Monday: Build it right

When the flood came, the torrent struck but could not shake it, because it was well built.

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. It is Monday, Presidents Day, and the day we pray for our leaders, our military, our police, and firefighters, and all others who work to keep us safe and sound. Maybe we should add contractors to the list for today....

Let me tell you first about the weekend ... First there was a conference in Hershey Pa., the sweetest place on earth, for married couples and also those getting ready to get married. Our prayer warriors Rob and Martha Campbell went to the retreat, this their fourth year if I am correct. They report that there were over a thousand couples in attendance, including 97 pastors. One couple was married less then 2 months, another 54 years. God is good, and if we learn anything about making a marriage work, we must know that a good marriage is headed up by our Lord God. I am sure I will get an amen from Rob on that.

Yesterday at the Bridges I preached on the messages I wrote last week, Salvation, who needs it? And it went really well, The Holy Spirit was ever-present and filled the room with joy and love. Then we had a concert and the Spirit of the Lord was still "hanging out with us". God is good. How many might have come to the Lord, I don't know. But the Holy Spirit was right there with this message.

Build it right! The Bible tells us about the Wise and Foolish builders, and believe me, we still have them today. I invite you to read Luke 6: 46/49 (your homework assignment). In fact, I invite all of you readers to have your Bibles with you when you read my writings. You should be checking me out ... yes, you should.

Anyway, our Lord Jesus is preaching and telling people about listening to what He is saying and how some will listen and do nothing while others will listen and put it to work. Sounds like the same thing that goes on today ... of course, for Jesus is still the same. How many of you have ever been to church and your pastor is preaching his heart out on something and you are thinking, this man/woman saw me this week, they are preaching about me? So you set out to correct what you did (repent) or maybe you did it over, not caring ... or maybe you just took a snooze during the message and did not hear it at all.

Lets look at the builders: Lets call them Jiffy Builders, and Do Right Builders. First both builders, to get a job, must find a place to build the places. In this both cases they are house builders. Most builders would like to be called home builders, but as you and I know, only Jesus in the house can make it a home, so Jesus alone, will be the home builder. Even the Bible refers to a house in this reading ... "He is like a man building a house" -- Luke 6: 46a. Anyway, both builders go and search for lots. Jiffy takes the first thing coming along that is low priced and gets working. Do Right is looking for something that not just has a view, maybe a stream, but is in safe ground. Jiffy found his ground which looked good, but was a former landfill. Do Right found a great old farm ...

Jiffy went in and started building, working in some cases very, very fast . Cheaper materials were used. In some cases, ground was just made level, stones put in and a slab poured to set the house on. Do Right did testing and found out just how far down the foundation had to be to support the house. He checked on the wetlands and flood plan. When he built it, he used the best materials. When the builders were done, Jiffy had a bigger house, it was really big, while Do Right's was smaller. Both houses sold for about the same money. So which one would you want? Tempting to get the bigger one, right? Yes it is. It is hard for us customers to purchase the benefits that we cannot see. Think about that in life. You want to see where your money went.

Anyway, this example could be used in many things you purchase. You can purchase things for less money that are not built as well, or you could spend more and get better. In a word, you are getting what you paid for.

Now let's go to the Lord and see what He is really telling us. He wants all of us to build on The Rock. Remember this from Psalm 18 1/2 -- I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (NIV)

Now let's go to our house, yours and mine. We have a house, is it not a fortress of ours, a place we spend in the cold, in the heat, in the rain, in storms. We do not want the house to slip on the mud, or have the roof blow off in the wind, we want it right. Likewise, we need to build our families on a good foundation. This is where the examples all lead that Jesus gave us. We need to change our house to a home, make it safe by bringing on board the Holy Spirit. Bring in THE ROCK. Today I ask you to consider doing this if you have not ever done this. Go to the front door, open it, get on your knees and invite in Jesus. Turn your house into a home. Please use the front door ... meaning bring Jesus in for all to see. Don't be ashamed of Jesus. Don't sneak Him in the back door, welcome Him in the front. This is another example my friends of living for Jesus. Bring Him on board in all you do. Invite Him into your car, into your school, your workplace. We have a traveling Lord, for if you invite Him on board with You, He will surely be with you till the end of time, and will be with you each and every place you go. Amen ...

Dear Lord, today we want to invite You into our home again. Yes, Lord, You have made our house a home, and we are indeed thankful. Lord, I pray for those who have not and ask that You use us to get the word out to have open house for Your entry. And, Lord, since I pay some taxes that help build and keep the White House in Washington, DC, I invite You in there also. And I ask that You protect our president and his family, and Lord, I pray if he is not saved, he will bow down to You and give his heart to You. Lord, please protect our military also and all those who work to keep us safe and free. In the name of Jesus, Amen. Oh Lord, one other thing ... I love You ...

Now go forth, building all you do on the Rock of our Salvation, on our Lord Jesus ... and sharing is a good way to go forth also. So please share your blessings. Love ya, dan.

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