Heralds Digest

  “ The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands .” Psalms 138 : 8 NKJV The scriptures say we are all God’s masterpieces at creation, until the fall of man. But through God’s redemptive love, human beings have become God’s mindful pieces, until the fullness of His image is reflected. Unfortunately, while idling in the Master’s workshop, it is easy to be more engrossed with the activities of fellowmen or betrayers, fake believers and fiends as boasters. When we throw ourselves as specimens in the devil’s workshop, our ignorant minds will be readily messed up with statements of arrogance and intimidation. Whereas, God’s love actually beams His searchlight on all creatures, including the agents of wickedness and unrighteousness, towards turning all men into perfect pieces. When God’s love is perfected in us, we will be fruitfully engrossed with the Lord’s redemptive mindset on all wicked men, rather than ge...

  “ We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. ”  I John 3 : 14 NKJV The redemption story is a transition from death to life; but this love life is definitely not rhetorical. The Christian’s love life is transformational. Life itself is full of evidential provocations and extensions of hatred, envy, and wickedness because it is broken, battered, and bitten by the depravity of sin and satanic manipulations. And many pilgrims will readily pass from life to death on all its corridors, rather than experience the opposite. So, when the Apostle says “ We know that we have passed from death to life“ , he speaks of the strengthening capacity of the indwelling Christ in every beneficiary of the power of God’s love. The creative capacity to love unconditionally is not humane, but definitely divine. Therefore, those who have truly passed from death to life are sincerely identified by their inherent ca...

  “ Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. ”  I John 3 : 1 - 3 NKJV If the future revelation of the likeness of Jesus Christ actually gives believers and Christians a victorious vibe, it is clearly instructive that the root cause of the loss of passion for holiness and righteousness is the absence of His present vision. Little wonder the scriptures say elsewhere that without vision, the people perish. Unfortunately, our present world’s population of youths and promising leaders are readily wired by personal ambitions towards quick riches, promotion and prosperity; and that’s why their visions are e...

  “ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. ” I John 2 : 15 - 17 NKJV “ Do not love the world or the things in the world ” is not a reference to the appreciation of the beauty of God’s creation. Those who embark on tourism to view the wonders of nature can readily undertake the mission with the heart of worship, prayer and outreaches. Whereas, the world is full of virulent vibes including the paying of attention to the lust of the flesh, especially in direct disobedience to the revealed instructions of the Lord. For example, those who steal, tell lies, and engage in different forms of vices against their fellow men and the system in the name of satisfying the basic needs o...

  “ that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full .” I John 1 : 3 - 4 NKJV When king Darius of Medes says to Daniel “ Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you”, little did he know the power backing his prophetic pronouncement. The experience of Daniel had shown how fellowship with the greatest can be fouled by earthly conspiracies. Fortunately, Daniel had a full fellowship with the King of kings and the Lord of lords; and Darius later attested to the fact: “ I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, And steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, And His dominion shall endure to the end ( Daniel 6 : 26 )”. And having seen, tasted and touched the genuineness of full ...

  “ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” II Peter 3 : 9 NKJV If only the heart is consistently made to understand the objective function of the divine optimization or handling of the world’s affairs, there will never be any agitation on the timing of all His promises. Unfortunately, both the righteous believers and the perishing unbelievers are often carried away by their personal or parochial will. For example, while believers are focused on personal deliverances, preservation, and prosperity for the restricted self or loved ones, God is always fixated on His ‘not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance’ until the expiration of His prerogative of mercy. On the other hand, the unbelievers and sinners are usually consumed by their arrogant pride, destructive affluence, and time-bound fame until the heavy hamme...

  “ then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment” II Peter 2 : 9 NKJV It is always disturbing that human beings are mostly ruled by the deceitful designs of fellow men rather than the delightful design of God. There are numerous people who were destroyed by the deceitful designs of Pharaoh’s invincibility in the Red Sea and the divers plagues. Needless to mention the collateral damages of Nebuchadnezzar’s deceitful designs, and many like minds. Whenever believers experience delay in either the deliverance of the righteous or the destruction of the wicked, we are often tempted to doubt the delightful design of the Most High God. The truth is simply that only “ the Lord knows how to deliver… ” because deliverance of His creations is always the Lord’s delightful design. Those who would eventually fall under the mighty hand of God’s judgment will definitely acknowledge the Lord’s delightful design...