Heralds Digest

  “ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10 : 24 - 25 NKJV Fellowship or collaboration sometimes does suck, rather than stir sincere interest. Forsake, this always seems like a quick fix. Those who forsake the assembly of collaborators with diverse interests on the altar of irreconcilable differences often prefer the ease of staying out of troubles, rather than sticking out their necks to the prospects of finding solution to troubles. Whereas, genuine fellowship or authentic collaboration is divinely inspired for the greater good of humanity. And being inspired by the omnipotent God, little wonders that every intense interest in genuine fellowship or authentic collaboration has the ability to stir up love and good works. Be it in marriage relationships, communal fellowship, proje...

  “I am the Lord your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’” Ezekiel 20 : 19 - 20 NKJV A call unto holiness as a lifestyle has been the heartbeat of God from the beginning. Being chosen by God as a precious and peculiar people, Israel has been the delight of the Lord but entangled in a horrible hobby of unfaithful romance with Egypt. Unfortunately, today’s spiritual Israel hasn’t ceased the horrible hobby of unfaithful romance with Egypt. When the pursuit of fame, unhealthy competition and the rat race for recognition are treated as the lord, it will be impossible for anyone to walk humbly in the Lord’s statutes, to keep honestly the Lord’s judgments, and to hallow happily the Lord’s sabbaths. Whereas, these temporary pursuits haven’t ceased to attract disappointment, destruction, and death to the paths of those who delight in this horrible hobby. ...

  “ But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still be delivered? ” Ezekiel 17 : 15 NKJV One of the grave misconceptions of the ‘once-for-all’ sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of humanity is eternal security. This abuse of grace provides its followers some licentious lifestyles in unrighteousness with false security and reckless escape. Whereas, even in the Old Testament, the concept of eternal escape is anchored on believers’ consistent faithfulness to the covenant between them and God. Unfortunately, like those Israelites who rebelled against God with their consultation with Egypt and indulgence in compromises, believers in Christ today who break their covenant of righteousness cannot escape heaven’s repudiation and the judgment of God. Notwithstanding, those who believe in the power of release and the ‘once-for-all’ sac...

  ““ Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” Proverbs 27 : 6 - 7 NKJV In a season of economic recession, extreme difficulties, and unpleasant circumstances, people often learn, relearn, and unlearn the thin line between friends and fellows. Since everyone is naturally motioned to focus on his own personal needs, friend’s frenzies are usually very painful. Notwithstanding, while the closeness of friends make their frenzies readily appalling, the fulfillment of life’s purposes and agenda are sincerely engineered by the actions and inaction of friends. As family members, workplace associates,  neighbours, society members, and project partners, friends are intrinsically close to everyone’s life engagements, dreams, and goals. Therefore, it is always the best admonition from the preacher for anyone to learn, relearn, and unlearn how to accommodate the...

  “ In my distress I cried to the Lord, And He heard me. My soul has dwelt too long With one who hates peace. I am for peace; But when I speak, they are for war. ” Psalms 120 : 1 , 6 - 7 NKJV Peacemaking is no doubt an undesirable lifestyle of lousy people. Lousy people often prefer their association with lying lips, deception, and unrighteousness. To them, to be funny is cool. Whereas, peacemakers must be obsessively satisfied by their fellowship with God. Little wonder the scriptures posited that “ Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God ( Matthew 5 : 9 )”. Invariably, peacemakers are often lonely people. When the psalmist said “ In my distress I cried to the Lord “, he meant in his loneliness, apparently inspired by haters of his righteous lifestyle and dogged adherence to the truth. Notwithstanding, the lovely experience of the psalmist and all peacemakers is riveted by the testimony “ And He heard me”.  Therefore, loneliness around lousy peo...

  “ Let Your hand become my help, For I have chosen Your precepts. ” Psalms 119 : 173 NKJV In reference to the psalmist’s conviction about the Lord’s precepts ‘For I have chosen your precepts’, it is evident that there are numerous compelling precepts with persisting pressure to walk away or against the revealed presents from the Lord. And in our days of astronomical increase in knowledge and advanced AI-driven social media contents, anyone can understand the challenges with believers’ scriptural conviction on almost all matters of life. We are no longer dealing with miserable counsellors and advisers, but intelligent machine buddies. Little wonder, we struggle in the secret place of prayer and fellowship; leaving on the life-support system with overwhelming dosage of perverse precepts. Notwithstanding, the secret place is still the safe haven for the perfect precepts today. Therefore, wayfaring pilgrims can be intentional like the psalmist by surfing through the web and using ...

  “ Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble. ” Psalms 119 : 165 NKJV The world is fashioned and surrounded by two phenomena, summarized as either settled or stumbled . Unfortunately,  apart from a lifestyle built upon the statutes of God, everything or everyone else is designed to travel on the stumbling highways. For example, stumbled substances, states, seasons, sons, and servants are common denominators that demand the responsibility of those who delight in the relevance ratings of the world around them: “ Get the system settled, or get stumbled!“ Notwithstanding, the scriptures posited that settled statuses are only anchored on settled statutes of the Lord. Before the psalmist realized the reality of “ Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven ( Psalms 119 : 89 )”, he had a fair share of the roughness of stumbled seasons in the wilderness. Even when we do stumble to settle on the statutes of the Lord, the pathway will always...