January 14, 2021: SOAP #4060:  Genesis 34-36; Luke 14

SCRIPTURE:  Luke (NIV) 14:31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

OBSERVATION:  It is important to count the cost of going to war.  If one does not have enough troops to win, the wise thing is to surrender.    

APPLICATION: “In the same way,” one should count the cost of not being a disciple of Jesus.  To be a disciple of Jesus, one must “give up everything he has!”  That is a great price to pay!  To surrender to Jesus is to relinquish control of one’s possessions, one’s choices, one’s self—everything!  But this is part one of counting the cost.

There are two other parts.  Part two would be to ask, “Where is this road taking me?”  “If I refuse Jesus, what lies ahead for me?”  Revelation (NIV) 20:15 “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”  That is not a desirable future! 

Part three is to ask, “Where would being a disciple of Jesus take me?”  Revelation (NIV) 21:1 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God…7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”   

When I count all the cost, losing out on part three, not having Jesus as my constant companion and guide, there is no choice!  Surrender to Jesus is the only logical choice! 

PRAYER: Lord, I surrender my life to you.  Forgive my sins; be my Savior.  Come live in me; be my Lord.  Thank you for the privilege of being your child. Amen. 

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

My personal SOAP saga:  Today was the day for my Department of Transportation physical.  All went find except for the CPAC report from the VA.  It showed I had not used the breathing machine for enough hours on 10 of the last 30 days.  So, I will need to finish the exam in a couple of days.  Other than that, I am doing great!  Praise the Lord!  Sharon and I met with a VA dietician today about the low/no fat diet the doctor assigned for two weeks.  That is a challenge!