Those Who Bring Good News Must Also Rebuke in Love “But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias , his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.” ( Luke 3:18–20 ) As I meditate on these verses, I wish to receive the lesson contained in them. (1) John the Baptist, who proclaimed “good news” to the people (Luke 3:18), rebuked “ Herod the tetrarch ” (v.19)—the same Herod Antipas mentioned in verse 1 (Hokmah)—because of “ his marriage to Herodias , his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done” (v.19). (a) The phrase “ his brother’s wife Herodias ” (v.19) refers to the fact that Herod took his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias (Matt. 14:4; Mark 6:17). Around A.D. 26, Herod divorced his first wife—the daughter of King Aretas of Arabia —and...
An exemplary leader [Nehemiah 5:14-19] Steven Berglas, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School, had this to say about ‘Success syndrome’. Even if you get a great sense of accomplishment, if you don't have the basic character to sustain it, you're headed for ruin. He believes that such people fall for one or more of the following four A's: (1) Arrogance, (2) Painful feeling of Aloneness, (3) Destructive Adventure-Seeking, (4) Adultery. These 4 things are that people with weak character always ask for too high a price to pay. One thing to keep in mind here is that no amount of time, money, or even prestige will ever get you past the valley you're in, where you've fallen into one or more of the four A's. The reason is because the cracks in character grow deeper and more destructive over time. Whether we lead people at home, at work, or at gatherings, we must not forget that character is our most import...