THE HERALDS DEVOTIONAL

ARISE, KILL AND EAT PART 2: WHEN HEAVEN INTERRUPTS YOUR ROUTINE Acts 10:9–10 (NLT) “Peter went up on the flat roof to pray, about noon. He was hungry, but while lunch was being prepared, he fell into a trance.”   In Part 1, we discovered the man God was already preparing . Cornelius was a Roman centurion, yet he was a devout and God-fearing man. He prayed regularly, gave generously to the poor, and influenced his household to seek God. But we also discovered something deeper. Cornelius was being prepared for an encounter he knew nothing about. While he was praying, God was already arranging for Peter to come to his house. Cornelius needed a messenger. Peter needed a revelation. And God was preparing both sides of the divine appointment. We learned that preparation is not postponement . Sometimes what looks like waiting is actually God preparing us for an assignment we have not yet recognized. But now the story moves from Cornelius in Caesarea to Peter in Joppa. And Pe...

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...