"And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my Father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!" (Luke 15:17)

The evangelical churches and fellowships of today need to come to themselves! Christians, as a whole, have wasted their substance on materialism, tradition, compromise, carnality, and emotionalism. Believers are feeding on the husks of religion. They perish with hunger for the bread from heaven. (see Luke 15:17 above)

Metaphorically speaking, dead leaders and speakers have become the Prodigal Son. They have created a "mighty famine" for confidence in God and His Word. (Luke 15:14)

Tel-evangelists and their mimics have proclaimed a gospel of prosperity, health and wealth. They see no cross to bear, but a life of finger-snapping, hand-clapping, foot-stomping emotion: "And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." (Luke W4:27)

When will believers see there is a cost to follow Jesus: "For which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?" (Luke 14:28)

One cost is to trust and be obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ alone! "The fear (reverence) of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe." (Proverbs 29:25)

Safety is not found in reliance on any man (or woman). There is only one prescription for discipleship: "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:33)

Not a church, denomination, seminars, workshops, counselors or good works are places of safety. A believer must put all in the hands of the Lord. Complete submission to the will of God and His Word is the only way to discipleship.

We must come to ourselves and recognize our trust in reasoning and psychology: "Casting down imaginations (Gk. reasonings), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." (2 Cor. 10:5)

A mind divided between the material and the spiritual will fall. We must come to ourselves in seeing that we glory in other things rather than the Lord: "But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." (2 Cor. 10:17) (See also Galatians 6:14

(Reprinted from Number 370, September, 1994 issue of "The Testimony of Truth" with permission from "People of the Living God")

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