Luke 14

Brent spoke from Luke 14 in Sunday's sermon about the cost of being Jesus' disciple. And reading through it several times this week, the Lord began to speak to me how we like to take most of what scripture says but not the whole counsel of the Word. It says in verse 27 "And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." He didn't say may not, but cannot! Plain & simple. Further down in verse 33 He reiterates this point by rephrasing it, "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he cannot be my disciple." Everything means everything! We pick & choose what that means, but picking & choosing gives you options, & Jesus did not give any options! That means more than just giving up sins, it means giving up your way, your desires, your wants.

This afternoon at prayer, the Lord spoke to me about how much time I spend on the computer whether it's Facebook, emails, this blog, or the time I spend editing pictures to put on these things. This has become an idol in my life! You say an idol - you are crazy!!! But think a minute. What is the definition of an idol? We all think of something that you worship. True, it is. But its also anything that consumes your life or takes your attention away from God or really that consumes more time than doing the work of the Lord. Then I told the Lord but I am reading & studying Your Word. I'm spending a lot of time in prayer & worshiping!!! Then He reminded me of my daughter's visit to India. She said that it was so hard to get the people in that country to realize that God was the One true God, the Only God, b/c they wanted to add Him the list of gods that they already have. God will not be in competition with other gods - isn't that one of the 1st commandments? God doesn't want to be on a list, He doesn't even want to be on the top of the list.... He wants to be the whole list! Which brings me back to my will & Lk 14.

Lk 14 ends with a statement that I find very interesting, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Are we willing to hear the Word of the Lord in its entirety? We complain about not being able to hear Him. That's not b/c He's not talking. It's b/c we won't listen.