July 22, 2010
Aloha in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
As I sit at the computer, I am sitting in a secluded area of a place that some people call Maui. Vicki and I have been blessed to be able to have some time away in this place that we have grown to love. Each time we come I feel that surely this is about as close to heaven that one can get while walking this terrestrial plane.
As Vicki and I began our second day on Maui, I got an early start to the day and after my second breakfast we headed to the beach. It was about 8:00. I am always amazed at the number of people that go to the beach early each day. Some of the people we saw on our last trip are still here and enjoying the opportunity of spending time in the ocean each day.
But today I saw something that is really normal for the beach, yet it made me pause and do some thinking. I saw a father and son playing on the beach. They were building a sand castle. I saw the father directing the son on how to keep the water and sand ratio right so the sand would pack tighter. They worked quite a while then headed out into the ocean to play.
They had done a really good job of packing the sand and digging out trenches that would allow the water to circle the ‘castle’. They would come back by every little bit and see how the castle was doing. Since we were just watching all that the people as they went by, we kept an eye on them as well. They left about 9:00 and the castle stood in its place.
After they left, Vicki and I stayed for another 45 minutes or so. Before I left, I looked at the sand castle one last time – It was gone. The waves had come in and eventually washed the castle away. I thought about that Dad working with his son to build it. They worked diligently to make sure that it was well built and the dad even showed the son ways to build up the walls and make the ‘castle’ itself.
It was at this point that I had ‘just a thought’. How often do we spend time and effort working to build things in our lives that are gone in just a short time? Jesus cautioned us in His teachings to be aware of how we build and upon what foundation that we do the building. I thought about His teaching and how it surely applied in this situation.
In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus said, 24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25"And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26"Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27"The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall."
As I considered this man and his son; the sand castle and the waves; my son and myself, I thought about the life that I live and where I am actually building my life. Yes, as a pastor, I am hopeful that my son (and daughters and grandchildren) are seeing a man build his life on the rock. It is my prayer that they will be able to see Christ in me.
Yet, I wonder if there are not times I am teaching them to build on the sands of this world. I made sure my children received an education, taught them how to work, and take responsibility for the things they did. But have I shown them that the things of this world will one day be washed away by the waves of eternity?
It is my desire for them to reach goals they have set in life, but I want those goals to be set on the rock. I want them to build lives that will have significance that goes beyond the realm of time. I want them to build lives that will honor the Lord Jesus Christ. I took them to church, and was blessed to have a part in leading all five to know Jesus as their Savior. Yet I wonder.
I wonder how many times we as Christians seek to build lives that are deemed successful in the eyes of this world, but in truth are built on the sands of this temporal realm. When the waves of eternity begin to wash over our mortal selves, they are soon gone leaving nothing behind but that which is eternal. It is important that we as Christians build our lives upon that which will not be washed away as we walk away from this life.
Jesus said to build our houses on the rock so that when the storms of life come they will be able to stand in the storm. When we build on the sand the storms of life come and we are unable to keep our lives from falling. It is my hope and prayer that each person will build their lives upon the Lord Jesus Christ so that the when that last great storm of life comes each will have built a house that will stand for eternity.
I don’t know whether that man was a Christian. I don’t know whether that boy had been saved. I do know that their ‘sand castle’ was washed away by the waves of the ocean. It is my prayer that they have ‘a house, not built with hands, eternal in the heavens’ that the waves of this world can never wash away. I also hope you have that house as well. Are you building on the Rock?
JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, there IS something about that name!!
Christ only, always,
Bro. Paul
* Words in red only to distinguish from my thoughts.
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
As I begin this Monday morning I just want to praise the Lord. He has been so good in bringing His blessings upon us. In recent weeks we have seen His hand upon us in a mighty way. Just yesterday I did something I've never done in all my ministry. I began and closed the service with a baptism! It was absolutely awesome. I was so excited to have that opportunity.
Little Harley Thompson gave her life to Christ in my office on a Sunday evening before the service. She is such a sweet, shy little girl. Her MeMe is so proud of her for the decision she has made. Then Holly Gage set things right with God. As she finishes up her Junior year in high school, she does so with the understanding that now she is a child of God, saved by His grace and washed in His blood. There will be no more pretending. She has made her decision firm and secure.
I also know that God is working in the hearts of others as they surrender more fully to His will. We are seeing others join with us. Brian and Amy Wise have joined our church family to become the disciples they need to be everyday. As they begin their time with us, God is working to bring them deeper into a relationship with Him. I am excited about what God will do in their lives.
What will God do next? I'm not sure. But I can say this with a great deal of confidence. As long as we believe and follow Christ, His words in John 8:31b-32 will remain true -- "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." I know that I want to be free. Free from the things in this life that seek to tear me away from God. I want to be free to live in accordance with His will and purpose for my life.
It is my desire and hope that each person will seek God in a new and fresh way this day. Allow Him to work within you to bring about the fullness of life that He offers. You may be struggling today with issues that seem to overwhelm you, but remember -- God is bigger than any issue you may face. Turn your every moment over to Him and let Him work to bring about His perfect will in your life. Believe me, He won't give you seconds! He has the very best planned for you. Give your best to Him. It’s ‘Just a Thought’.
JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, there IS something about that name!!
Christ only, always,
Bro. Paul
*Scripture verses are in red only to set them apart from words I have written.
