God's Wisdom & The Words of Mike Dodson – Issue # 1

Jesus Is Already Calling You Jesus has been standing before you with His hand outstretched, saying: "Come and follow Me." "Come and follow Me and I will give you peace." "Come and follow Me and you will never walk in darkness." "You will never hunger or thirst again." The Question Every Person Must Answer Do you believe in Him? Do you really want to follow Him? Do you really want to be His disciple? The Promise If you answer "Yes," your life will never be the same. Life will become greater and more meaningful than you could ever imagine—if you truly choose to follow Him. The Challenge Are you willing to pay the cost of discipleship?

Jesus tells us: "If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." This appears to be a very perplexing passage. Did Jesus Really Mean Hate? The homily explains: Jesus is not telling us to hate our family. He is not telling us to despise or loathe our loved ones. The Gospel is fundamentally a message of love, compassion, and mercy. Jesus is not setting aside: The Fourth Commandment ("Honor your father and mother.") His own commandment: "Love one another as I have loved you." What the Greek Word Means The Greek word translated as "hate" is misei. In this context it means: A strong preference for one thing over another. Rejecting one thing in favor of accepting something greater. The Meaning Jesus is teaching us to: Reorder our priorities. Put Him first above everything else.

Jesus Must Come First To truly follow Christ: He must be the most important person in your life. He must come before everything else. This includes: Father Mother Spouse Children Grandchildren Brothers Sisters We must love Him more than even our own lives. Total Commitment Jesus is putting into context the total commitment required to become His disciple. Another way of saying this: Love the Lord God with all your heart. Love Him with all your soul. Love Him with all your mind. Everything that truly matters in this life and the next flows from that complete commitment.

Count the Cost When we choose to believe and follow Christ: We begin a journey with Him. He tells us the cost beforehand so we can prepare. Jesus gives two examples. Example 1: Building a Tower Before building a tower: Sit down. Calculate the cost. Make sure you can finish. Otherwise the foundation is laid but the work remains unfinished. Example 2: A King Going to War Before entering battle: Sit down. Evaluate your strength. Determine whether victory is possible. The Lesson Jesus is telling us: Prepare yourself for discipleship. Put your priorities in order. Love Him first above everything else.

Renouncing Possessions Jesus teaches: "Anyone who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple." The message is that we must love Christ more than: Family Possessions Money Social status Anything else we place above Him Removing Impediments Nothing should prevent us from giving Christ our total love. The homily asks us to examine ourselves: Do possessions get in the way? Does money get in the way? Does pride get in the way? Does power get in the way? Does pleasure get in the way? Do these things leave us with no time for God? Being "All In" Jesus does not want partial commitment. He wants: Total commitment. Not simply going through the motions. A wholehearted life of discipleship.

The homily tells the story of a young priest from Nigeria. Father Benjamin Vesuwe After becoming a priest: Extremist gunmen repeatedly came to his village. They sought to kill him. Many others were killed. One attacker pointed an AK-47 at him and pulled the trigger—but the gun jammed. Why Was He Targeted? Because he is: A Catholic priest. A disciple of Jesus Christ. His Response Despite the danger: He continues serving Christ. He plans to return to Nigeria. He accepts the possibility of persecution and death. The preacher concludes: That is the cost of discipleship.

Because of His limitless love: Jesus went to the Cross. He emptied Himself. He gave everything He had. He reminds us: "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." What This Means Following Christ requires: Denying ourselves. Taking up our cross daily. Following Him faithfully. Being a disciple means being willing to endure: Trials Challenges Rejection Sacrifice

The cost of discipleship is: Total commitment to Christ. Above every person. Above everything else. Only when we empty ourselves—as Christ emptied Himself upon the Cross—can we truly become His disciples.

Ask yourself: Have I truly put Christ first? Have I counted the cost? Am I willing to carry my cross? Can I truly be His disciple?