenomenon. Unfortunately, this reality often makes many people and our world elites put their trust in strange spiritual covenants with cults and covens. But power always passes power; and there is never ever a match to the power of righteousness through ...

  “ Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ” Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Ambition is all about making advances or fanning the ‘desire to succeed ’; and it is a mark of human relevance in all of life’s disciplines. Even in home management and family welfare, ambition sets the mark of achievement and attainment. Unfortunately, the desirable marks of achievement and attainment are mostly defined by human beings and for personal recognition and relevance. But when Paul the Apostle reviewed his ministerial ambition, he clarified the difference between attentive advances and inattentive (or ambitious) advances, as regards his relationship with Jesus Christ who called him into the ministry. From the Pauline revelation, we understand that attentive advances are focussed on pleasing God; rather than human personal cravings. When believers are constantly sensitive and completely...