Heralds Digest

“And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭15:9-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.15.9-10.nkjv Everyone understands or appreciates the ease of working and living in a system, institution and society that works. When opportunities, privileges and great values in life are lost, it is often easier to shift blames than taking responsibility. The parable of the lost coin teaches the need for a sense of responsibility, against the ease of shifting responsibility. In a process of building a system that is secure and prevent the loss of personal property, there is need for taking responsibility for the promotion of personal safety and careful living. When Jesus emphasized the careful coinage of the woman with the words “for I have found the piece which I lost!”, it undersco...

“Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭8:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/114/act.8.4.nkjv When one of the greatest moralist ever lived gave the valedictory statement “May your roads be rough”, there was no doubt he sincerely meant well. Reflecting on the experience of great joy with the disciples at carrying out the great Commission during the early Church, there is no doubt God approves the morality of painful paths to breakthrough in life. The scattered disciples started their experiences of persecution with great lamentations over the death of Stephen, followed by great havoc from Saul, but ended with great joy from the preaching of the gospel in Samaria (and the outmost parts of the world, as commissioned). Unfortunately, disciples are often tempted to ask “where is God?”, especially at the entrant of every painful path in life. Whereas, the precious presence of God is heavily loaded in the word of peace from the mouths of all His faithfu...

“I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭15:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/luk.15.7.nkjv The parable of a lost sheep was presented by Jesus to address the complaints of the Pharisees about His being a friend of sinners. However, the clear concept for those who care to unravel the parable is that Jesus acclaimed that scribes are sinners who need no repentance. There are many comfortable sinners in religious assemblies: physically present, but spiritually absent; actively compliant, but passively corrupted; physically loyal, but emotionally lost; and outwardly consecrated, but inwardly conforming. And how can seated scribes on the gospel pew be possibly reached with the words of salvation? They have become a bunch of no-joy fellows in fellowship. In the words of Reinhard Bonnke “A church that does not save the lost is lost itself”. Invariably, an unappealing sain...

““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.