Heralds Digest

  ” And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach ” Mark‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ In our world of mistrust, suspicion, and dishonesty, one of the greatest virtues in any relationship is trust. Jesus had running battles with the scribes, Pharisees, and the religious leaders in the days of His earthly ministry because their consciences have been nurtured by dishonesty, instead of the truth. Whenever diplomacy, position, and political interests always prevent the true answer to the question “ is it lawful to do good or evil? ”, we know that Jesus is not counting on us as reliable disciples. Unfortunately, even Judas Iscariot that scaled through the initial scrutiny of the Master later revealed the need for disciples to always be with the Master, or get hired by the Devil. Unfortunately, many disciples want to be with the world and the Master a...

  ” Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.”“ Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭35‬-‭37‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The believer’s quiet time with God is not just the first place on the list of priorities for the day, it is the purpose palace for all the day’s activities. Jesus demonstrated this priority model by walking out of His purpose palace in the morning with confidence on how to handle the “ Everyone is looking for You” challenge of the day. Unfortunately, in our own day of social media, online contents, electronic inbox, and gadgets, it is easier to always mess up the priorities in each day’s activities if we miss the opportunity to visit the purpose palace first. Our Heavenly Father is the best Organizer of every believer’s daily activities; and we can always trust He will ensure the purpose for each ...

  ” Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them. ”“ Exodus‬ ‭18‬:‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ A proud disposition doesn’t just irritate anyone’s close associates. Even those who are far away, like Jethro in Midian were apparently irritated by the proud disposition of Pharaoh in Egypt, cannot indulge their irritation. More importantly, the major takeaway is the providence of the presence of the Lord above all of human’s proud disposition. Oftentimes, the proud dispositions of man are meant to convey the powerful presence of God in the life and affairs of praying believers. While the Israelites do most of the murmuring and complaints about their ugly experiences, Moses would take the opportunity of the challenges of life and the wilderness experiences to pray. Likewise, the typical life of a praying Christian is (1) a partnership with God’s work; (2) a presentation of God’s will; and (3) a power-bank as God’s weapon. W...

  ” Your hand will find all Your enemies; Your right hand will find those who hate You. For they intended evil against You; They devised a plot which they are not able to perform. “ ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭21‬:‭8‬, ‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ If there is always an absolute foreknowledge of the limits of human plots, there will be a decorum with the planning of their schemes and the seriousness they often attract. Particularly, when the enemies are reigning with their wicked schemes, the hands of the righteous are often tied; and the promises of the Lord are mostly considered as delayed, or sometimes denied. But the psalmist, drawing from personal experience, claims the right hands of the Lord will find the enemies. For examples, the planned plots of Pharaoh against the Israelites were aborted at the Red Sea by the right hands of the Lord. Needless to count the myriads of other planned plots against the righteous, like the plots of Haman, Ahithophel, Judas, and Herod. It implies that only the counsel of the Lo...

  ” So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.“ ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭13‬:‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The wilderness way in life is always not a fashionable way, because it is difficult, stressful, and long. Notwithstanding, it was God’s choice for the Israelites for its offer of fellowship opportunities. And something great always happens whenever the people of God give all distractions away to gather in fellowship with God. For the Israelites, in the first place, the adopted wilderness way offered a burial ground for the Egyptians in the Red Sea. Likewise, when believers take the, albeit difficult, stressful, and long, wilderness exposure with grace, they open up the opportunities for the manifestation of God’s glory and the declaration of His majesty over all the crafty manipulation of the enemies. And speaking of the privilege of procession in orderly ranks, the wilderness way provides the power of ...

  ” Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. “ Exodus‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Like the symbolic redemption of the Israelites from the land of Egypt, believers in Christ are both bought and brought from the land of captivity. Oftentimes, we are distracted by the unpleasant experiences along the brought passages that we completely forgot the entire sacrifice in the bought component. Whereas, the bought component in the believer's redemption story is fully paid for by Christ's sacrifice of His own blood. It is the mark of Christ on us that completely defiles the import of all negative activities in the wilderness of life. When Apostle Paul said ” From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭17‬), it was probably a stern reference to the sacrifice of Christ before all distra...

  ” Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand .“ ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭20‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ ‘Twelve Years a Slave’ narrative by Solomon Northup, where a black man (Northup) who despite being born free in New York State was tricked, kidnapped, and sold into slavery, simplified the horror and deceitfulness in the slavery strength. Compared with the 400 years of slavery for the Israelites in Egypt, the slavery strength of Pharaoh had a long stand battle with the saving strength of the Lord before freedom could be possible. Unfortunately, until a believer comes to the knowledge of the saving strength of the Lord’s right hand, he cannot possibly stand up before the slavery strength. Prior to this experience, and like Peter denied the Lord thrice, believers will readily fall into the deceitfulness of human intimidation, material deprivation, and wicked manipulation. Whereas, the potency of the believer's saving streng...