A must read for everyone.....

[brokenman]

This is a small excerpt from Honey out of the Rock by Thomas Wilcox that Mt Zion sent me while I was in prison. I encourage everyone to go to that web site and read it all. Its under litature, under W for Wilcox. They provide free litature from prominent Godly preachers going way back to some of our earliest fathers in the faith. This is worth ready I say to all.
A WORD OF ADVICE TO MY OWN HEART AND YOURS. You are a religious person and partake of all the ordinances. You do well: they are glorious privileges: but if you have not the blood of Christ at the root of your religion, it will wither, and prove but painted pageantry to go to hell in.
If you retain guilt and self-righteousness under it, those vipers will eat out all the vitals of it at length. Try and examine with greatest strictness every day, what ground your religion and hope of glory is built upon, whether it was laid by the hand of Christ. If not, it will never be able to endure the storm that must come against it; Satan will throw it all down, and great will be the fall thereof (Matt 7:27).
You that glory in being a Christian, you shall be winnowed. Every vein of your profession will be tried to purpose. It is terrible to have it all come tumbling down, and to find nothing but itself to stand upon.
You who pride yourself on being a Christian, see to your waxen wings, which now will melt with the heat of temptation. What a misery is it to trade much, and be bankrupt at length, and have no stock, no foundation laid for eternity in your soul!
You who pride yourself on the gifts you have, look to see there is not a worm at the root that will spoil all your fine gourd, and make it die about you in a day of scorching. Look over your soul daily, and ask: Where is the blood of Christ to be seen upon my soul? What righteousness is it that I stand upon to be saved? Have I got away from all my self-righteousness? Many eminent religious people have come at length to cry out, in the sight of the ruin of all their duties, “Undone, undone, to all eternity!”
Consider, the greatest sins may be hid under the greatest duties, and the greatest terrors. See that the wound that sin has made in your soul be perfectly cured by the blood of Christ! not skinned over with duties, humblings and enlargements. Apply what you will besides the blood of Christ, it will poison the sore. You will find that sin was never mortified truly, if you have not seen Christ bleeding for you upon the cross. Nothing can kill it, but beholding Christ’s righteousness.
Nature can afford no balsam fit for soul cure. Healing from duty, and not from Christ, is the most desperate disease. Poor, ragged nature, with all its highest improvements, can never spin a garment fine enough (without spot) to cover the soul’s nakedness. Nothing can fit the soul for that use but Christ’s perfect righteousness.
Whatsoever is of nature’s spinning must be all unraveled before the righteousness of Christ can be put on. Whatever is of nature’s putting on, Satan will come and plunder every rag away, and leave the soul naked and open to the wrath of God. All that nature can do, will never make up the least gram of grace, that can mortify sin, or look Christ in the face one day.
You are known as a Christian person, and go on hearing, praying and receiving, yet miserable you may be. Look about you: did you ever yet see Christ to this day, in distinction from all other excellencies and righteousness in the world, and all of them falling before the majesty of His love and grace (Isa 2:17)?
If you have seen Christ truly, you have seen pure grace, pure righteousness in Him in every way infinite, far exceeding all sin and misery. If you have seen Christ, you can trample upon all the righteousness of men and angels, so as to bring you into acceptance with God. If you have seen Christ, you would not do a duty without Him for ten thousand worlds (I Cor 2:2). If ever you saw Christ, you saw him a Rock, higher than self-righteousness, Satan, and sin (Psalm 61:2), and this Rock follows you (I Cor 10:4); and there will be continual dropping of honey and grace out of that Rock to satisfy you (Psalm 81:16). Examine if ever you have beheld Christ as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Be sure you have come to Christ, that you stand upon the Rock of Ages, and have answered to His call to your soul, and have closed with Him for justification.
Men talk bravely of believing, whilst whole and sound; few know it. Christ is the mystery of the Scripture; grace the mystery of Christ. Believing is the most wonderful thing in the world. Put any thing of your own to it, and you spoil it. Christ will not so much as look at it for believing. When you believe and come to Christ, you must leave behind you your own righteousness, and bring nothing but your sin: (Oh, that is hard!) leave behind all your holiness, sanctification, duties, humbling, and so on; and bring nothing but your wants and miseries, or else Christ is not fit for you, nor you for Christ. Christ will be a pure Redeemer and Mediator, and you must be an undone sinner, or Christ and you will never agree. It is the hardest thing in the world to take Christ alone for righteousness: that is to acknowledge Him Christ. Join any thing to Him of your own, and you un-Christ Him. To read the rest go to this site it is free and worth seeing.

(edited by sunshine 307: no links without Chad's prior permission)

 

[brokenman]

Thank you sunshine for pointing this out to me in such a gentle way, that was kind of you. I have a good memory its just short and fuzzy is all. LOL I will try and locate the 10 commandments of the site and reread them because reading them the first time convinced me to join. Once again I am impressed with the Godly example of this site with how you addressed this issue Sunshine 307, God bless you, and I thank you again!

 

[Coconut]

"I have a good memory its just short and fuzzy is all." Yea, me too lol

That is an EXCELLENT message Brother! Glory to God!
I did a little gleaning this morning from Mt Zion, thank you!

"Jesus pointed out that many people profess to be Christians but their behavior does not measure up when the crunch comes. "Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I tell you?" Then he went on to tell the story of the house on the rock and the house on the sand. Children love to act it out in Sunday School, and they sing "A wise man built his house upon the rock, and the rain came down and the flood came up . . . and the house of the foolish man cam crashing down." But this is not just a song for little kids. It is Jesus’ parable for adults. It applies to you and me, and our children, and our friends, and ministers, and company directors, and politicians. It is about anyone who looks impressive until things get tough.

The parable points out that a house built on rock and a house without a solid foundation outwardly look the same. A person could look very impressive like a house with top quality windows, doors and locks, bathroom fittings, fireplaces, paintwork, appliances, and kitchen cabinets. But then the banks of the river of life burst, flood waters come swirling up, and without a proper foundation all that seemed important collapses. That is our situation if we build on the sand of fair weather friends, reliance on money, trust in our qualifications, education, and successes.

What did Jesus have in mind by way of a solid foundation for life? "That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock" (Luke 6:48). Obviously he is claiming that he is the Rock. As David sang three thousand years ago "I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge" (Psalm 18:1-2; 31:3; 71:3).

That foundation is best put in before we start building our life. That is the value of a good program for children. They don’t need moralizing and rules about church. They need an opportunity to invite Jesus into their heart. But it is never too late to ask "What am I going to settle as the foundation for all I hope to achieve?" That happened to me when I was 23 years old after five years in the army. I had to dig deep below the surface and lay a new foundation beneath the building of my life.

The Messiah defined what a good foundation was made of. "I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them" (6:47). We turn from trusting in the words of anyone else, we come to him, listen carefully to what he tells us, and then we act on his words."




1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

 

[Chad]

Great post brother thank you for sharing. Christ should always be our center, our foundation our LIFE Nothing else, nothing less.

 

[Coconut]

And a little more gleaning from the web

JESUS ON SAND & ROCK

Jesus was not talking about sand castles, but houses built on sand.
He was not only drawing from his own experience as a carpenter and builder, he was referring to a well-known phenomenon in his day. Some people built their houses in the wide riverbeds in Palestine. The sand was an easy place on which to build. It was also a delightful place to live. The water was nearby and the houses were sheltered from the cold winds of winter.
Those who built on the rock had a difficult time of building and living was harder. It meant grading the side of the hill and carrying up the materials. Also, living on the rocks was harder. The water had to be carried up and the cold winter winds were more than a match for the poor dwellers.
However, melting snows coming down from the mountains made living in these wide riverbeds dangerous. And if the snow was heavy and the spring rains severe, the little trickling streams could become powerful flood ways to rushing water. All would be lost in the riverbeds and the rock dwellers above would be spared.

THE SERMON

The Sermon on the Mount has a pointed conclusion.
It is about building more than a house, it is about building a life. To build on the principles, which Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, is not easy. It is never easy to keep your heart pure, to pray for those who have done you wrong, to return good for evil, to trust in God and not worry. Jesus did not say, “Follow me and I will make your life easy.” He does, however, promise to be with us.

Jesus’ point is that challenges to our faith will come through life circumstances. We will face illnesses, dissolving relationships, loss of employment, temptations luring us away from that which we know to be good and godly, though maybe not easy.

How we stand the storms of life is dependent upon our foundation.
THE CORNERSTONE-- PROFESSION OF JESUS AS CHRIST
Prior to the building illustration, Jesus says perhaps the most difficult word.
Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Jesus is referring to what I believe is the CORNERSTONE of the foundation of a Christian life.

To confess is to admit, own, avow, concede, grant. A confession is a statement of acknowledgement of one’s guilt or one’s belief. A confession centers on a word that states, “This is where I stand today.”

To profess is to affirm, declare, practice or claim. A profession is a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often study preparation. It involves more than words but practice and commitment that are seen not only in word, but in deed as well.

Jesus says that some will call me “Lord, Lord” and even do good works, but turn away and even do evil. Peter says, “Some reject the cornerstone.” It is tragic to see people with once strong faith and commitment go astray. It is so sad to see people who once burned with passion for Christ stop building, or find their house was built on sand when the storms of life come.
The most important step in building a life that lasts is professing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the CORNERSTONE, and living as one who is changed by that commitment.

INTEGRITY & VALUES

Profession is really about integrity.
Integrity is simply living by a standard of values that you have established where “your walk matches your talk”, or where your building is not shaken because the foundation is sure. What you say that is important is actually what your life is built on—your Christian values.
I think it is important not only to prioritize the values that matter most, but answer the question, “How can my Christian faith help me to accentuate these values?”

If we value family, how are we prayerfully strategizing to accentuate this value? Are we making time to date our spouses and spend individual time with our children? Are we making church attendance a family priority as something we do together to center our life on thanksgiving to God?

If we value health, are we making sure that we are eating right and exercising? Are we seeing our bodies as a holy temple, a sanctuary where the spirit of God dwells in us? Are we acknowledging one of the greatest gifts we have from God is ourselves as a creation? Do we recognize we are partners with God in creating and maintaining our healthy bodies?

If we value God, would our calendars reveal significant time each week allotted to worship, discipleship and Christian service? Would our checkbooks reveal a priority for loving God and others? If you were arrested for being a Christian what would be the evidence to convict you?

Integrity for a Christian is all about building a firm foundation on Jesus Christ and Christian values.

BUILDING

I believe the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount is really about examining how we are building our houses.
I believe this building is about EVALUATING what is important.
In the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount, I want to challenge all of us to formulate a definition of success. Not success we buy into, but success that we define based on what we value. Success is not a destination, not a point where you arrive. It is a journey and it’s the feeling you get when you know you’re living by the values you believe are important and godly.
I believe this building is about ELIMINATING what is not important.
In the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount, let us be challenged to do away with what life isn’t about. The fact is that not everything in your schedule is what life is really about. You don’t have time for everything. God doesn’t expect you to do everything. Life is too important to waste. Eliminate what is not important.

Concentrating on values that last—ETERNAL VALUES.
Read the Sermon on the Mount again. It is only three chapters, Matthew 5, 6, and 7. Let this sermon guide you in establishing values that are lasting—eternal. It’s easy to forget what is important if we do not acknowledge our foundation. Paul says in I Corinthians 13, “There are three things that last forever, faith, hope and love.” He says again in Galatians 5:6, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” This is like Jesus saying, “Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven where moths and rust does not consume and thieves do not steal.”
The Sermon on the Mount is about such treasure.

CLOSING

Back to the question, “Is your house built to last?”
The storms will come. Temptation will show up at your doorstep. The world will be like a raging wind, blowing and destroying you. The Holy Spirit does want to share in the construction of our houses built on the cornerstone of Christ and establishing values in keeping with what makes for a successful Christian life.
We cannot leave out the Master builder, who knows everything about storm security.

- written by Dr. Stan Copeland

 

[Coconut]

We are all going to build on a foundation in this life whether we realize it or not.

We are going to build on a foundation which we will place our soul's destiny.

The sure foundation of the Lord will stand and all others will crumble.

"The foundation of the Lord standeth sure" (2 Timothy 2:19).

1 Tim. 6:19

The Wise Builder

This wise man built upon a foundation that was founded upon a rock - a firm foundation.

Notice what Jesus said was needed to be a "wise man" - hearing and obeying.

To build a strong foundation for a house, you must follow the directions found in the blueprints.

The blueprints to a foundation are engineered to hold the weight of the structure and keep it stable.

If one leaves things out of the foundation it is sure to crumble.

For a Christian to build a firm foundation - he must read and follow the blueprints designed by Christ.

The key to building a good foundation - a firm foundation is to do the following:

Hear

Romans 10:17

2 Timothy 2:15

No one can know how to build a strong foundation unless one hears and studies the blueprints. We automatically build a weak foundation when we do not know how to build a strong one.

Obey

Jesus said ... "heareth...and doeth them"

Matthew 7:21

Faithful men of god have always been doers.

Obedience has always been the distinguishing mark of a faithful child of God.

Build on a rock

The New Testament pictures Christ as this rock on which we are to build.

Matthew 16:13-18

"The foundation of God stands sure ..." (2 Timothy 2:19)

1 Corinthians 3:11

Ephesians 2:20

Christ must be our foundation, and other foundation cannot stand.

The Foolish Builder

The foolish man has also heard the same truth and has equal intelligence to understand, but his foolishness is shown in that he does not secure that truth by putting it into practice.

Luke 8:12 ... some hear but the devil takes the word away.

1 Corinthians 15:2 ... we must keep God's word in memory or lose it.

James 1:22

The foolish man looks for an easy way out.

He might say, "It's easier to work in the sand."

Many do not want to make the needed sacrifice that is required to have a firm foundation.

Amos 6:1

A firm foundation can only be had by our diligent following and close adherence to the blueprints.

 

[brokenman]

Thats awesome Coconut, your diligence and study. I am awed. God bless you and I thank you for your insites. I love that you tied the Rock message into the Foundation message, for sure they are one and the same. God has been and still is showing me all the wonderful aspects of Christ the solid Rock that we stand on. Here are a few scriptures that may delight your heart on the foundation. Ezra 3:11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 1 Corinthians 3:11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.The awsome thing about those two passages is one is from the Old and the other is from the new testament, and they both have same chapter and verse. We have something to shout about even as they did in the old testament when the foundation was laid, because our foundation is laid and it can not be moved. The work of God is to believe, and then when we believe truly, the Holy Spirit works Gods righteousness through us so the world can see Jesus in us. John6:28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. There will always be an outcome of all that we do. If we truly believe in Jesus the outcome will be the Holy Spirit working through us unto Holiness. If we just confess Him with our mouth and we don't truly believe in our heart, then the outcome will be just a life painted up cosmeticaly but no real change. Our work is to believe and teach others to put thier trust in Yeshua (Jesus) and trust the Holy Spirit to do His work in them. The last thing we want to do is motivate unregenerated souls to put thier trust in doing good works for salvation. We who are regenerated (Born Again) know oh so well it was none of our doing, only the Spirits.
Jude 1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
Acts 13:43Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. Acts 14:22Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Romans11: 20Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graff them in again. Notice in verse 20 we stand by faith. Let us all Fight the good fight of Faith, and trust the Holy Spirit to work His work in us.

 

[Coconut]

"The last thing we want to do is motivate unregenerated souls to put thier trust in doing good works for salvation. We who are regenerated (Born Again) know oh so well it was none of our doing, only the Spirits." All glory to God, amen!