Foundational Truth

 Matthew 22:29
Jesus answered and said unto them, “Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.

Foundational truth of scripture is critical to have the correct interpretation and application of God’s word. Apologetics, defending the doctrine of Christ, is built on the premises that God is alive and desires a relationship with His creations.  Jesus shined this truth to the Sadducees, they assumed that there was no life after death, and tried to argue their teaching with the God of the universe, the one who laid the foundations of the world, and Himself was the Resurrection of life. If they could only see the futility of their efforts and the err of their ways. The Bible is given to us to show us the way to salvation and guide us in our daily walk with Jesus. The purpose of scripture is to lead us to eternal life everlasting. Understanding scripture for this purpose is essential and must be the foundation on which all other interpretations of scripture are given. In essence, Jesus told the Sadducees, “your premise is built on faulty thinking, you should be focusing on God's power to work in the lives of people, and God’s power to give life everlasting.” It is important that we rightly discern God’s word, for all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2 Tim 3:16). Jesus is in the Word, and the Word is with us. He has also provided us with His written word that we know the path He desires for us. Let us not get caught up with logistics and philosophical rhetoric to persuade the minds of people, but our focus is on the transformation of lives and showing others the power of God to give new life.

The True Church

 Matt. 6:18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock (Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; Eph. 2:20) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

A Church is born. Not a building or edifice, but a body of believers that unite together in one spirit. Born of the Father, made through the death of Christ on the cross and the resurrection, that the gates of hell could not prevent. This Church is a spiritual structure bringing together all who put their trust in Jesus Christ. He is the foundation, the chief cornerstone that all who claim Him as Lord and Savior can stand firm. Regardless of our origins or birthplace we are fitly put together to worship Him in the beauty of holiness. We gather together on the Lord’s day, we come to church, a physical building, a place we have dedicated as the house of God. It is not the Church, but a church where a group of believers come together as part of the Church for the purpose to worship, grow in grace, fellowship, and share our burdens. Some have said that the church is a “hospital” for the sick, a place for sinners to find Christ, and for those who need spiritual and physical healing. Therefore, the doors of the church are open to all who desire to know or find God. The church is not exclusive, but inclusive to both sinners and saints. Membership into this physical church varies from church organizations. To guard against heresy, statements of faith are put in place to maintain the doctrine of Christ and moral values of the church that are taught in scripture.  Such statements should not preclude or restrict worship of God according to the dictates of one’s heart. All are welcome, especially the child of God who is part of the Church that is built on the chief cornerstone. In the house of God, the wall of division are broken down and all come together as one in Christ to honor and glorify Him. He is the Rock, His church will prevail.

I Shall Not Be Moved

 Psalm 16:8
I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
When our focus is on Jesus, we are able to stand and not be moved or shaken from our faith. When everything in life is changing and things seem to always be moving we can trust Him to always be at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. Christ is our firm foundation and we shall not be shaken when the winds blow, the storm hits, and the earth is moving. Keeping our eyes on Jesus, believing He will see us through, even when we don’t see it for myself. We can choose to trust Him, “I shall not be moved”.

Build on the Rock

 Luke 6:48
He is like a man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

Hard times will come. Christian are not exempt from the rain and floods that make havoc in our lives. Jesus compares our lives to a house that is exposed to the elements of the weather. The rain falls on the just and unjust, and at times the storms bring the floor waters that hit our house with such force that homes that have questionable foundations will fall. The foundation is broken down and starts to crumple, causing the house to fall and be swept away. Homes that are left standing are the ones that have been built on a solid foundation, a foundation that is founded on the Rock. The Rock in none other than Jesus Himself. He is the way, the truth, and the life, no man can come to the Father except through Him. Being grounded and settled in the Rock is not done by accident, it requires a willful obedience to the truth and a willingness to follow His will. Claiming Christ is the start of building this foundation, but it is a building process. If the foundation is sure, and the house we build follows the blueprint of His word, we can be assured that the storms of life will not bring ruin and disaster to our life.

Understanding Why?

Job 38:4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

There is so much about life that we don’t understand. Scientist have been trying for years to determine how this world was created.  Yet, we have just scratched the surface of knowledge. Our knowledge is trapped into the life span of man over thousands of years. A collection of data left through markings on the walls of this earth and books written across the centuries. We our here for 70 plus years making old and new discoveries about this world. Man has come a long way in discovering the unknown, but yet they have fail to come to a better understanding of who God is and their real purpose in life. Job struggled to find answers to his fate and sought to find meaning behind the unfortunate events in His life. We all like to know why things happen and will surmise their purpose, but we are finite in our understanding and must come to trust God to do what is best. He sees the beginning and the end. He is the Alpha and Omega who hold the world in His hand. He shaped it, he created it and made us in His image. Let us find rest in knowing that He is in control and will do all things good and for His Purpose.

He Is Precious

1 Peter 2:7a Unto you therefore which believe he is precious…

Precious: “something of great value, not to be wasted or treated carelessly” He is the main cornerstone of our spiritual life. A precious stone that we depend on and basic to living this Christian life. He is the solid rock, the foundation that is laid as we build our spiritual house. As the cornerstone, he holds our life together, fitly frames to stand during test of time. He is treasure of great pearls. Without Him, Christianity would be just another religion with some good moral teaching, but He bring religion to a whole new level. He is precious because he breathes new life into every believer. To those who believe that He is precious will not be led astray. Hold firm to the living stone as we build our spiritual house here on earth

House Built On The Rock

Matt. 7:25 …A wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

The measure of wisdom is determine on the source of truth. Jesus, the spoken word is the foundation of all that is true. The house we our building is the life we live in this earthen vessel. The choices we make in life will determine whether we have been wise or foolish. Does our “house” still stand when the testing of life assault us? If we have lived our lives in Christ, then we can be assured that our foundation will not crumble beneath us. He is the rock in which we have built our life on. Other foundations may look solid and have deceived many. Jesus, who the rock in which we build our house is the only sure foundation that will not crumble when the storms of life hit. Build your house on Christ, the solid Rock and you will not be sorry.

Solid Foundation

Luke 6:48  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

Our lives are like a house. How it weathers the storm or the span of time will depend on the foundation that it is built on. When a house is built, it is important that the ground beneath it is solid and stable. No matter how elegant the exterior the house may be, if the foundation is not solid, it will fall and crumple when the the floods of water start to assault the house. How do we know our lives are built on something solid? Jesus says, that the person that will do the things that He say is the person that has a solid foundation. Jesus, says, I’m the way, the truth, and the life, through Him we come to the Father. He also says, if you love me, keep my commandments. Giving our lives to Him, having our sinned forgiven, and following His Word will assure us that we our building our lives on a solid foundation.

The Lord is My Rock

Psalm 18:2 “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”-

In times when life beats me down and things go wrong, He is my Rock! My stabilizer in a time when life is shaking all around me. We face things in life that are bigger than us. Our resources are limited and our energy is depleted. The waves from the sea are overwhelming. Stress on every hand, conflicts at work, relationship with those we have always counted on, have been washed away. Financial circumstance become heavy when unexpected expenses arise. These are just some of the things that cause us to worry and fret about tomorrow. In our own strength, we fall short, but He is our strength, He is our deliverer, we have a buckler that will shield us from the enemies attacks. The key to deliverance is trust. I will trust Him. He is my Rock, and will be with me until the storm passes by.