Heralds Digest

  “ Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.” Acts 8 : 5 - 6 NKJV Called as deacon to serve tables against disunity among brethren, Philip had a singular interpretation of Victor's vision in life. Discipline may differ, and denominations may dabble, but disciples of Christ have a solemn mandate of making Him known. One would have thought that the Samaritan woman in the earlier earthly ministry of Christ has completed the mandate and the preaching of the gospel of salvation to the Samaritans. Unfortunately, cities and nations constantly change their values according to the driving visions of its citizens. Starting from the family vision and values, when people nowadays place the utmost attention on the physical prosperity, material riches, and career progression, it becomes easier and normal for anyone to make merchandise of their ...

  “ Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. ” Psalms 73 : 1 NKJV Good gaze is not synonymous to the steadfast of the look, but its saintliness. Like some would say, the more you look the less you see. How can anyone possibly see good in gory situations and circumstances of life? The psalmist had a graphic presentation of the celebration of wicked prosperity, proudful disposition, oppressive contemplation, and most especially in the serenity of a permissive God. Without doubt, this gory gaze will see nothing good in all of human activities and the awakened call to God’s admonition, until the heart is drawn into the presence of God. For example, in the midst of the gory situation and ungodly martyrdom, Stephen saw the glorious Lord in standing ovation over his holy, good, and acceptable sacrifice. It implies that a good gaze represents in a sweet fellowship of the heart of man with the glory of God. When the heart is turned from glory to glory in the full revela...

  “ So Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom .” II Samuel 17 : 14 NKJV “ Money answers everything ” says the words of wisdom; but in principle according to Ahithophel, wisdom answers everything. Like the Aristotles in our world, the scriptures described the word of advice from Ahithophel as if one had inquired at the oracle of God. Notwithstanding, at its best, human endowments, powers, and privileges are still limited to the attainment of powerful purposes; and not providential purposes. Unfortunately, at some unguarded moment in the life of Ahithophel, it was stated that “ For the Lord had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom ”. Well, we all have the privilege of responding appropriately with humility to...

  “ Then someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness! ”” II Samuel 15 : 31 NKJV Within God’s sovereignty, conspiracy and companionship are equally resourceful to the manifestation of His plans and purpose. Particularly, the conspiracy of Ahithophel was resourceful to the defeat of Absalom. If Absalom had not taken the counsel of Ahithophel, David’s troubles in the wilderness wouldn’t have ended as at the historical endpoint. Although the intention of conspirators, like Ahithophel, is the awakening of troubles for their victims, those that know how to take all counsels before God have always discovered that troubles do not have the last word. And in the words of the troubled and heart-wrecked George Matheson, who composed the most popular and best loved hymns of the Christian church – ‘O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go’ , the conspirator’s counsel drives believers clo...

  “ And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”” Acts 5 : 38 - 39 NKJV Faith fight and false fight have common characteristics, i.e., a fight for a kind of relevance. When Peter responded to the council’s commandment for the disciples to respect their self-centred relevance “ we ought to obey God rather than men” , it became obvious that life never granted anyone the option of sitting on the fence with regards to choosing. You either choose to tow the path of the faith fight or to adopt the lifestyle of the false fight. And by learning from the disciples’ experiences with the council, the faith fight often attracts temporary suffering and shame for the course of Christ; but in the words of Gamaliel and unlike the false fight, the faith fight can never come to nothing. Unfortunately, those seemingly sm...

  “ 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...