Matthew 7:24-29
Wise and Foolish Builders
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 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. 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.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
1 John 4:8
God is LOVE
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Matthew 7:1-6
Judging Others
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Ephesians 2:8-9
Saved by Grace
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Jesus said we can read and hear His Words and put them into practice or we can read about Him and not put them into practice...His Words make life better, and gives life more of a purpose...His teachings give our lives more of a solid foundation...Because the time does come in each of our lives, when we are visited by pain and suffering...And when these stormy times come into our lives and they are not easy...The rains come and flood us, and the streams outside are rising higher and higher, and the winds are blowing against us -but His foundation remains strong, when a life is built on solid rock...
Pain and suffering happens...And one of the frequent reasons I read that people do not believe in God is because of all the pain and suffering in the world...Atheists believe that a Loving God would not allow pain and suffering into this world...But I wonder if the non-believer allows himself to think that his world is what it is...The non-believer has no God, and still he suffers...His world is one that considers itself free from God and yet, he lives in the same world as the believer...The atheist must somehow reconcile himself to his world without God, yet his world in and of itself is still this suffering world all the while...Does he think his world is better because he admits his truth about no God?...Without question, if there is no God, then the world around him and all of us loses One, who is in the greatest story ever told...And the One in that great story had to suffer on the cross...
Atheists and the non-believer live in the same world as the believer, yet without God his world is much different...A life without God is one without the Bible...The Bible is the Word of God...So the Bible means nothing to the atheist...The atheist has been brought up thinking, or at least believing that his individual opinions and thoughts, and his individual truths are greater than the truths of the Bible...His judgments are foremost, until someone that he meets and believes in is wiser and can change them (his views)...If one stays focused on your own personal ideas for so long, they become your truths...They becomes your foundation...Continued thoughts without God are darker and lonelier and emptier thoughts...An atheist's life and beliefs are one without a soul or the Holy Spirit...The non-believer has no sacred or holy book...He has no One to hang on to when the storm does come...What he has is his truths...I find these thoughts very lonely and alone...
Jesus knows all things...His thoughts, teachings, and words are foremost...He has great wisdom...If one studies Him and reads about Him long enough they can discover the Truth...And what one finds that in a world without God, it is one with less love, because God is LOVE...God is One who completely gives Himself to all His children, no matter how they feel about Him...This is what a Loving Father does...And He expects no gifts, no reimbursement from His children -for that is LOVE...And that is GRACE...