Heralds Digest

  ” Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. Exodus‬ ‭33‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ If anyone in our days is privileged to be guided by the pillars of cloud and fire like Moses and the Israelites, he would probably be spared from the global stress of anxiety, instability, and insecurity in the land. Even those who crave the protection of political powers and the barrel of guns are not in any way lighted by the presence of their political and material prosperity. For Moses, besides the privilege of divine interference, he had experienced the inherent frustration of leading the disobedient and stiff-necked people through the constantly evolving challenges in the wilderness. Even today, m...

  ” Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day. “ Psalms‬ ‭25‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Perfect paths, in terms of personal principles, government policies and institutional standards, should guarantee peace, prosperity, and progress in the ways and lifestyles of the people. Even as most nations of the world are struggling to uncover the perfect paths to economic recovery, one of the biggest challenges is the citizen’s adoption of trusted policies and reforms. Unfortunately, wicked men and deceitful counselors have often cash into these superficial welfare mindsets for manipulation and the leading of unwary minds into captivity. As utilized by the Devil from the beginning, perfect paths are not necessarily the paths with the offer of appealing taste, touch, and feelings. Most times, ...

  ”“ And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. It shall not be poured on man’s flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, shall be cut off from his people .’ ”“ Exodus‬ ‭30‬:‭31‬-‭33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Just as the dedication of Aaron and his children into the priesthood office is divine, their submission to the Lord’s service must be sublime. Unfortunately, the grave consequences of not keeping the sublime submission, as demonstrated by Dathan, Korah, and Abiram, are common knowledge for students of the scriptures. Even today, it is important to underscore that believers are called and dedicated for a special assignment; and we are reserved for a unique purpose in life. All we need is the knowledge of God’s will and a sublime submission to His revealed will. And jus...

  ” Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully .“ Psalms‬ ‭24‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ While there is no question as to why man prefers heaviness to holiness, it is always disturbing to discover that the desired heaviness does not guarantee the fullness and satisfaction of this world’s riches. The complete fullness and total satisfaction belong to the Lord; and they are accessible only to those who can retain a righteous relationship with Him. Unfortunately, believers and those who claim to have established relationships with God are often found cutting corners to access the desired heaviness in the world, in terms of prosperity, promotion, and power. Little wonder there is always a dearth of heavenly riches and revival in the midst of His people; and the manifestation of God’s power. Whereas, with holiness as the watchword and character of everyone w...

  ” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” “ Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭39‬-‭40‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Everyone knows the answer to Christ’s rhetorical question “ Why are you so fearful? ”. His second question gave out the answer to the first question; which is the use of fact instead of faith. Who doesn’t respond negatively to the windstorms of life and the unplanned attacks on life’s great plans? Without an absolute faith in God and His promises, it is not possible for anyone to ignore the facts. Notwithstanding, the practical experience of the disciples on the stormy sea with Jesus teaches everyone that every passage through life with Jesus is always a peaceful pasture. Isn’t that the confidence of the psalmist when he said ” He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters ”…even ” though I walk through the valley ...

  ” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them. ”“ Exodus‬ ‭24‬:‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The human family, work, societal and social life is full of commitments. Otherwise, there will be little or no relevance in our life's existence. The unfortunate drawback is the regular callout to sacrifice our commitment to God at the altar of humanitarian services. For example, the children of Israel have made a collective commitment to the Lord before a personal call to Moses to “ Come up to Me on the mountain and be there“. Unfortunately, before the end of Moses’ attendance to his personal call with God, Aaron had led the people away from their collective commitment with God. It implies that our personal commitment must always align with our collective commitment to God at all times. Even when the exigencies of life demand a physical breakaway from the collecti...

  ” 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...