Do You Love God?

       Jesus warns us of counting the costs before entering into this war

 

"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace."-Luke 14:27-32 KJV

 

Starting with bearing your cross, referring to the sufferings we will have to endure in this world if we follow Him. He's obviously not encouraging apostacy, yet warning us of troubles to not be blindsided, and for us to have comfort knowing this is a form of fellowship in His/our sufferings in being a true Christian.

 

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;"-Philippians 3:10 KJV

       He talks of those who don't sit down first and count the costs to see if you can finish building your temple.

       I guess the matter of the fact comes down to:

 

Do You Love GOD?

 

And this love requires some sort of suffering when living in an ungodly world. When not conforming to this world and living a holy life, we are in opposition to its lawlessness.

 

Some count this New Covenant lightly, though Christ died upon establishing it with his redeeming blood, so we could be a new creation in Him.

 

       The other parable is a man who makes war with 10,000 against 20,000.

 

To show in the appearance of our trials we are outnumbered sheep in the midst of wolves, as David says, they are more than the hairs in my head.

 

"They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away."-Psalm 69:4 KJV

 

And as we get closer to the end times, relief isn't promising as apostasy and deception increase.

 

       Then he goes on to state, he desires peace.

 

This is the forfeit of the soul to the wicked one; the captivity of the devil; the gaining of the world; the turning back as lot's wife to perdition, to be burnt up (GN 19:26, HEB 10:39); a forsaking of the right way and going astray as a Balaam after the wages of unrighteousness (2 PT 2:15).

 

"But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt."-Genesis 19:26 KJV

 

"But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul."-Hebrews 10:39 KJV

 

"Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;"-2 Peter 2:15 KJV

 

       But God says, if any loves Him, the same as none of Him (1 COR 8:3, PV 8:17), and again, He loves those that love Him, and "love can make one do crazy things" as the saying goes, and this is the greatest love.

 

"But if any man love God, the same is known of him."-1 Corinthians 8:3 KJV

 

"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me."-Proverbs 8:17

 

To be loved of the ruler of all, the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that dwell therein always, isn't taken lightly by the enemy or the Saint.