Is your belief system built on a solid foundation, or sinking sand?

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Have you ever walked on the beach where you had this sensation of sinking into sand? I know I have and I remembered the feeling I got when I finally made it back on solid ground.  As I watch the daily accounts of the Corona virus I reflect on how my faith and belief in the risen savior, Jesus Christ, has helped me to weather this storm, just as it had with all of the things of the past- things like the Viet Nam war, Watergate, the riots of the 1960's, gas wars of the 70's and several conflicts in the middle east that cost more lives.  

As I think about those things, my mind goes back to the late spring evening in 1974 when I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior and Lord of my life and how God orchestrated the events to encourage and make me stronger as a believer.  It has been said that the bible is the handbook for all humankind. To claim those words of truth which has been tested in time ultimately results in a firm foundation. Matthew 7 talks about the rains and the flood which swept the house built on sand away. In some ways, the corona virus is a metaphorical flood.  It ravishes the land as it takes innocent peoples lives. 

 God had a plan when he decided to send his own son, Jesus, to pay for the penalty of mankind's sin and to die on our behalf as a sacrificial lamb just so that we have an opportunity to be close to God.  For those of us who personally knows this Savior, how many of us have felt the holy spirit whisper of things we needed to hear from God?  This voice is as thought we have the living savior walking beside us like the good shepherd tending to his sheep.  God wants us all to feel secure and safe on a solid foundation of God's  word so that whatever happens to us in this life we will always feel the hope of Christ!

Where is your spiritual house built? Is it built on a forever changing worldview depending on your mood of the day, or is it built on a faith decision you made declaring Jesus as your Savior and Lord. You can know for certain simply by opening the door to your heart and acknowledging that you cannot save yourself based on your accumulated good deeds, but Christ alone.  The decision you made will assure that your spiritual house will remain standing through the future floods.

A former Egyptian Muslim terrorist has an encounter with Christ

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.

Colossians 2:9-10 NIV

While in America there continues to be an erosion of Christian values, there are others who are coming to Christ through dreams and determining for themselves the true meaning of God's word. Take for example this former Egyptian terrorist who has come to Christ. Listen to him tell his story so that your faith may be strengthened. God isn't dead and is very much alive, changing hearts for Christ throughout the world.

Sean Patrick Flanery "Touched by an Angel" Goodbye

1 John 5:13-14 New International Version (NIV)

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.





One of my favorite programs I loved watching was Touch by the Angel. My wife and I would watch this program and after each episode we had streams of tears flowing gently down our eyes. I loved it because it gave hope to people who found themselves in hopeless situations.



It was a story of redemption and forgiveness.  In this 9 minute scene there was a character named Daniel who was sentenced to die by lethal injection.  Daniel had harbored hate for his dad who beat him senseless until he ran away from home.  He found out through his angel that Daniel's mom had protected him from the 20 blows his dad thought Daniel rightly deserved.  It was a generational sin that caused his hatred to festered and grow inside him.



 It wasn't  until he found out the truth about what his ma ma had done to protect him that he realized that God was protecting him through her.  Daniel asked for forgiveness from God and he was assured by the angel that when he took his final breath on earth that he would wake up in heaven. As he told his mama, "I'll be waiting for you mama". 



This life is filled with needless pain and suffering. We may think that this life is all there is that we simply would be non existent the moment we take our final breath, but it isn't.  When God created you he gave you a unique set of DNA and a purpose for being. He gave you eternal life through the suffering and resurrection of Jesus Christ.



 Charles Darwin got it all wrong with his theory of evolution. We are simply not creatures that morph back into dust. No. We are spiritual bodies who will resurrect into the most perfect place you could ever imagine. A place of beauty and mountains and fruit of every kind.  You will forever be in the presence of your Savior, Jesus Christ and all of the other saints.



 As time wears on it is easy to avoid the possibility of our death.  Yet, that day is approaching and like Daniel, you will be hit with that proverbial question- Am I going to heaven or hell?'  That question, I know, makes people anxious and I suppose they are  trying to remember all of the good things they did that they hope would please God.



 The good news is that you do not have to do a thing about keeping a list of good deeds.  God did it all for you by sending his son to die for you on the cross.  All you have to do is say a prayer asking him to forgive  you of your sins and then to invite Jesus into your heart through this sample prayer:  I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Thank you Jesus for the gift of eternal life. Amen. 



 If you said that prayer then like Daniel you will have the assurance that when life comes to an end that you will be in the very presence of Jesus Christ in this beautiful place called heaven.



Our God is an awesome God!