Heralds Digest

  “ Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness .” Acts 4 : 29 , 31 NKJV The early apostles and disciples confronted threats against their conviction about the truth and its dissemination with uncommon boldness. Today, even bishops and general overseers can hardly withstand this kind of band. Little wonder, our homes and societies are now filled with church goers without scriptural conviction about righteousness and the absolute truth. Unlike the bold band exhibited by the early apostles, the popular book band is powered by human intelligence, philosophical advances, and psychological breakthroughs, teaching relativism and the concepts of the shades of gray. Truthfully, the bold band is not based on physical or emotional boldness; it is found...

  “ Be my strong refuge, To which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress. I have become as a wonder to many, But You are my strong refuge .” Psalms 71 : 3 , 7 NKJV When the psalmist says elsewhere ‘When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I ( Psalms 61 : 2)’, he underscored the relevance of trials and tribulations in finding our reliable refuge. The heart of the fallen man is wired to brag about his achievements, attainments, and accomplishments. These things make a self-conceited heart. But the moment the heart is graciously driven to his strong - wiser than the wisest, higher than the highest, mightier than the mightiest, and bigger than the biggest - refuge, like the psalmist, it loses the appetite for hanky-panky. ‘Be my strong refuge ’ is like laying down some seemingly reliable refuges, like the broken prides, prestige, and principalities, for a new, convincing, and stronger refu...

  “ Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.” Acts 3 : 6 - 7 NKJV Just as the lame man would have been disappointed and discouraged by the sound of “ Silver and gold I do not have“ , we all struggle with the fact that God is full of grey gift. When reality keeps human expectations in suspense, it is understandable why we often don’t have anything to do with grey gifts. And knowing that human brains are wired with a super appeal for grand gifts, Peter had to quickly provide the access to the grey gift: “ but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk ”. Notwithstanding, the lame man would have continued with a gaze of expectation from the grey gift; if not that Peter “ took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately ...

  “ For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken .” Acts 2 : 25 NKJV One of the major instruments of exercising dominance and authority in the world is the incitement of fear and oppression; but everyone can tell that the product from such fearful fellowship is unfruitfulness. No doubt, David had a fair share of unfruitfulness in his fellowship with important people in his life, including king Saul, associates, and family members. We know that at some point during his wilderness experience, he contemplated giving up. However, when the scriptures speak of his testimony that ‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken ’, we can understand the reality of falling into fear when the Lord is always around with His gift of faith, love, and sound mind. Therefore, the foundation of a fruitful fellowship is faith in God through the saving grace of our Lord ...

“ For the Lord hears the poor, And does not despise His prisoners. Let heaven and earth praise Him, The seas and everything that moves in them. For God will save Zion And build the cities of Judah, That they may dwell there and possess it.” Psalms 69 : 33 - 35 NKJV Just as the wilderness experience taught the psalmist the power of praise, John Bunyan wrote the pilgrims’ progress from the prison. Regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and a progenitor of the narrative aspect of Christian media, pilgrim’s progress has much less to do with believers’ proactive agitation. In fact, those who are poor and deficient in the supply of worldly means of agitation can rest on the proficiency of God for a meaningful driving of purpose in life. Even while confined by the walls of his prison, John Bunyan wrote of the pilgrim’s progress; which literally advances the journey of faith in many believers and attracts the joy of salvation in many unbeli...

  “ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth .”” Acts 1 : 8 NKJV The job of waiters has always been tricky. Those who cannot exercise the waiting patience will readily exhibit the wasteful pride. Joab the son of Zeruiah in the Old Testament and Judas Iscariot in the New Testament are typical examples of wasteful waiters. Even while recording a mix of commendable waiting services with proudful servings, they got wasted before their scheduled podium for empowerment. Notwithstanding, the promised power of the Holy Spirit is for gracious waiters, who must be witnesses of their experiences with the Lord. There are enormous experiences in the believer's life and ministries that these waiters are usually privileged to share to the glory of God. And when we truly wait and God eventually empowers us, the nations are reached with the undiluted gospel of healin...

  “ So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs .”” John 21 : 15 NKJV For Simon Peter and his accompanying disciples to the fishing expedition, the earlier call from Christ as fishers of men has suffered a colossal setback by the arrest and death of Christ. His main motivation ‘I am going fishing’ wasn’t just a refreshing expedition. It was a retracing of life’s ambition and purpose for living, after a deep reflection on the unfortunate setback. It is a common reality of the living love that family, business, health, and relationship setbacks and the need to make ends meet change everyone’s perspective about life and determination. However, when Jesus came after Simon Peter to ask “ Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” , it was clear Jesus is always calling all His disciples to the ‘lambs’ love, instead ...