IS YOUR FAITH BUILT ON A SINKHOLE?

The other night, as I was watching the news, right before my eyes, I saw a family home fall into sinkhole. Perhaps you witnessed this too. A home that once sheltered a family from tornados, hurricanes and fire, all of a sudden disappeared. It was gone forever.  In this story, however, I learned that a man was in his bed and never knew what happened to him.  You might ask, why would  anyone build or buy a house built on a sinkhole? I don't think it was intentional. Perhaps the builders, knew better. However, the question still stands, did the builder seriously research information before he developed the area?

This incident made me begin to think, "Is my faith up to code, or is it built on a sinkhole?  Will it hold me through a devastating  crisis, if I lose everything I have held dear?  What if the culture has changed and I am separated from my family and placed in a concentration camp because of my faith? Is my faith built on a rock or a sinkhole?" 

In Mathew 16:13-20, Jesus shows great  concern for the faith of  His own disciples when He asks them this question, "Who do you say that I am?"  He wanted to make sure that their faith was built on Him and not an religious concept. Simon Peter responded, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.".  And Jesus answered him saying,"Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this ROCK I will build my church, and gates of Hell  shall not prevail against it.."  Jesus Christ is the SOLID ROCK  of our salvation. We build on Christ alone.

Human faith  is a sinkhole. It is NOT enough.  If it was, we would be boastful and proud of our faith. But, it is a gift of God, by grace through faith, so we can't boast.  (Eph.2:9:10) Faith is like a muscle.  We have to use it or it will grow weak. That is why the Lord allows trials and tribulations to test our faith to see whether we are "built up" or "puffed up".  If our relationship with Jesus Christ is real and a growing living relationship, WE ARE NOT BUILDING ON A SINKHOLE!   If our faith is built upon the "rock", the person of the Lord Jesus, there is no reason to fear.  He has promised to never leave or forsake us and to bring us safely to His home in His time. 

RIDING OUT THE TIDAL WAVE

In the early nineties, I had a dream  of a huge earth quake shaking the East Coast. Buildings were falling all around me. In the midst of all this devastation, I saw coming in from the Atlantic ocean a humongous wave.  It was a tsunami.  I cried out to the Lord, " Jesus help!".  As soon as I did, I saw the front door to my house floating by.  The Lord told me to get on it.  I obeyed.  Then, I found myself standing on the door, riding the wave like a surfer.  I felt safe and secure, capable of riding out the storm. I woke up.

"Lord," I asked, "what was that all about.  What do you want me to know?"

The following thoughts quickly came to my mind.  The earth quake was the breaking up of America's morals as a nation.  The tsunami following was a sprue of filth.  Porn was rapidly spreading throughout the land, the occult was openly practiced , homosexuality was respectable, abortion was exceptable and atheism was becoming a religion. Weather patterns were changing causing much destruction. More judgement was coming to the church.  She would be shaken to the core, separating Her from the world to be a Light to the Nations. It is coming true.

 " Lord, thank you for the door to ride out this storm. You are the door." My thoughts went to Noah and the ark and how the Lord protected him from the flood. For 120 years the Lord tried to warn the people to repent, but they refused.  Only Noah and his family survived the judgment. 

"Jesus said, As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.( Matthew36-40 ) The world at that time was wicked and no one worshiped the true God except Noah.  In the days and years ahead, Jesus is our only safe place.   The Lord is the the Ark.  Jesus is the door to the Ark.

"Truly, truly, I say to you.  I am the door of the sheep.  All who come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.  I AM THE DOOR.  If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pastures.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly"  John 10:7-10