Heralds Digest

  “ Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” Psalms 51 : 10 - 11 NKJV The psalmist’s confession or prayer that made a reference to a steadfast spirit confirmed the fundamental consequence of the fall of man. When God commanded and declared to Adam and Eve “ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die (Genesis 2 : 17 )”, it merely meant that the major depravity of sin is the loss of the steadfast spirit. More than the loss of the privilege of physical fellowship with God in the garden of Eden, the loss of the presence of God and His steadfast spirit in the heart of any man is spiritual death. And when King David realized he had lost this steadfast spirit by his act of adultery and murder, he cried out to the Lord for mercy and restoration. There are countless records of inconsistencie...

  “ The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. The righteous will never be removed, But the wicked will not inhabit the earth .” Proverbs 10 : 29 - 30 NKJV Even after more than 3 centuries have passed since the sure slide of God's sermon on ‘Sinners in the hands of an angry God’ was delivered by Jonathan Edwards, the sureness of the wrath and severity of our loving but holy God on the wicked cannot be more apt. Unfortunately, believers and so-called followers of the cross that atoned sin by the redemptive blood of our sure Savior often live as though the sure slide is an empty threat. Yet, if the thief at the right side of the cross can see the sure slide at the eleventh of his life and accepted the sure Saviour to earn “ Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise ( Luke 23 : 43 )”, why would anyone plunge carelessly on the sure slide of God? But like the way-faring pilgrims with the sure Saviour, m...

  “ Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow .” Psalms 51 : 6 - 7 NKJV Everyone knows that a partial purge from sin is all about a controlled coverup of corruption, imperfections, and unrighteousness. King David was skillful in this coverup act, especially drawing from his bracing coverup for adultery with murder. Supported by his palace privileges and the control of state security apparatus, the coverup option provided the needed partial purge against negative public opinions. But after his acknowledgment of God’s desire for a pure purge with “ Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom“, the psalmist made a passionate plea for the clean option, praying  “ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow ”. Actually, it is only a misunde...

  “ When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” ” Luke 22 : 45 - 46 NKJV If our Lord Jesus Christ could need the likes of Gethsemane prayer, it is no wonder why prayerlessness makes the strongest of man a prey in the hands of the enemy. For Jesus, prayer makes the Son of man to maintain His status as the Son of God and the Lamb of God for the redemption of the world. Whereas, prayerlessness promotes the will of man above the will of God, and facilitates falling of the heart into various temptations in satisfaction of carnal cravings. Like Jesus asked the sleepy disciples, each day poses the heavenly concern “ Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation” to everyone facing its challenges and engagements. Unfortunately, it is only pride on the basis of financial strength, academic achievement, and social or political privi...

  ““ Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” Let the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is Judge. Selah” Psalms 50 : 5 - 6 NKJV Saints’ sacrifices are simply the offering of believers’ sainthood unto the Lord, which is the living, holy, and acceptable sacrifices of the believers’ time, talents, and treasures unto the Lord. Even though the almighty, all-sufficient, and our sovereign God can accomplish all His purposes without the saints, He always chooses to engage saints as partners toward the accomplishment of all His counsels. Therefore, “ Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice ” merely authenticates every believer’s fruitfulness in the achievement of God’s purposes on earth through both his fellowship with the Lord and faithfulness unto the Lord. Yes, fellowship and faithfulness unto the Lord are the saints’ sacrifices on the altar for fruitfulness. Whereas, the world ...

  “ The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. ” Proverbs 10 : 11 NKJV The social media spaces, political and economic affairs in our world are dominated daily by depressing words that the generous gift of gross are freely shared with little or no restriction. Little wonders, our homes, workplaces, and institutions have been turned into death or depression traps; ridden with violence and destruction. But at the spark of revival and expectation of divine visitation, people with righteous mouths are positioned and placed to provide words of encouragement, even in the face of adversity and discomfort. For example, in demonstration of divine presence with Joshua, the returned two spies returned with “ And they said to Joshua, “Truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us (Joshua 2 : 24 )””. When we are blessed with a lighted life, like the life an...

“ The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’ Then Israel shall dwell in safety, The fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens shall also drop dew.” Deuteronomy 33 : 27 - 28 NKJV The commemoration of Easter Monday is baseless without the consideration of the real resurrection and the understanding of its power in the lives of those who seem to remember the disciples’ call to visit the resurrected Christ in Galilee. Obviously, the commemoration is meant to emphasize the continuation of Christ's presence in the world, while reminding us to find him in our everyday lives and communities through a consistent deliverance of Christians from the activities of the enemies and every form of wickedness. Rather than embracing the polluted refuge in our physical might, political prowess, and financial dominance, real resurrection awakens their hearts with the realiz...