(Luke 14:25-33)
At the grocery store, we pay much more than we did 20 years ago. We pay more at the gas pump. It costs more for a mechanic, plumber, doctor, et cetera. It costs more to be educated, have children, or to have enough savings to retire (as if that is possible for most of us).
Now that apostasy has metastasized, and raging evil is pressing at the fence, it costs more to stand and be victorious. It costs more to be spiritually productive. The payment involves more praying and more abstaining from time-devouring and energy-wasting lures and distractions. One must make a greater investment in God’s kingdom, and that requires more spiritually healthy choices
ALERT: Attempting to get by with the same degree of commitment and prayer you invested even a decade ago is a serious mistake.
However, professing Christians are less committed and are praying less. They are becoming more invested in entertainment than in their relationship with God. Your initial commitment to God is merely a down payment on what you owe Him.
You owe full surrender. That is what He purchased when He redeemed us(1 Peter 1:17-19; 1 Corinthians 6:20) It involves many battles and purging to reach that point. No one who drinks liberally from the pool of world system entertainment or the broken cisterns of false Christianity has advanced toward full surrender.
They refuse to pay the price, intercede, or stand when it costs them. Metaphorically speaking, they are trying to get the benefits of a million-dollar surrender from 2 cents worth of commitment.
The fact is that no one is going to pay the price when they will not even count the cost. Please read, pray, and consider the scripture reference. (Luke 14:25-33)
Right on!!!
All you hear about these days is what I’m dubbing “Bless-Me Christianity!”
And then when called upon to suffer for the Lord’s namesake… all you hear is “What!? Surely God does not expect me to DIE for Him, does He??? You mean I have to give up __________?!?!” and when their material survival or even comfort zone is on the line you hear; “Me? His disciple? Says who!?” Funny how it is, the flesh is so weak and self deceiving and it is not until one is in that pivotal moment, ready to be tossed into the fiery furnace that the words are out before the heart knew what happened to save the flesh and lose one’s soul… and you hear “But.. but… I don’t know Him I tell you!” When the day comes around and they are coming for us… and mark my words, that day WILL come, will YOU be ready to confess Jesus publicly regardless of the cost, or slink and cower off into denial? Recall Matthew 10; 32-33.
Is discipleship an option for a Christian? Surely not, for a matter of life and action. Yes, I do believe we all go through ‘dry’ seasons when our ‘moisture’ seems to be in short supply. Right now I am at the ‘why bother’ stage in writing new articles on my blog/website. Having said that, I am also in “double down” mode in trying to find new ways for me to try and evangelize, in these dark last days.
The Scripture passage of Luke 14:26-35 is powerful and convicting to me. People always ‘need the Lord’ but right now I have an urgency in my soul like at no other time in my Christian life. I want to finish well. We are nearing the end of the race, friends, and we should be pulling out all the stops and preparing to be ready to show lost sinners the Answer; Jesus and His salvation. Things are going to get very cockeyed in Amerika soon and I believe my circle of acquaintances will be open and possibly even “seek me out” to help them make sense of the disasters that likely will occur soon. That is what I am praying for and preparing for. Right now, these friends will not totally listen, and some scoff at me behind my back, probably. They are lost sinners, that is what lost people do.
My ministry is call the Luke 14 Project. God gave me that name about 5 years ago when He showed me the passage of verses from Luke 14:14-24. He told to go into the highways and hedges and to compel ( Greek word-anagkazo) those who I meet in everyday life to come to His supper (be saved). Anagkazo conveys the meaning of making some one see and understand the necessity of Christ’s invitation to come to Him. Almost meaning (by force). I am constrained to do this ministry. It is like the verse in Jude where we are supposed to jerk them out of the fire (s) of apostacy and apathy.
I believe the fields are becoming whiter by the day. Soon they will be ripe. Are we going to be there to pick the fruit for the Lord, Christian friends?
One other thought came to mind with these verses that C.H. is pointing out. There is a term from way back, maybe even a book by this name. The Carnal Christian, I think. Jesus seems to be saying in many places in the Gospels, as He does here in Luke 14, that those who do not come when called, and those who do not count the cost and are not willing to pay it, will not “taste of His supper”. Something to ponder on I think !!…ps…We all have carnal desires but I believe the concept of living the Christian life as a flawed, carnal-minded Christian? without overcoming power is without merit from the Scriptures.