Heralds Digest

““Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭14:34-35‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.14.34-35.nkjv Comparing socialization with seasoning appears to be one of the profound illustrations in the teachings of Jesus on discipleship. Unlike many other people of the world with great expectations from socialization, Christians are addressed as the salt of the earth. Salt provides seasoning of other ingredients; but it cannot be seasoned by others. Salt becomes useless, once its flavour is lost. The reality is that Christians without Christ as the source of his daily strength is worthless and useless in the world with dynamic need for value addition. Little wonder the scriptures elsewhere declare “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” (‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4:6...

“So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭14:33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/114/luk.14.33.nkjv Social engineering bothers on effective management of the dynamics of followers’ friendship. Where the protection of self-interest plays a major key, a priority in the distribution from the mix of friendship and forfeiture becomes necessary. For example, marriage relationship defines the priority of friendship between partners in the relationship to the forfeiture of some friends outside the relationship. Just as men count infidelity when the friendship-forfeiture balance is misjudged, Jesus demanded the forfeiture of all friendship outside the claimed love relationship with Him. To hate father, mother, wife, husband, children, and friends in order to follow Jesus implies giving priority to the interest of the Lord at all times and in all situations. Interestingly, in every relationship where the pursuit of the interest of Jesus Christ i...