THE HERALDS DEVOTIONAL

ARISE, KILL AND EAT PART 1: THE MAN GOD WAS ALREADY PREPARING Acts 10:1–2 (NLT) “In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God.” Before Peter ever heard the name Cornelius, God already knew him. Before Peter was sent to his house, God was already working in his heart. Before the Gospel reached his ears, Cornelius was already seeking God. And this is where our journey through Acts 10 begins. Not with Peter. Not with the sheet. Not even with the famous command, “ Arise, kill and eat.” It begins with a man who was already being prepared for an encounter with God. THE MAN BEHIND THE NAME Cornelius was a Roman centurion. He was a military officer, a man accustomed to authority, discipline, responsibility, and command. But Acts 10 introduces us to another side of this soldier. He was devout. He feared God. Hi...

BEYOND EHUD: THE LEFT-HANDED WARRIORS OF BENJAMIN PART 15: FINAL LAP - THE LEGACY BEYOND THE BATTLEFIELD Judges 20:16 (NLT) "Among Benjamin's elite troops were 700 select left-handed warriors, each of whom could sling a stone and hit a target within a hair's breadth, without missing." Every journey eventually reaches its final chapter. For fifteen parts, we have travelled beyond Ehud. We began with a left-handed man whom God raised as a deliverer. We discovered his hidden weapon. We watched him enter Eglon's private room. We saw wisdom in knowing when to stand alone. We witnessed the fall of a powerful king. We followed Ehud to Seirah and heard the trumpet of victory. Then we moved beyond Ehud—to another generation of left-handed warriors from Benjamin. Seven hundred men. Highly trained. Exceptionally precise. Able to sling a stone and hit their target without missing. But their story became much bigger than their ability. It became a lesson about difference, skil...

BEYOND EHUD: THE LEFT-HANDED WARRIORS OF BENJAMIN PART 14: WHEN THE WARRIORS BECAME A REMINDER Judges 20:16 (NLT) "Among Benjamin's elite troops were 700 select left-handed warriors, each of whom could sling a stone and hit a target within a hair's breadth, without missing." In Part 13, we confronted one of the darkest lessons in the story of Benjamin. A battle can be won while something precious is lost. Benjamin was nearly destroyed. The conflict had produced enormous suffering, and Israel was eventually forced to confront the consequences of fighting against their own brother. Now, as we approach the final stages of this journey, we need to step back and ask: Why did Scripture preserve the story of these 700 left-handed warriors? Why tell us about their unusual ability? Why record their precision? Why mention their left-handedness? Perhaps because their story was never merely about warriors. It was about what God wants us to learn from them. They Were More Than Ski...