Blog Launch!

What does it cost?

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?... So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:28, 31, 33 (NKJV)

Welcome to Count The Costs. The primary mission of this blog will be to discuss social issues and current events within the framework of Christian principles. Although healthy discussion is encouraged among readers, comments will be monitored to ensure they stay within this framework. This blog will host many guest bloggers with expertise in the field they write. 

Jesus is clear in the above passage about what it takes to follow Him. He doesn’t sugarcoat the consequences of being His disciple. Since Jesus’ resurrection, Christians have been persecuted and martyred worldwide. In modern America, we’ve erroneously embraced the idea that we’re immune to such persecution. This has changed within the last few years. Christians are a minority, and our beliefs are ridiculed as old fashioned and intolerant. Though expected to show tolerance to groups who hold different belief systems, we’re not shown the same tolerance. 

Our country needs spiritual awakening and not just among the lost. Professing Christians should seek to discern God’s message through prayer and His written word. For those who think the Christian’s character should morph with societal changes, God’s character hasn’t changed from day one. That’s our model. As you read through the Bible, God’s nature is consistent from Genesis to Revelation.

God established the definition of marriage between one woman and one man in Genesis 2:24 and reaffirmed it in the New Testament in Matthew 19:4-6. God established the definition of murder in Genesis 9:6 and the consequences therein. Yet marriage is being threatened in this country while we wink at the legal murder of 3,000 babies a day. 

It doesn’t stop there. Collateral damage exists in the form of defining a viable baby. Do you realize most states have an age of viability for pre-term babies they will extend “extraordinary medical care?” You might be surprised how many weeks this is and which politicians have pushed such bills. Abortion is not really about choice, folks, as the left would have us believe. The women seeking abortions are afforded choice but not the mothers who fight for the life of their pre-term live babies. 

These are examples of social issues impacting society, the church, and our future as a nation, as well as slow erosion within the body of Christ of basic Biblical principles. 

I opened this post with Jesus’ words. As Christians, we must count the costs of how we live, what we model for the world, and the battles we choose to wage. No matter how involved you are (or aren’t), the costs continue to mount for Christians.

Please join me tomorrow for the official Count The Costs launch with a two-part series, “The Consequences of Idols in the Church,” by Mike Gonzalez, Senior Pastor of Columbia World Outreach Church in South Carolina. If you are inspired by what you read, please consider becoming a follower or e-mail subscriber. I look forward to your feedback. 

Above all else, I appreciate your prayers for this ministry.  

Meanwhile, if you don’t follow my other blog, A Word of Encouragement, would you take a moment to check it out? I blog weekly prayer posts and occasional writing tips/encouragement intermixed with fun posts like Lessons From Mayberry and Lost? Not Me!  

God bless,

Laura

© Laura Hodges Poole

Photo courtesy of Microsoft.com free clip art