Build your house upon the Rock!

Jesus loved to use metaphors when He spoke to the masses.  Sometimes the right figure of speech enables us to understand a complex truth that we might struggle with otherwise.  Jesus spoke many words of wisdom, and these words are recorded for us in red letters in the four Gospel accounts from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Not only did He speak truth, but He also showed us what it looks like in the real world.  

After speaking truth in words, and showing us by His perfect lifestyle, Jesus encourages all of us to follow Him.  However, there's a conflict here between the way Jesus taught us, and the way the world taught us to live.  We've learned from the world that it's OK to be selfish, defensive, and short-sighted.  Jesus shows us another way:  our first and primary focus should be to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength; our second focus should be to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Notice that Jesus didn't tell us to love ourselves the way that pyschologists constantly tell us.  In fact, loving ourselves too much is the problem!  Here's the difference between following Jesus and following the world:

Matthew 7:24-27  “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

I witness so many people struggling to make it through life.  They're mired in the daily circumstances that are outside their control, and they often feel lost and miserable.  The devil wants us to forget that we have been granted so many blessings through God's mighty hand of provision.  The gift of grace that God offers us is infinitely greater than any problem we might be facing.  But if we allow the circumstances of life to speak louder than truth, then all we can think about every day is just survival.  We're not moving forward, we're not hearing God's voice through the rain, and we're certainly not becoming more Christlike.  Our house, as Jesus described, is crumbling through the storm.

We need to think big picture.  We need to trust the One who redeemed, ransomed, and rescued us.  We need to follow Jesus.  Whenever we read God's Word, we must make sure it penetrates our brains and forces out the old, worldly ways of thinking. 

I have prayed many times recently for God to extract my archaic ways of thinking... and believe me, He has exposed multiple areas where I need to re-wire my brain in accordance with His Word and His will.  This process of transformation is the power of God's grace that enables us to become more Christlike.  I embrace this change wholeheartedly, and I'm left with a hunger for more and more.  I want every drop of grace to saturate me with more of Jesus.

So... is your house built upon the Rock?  If not, make the decision today to follow Jesus, and you'll be amazed to see your life change in astonishing ways.  Build your house upon the Rock!

May God bless you all.  I love you all so very much!

Pastor Matt ;)