June 21/22, 2010 Where to build

"The rain came down, the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fail."

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. I am sorry about yesterday, I had an early morning doctors appointment (7:15 AM) and it required me leaving the house by 6:00 AM. Yes, my family doctor starts early in the morning, in fact my next appointment is for 6:30 AM. When I got back home, I was tired so I took care of the animals and then laid down. I had my right knee and my right shoulder injected and was told to rest the day. It is a beautiful morning here at the Southern Location of the North Pole and I do want to remind you of our upcoming picnic. It is on July 3rd at Willow Mill Park, just off route 114 at the Mechanicsburg Exit of Route 81. All food is being furnished, and yes, I am cooking for this family picnic and you indeed are part of our family. You will get to meet some of our children and grandchildren and some of our flock from The Bridges. Menu, oh maybe this will help bring you out.. I am making Hamburg BBQ, Turkey Corn Soup, Hot Dogs with Kraut (or without) and we will have World Famous Allenberry Sticky Buns for you. Please bring your lawn chair... We will have a sound system set up just in case someone stops by to sing. We are going to eat at noon; however, the food will be left in crock pots for those late comers. Dolores and I are getting old and this might be the last time we rent the park for an event like this. Bring your fishing pole (license needed) and also if you have Frisbee golf bring along the discs, as there is a full course there to use.

Ok, today's prayers go to our veterans, and our military, our leaders and all those who help keep us healthy and safe. Also for our schools and all who enter the doors.

Where to Build: Matthew 7:24 - "The rain came down, the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fail, because it had its foundation on the rock." (NIV)

Years ago Dolores and I talked about building a house. We had purchased several that were built, and while they were nice, we just thought that it would be nice to try and build one the way we wanted it done. So what did we do first, well, we prayed about it, yes, believe it or not we talked it over with the Lord. Then we had to look at location for Dolores was working at the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pa, and I was working for Central Dauphin School District in the Lower Paxton Twp. just East of Harrisburg, Pa. and still had a service station in Penbrook just east of Harrisburg and was on call at night for towing service. Plus we still had our son Matthew at home and wanted him in a good school district and we chose Cumberland Valley. So we set out to find a lot. We also wanted some land and not in a restricted development. I was looking at the land ads in the daily paper one day and there was a lot for sale in Silver Spring Twp. that seemed to meet what we wanted. Two acres of woods, and no land restrictions as far as animals at that time and it fit our other needs as for location.

Now we wanted a few more things, first we wanted a dry basement with a garage door entrance since we did have a couple of motorcycles and we would keep them in the basement garage. This land seemed to be high and dry, but then again we had one house on the mountain near the top that would really take on water when it rained heavy. So we talked to a builder and we wanted a low cost home so we went with S and A builders and I mentioned them for at that time they were one builder who would not open on Sundays. The owners did no business on Sundays as they wanted to follow the Bible. (Since then the ownership changed and so did the no Sunday things.) Anyway, we talked to them about building the house above ground and then bringing in dirt to make it look like the basement was underground. We also put in that dry basement thing. We also put in a heavy foundation for we already knew we needed to build on solid ground. So we built and God is so good, the construction went well, while it was a low cost home it came out real good and to this day has not taken on water in our basement garage, which now, by the way, houses our food pantry.

You see, here is a good example of God showing us how to build so that when we put this lower unit in our home into full time use for God it was ready to go with just shelving and rewiring. We have been through many, many storms and the creek at the bottom of our hill has many times overflowed the banks but we have been safe, and while neighbors have pumped their basements from time to time our house has been solid. Why? Well, let me tell you, it was because we built the house The Solid Rock. Remember back in the beginning of this story about our house which is now our home, we prayed about it? Yes, you see we went to Jesus who is the Solid Rock and we built the place as we thought it should be done according to His Word. We also invited Him in, even while the process of buying the land, and getting it ready was being done. I must say that most often in my younger years I did not always invite Jesus in first and would call on Him to straighten out the messes I would get into, and yes, once in a while, or every now and then I will still mess up and do just that.

Folks, while not all of you might be going to build a new house, it is still not too late to make your house into a home by inviting in the Solid Rock, our Lord Jesus. Now let me talk to you about a church that I was going to when it was decided to build an addition. Plans were made and boy, was this church, Hope United Methodist Church on the Carlisle Pike, Hampton Twp., Mechanicsburg, built on some real solid rock. In fact, blasting was need to put in the foundation of that addition, and I even brought home a very, very big rock and placed it in our front yard. The Rock, we call our Rock of Hope. And let me finish that for once again our Lord Jesus is The Solid Rock and of course Jesus is also our Hope. Yes indeed, our Lord Jesus is The Solid Rock and our Rock of Hope. Now when we were ready to build the church and pour the foundation concrete we took some old Bibles that were well used and just waiting for a recycle event and put them in the corners of the foundation. Oh yes, it was just a symbolic thing we did, but we truly built the church on the Word of God, found in the Bibles.

Our Bibles, our Word of God, tells us in these scriptures that we indeed should build our house, meaning our lives and that of our families, on The Solid Rock, and it goes on to tell us that if we don't it will be like those who built on sand. Listen to these words...

Matthew 7:26 - "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. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (NIV)

How many times have we watched as storms hit and houses were ruined, but wait just a minute, houses can be rebuilt, and so often people put that house right back on the sand and the rains come again and the streams come up and the house goes down again or goes under water. Is that not the same in our lives sometimes? It seems we do not always invite God into our lives until something goes wrong and then we ask Him to clear up the mess. And yes, He comes in and He works with us and He helps us put things back together again. But then like those who have built their house on sand along a stream of river, the waters come again and again. People, some of them just do not learn, and once Jesus has things under control for us, we do that old walk about and things fall apart again, and this can go on over and over again. Why me, Lord, we sometimes wonder, why did it happen to us again? How much can we take? And we cry out for the Lord. Folks, remember that sometimes bad things do happen to good people, but we still have God, our Solid Rock, to stand on. Things will be much better for us if we start out on The Rock and not just with our house, which He will turn into a home for us, but in all we do. Our jobs, why not build them on The Solid Rock, our friends, why not get them aboard The Solid Rock if they are not already there?

You parents with small children, if you teach your children how to pick friends by picking those who love Jesus, you will be much better off. Let them hang out in church instead of the bowling alley or the street corner. Street corners are different today, we played kick the can, now they shoot at each other. When I look back I think about how many of our circle of friends went to Sunday School, even if the parents did not go, they sent the kids. We had a foot on The Solid Rock.

Where is your house built today? It is not too late to put it on The Solid Rock. Let's ask Him in today, let's put Him in our foundation so that we will be with Him till the end of time.

Dear Father in Heaven, Dear Solid Rock, our Lord and Savior, come in and put me on The Solid Rock, and help me repent from being on the sands that slip and slide. Lord, clean us today of our sins and teach us this day how to tell others about this Man we call Jesus who is The Solid Rock. Save us this day, and Lord, we pray for those on our lists today, from those in our schools and those in our military past and present and the ones in the White House and our other leaders. Lord, help us to teach them about The Solid Rock. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Go forth now building your life and the lives of your family and friends on The Rock, The Solid Rock, The Rock of our foundation, and while you are building please take time to share your blessings. Love Ya, Pastor Dan.

Carry The Light Ministries
16 Dewalt Drive
Mechanicsburg, Pa. 17050
Phones and yes you may use them. Home 717 691 8200 Pastor's Cell 717 991 0754
Email icarrythelight4God@msn.com
Blog carrythelight4Jesus.blogspot.com