"The officers will also say to the men, 'Is there any man here who has lost his nerve and is afraid? If so, he is to go home. Otherwise, he will destroy the morale of the others.'

But it does not sink deep into them, and they don't last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once.

Once when large crowds of people were going along with Jesus, he turned and said to them,

Those who do not carry their own cross and come after me cannot be my disciples.

If you don't, you will not be able to finish the tower after laying the foundation; and all who see what happened will make fun of you.

If a king goes out with ten thousand men to fight another king who comes against him with twenty thousand men, he will sit down first and decide if he is strong enough to face that other king.

In the same way," concluded Jesus, "none of you can be my disciple unless you give up everything you have.

They will fight against the Lamb; but the Lamb, together with his called, chosen, and faithful followers, will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings."

But cowards, traitors, perverts, murderers, the immoral, those who practice magic, those who worship idols, and all liars---the place for them is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

And Jesus concluded, "So those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last."