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...

“Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭14:23-24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/bible/114/luk.14.23-24.nkjv The appeal of the setup in a great restaurant and its menu often draw significant attention and appreciation before many people ever settle down with their served meals. When one of the invitees to a feast had the privilege of sitting with Jesus and observing His sense of organizing and the description about His future event - the Great Supper, he could not hide the feeling about the anticipated grandeur of the future heavenly feast. Unfortunately, as magnificent as this Great Supper would be, Jesus appeared to wonder why many who are invited or assigned to draw the invitees did not have the same sense of appeal as the fellow that sat by Him. Apparently, it will take the grace of sitting by Je...

“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭14:11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/114/luk.14.11.nkjv Steady state analysis in the consideration of the challenges of life represents an interesting assumption of an unsettled real life situation. In social gatherings and reception ceremonies, the dynamic of control for the steady state is sometimes beyond the event planner. Jesus says the best control key for steady state analysis is humility. While the steady state for self exaltation is humiliation; the steady state for humble disposition is excellent exaltation. Funny enough, no one goes to a secular school for training on humble dispositions; life at home, workplaces and the society at large themselves represents a school for an imposed training on humble disposition. Notwithstanding, only a tangible resolution of the mind for humble disposition represents the sole candidacy for excellent exaltation.

“And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭14:3-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/bible/114/luk.14.3-4.nkjv Public service without a bold heart against the antics of silent setups is a no-go area for care-freak fellows. It is simply a game of “those who cannot withstand the heat should get out of the kitchen”. Unfortunately, God often prefer men who can withstand the heat of silent setups in order to carry out His glory setups at home, workplaces and the society at large. When Jesus received invitation for a public love feast, anyone will expect the setups of a man with dropsy and the man with the healing touch is borne out of good intention. But by His response to the challenge upon reception “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”, it was obvious that Jesus would not allow the Pharisees’ silent setups to cancel His commitment to public servi...

““O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭13:34‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/bible/114/luk.13.34.nkjv Although Jerusalem is central to God’s plan of redemption, the will of the Lord is the salvation of the entire world from the captivity of sin. Being the sacrificial Lamb in the plan of redemption, Jesus started the redemption ministry by first reaching out unto His own with the wayfaring will. It is the aspect where man’s consent is absolutely necessary for the release of freedom to captives from sin and satanic oppression. Unfortunately, just as Jesus was confronted with the strange will in His kinsmen, the principle of the wayward will is prevalent in many who are conscious of the wayfaring will of God today. Knowing the will of God in life, family, career, and ministry is one thing; but doing ...

“They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭13:29-30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/114/luk.13.29-30.nkjv Knowledge seeking for policy formulation without the commensurate striving spirit for policy implementation is a recognized expensive culture of under-development in the business of life. Either at home stand or along the street walk, when Jesus was noticed to be fully engaged in the business of the kingdom of God, One was curious to ask if head knowledge is a sufficient requirement for heaven. Of course, the response of Jesus was not welcomed by the Pharisees, who have mastered the art of searching for policy formulation without the aim of striving for policy implementation. Heaven is the abode of the Holy God and all who seek to live eternally with Him cannot afford to mess around with the only requirement of holines...