Heralds Digest

  “ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity !” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭133‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ If there is one singular thing plaguing the manifestation of the glory of God in the assembly of brethren and the family of God’s people, it is the irony of dwelling in disunity. While pretending to pursue unity through the convocation of regulated assemblies, the ultimate motivation of brethren are usually shifted from God’s glory to self glory. Little wonder there is often Pentecostalism without the spirit of Pentecost. By allowing fragmentation through the lines of denomination, designation, and dreams, we are usually made to sacrifice the good and pleasant on the altar of disunited dwelling. Whereas, the Holy Spirit still cries out “ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! ” The Holy Spirit is willing to flow freely through the brethren in sincere fellowship with the Heavenly Father; and not just by dwelling together without...

  “ Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing .” ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The basis of love in all relationships is the spreading of benefits. Whether through material, social, political, or emotions, even givers expect to check their paybacks from initial beneficiaries sooner or later. But instead of loving as beneficiaries, Christ’s love enjoins believers to love as brethren. Why? We are sincerely and exceedingly blessed by God’s love and do not really need to be labelled as the beneficiaries from men. God’s love is inexhaustible. So, we are called to love without expecting anything back. That’s the only way those outside the perimeter of God’s love can get to know the way inside. Therefore, hatred, evil, and wickedness in retaliation for the wa...

  “ 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; For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ” ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬, ‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ There is a slight difference in believer’s understanding of being ‘called N chosen’ and being ‘chosen N called’ . While the former understanding merely underscores the disciple’s calling into service, the latter understanding emphasizes the disciple’s calling into suffering. By reflecting on the privileges of being chosen by God through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross of Calvary, Apostle Peter was inspired to let the disciples of Christ understand that suffering is part of the service towards living for the glory of God. And by accepting the call to suffer with Christ, we receive grace daily to follow the steps of Christ with hum...

  “ Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, ” ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Sincere salvation is a deposit of the riches and righteousness of God through the renewal and refreshment of the Spirit at the expense of the rendering and redemption of Christ. Being a total package of the Trinity, it is both wholesome and winsome through a consistent service of the word of God. Unfortunately, those who struggle with the solemn call to holy living and agape love are either not sincerely redeemed and tasted the package of salvation or unwilling to embrace the wholesome word as the sincere milk for growing in grace. Considering that everyone’s world is coloured by the corruptible words of friends and associates, promoting malice, hatred, bitterness, reveng...

  “ My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful .”  James‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Oftentimes, we wear disappointment on the call to suffering and patience on our sleeve. Developing faith in God and delay in obtaining deliverance from life’s challenges do not always seem to provide an acceptable explanation of a good, merciful, and compassionate God. Notwithstanding, the scriptural admonition here is “ My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience “. It implies that anyone who cares to ultimately speak in the name of the Lord or operate in the realm of faith must be willing to enroll in the school of suffering and patience. Suffering and patience create a channel that blocks out all interf...

  “ T herefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ” ‭‭James‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ When the scriptures say “ The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked ”, Albert Einstein appears to capture the essence when he said ‘I do not fear the explosive power of the atom bomb. What I fear is the explosive power of evil in the human heart ’. The demon or the ‘D’ in evil is the devil, who superintendent evil through his agents. And since they operate on the ego of the human flesh or the pride of life, their ravaging storms of pleasure spread freely through the influence of peer-pressure towards popularity, prosperity, and possessions. Unfortunately, hardened hearts feed more frequently or easily on the frequency of today’s digital and social platforms, compared with the boring invitations to the lifestyle of sobriety and humility....

  “ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. ” James‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The difference between self-seeking and system-seeking is not the absence of wisdom at all, but the presence of weird wisdom. Of course, meekness is distasteful to the concept of self-seeking in all of human relationships. Whereas, God’s love teaches believers the opposite of the weirdness of wisdom, which is self-sacrificing to promote the glory of God. And where there is agitation for self-centred rights, there cannot be the want of envy, bitterness, and the manipulation of lies in the name of smartness and diplomacy. Unfortunately, we cannot hope to have the best of the world’s evil merchandise and the best of heaven’s riches and righteousness at the same time. Therefore, those who care to retain the presence of God must place...