“JESUS!”

 Luke 14:25-33                          (ESV)

The Cost of Discipleship

“[25] Now great crowds accompanied HIM, and HE turned and said to them, [26] “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. [27] Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after ME cannot be MY disciple. [28] 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? [29] Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, [30] saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ [31] 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? [32] And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. [33] So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has CANNOT be MY disciple.”

I love my wife, kids, AND GRANDCHILDREN more than life itself!!  But JESUS says in a different translation “You CANNOT be MY disciple, unless you love ME MORE than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters”!

While growing up, I thought my mom was the greatest person alive!  Then I met my wife and she was the greatest person!  Then the LORD blessed us with two sons, and they were rather special!  Then the LORD BLESSED us with GRANDCHILDREN, and mere words aren’t enough to describe how much I love them!!!

But JESUS CHRIST comes before even my wife, sons and grandchildren!  HE is the CREATOR of ALL OF US!!!  HE CHOSE me before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) and preserved me for 64 years (almost) and is “preparing a place for me” (John14:3) where we will live FOREVER!!!  

My mom, my WIFE, and my kids and grandkids are BLESSINGS that I cannot find enough words to describe.  But JESUS is my LORD, and I praise HIS NAME forever and forever!!!!