The Cost of Discipleship

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.  Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.  For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?  Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:25-33

To follow Jesus Christ, we must consider the cost and make Him Lord.

Salvation is absolutely free and yet it costs you your very life. Sounds paradoxical. You receive it freely at no expense to you, but once you receive it, you have just committed everything you are to Jesus Christ. You may think, “That’s a contradiction! How can something be both free and costly at the same time?”

Suppose I had a desire to climb Mount Everest. But it costs about $100,000 to do it and I don’t have that kind of money. Suppose a wealthy businessman heard of my desire and offered to pay for the whole expedition. He would purchase all the expensive clothing and gear; he would pay for my transportation, the guides, and the training. It’s totally free for me. But if I accept his free offer, I have just committed myself to months of rigorous training. It could even cost me my life, because many good climbers die trying to climb Mount Everest. It’s free, yet very costly.

Or, suppose a pilot offers me a free ride in his airplane. He invites me to come along at his expense. When I accept his free offer, I’ve just committed my life to him. If he’s a good pilot and we have no weather or mechanical problems, then I’ll be safe. If he crashes, I die. But the moment I say yes to his free offer, I am totally committed to him. I have entrusted my life into his hands.

You receive salvation freely at no expense to you, but once you receive it, you have just committed everything you are and have to Jesus Christ.  Your life is no longer your own; you have been bought with a price, and that price was the precious shed blood of Jesus. You made Him Lord of your life. As a true disciple, follow the teachings of Jesus completely, and give Him first place in your life.

Christmas Lights

Christmas lights are everywhere in our little town. It looks like some sort of enchanted village. Many towns have Christmas lighting contests to see who can decorate their homes the best. People get in their cars and drive all around town to see the beautiful lighting displays. It’s really easy to get so caught up the beauty of the lights that you might think that is what Christmas is all about… but it’s not. You see, the lights are just a reminder of the One True Light that came to bring light into the world.

·        God is the source of Light

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:3-4 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17

·        Light announced Jesus birth

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2

After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. Matthew 2:9-10

·        Jesus brought Light to the world

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. John 1:6-9

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” John 3:18-21

Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Imagine walking through a room that you’ve never been in before. If you walk in the room when there are no lights on, you might be anxious and uneasy. You don’t know where the obstacles are, how the furniture is arrayed. You can’t tell what might be there in the dark that would cause you to stub your toe or get hurt. But if the light’s on – you walk with confidence and see exactly what you need to see. There are no more obstacles. No chance of getting hurt. That’s the kind of difference Jesus Christ brings to our lives. We no longer walk in darkness with uneasiness and anxiety. Now we walk with in His light… and life is completely different.

Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” John 12:35-36

·        We are to be children of light

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Ephesians 5:8

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. Philippians 2:14-15

For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 1 Thessalonians 5:5

If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

This Christmas, as you enjoy the beautiful Christmas lights, let's remember they are reminders of the one true light – Jesus Christ. Let's also remember that you are the light of the world.

"There is not enough darkness in the entire world to put out the light of even one small candle."  --Robert Alden

Good God

George Barna writes in his book Maximum Faith that only one out of every ten Christians is truly sold out to God. Only 10% of all Christians ever get to the point of total transformation and experience God’s best.

People are afraid to sell out to God. What I mean is total surrender, total submission, wholehearted obedience to His will, His plans and His purpose. We fear total submission to God because we don’t know what God will require. We fail to realize that God is good. He has dreams and plans for you and His way is better than anything that you could ever imagine.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

God is good by nature. He is the highest and greatest good, and He is the source of everything good. It’s His nature to be loving, gracious, merciful, and generous. Because God is good, He’s promised to meet all our needs. 

 

He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies… Ephesians 1:3

God has given us everything we need for life and godliness… 2 Peter 1:3

Every good thing we enjoy comes from Him. Nothing good has ever existed that doesn't come from God.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows James 1:17

God's goodness is seen in His creation. Seven times in Genesis God said what He made was good. “And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good” Genesis 1:31. How can anyone observe the beauty of God’s creation and not say it is good? His goodness is reflected in majestic mountains, vast blue oceans, green grass, purple flowers, golden sunrises, orange sunsets and amber waves of grain.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 “The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD” Psalm 33:5. 

Then there is man, the pinnacle of God’s creation. God gave us eyes to behold the beauty of nature, ears to hear its delightful sounds, nostrils to enjoy its pleasant aromas, taste buds to savor its infinite variety of edible delights, a sense of touch to feel or communicate love, and a mind to comprehend it all. 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

He gives us the bright warmth of sunlight, the joy of family and friends, the satisfaction of hard work, the refreshment of a good night’s sleep, provision for our daily needs, and so many others things that enrich our lives.

God's goodness is bestowed on everyone, not just believers.

The Lord is good to all and his mercy is over all that he has made. Psalm 145:9

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:45.

People today still challenge God’s goodness. How can a good God allow evil to exist in His world? How can He allow disease, pain, suffering, poverty, hunger, racism, crime, war, murder and natural disasters. They say, either He is not very good or He does not have the power to stop it.

Remember, God in His goodness created Adam with the ability to choose good or evil. He chose evil, and his sin affected all of creation. All of the pain and suffering in this world today are the direct result of Adam’s choice. These are the consequences of living in a world affected by sin.

We don't know why God in His goodness allows these things. Many times God uses crises to get our attention. He sees the big picture and we are myopic. We know that somehow it's going to work out for our good and His glory.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28

God is good. If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, your life is not your own. He asks you to surrender completely. He can be trusted with your life.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

 

You trust God with your past for salvation, you trust Him with your future for eternal life, so why not trust Him with the present? He wants to maximize your potential and conform you into the image of Christ. He wants to give you the best He has to offer.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1,2

Death is Inevitable

Today I performed another funeral and was reminded of the brevity of life. Death can catch us off guard, leaving us unprepared when a loved one dies. There is a time appointed unto every man to die and that's one appointment we cannot break. 

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. James 4:13-14 

From this passage in the book of James we see that life is fragile. We don't know what's going to happen ten minutes from now, let alone tomorrow or next year. These people mentioned in this passage arrogantly assumed they would wake up tomorrow, travel safely to a city, spend a year there and make a profit. They were making presumptions about an unknown future, over which they had no control or guarantees.

Jon Blunk was a 26 year old Navy veteran who loved to help people. He served five years in the U.S. Navy, including three tours in the Middle East and had hoped to re-enlist and become a Navy SEAL.

On the night of July 20, 2012, Jon Blunk and his girlfriend decided to take in a movie. During the screening of "The Dark Knight Rises", James Holmes opened fire in that Century 16 movie theater, and Blunk instinctively threw himself on top of his girlfriend. He was killed by the gunfire, but his girlfriend survived. The Aurora, CO massacre left 12 people dead and 58 injured. Life is fragile.

These verses also remind us that life is short. It's just like a mist, one moment you see it and a few seconds later it's gone. Like the steam from your morning cup of coffee, you see it and just that quickly it disappears into thin air. Life is like that. The book of Job describes the frailty and fleetingness of life as a shadow, a breath or a cloud. The Psalms describe life as a wildflower or a vapor.

Moses compared life to the grass of the field that sprouts in the morning and by evening it has faded under the hot sun. He also wrote, "The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away." Psalm 90:10  No wonder he prayed, "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

We also know is that death is certain. George Bernard Shaw was exactly right when he said, "The statistics on death are quite impressive. One out of one people die." You would think that because death is certain, everybody would be desperate to get right with God. Just the opposite is true. We don't want to think about death and live as though we're immortal and invincible. We see footage of catastrophes, shake our heads in disbelief at the dead bodies and continue life with no thought of repentance. It is truly unwise not to prepare for something that is 100% certain. Death is certain.

Prepare yourself. "...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." Romans 10:9-10

 

 

Sleeping with the Enemy

Obviously there were some divisions and disputes among the early church. James wrote his epistle to the Jewish Christians who had been scattered abroad because of persecution. He addressed problems they had with prejudice and partiality, problems the tongue, and now he discusses fights and quarrels among them and shows them where these problems originate.

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?   James 4:1

When we choose to follow Christ we’re given the Holy Spirit and a new nature, but we still have to battle the old fallen nature. We will have this struggle within until the day we meet Jesus.

When we get into a fight or argument we are quick to shift blame to the other person. We've all said, “You make me so mad!” Nobody makes you mad other than yourself. Frankly, most of our relationship problems exist because of unmet expectations.

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. James 4:2-3

These believers desired what others possessed, but rather than praying for what they wanted they would fight, quarrel and murder. And when they did pray they still didn’t get what they wanted because they prayed with selfish motives. We don’t know if this means literal murder, but remember the scripture says, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer…” 1 John 3:15. God promised to supply all of our needs but not all of our wants. Jesus said whatever we ask according to His will, he would give it.

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? James 4:4-5

Adultery is when you are married to one person and yet you are sleeping with someone else. Spiritual adultery is being married to Christ and sleeping with the world. You would be jealous if your spouse was an adulterer, and God’s indwelling Holy Spirit is jealous when were guilty of spiritual adultery with the world. 

Worldliness elevates creature comforts to the point of idolatry; sex, money and lots of material goods become our god. Worldliness is preoccupation with temporal things of life and giving them more importance than the things which are eternal. We are not part of the world system, so why do we act as though we were? Engage the world but keep Christ at the center.

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:6-7

We you read, study and memorize the Word of God, you have an effective offensive weapon to use when tempted and the Holy Spirit will enable you to resist the Devil. Remember the Word is an essential part the armor of God. You’re no longer a slave to sin. You can choose to resist temptation.

God wants to give us more grace, but He can't help you when you're proud and refuse to repent of sin. First submit to God; then you can effectively resist the devil.

 

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:6-9

Taming the tongue

It’s the little things in life that make a big difference… a virus, a tiny rock in your shoe, a speck in your eye, or a splinter.  These small things that can have a great impact on the body. So it is with our tongue. It’s not very big, but it has enormous power. The epistle of James has much to say about the tongue.

 

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.  For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.  Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.  So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.  James 3:1-5a

The tongue has the power to direct like the bit and the rudder, two small items that exercise great power. A small bit enables the rider to control a massive horse, and a small rudder enables the pilot to steer a huge ship. The tongue is a small member in the body, and yet it has the power to accomplish great things. 

Both the bit and the rudder have to overcome opposing forces. The bit has to overcome the wild horse, and the rudder has to fight the winds and waves that could drive a ship off course. The tongue also has to overcome contrary forces from within and without. 

The bit and the rudder have to be under the control of a strong hand. When we allow the Spirit to control our tongue we don’t have to worry about saying the wrong things. Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”. When Jesus is the Lord of your heart, He's going to be Lord of your lips too. 

The bit and rudder have the power to direct, which means they affect the lives of others. Likewise our words can hurt or heal, encourage or discourage, build up or tear down.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.  For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,  but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:5a-8

The tongue also has the power to destroy like fire or a wild animal. Like a spark that causes a great forest fire, some tongues blaze out of control and the result is destruction. A hot temper leads to burning words that later we will regret. 

Fire spreads, and the more fuel you give it, the faster and farther it will spread. A person’s entire life can be injured or destroyed by the tongue. The words we speak have the power to destroy. 

The tongue is also like a wild animal. It’s restless and seeks its prey, then pounces and kills. Some animals are poisonous, and some tongues spread poison. Poison works secretly and slowly, and then kills. An untamed tongue accomplishes the same thing.  

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.  Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?  Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. James 3:9–12

The controlled tongue has the power to delight. Nothing quenches the thirst like water.  The tongue can be delightful like a drink of water. Water is life-giving and our words can give life. When water or words are uncontrolled, they bring death and destruction. 

The tongue can be delightful just like a tree. Trees help to hold down the soil, they provide beauty and shade and they bear fruit. Delightful words can bring the beauty of encouragement to others. 

The most important thing about a tree is the root system. If the roots do not go down deep, the tree will not grow in a healthy manner. If we are rooted in the things of God, our words will impart grace to the hearer.

If your tongue is inconsistent, there is something wrong with your heart. The tongue that blesses the Father, and then turns around and curses men made in God’s image, needs spiritual medicine! 

In order to have tongues that delight, spend time with God daily. Get your spiritual roots deep into His Word. Pray and allow the Holy Spirit to fill your heart with God’s love and truth. 

Remember Jesus said, “What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.” Matthew 15:18.