Firm Foundations

When we set out to build a house, there are several factors that we need to take into consideration. First of all, we have to find the property where we want to build. At some point in the process, we’ll need to take a soil sample to make sure we’re building on solid ground.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who builds his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who builds his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.-Matthew 7:24-27

He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.-Luke 6:48

Once we have the house built, it becomes a place of safety for us during the storms. Last year, we experienced our first hurricane since we moved to southwest Florida. Unlike the thousands that evacuated the state, we decided to stay put and weather the storm out at our house. Our home became a place of refuge and protection for us throughout the storm!

As we go through life, all of us will experience hurricanes in some form or another. The point is, that if we decide to build our house on the sand instead of the rock, then we’ll probably going to be swept away in the storm. None of us are exempt from the trials and tribulations that we experience while here.

Once we know the soil is good, we build a foundation. The foundation must be strong enough to support the weight of the structure.

If you’ve ever stood on the shoreline of a beach at the place where the waves are breaking, you realize how unstable the sand can be! The sand that you’re standing on washes away beneath your feet and then the wave hits you! Without Christ in our lives, we can experience a similar experience.

Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his, ” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”-2 Timothy 2:19

The analogy here is quite simple to understand, when it comes to building a house. But what happens when we look at our lives? Where are you building your spiritual house? Is it on the rock (Christ), or are you building it on the sand?

The words of this song pretty much sum it all up for me:

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame. But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand. ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND! !!

Dwelling Place

I debated on whether or not to post this, but really feel led by the Lord to share it. Let me take you back to a time in my life, before I knew the Lord. I can remember a few times when people would share Christ with me. I remember being so turned off by them, as most of the time it was the old turn or burn gospel message. I don’t want to come across like the guy on the street corner telling people they’re going to hell.

Last week, I felt the Lord tell me that I am to share this with those in my center of influence. I really struggled with it, as it can be such a sensitive subject. Eventually, I decided that if I believe the Bible in its entirety, than I need to share everything; not just the good stuff.

Everyone of us has a place we call our home. A place where we reside for the short time that we’re here. Each of us has big dreams about our future. We begin to plan our lives and write down our goals for this life. One day, however, each of us will take our last breath and pass into eternity.

How is it that we can spend our entire life making plans for our future, but are not even concerned about where we’re going to spend eternity?

Society tells us that if we’re a good person and we do enough good deeds, that we too will spend eternity in heaven. Unfortunately for us, there’s no mention of that in the Bible.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. -Psalm 23:6

How long is eternity or forever? An endless or seemingly endless period of time; duration without beginning or end.-Dictionary.com

The bottom line, is that every one of us is going to spend eternity somewhere!

Imagine if you will, spending eternity without God. Some might think, that’s not a big deal. “I don’t want anything to do with him now, so why would I want to spend eternity with him, they ask?”

I think it’s important to meet people where they’re at and show them what the love of Christ looks like. Too many times, I’ve witnessed people make a decision for Christ, but years later they walk away from the faith.

If I believe what the Bible says, than it’s important for me to let them know that there is a consequence for their decision.

I’ve heard comments over the years like, “All my friends will be there, so I may as well join them!”

God gives each one of us the choice to accept him or deny him. If we accept him here, than we’ll spend eternity with him. On the other hand, if we deny him here and live in darkness, than we’ll spend eternity in darkness; separated from him.

“But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.-Matthew 10:33

This day in age, it’s easy to share the gospel message to those around us. The Bible refers to the gospel as the Good News. Unfortunately, if there’s good news, there’s usually bad news as well. When sharing Christ with people, we usually only talk about the good news and never mention the bad news.

This is problematic, as people believe they can take or leave Christianity; without any repercussions. The truth is, there is a huge repercussion that awaits you, if you deny Christ.

It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life.- 2 Peter 2:21

If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, they will die for it. -Ezekiel 33:18

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”-Matthew 25:46

The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God.-Psalm 9:17

Hell is not going to be a big party, where you can hang out with your friends. Hell is a place of eternal darkness, where you’ll be eternally punished. How long will it last, you ask? Forever!!

And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and it’s image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.-Revelation 14:11

“There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out.-Luke 13:28

Weeping is obvious, but what do they mean by gnashing of teeth? Imagine being so mad, that you grind your teeth in disgust. Kind of like slamming your finger in a car door, or smashing it with a hammer. Think of a time in your life, where you made a huge mistake and were so mad. You grit your teeth, because you made the wrong decision. This will be the reality of many in this world.

A snap shot of hell: Forever tormented, unending rest, goes on day and night; forever, where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched, while you spend eternity in eternal darkness. There are NO second chances in hell! Does that sound like a place where you want to be for eternity?

Some may say that they don’t believe in hell. The fact that you don’t believe in it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Someone could say they don’t believe in gravity and step off a tall building, to their death.

There are countless verses in the Bible, that speak of the reality of hell.

And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.-Matthew 13:42

Please, don’t follow the way of the masses! Go the opposite direction that everyone else is! Choose to be different and make a difference in the lives of those around you!

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.-Matthew 7:13-14

God’s desire is that none would perish and that each and every one of us would have eternal life!

As surely as I live, says the sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live.-Ezekiel 33:11

If you want to read more information about what the Bible has to say about hell, check out Ezekiel 33.

If you are moved by this post, I would encourage you to share it on your feed. I also welcome any comments below.

Moving the ball forward

No matter what I do in life, it’s important that I’m constantly moving forward. The object in the game of football, is to constantly advance the ball down the field; until we score a touchdown.

Football 1

The game of football, serves as a perfect model for our lives as well.

Whether it’s our family, our career, our marriage, or most importantly; our walk with God. If we want to go anywhere in life, we have to step out of our comfort zone and start taking steps to get us where we want to be.

We advance in life, by adopting these simple little disciplines. These disciplines serve as stepping-stones that are designed to take us to our goal.

A person crossing three stepping stones on a river

If we repeat these disciplines over and over, we’re rewarded at the end.

Inch by inch, life’s a cinch! Yard by yard, life’s hard! Mile by mile life’s a trial!

Football Field

What are your goals? What disciplines can YOU adopt now, to drive you towards them?

I’ve always tried to learn as much as I can about different areas and aspects of the industry that I work in. This day in age, there’s so many resources, right at my fingertips.

I try to take advantage of the these resources and use them for my benefit. One of the best resources available is the internet. Everything pertaining to my industry, is right here; for my benefit.

A life goal of mine, is to be the leader in my industry. I want to be the guy they call when they have questions pertaining to the industry. The last thing I want, is for my client to call the competition.

You’ve heard it said that: “Time is of the essence!” Isn’t that true! There’s only so many hours in each day, so it’s important that we spend our time wisely.

There’s a saying that says “If you wait for all the street lights to turn green, you’ll never go to town!” How true is that? Often times in life, we wait for everything to be perfect, before we move ahead. When we delay in making a decision, we miss the opportunity.

Occasionally in life, we throw a “Hail Mary” pass and reach a goal! But most of the touchdown’s in life are scored by advancing the ball, one play at a time.

In addition to adapting these disciplines, it’s so important to have the right mental attitude. You’ve got to be focus-driven and keep your eyes on what’s ahead; instead of what’s behind you!

Work harder on yourself, than you do on your job.-Jim Rohn

I treat my walk with Christ the same way. I want to learn as much as I can about Christ and the best way to do that is by reading the Bible.

Bible Study A chapter or two per day is all it takes! Just like in my career, I need to take what I read and apply it to my life. If all I do is read it, without applying it, then it’s just head knowledge.

God’s not looking for religious people; he’s after a relationship with you! Think of him as your best friend. As problems arise, reach out to the one that created you. He knows you better than anyone, because he created you! His word will get you through ANY situation that life throws at you!

I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’-Hosea 10:12

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me-the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. -2 Timothy 4:7-8

Are you looking forward to his appearing?

Love to read your comments…

Fitz

What’s my name?

How many people do you encounter during the course of your day? Out of those, how many do you know by their first name? Out of those, how much do you know about their personal life? Where did they grow up? Where do they work? How long have they worked there? Are they married? Do they have children? What are their hobbies? What’s their story?

I’ve found that one of the keys to building solid relationships with people, is to build rapport with them. A great way to do this, is by asking them questions. As they answer these questions, you will eventually find common ground. That’s when the magic starts to happen.

Think of the one person who you would consider to be your best friend. How did you meet? What was it that attracted you to them? You probably discovered some common ground and the relationship blossomed from there.

I believe that God orchestrates many of the people who cross our paths on a daily basis. We could very easily pass them by without taking notice, or we could stop and introduce ourselves and possibly become best friends with them.

Being in outside sales, I’ve made it a goal to get to know every person , in every one of my accounts on a first name basis. Not only that, but I want to know about their personal lives as well. Learning their name is the first step, to building the relationship!

They say, that people love to hear their name. The power of the relationship, starts with knowing their name. Our walk with God, is the same way. There is so much power when we use his name.

I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy. -John 16:23-24

As we get to know him, the relationship starts to form. The more we learn about him, the more we desire to be like him! Eventually, we become best friends and want to spend more time with him.

I welcome your comments below….

Fitz

Do all things unto the Lord

What’s one thing you can do right now, that will have a HUGE effect on your day?

Your perspective on things , has a lot to do with how your day plays out. Some people dread going to work and can’t stand where, or who they work for. If that’s you, keep reading….

The Bible has a lot to say, when it comes to work.

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than people. -Colossians 3:23

Wow! That kind of puts a new perspective on things, doesn’t it? Think about how many things we do, during the course of our day. Now, think what it would be like if we did those same things, as if we were working for the Lord. Mundane, menial and trivial tasks, take on a whole new meaning.

When I read this verse, my mind immediately went to my job. The key word in this scripture is the word “whatever”. That means anything that we set our mind to do. That could be mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, dealing with an upset customer, etc.

Think about it from your employer’s point of view. If you adopt this one little strategy at work, your employer will definitely take notice. Who knows where that might take you. There could be a promotion for you, right around the corner!

What’s the one thing that you despise the most about your job? The next time you do it, reflect on this verse. I promise that you’ll have a new perspective! There’s definitely a paradigm shift, when you consider it this way, isn’t there?

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. -Galatians 6:4

I welcome your thoughts, comments and opinions below….

Fitz