Heralds Digest

  “ Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off. Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet home, A tabernacle that will not be taken down; Not one of its stakes will ever be removed, Nor will any of its cords be broken. ” Isaiah 33 : 17 , 20 NKJV Like Esau of old, those who sell their birthrights for peanuts have shamed sights. They are shamefully severed from sighting the beauty and blessedness of their waiting glories. They bowed before the wasted kings because of their blindfold against sighting the wise King. Therefore, saved sight brings pure perspective on the prevailing challenges of life, the precarious conditions in the family, and the problematic circumstances in the system to children of the Kingdom. Rather than getting distracted by the arrogance of kings in their bullies, “ Your eyes will see the King in His beauty “ is always the provision of grace. No one who chooses to look a...

  “ Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” II Corinthians 13 : 11 NKJV The architect of fake comfort is the devil. He gives false hope in dishonesty, futile freshness in falsification, and fake comfort in compromises. Unfortunately, those who wait upon the Lord for comfort, love and peace are readily disturbed by the pestering wares of the wicked. This wicked architect knows there is no reward for those who do not endure till the end. Therefore, in his inspirational admonition to the Corinthian believers, Apostle Paul weighed in with reference to the prospect of every believer’s dependence on the God of love and peace, in the midst of discomfort and discouragement. The silver and gold from our world of sin and compromise are mere baits on the hooks of discomfort, destruction and death; only the complete comfort from the Lord can guarantee the lasting peace, joy and love.

  “ And He led them forth by the right way, That they might go to a city for a dwelling place. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalms 107 : 7 - 9 NKJV   One of the wholesome beauties of waiting upon the Lord always is that it produces the wonderful works of God. However, the waiting period is often treated as idleness, indolence, and inkling around in the midst of fast-paced intelligence of men. While the wonderful works of men are mostly etched on compromises, corruption and cruelty, those who are deceived by these works are never concerned about the consequences of missing the way to the city of God. As long as a temporary access to the city of gold is secured, waiters on the wonderful works of God are considered losers for their long suffering and endurance through the challenges of life. Whereas, the wonderful work...

  “ Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” II Corinthians 12 : 8 - 9 NKJV Reflecting on the excesses of Elisha, the man with the double portion of the power on Elijah, it is easy to discover why the perfect plea in every believer’s relationship with God is grace. Having enjoyed the abundance of revelation and exposure to the glories of heaven, Apostle Paul was buffeted by pain towards embracing the sufficiency of God’s grace. Grace brings a man from being a FIEND to being FRIEND with God. Little wonder “ He who loves purity of heart And has grace on his lips, The king will be his friend (Proverbs 22 : 11 )” advances the (1) Foundation of His grace - which is salvation of souls, and NOT sycophancy - John 3:1-3; (2) Righteousness b...

  “ Open the gates, That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength. ” Isaiah 26 : 2 - 4 NKJV The consciousness of perfect peace suggests the reality of imperfect peace. This reality establishes the difference between a righteous reign and a ruinous reign in life. Unfortunately, those who agitate for settlement in any kind of reign (e.g., finding a future partner, establishing business opportunities, deciding on residential settlements, etc) are quick to make costly compromises with grave consequences. Of course, those who rather prefer to wait for the Lord in all decision making exercises in life must be ready to endure the heat of staying behind closed doors and gates temporarily. It is always better to stay behind the right doors in ministry, marriage, and mentorship than advancing through the wrong do...

  “ He who loves purity of heart And has grace on his lips, The king will be his friend .” Proverbs 22 : 11 NKJV It is instructive to note that the symbolism of the king here is purity and not necessarily power, prosperity and position. Little wonder the New Testament version is translated as “ Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God (Matthew 5 : 8 )”. Therefore, the king here is the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords…implying that, “ He who loves purity of heart And has grace on his lips, God will be his friend ”. And to love purity of heart is to be open to correction and transformation by the grace of God as you approach His portal. It is always a great disservice to godliness for believers to be carried away by the superfluity of ‘all other benefits from the portal ’, leaving the passionate desire for purity of hearts. Unfortunately, there are many so-called believers who love power, position, and prosperity at the expense of purity of h...

  “ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled .” II Corinthians 10 : 4 - 6 NKJV There is no better reference to the scriptural punishment of all disobedience when our obedience is fulfilled than omni- obedience. In Apostle Paul’s correction of the Corinthian believers who wrestle authority with him, he admonished believers to focus on the omnipotence of absolute submission to the authority of Christ through our individual fellowship with God. Unfortunately, those who are often frustrated by the strongholds of disobedience, dishonesty, and disloyalty of fellowmen, subordinates, and associates are usually struggling with the calls for absolute submission to Christ. Is He calling our attention to som...