Heralds Digest

  “ God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high ” Hebrews 1 : 1 - 3 NKJV The ministry of Jesus Christ is here compared with the ministry of prophets and the angels. While “ Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? ( Hebrews 1 : 14 )” climaxed the ministry of angels at the provision of messages to pilgrims on their way to the redemption city, Jesus Christ is the Message for every believer’s salvation, sanctification, and spirit baptism. Why then would anyone get distracted by the ministries of messengers (like priests, pastors, proph...

  “ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man to bear The yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and keep silent, Because God has laid it on him; Let him put his mouth in the dust— There may yet be hope. ” Lamentations 3 : 25 - 29 NKJV What a refreshing twist to the depressing thought about the lamentation of Jeremiah? That the wait weight is good “ Because God has laid it …” is quite refreshing every time the heart is made to rest on the solemn reality. Unfortunately, believers’ souls, minds and hearts are quick to wait on the disappointment whispers from friends, favourites, and foes, rather than embracing the wait weight with grace. And the architect of our distraction from life’s purposes is always quick to manipulate these acquaintances to play on believers’ intelligence and absolute dependence on the wait weight. Therefore, it is only those who wa...

  “ Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful. ” Titus 3 : 1 , 8 , 14 NKJV The challenge before good citizens or workers on the disparity between subjection to rulers and authorities and submission to good works emphasizes the indispensability of scriptural recommendation as the best maintenance manual. Little wonder why God recommended the same Book of the Law to Joshua as his maintenance manual towards good success. This biblical principle of success underscores the indispensability of consistent fellowship between God and all good citizens or workers to maintain good works in life’s projects and all relationships. Unfortu...

  “ But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you .” Titus 2 : 1 , 15 NKJV If Titus had encountered the challenge of dismissive doctrines in his days of ministry, it is understandable why these challenges are high with professional practices, preaching and parenting in today’s perilous times. Notwithstanding, there is always the power of discreetness in the “ But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine” . Discreet doctrine does not come through the letters or oratorio declarations of the words; it comes through the demonstration of the power of the Spirit in the words. The receptiveness of the people to words of instruction, correction, and admonition from any man of God has always been proven to depend solely on his attentiveness to the God of the man in the place of prayer and supplication. Therefore, rather than getting distracted, disturbed, and d...

   “ Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, For they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, to the very end .” Psalms 119 : 111 - 112 NKJV If performance is driven only by perspiration, diligence, discipline and determination will suffice for career and professional progression. Unfortunately, those in the trade of any professional field for acquisition can attest to the pressure to join secret cults and get initiated before progression can be guaranteed. In the actual sense, anyone who fails to hide under the inspiration of the scriptures or God’s statutes will get exposed to the initiation of secret cults. Therefore, when the psalmist says “ Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever“ , it merely reveals the secret of scriptural inspiration as a reliable escape from performance pressure. Unlike performance pressure, inclining the heart to perform the instruction and commandment of the Lord is rather a p...

  “ Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” II Timothy 4 : 2 NKJV Life is full of sentences in season and out of season; and it is normal to expect seasoned and unseasoned responses of men to varying sentences, depending on personal assessment of convenience. But considering the fact that “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ( John 1 : 1 )” and Christ is the Word, it implies that Christians as well are expected to be the embodiment of the word in Christ’s season-less sentence. In a practical demonstration of himself as an embodiment of the season-sentence through suffering, Apostle Paul charged young Timothy and today’s believers “ Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching ”. While we are readily tempted to be distracted by the senses in our season and out of season affairs, believe...

  “ Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction .” Psalms 119 : 89 , 92 NKJV By reference to the experience of the psalmist, David’s affliction in the hands of his enemies can be regarded as the collection and conflagration of scattered sentences. Starting with the sentences of Goliath like “ Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field ! ( I Samuel 17 : 44)”, the counsel of Ahithophel to Absaloam “ Now let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight. I will come upon him while he is weary and weak, and make him afraid. And all the people who are with him will flee, and I will strike only the king ( II Samuel 17 : 1 - 2 )”, and many other sentences that accompany his wilderness experiences, it is evident that life is a compendium of scattered sentences. These sentences primarily promote unsettled dispositions, like fe...