MATTHEW 7 v 24-29 ; The ROCK of my salvation Jesus used an illustration that was clear to His hearers, that of good

and unwise foundations, and which astonished the people. V 28-29 ; And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these sayings the people were astonished at His doctrine. For He taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. All the more reason for us to listen to and obey His teachings. Christ's apostles had been with Jesus for some three years and were quick to expound their experiences with Jesus and to follow His instructions. MATTHEW 28 v 19 ; Go you into all the world and teach the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. I JOHN 1 v 1-2 ; That which was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled, of the word of life. ( For the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested unto us. ) PHILIPPIANS I v 6 ; Being confident of this one thing, that He which has begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. ( If you want Him to keep you in His hand.) HEBREWS 2 v 1-3 ; Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken to angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward ; how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him. HEBREWS 3 v 12-15 ; Take heed therefore brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. While it is said, Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation. Jesus was urging His hearers to build their lives upon the Rock , Jesus Christ, a foundation that the storms of life could not shake. JOHN 14 v 20 ; He that has My commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me and he that loves Me shall be loved of My Father. And I will love him and will manifest Myself to him. I JOHN 2 v 15-17 ; Love not the world nor the things that are in the world. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the love of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away and the lust thereof, but he that does the will of God abides for ever. THE LORD IS MY ROCK PSALM 18 v 1-2 ; I will Love You 0 Lord my strength. The Lord is my Rock, and my fortress, my Deliverer and my God, my strength in whom I will trust. My buckler and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. PSALM 95 v I ; 0 come let us sing to the Lord, let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation. To the Christian this parable represents Jesus as the spiritual rock upon whom we build our spiritual lives and trust Him completely for our eternal security . Upon which to stand fast against the wiles of satan . We stand firm on the truth of the Scriptures and obedience to the will of God. We look forward to Christ coming for His church and presenting us to God in heaven. Denial and rejection of Jesus Christ leaves the sinner with no other destination but the lake of fire and brimstone. REVELATION 14 v 9-11 ; And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation, and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor might who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name. But the Christian can say ; PSALM 91 v 1-2 ; He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall

abide under the shadow of the-Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in Him will I trust. PSALM 32 v 5-7 . ; I acknowledged my sin unto you and my iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, And You forgave me the iniquity of my sin. For this, every one that is Godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found. Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. ( The overwhelming ] sorrows and temptations which threaten to rob us of our joy and peace of mind THESSALONIANS 3 v 8 For now we live if you stand fast in the Lord. THESSALONIANS 2 v 15 Therefore brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you have been taught whether by word or our epistles. HEBREWS 4 v 14-15 ; Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed in to the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession . For we have not an High Priest that cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. So when the storms of life are set upon us we will not be swept away for we have complete faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, our sure foundation , our Rock of salvation. May the indwelling Holy Spirit ever seek to strengthen us that we may resist the devil and stand fast on our solid rock of salvation. If Jesus Christ is given His rightful place in our lives we shall be victorious against the floods and winds that come against us. So successful living is meditating on the word of God and obeying it. James I v 5-6, vl2, v22 ; If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not, and it shall be given to him. But let him ask in faith , for he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. V;a2 ; But be you doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any man be a hearer of the word and not a doer he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass. For he behold himself and goes his way and straightway forgets what manner of man he was. But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues therein , he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. PROVERBS 21 v 16 ; The man that wanders out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead. PROVERBS 3 v 20-22 ; My son, attend to my words, incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes, keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those that find them and health to all their flesh. MATTHEW 7 v 26-27 ; The sands of strife The house that just sat on sand had no foundation. The person who has no desire to follow the teachings of Jesus chooses his own destination in hell REVELATION 21 v 8 ; But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable, and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone. which is the second death. So people hear the preacher and sometimes read the word of God But He says MATTHEW 13 v 13 ; Therefore speak I to them in parables because they seeing, see not. and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. v 15 ; For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of, hearing and their eyes have they closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and be converted and I should heal them. MATTHEW 13 v 41-42 ; The Son of man shall send forth His angels and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity. And shall cast them in to a furnace of fire. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The Scriptures are just as positive about the punishment of the ungodly as they are about the blessings for the Christians, who worship God in sincerity and truth. The wise man and the foolish man both heard the words of God and one obeyed and the other did not. Both of them built a house and although they may have used the same materials and when the storms and tornadoes came the house plugged in to a solid foundation remained standing fast upon the foundation. The unwise man was obviously devastated by his misfortune and yet did not acknowledge that he had no

foundation. There is a terrible price to pay for the rejection of Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Romans chapter one gives a description of God's dealings with the ungodly. ROMANS I v 21-23 ; Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful. But became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds and four footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies, between themselves. Thus they seek out their own kind but their transgressions, once seemingly fun turn to disaster pain and eternal torment. ROMANS 1 v 32. Who knowing the judgement of God, hat they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. So the wise man and the foolish man having heard the teachings of Jesus began to build a foundation upon which to form the basis of their lives. The rich man willingly took the Rock Christ Jesus as the way to live and bring up his family. The unwise man ignored the right way to build a foundation and in doing so chose to follow the path of the ungodly. When the storms of life fell upon him his foundation was swept away and he suffered for his folly, for he had no spiritual strength to overcome his troubles. LUKE 16 v 22-24 ; He had a fine house and servants to wait upon him and he could do much as he pleased, yet his end was disastrous. And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And in hell he lift up his eyes being torments and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame. ISAIAH 66 v 23-24 ; And it shall come to pass that from one moon to another and from one sabbath to another shall, all flesh come to worship before Me, says the Lord. And they shall go forth and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against Me, for their worm shall not die neither shall their fire be quenched, and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh. The teachings of Jesus are to give us knowledge of the Godhead and instructions for the living of a holy and righteous life giving honour and glory to God. We can listen and obey or be disinterested and seek to live our own lives.. Joshua gave the Israelites a determined challenge. JOSHUA 24 v 15 ; And if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord, then choose you this day whom you will serve. Whether the gods that your fathers served which was on the other side of the flood. Or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Draw me, draw me, draw me blessed Saviour. Into Your presence let me see Your face. Draw me, draw me, draw me blessed Saviour Lord I come to You by Your great grace. You are worthy to receive my offering Fruit of my lips, 0 Lord I bring to You. Lord I love You, I lift my heart before You Lord may my spirit give its praise to You.