Heralds Digest

  “ Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, And attend to your herds ” Proverbs 27 : 23 NKJV A focus with self-centred assessment on personal welfare, sense of belonging, and social development often contributes to the problem of insecurity, underdevelopment, and instability in the state. Unfortunately, human beings are naturally selfish; but there cannot be a flourishing community without a conscious devotion to pastoral partnership. Little wonders, the scriptures admonish every member of any community to “ Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, And attend to your herds ”. A pastoral mindset to fellowship and partnership will always treat personal needs as secondary, while primarily focusing on assessing the needs of the community, institution, and state. While the risks in this selfless disposition is daunting, there are enormous benefits to the state (including personal needs) at the end, like sustainability, security, and sufficiencies. After all, a diligent focu...

  “ Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him. ” Psalms 126 : 5 - 6 NKJV The expectation of most sowers is speedy satisfaction on every sowing expedition, but life sometimes does happen to the act of seed sowing. Life is usually like a FEAST service, composed of diverse shapes of unpleasant fellowship, unmerited experiences, unattractive assignments, uninspiring statutes, and unwarranted tribulations. But those who are called according to God’s purpose know that all sowers in tears shall end up as reapers in joy. Therefore, this great expectation invites believers into the atmosphere of pleasant fellowship, meritorious experience, attractive assignments, inspiring statutes, and warranted tribulations with rejoicing. The act of sincere satisfaction in all of life’s experiences promotes a continuous service of sowers in tears, even in the seeming...

  “ As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people From this time forth and forever. For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous, Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity. ” Psalms 125 : 2 - 3 NKJV The natural instinct for everyone is to quack in front of mountains, especially the intimidating ones. For example, the mountains of sickness, financial crises, professional failures, economic instability, and social insecurity create fear and loss of confidence in the promises of the Lord. Invariably, whenever we are surrounded by mountains, the tendency for all of God’s people is to completely forget that they are equally surrounded by the mover of mountains. Therefore, we need to constantly be reminded like the psalmist that “ As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people From this time forth and forever “. Guess what? While our God is immovable and His promises are irrevocable, believ...

  “ Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. ” Psalms 124 : 7 - 8 NKJV Hunting helps often do not readily set out for hurt; but rather the promotion of a selective offering of help to detractors. Unfortunately, by setting snares, the hunting helps from the fowlers are dragged into a hurtful mission for damage control and coverups. For example, king Saul was engaged into the dragnet of ‘hunting helps ’ to preserve the royal lineage for Jonathan and his household, at the expense of David - the Lord’s anointed. And like the psalmist, when the righteous people of God fall into the dragnet or the snare of the fowlers, their faith in God as the only custodian of holistic help is usually challenged. Whereas, the ‘hunting helps ’ are limited in scope, space, and seasons, compared to the holistic help from the maker of heaven and earth. Even when it appears the ‘...

  “ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him .” Hebrews 11 : 6 NKJV By a careful review of the lifestyle of all the heroes of faith, it is easy to define pleasing God as the common essence of living. Life ceases at the moment the desire to please God fades. For example, life for Abel is the offering of a pleasing sacrifice; the offering of a pleasing walk for Enoch; and the offering of a pleasing profession for Noah as Ark designer and developer. Unfortunately, most well-intentioned men of wits in almost all of life’s careers, styles, and passions are driven by the pursuits of pleasure at the expense of the pleasing of God. And when the scriptures say “ But without faith it is impossible to please Him ”, this faith does simply implies faith in God; as against faith in our pursuit of pleasures, personal careers, styles, and passions in life to please ourselves and...

  “ 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. ...