I Stand At The Door

I Stand at the Door

By Sam Shoemaker (from the Oxford Group)


I stand by the door.
I neither go to far in, nor stay to far out.
The door is the most important door in the world -
It is the door through which men walk when they find God.
There is no use my going way inside and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,
Crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find
Is only the wall where the door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind men,
With outstretched, groping hands,
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,
Yet they never find it.
So I stand by the door.

The most tremendous thing in the world
Is for men to find that door - the door to God.
The most important thing that any man can do
Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands
And put it on the latch - the latch that only clicks
And opens to the man's own touch.

Men die outside the door, as starving beggars die
On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter.
Die for want of what is within their grasp.
They live on the other side of it - live because they have not found it.

Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,
And open it, and walk in, and find Him.
So I stand by the door.

Go in great saints; go all the way in -
Go way down into the cavernous cellars,
And way up into the spacious attics.
It is a vast, roomy house, this house where God is.
Go into the deepest of hidden casements,
Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood.
Some must inhabit those inner rooms
And know the depths and heights of God,
And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is.
Sometimes I take a deeper look in.
Sometimes venture in a little farther,
But my place seems closer to the opening.
So I stand by the door.

There is another reason why I stand there.
Some people get part way in and become afraid
Lest God and the zeal of His house devour them;
For God is so very great and asks all of us.
And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia
And want to get out. 'Let me out!' they cry.
And the people way inside only terrify them more.
Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled.
For the old life, they have seen too much:
One taste of God and nothing but God will do any more.
Somebody must be watching for the frightened
Who seek to sneak out just where they came in,
To tell them how much better it is inside.
The people too far in do not see how near these are
To leaving - preoccupied with the wonder of it all.
Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door
But would like to run away. So for them too,
I stand by the door.

I admire the people who go way in.
But I wish they would not forget how it was
Before they got in. Then they would be able to help
The people who have not yet even found the door.
Or the people who want to run away again from God.
You can go in too deeply and stay in too long
And forget the people outside the door.
As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place,
Near enough to God to hear Him and know He is there,
But not so far from men as not to hear them,
And remember they are there too.

Where? Outside the door -
Thousands of them. Millions of them.
But - more important for me -
One of them, two of them, ten of them.
Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch.
So I shall stand by the door and wait
For those who seek it.

'I had rather be a door-keeper
So I stand by the door.

We Are Reminded

Psalm 24:1-4 NIV

The earth is the Lordʼs, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.

Here we are reminded of the reality that everything belongs to the Lord because God created everything from nothing. We are reminded that the Lord is above everything. 

Here we are reminded of the reality that everyone belongs to the Lord because God spoke life into existence. We are reminded that the Lord is above everyone. 

Here we are reminded of the reality that the Lord is almighty - that He rules over all - and sovereign - that He reigns over all.  

Here we are reminded of the reality that we are not worthy to stand in God's presence. We are reminded that our hands are unclean - that we have committed wrong acts with our hands. We are reminded that our hearts are impure - that we have harbored wrong motives in our hearts. 

Here we are reminded of the reality that - on our own - we are unworthy, unclean, impure, broken, lost, and hopeless. 

But then we are invited - by God - to remember His almighty power to purify, to renew, and to restore. 

Psalm 51:10-12, NIV

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

When we are reminded of the reality of our impurity and our brokenness, let us remember God's invitation. When we are reminded of the reality of our impurity and our brokenness, let us remember God's sovereignty. 

Let us be purified.

Let us be renewed.

Let us be restored. 

In the Lord. 

Redeemed and Reconciled

I was talking to a couple of ladies this morning about the relationship between Christmas and Easter. In the midst of this conversation two words came up - two of my favorite words - "redeemed" and "reconciled". 

 

We understand that Jesus came from heaven - that He was sent - to redeem all of humankind from the penelty of sin - that is death. We also understand that Jesus gave up His life on a Roman cross so that our sin debt would be paid. Furthermore, we understand that Jesus arose from the dead - that He arose from the tomb - so that we could be eternally reconciled with God our Father. 

This afternoon I was reminded of one of my favorite passages of Scripture - a passage I think of often around Easter but rarely around Christmas. And yet, without the gift of Jesus at Christmas we cannot celebrate the gift of Christ at Easter. 

Romans 5:6-11; You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Since We Have Been Justified

Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because Godʼs love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

‭‭(Romans‬ ‭5:1-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

 

We have been justified - pardoned - acquitted - of our sinful acts - this means that we are declared blameless in God's sight.

This justification comes through faith - our confidence of and assurance -  in Jesus Christ. 

Because of this we have peace - unity and harmony - with God our Father. And why wouldn't we have peace with The Almighty God, knowing that He views us without blame? Furthermore we have peace with Jesus knowing that He has reconciled us with God. 

Now we stand unified with Jesus as our Savior - as the one that saves us from the penalty of sin - and Lord - as the one that leads our lives. 

Through Jesus - our Savior and Lord - we have access to God's marvelous, matchless grace. This grace in which we stand safely and securely in. 

So, given all of this, let us boast. We do not boast in our own selves or our own abilities. No, let us rejoice - with great joy - I say it again, rejoice - in Jesus Christ - in the hope of the glory of God. 

We have this hope only through Christ - and in what He has done for us. We have the hope - the great expectation - that we will one day soon stand before God and He will impart His glory on us. 

Yet, we not only rejoice in hope, we also rejoice in our current suffering. We are able to rejoice because we trust that our suffering - our trials, our hardships, our distress, our pressure, our trouble - produces perseverance. We learn not to give up or give in - even in the midst of suffering. This perseverance, then, produces spiritual maturity - because it drives us to a total dependence on God and a complete reliance on Him. 

In all of this, we will not - now or ever - be disappointed. How could we be disappointed? We are basking in God's eternal and unsurpassable love. And, God's Spirit is living in us bearing constant witness to His great love to us. 

Since we have been justified by faith, what else do we need? 

Blood and Witness

Satan - evil and death - is eternally defeated through the blood of The Lamb - Jesus Christ - and through the word of our testimony about Jesus Christ.

Our Savior - Jesus Christ - has already done His part, now He is calling you to do yours. 

Let us triumph over Satan - over evil and death - daily through the word of our testimony. 

Your words of witness make a difference - an eternal one. 

Acts, Romans, and Gentiles

I read Acts 10 and 11 and Romans 11 this morning - in unrelated studies - and came to several related phrases;

"I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right." (Acts 10:34)

"...God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life." (Acts 11:18)

"...salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious." (Romans 11:11)

"Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in." (Romans 11:25)

I invite your wisdom into and understanding of these passages.

We Have A Problem

Just a couple of weeks ago, during a physical, I found out that I have another hernia in need of surgical repair.

I had a hernia surgically repaired twenty years ago, when I was 13 years old. After the surgery, the surgeon told me two things that I still remember to this day. First, he said that I had probably had the hernia since I was 3. He also stated that I was likely to develop another hernia in the years to come. 

So, here I am, at the age of 33 facing the news of a second hernia. It could be much worse. And while a hernia repair is a fairly routine, outpatient surgery, the news still came as quite a shock during my recent physical. 

The doctor asked me if I had dealt with any pain from the hernia and, of course, I said "no". I had no idea that I had a hernia! 

However, since receiving the news, I can't stop thinking about my hernia. And, I am feeling the pain quite regularly and severely. 

Tonight, as I sat dealing with some sharp pains, I thought of how similar this situation is to our sin. 

There was a time in each of our lives that we were unaware of our sin problem. We had no idea that our sin was keeping us separated from the God that created us and loves us. 

But once our sin problem was brought to our attention, we began to deal with our reality. We were plagued by the nuisance  of our sin problem and painful consequences that our sin problem posed for our lives - now and forever. 

After a recent visit to a surgeon I was told that I could choose to get the needed surgical repair and take care of the problem right away. However, I was also given the option of waiting until the hernia got worse, at which time I could schedule the surgery. The surgeon did warn me that if I waited too long - and if the hernia got too severe - I would have the risk of gangrene setting in. 

In the same way, once our sin problem has been exposed - once we are diagnosed as sinners in need of salvation through Jesus Christ - we have a choice. We can accept His gracious gift of salvation right away and be free of our guilt, our shame, and the eternal consequences of our sin problem. Or we can continue to deal with the reality of our sin problem and refuse to free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Of course, there is always the risk of waiting to long. 

And while gangrene is a horrible consequence, eternal separation from

God is much worse - and irreversible.

So, in view of your sin problem, what will you do? 

There is Comfort in Safety

Yesterday morning an inmate escaped from the prison in the town that we live in. He has been on the run for more than 23 hours now. Over the past 23 hours police offices, sheriff deputies, and state troopers have been called in from all of the surrounding towns, cities, and counties. SWAT teams, U.S. Marshals, and other law enforcement personnel have also been called in to join the "hunt". We have seen multiple police cars zipping up and down the street, officers posted at the various intersections around town, dogs searching vehicles and homes in specific areas around town, and the very noticeable search helicopters flying above our city with search lights turning about.

The schools went on "lock-down" twice yesterday, the students were held for an extra hour before being released, and busses were loaded with a police officer before sending children on their way home.

Both of the city parks were closed and cleared out yesterday afternoon with every person being questioned and every vehicle being searched.

Two of the trailer courts in town were evacuated and a thorough search through homes and vehicles - with dogs and officers - was done.

Reports are flying about on the television, newspaper, internet, telephone, and - of course - by word of mouth. Many stories are circulating of how this gentleman escaped, who is to blame, whether he is armed, where he was last seen, and what he is wearing.

But, in each and every report - as far-fetched as they are - the advisement is the same; "Stay inside, lock your doors, lock your cars, and do not approach this man. If you see him, call 911 right away."

Last night we went to bed and locked our doors - we do every night. We went to bed with the sound of hovering helicopters above our home. We went to bed with the sight of search lights circling our home. We went to bed with many different reports on the location and danger of this man.

But, although some thought was given to my own safety, I wasn't primarily worried about myself. I was worried more for my family - my wife and three young children. We were sure to pull them a little closer to our bed last night. I was sure to check the locks on the doors, and then recheck them, and then check again. I was sure to turn on all of the exterior lights around our home. And, I was sure to sleep with one eye open. Again, not because I was worried about my own safety, but because I worry about my family.

We woke today to hear that this man I still on the loose and that they have called in more search dogs and more U.S. Marshals to search and find this man. I do hope they find him soon!

There is something comforting about knowing that your family is safe. There is something comforting about being able to sleep knowing all is well.

As I thought about this situation this morning it occurred to me that the same is true when it comes to our faith in Jesus, our salvation, and our eternity. There is something comforting about knowing that your family is safe. There is something comforting about being able to rest knowing all is well.

Perhaps you need this comfort for yourself today. You need to assurance that you have been saved and that your future is secure.

Romans 10:13 states that; "Everyone who calls on the name of Jesus will be saved."

Acts 4:12 states that; "Salvation is found in no one else [but Jesus], for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."

See, there is something comforting about knowing that you, that your family, and that your friends are safe. There is something comforting about being able to rest knowing all is well.

If you have never made this commitment to Jesus, I invite you to do so today. If you have, I invite you pray for and make an attempt to share the message of Jesus with all of your friends and family members.

Clinging to Worthless Idols

Currently we are walking through the book of Jonah during our Sunday morning worship services with the focus of "God's heart fro the lost". Last week we looked at chapter 2. One of the key verses from this chapter that speaks of God's heart for he lost is verse 8;

Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.

Not only do we turn away from God's love for us, we also turn away from His grace and mercy for us. Likewise, when we cling to worthless idols we turn our love and attention away from God. In addition to this, we turn our love and attention from others that surround us.

What does it mean to "cling" to something? It does not simply mean that we turn our attention to it, it means that we choose to continually remain close and attached to this object. And, what is a "worthless idol"? It is any object of worship that is of little or no value. See, we all have "worthless idols" in our lives that we need to be free of. This passage does not speak to those worthless idols that have caught our attention, tempted us in some way, or even those worthless idols that we have worshiped from time to time. This passage speaks specifically about those worthless idols in our lives that have become so important to us that we have begun to cling to them, we have made the choice time after time to remain close to them and to remain attached to them.

And we have a choice - each and every one of us - to be free of these worthless idols. We have been given this choice - this opportunity - to be free of these worthless idols through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and through the power of His Holy Spirit - Christ's gift to us.

God's heart for the lost is a heart of salvation, a heart of redemption, a heart of forgiveness, a heart of compassion, and a heart of love. God's heart for you is crying out that you would be free from the worthless idols that have kept to prisoner for far too long.

Won't you do away with these worthless idols in your life and turn to The One who died to give you a new life and a new way to live? Won't you today cling to Jesus Christ?

Live In Jesus Christ

My wife and I will celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary in May. Never, in the course of these 10 years have I thought of cheating on her or being unfaithful to her. Never have I even been tempted to break that commitment that I have made to her in the presence of God and our families. 

And although this is something that I recognize as a wonderful thing, it is not something that I speak of often or that I boast about with great pride. Why? Because being faithful to my wife is an expectation of me as her husband. 

And, strikes me that many Christians consider unfaithfulness to our spouse as an unthinkable act. But, so often, we live as though our commitment to Jesus Christ isn’t as important as our commitment to our spouse.

In Colossians 2:6-7, the Apostle Paul writes this;

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

To be saved means that we have received salvation - that we have been rescued from harm, danger or loss and that we have been redeemed from the consequences of sin. To be saved means that we have received Jesus Christ - Jesus is the only one that has the power to redeem us from the consequences of sin.

We claim our salvation in Jesus Christ with great pride – and we should. But, you see, salvation is only the beginning.

A lot of people have received salvation and they have received Jesus Christ. But for so many this seems to be the stopping point. A lot of people are redeemed from the consequences of sin and then they continue to live a life of sin.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

A great example of living a life in Jesus Christ - being rooted and grounded in Him - is marriage. Marriage is more than wearing a wedding ring – it is a relationship. It takes on its meaning by the daily choices we make and the ways we respond to the pressures around us.

The Apostle Paul is urging The Church to stay grounded in our relationship with Jesus; established in faith. He is writing to people who have already received Jesus and are striving to live a life in Him. He is writing to people are struggling with the challenge of living out this relationship, in a world where Satan is attacking. Many of us, as Christians, we struggle in the same way - and we’re not always faithful to Jesus. 

But once we confess Christ we become part of His Church and we are bound to Him as a bride is to her groom. And Jesus wants more than the wedding day, He wants what every groom wants. Jesus wants to have a relationship with us, a relationship that is exclusive, a relationship that grows and flourishes.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

A Letter To You

To any and all who would lend me your ear and your heart, I beg you to consider the following story and plea from my heart.

A few months back a member of our church family passed away. As her pastor I had the great honor of speaking at her funeral service and sharing encouragement with her family members and friends. Although her death was sudden and unexpected, and although it brought much sorrow to her loved ones, it was truly a celebration of her life and her reception in heaven with Jesus.

This past week, one of her sons was laid in the same position, in the same room, with much of the same people looking in the same direction, in the same manner, with much of the same tears flowing down their cheeks. Although I had met this gentlemen only one time, I was asked to speak at his funeral service.

There was something much different about this gentleman's funeral service than there was of his mother's just months earlier. This gentleman never professed a faith in Jesus Christ, his family members and his friends did not know where he stood with his maker, no one was able to offer a testimony on his behalf, and no one stood secure on where his soul would spend eternity.

As the funeral service continued, as it concluded, and as the casket was placed over it's final resting place, the uncertainty grew, as did the sorrow, the heartbreak, and the grief. This day we were able to honor his life, we were able to remember the memories made with this man, we were able to reflect on the impact that he has made in the lives of others, yet we were not able to celebrate , and we were not able to rest assured.

Now, I believe that God offers comfort, encouragement, and support in our time of need, I believe that God will strengthen this family in the same way. But, as a sister stood at her brother's casket for more than ten minutes repeating; "I will see you again, you are in heaven now".

"I will see you again, you are in heaven now!"
"I will see you again, you are in heaven now!"
"I will see you again, you are in heaven now!"
"I will see you again, you are in heaven now!"

For ten minutes she continued, over and over she cried, over and over she wailed, over and over she shouted; "I will see you again, you are in heaven now!" This poor woman tried her best to convince herself, tried her best to convince those around her, tried her best to convince God, that her brother was going to make it into heaven. How troubling it must be to see the cold body of a loved one and know that it might be too late.

As I stood beside the casket that day, I could only hope that the second half of that statement was true, hope that he had made a commitment before his life was taken from him, hope that he called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ before his last breath passed from his body. I could only hope, because it was too late for prayers.

And, as I stood beside the casket that day, I could not help but see the faces and think of the names of the individuals close to me that have not yet made a commitment to Jesus. Prayers were offered for you that day - prayers that you will come to know Jesus Christ, prayers that you will come to accept Jesus Christ, prayers that you will come to experience Jesus Christ - because without Him you are lost.

Salvation gained a whole new meaning that day!

So, as I conclude this letter to you, I must ask: "have you accepted Jesus". I don't care how inconvenient it is for you to make it to church, I don't care how boring you find a preacher's sermon, I don't care how many excuses you have for staying away from church people. Simply this, I care about you and I want to make sure that I can celebrate with you some day. Maybe I won't be around to celebrate your life at your funeral service, but I will be around to celebrate your life for all of eternity.

I love you and I want the best for you.

Glee/What People Need

 

This past Tuesday the show "Glee" was on and although I do not normally watch it, the storyline this week was that of religion and spirituality. So, not only did I stay in the room and on the channel, I actually paid attention (something I do not always do).

  

In this episode, one of the characters makes a grilled cheese sandwich and when he opens the grill sees what he believes to be an image of Jesus. He then deems this "grilled cheesus". He proceeds to pray to the sandwich, asking it for various signs and confirmations of control. Although this opening made me skeptical that this was yet another television show that was trying to bash the name and the image of Christ, I stuck around and gave Glee more of a chance this week.

The most basic issue I had with this portion of the episode was that it was as if someone with no understanding whatsoever was attempting to explain Jesus Christ, Christianity, and everything about faith, prayer, belief, etc. As one fellow blogger wrote "I suppose it would be like me, an Asian American, writing about what it’s like to be black; I can research and I can see the cultural or societal view of being black, but it would be quite amazing if I could write about the true experience."

These words explained where the writers of this show were coming from, because a basic level of research had been done, a cultural or social view had been considered, and then off to the writing boards they went. Yet how can I say this? I do not know if the writers, the producers, or the actors of the show Glee are born-again Christians or if they make claim to any faith at all.

Yet this same basic approach is made by so-called Christians everyday, those that claim to follow Christ and have a faith in Him. So many are not truly experiencing the saving grace, the fellowship, and the presence of Jesus Christ and His Spirit within their lives. Yet they are "Christians".

We are told in Matthew 7 not to judge, and for this reason we leave this alone. Who are we to judge those around us that claim the name of Jesus and yet do not have the depth of understanding, the depth of relationship, or the depth of desire to truly know Him? We so easily forget that we are to hold one another accountable, that we are to "consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24 ), that we are to "encourage one another and build each other up"  (1 Thess. 5:11), and that, if we are truly a part of the body of Christ, we are all a part of the same body (1 Cor. 12).

Back to Glee, as the program went on various situations played into the storyline, "church and state", "religion in school", "homosexuality", "death", "the afterlife", "family", and several more. The basic conclusion to the episode was that, we all need to have faith in something, we all need to believe in something. I can definitely get behind this on the most basic level. I don't see how anyone can live in the world and honestly believe that there in no "higher power", that there is no God. Further, I don't see why anyone would continue to live if they honestly believe that there is no God and no hope after they pass away from this world.

We all need to have faith in something. True! Yet the issue in our world today is that so many have a faith in something, and that something is anything. What people NEED in our world today is a faith in The Living God, The God that does not change, The God that created, loves, and sustains everything. What people NEED in our world today is a lasting relationship with The God that offers forgiveness for yesterday, joy for today, and confidence for tomorrow. What people NEED in our world today is God!

Three Things After Three

Three things happened this afternoon, after 3:00p the first shaped my afternoon, the second my evening, and the third made connected my thoughts and got me thinking. Allow me to share.

FIRST...
A gentleman entered my office this afternoon and said he had the desire to recommit his life to Christ! I'll take five seconds of spacing here to allow for celebration...................................................................................................We had a lengthy conversation about what it meant to be a Christian, what actions he needed to take to recommit his life to Christ, and many of the question and/or concerns he had about this recommitment. One of the topics that came up was his formation of our belief in Christ and the great foundation that our parents built within us at such early ages by "forcing their beliefs on us". And although we had these beliefs thrust upon us, at some point, we all must ask the question; "What do I believe" and we must accept Christ, and the salvation that only He brings, for ourselves Following our conversation I had the great privilege in praying for him and having him pray. This has been, by far, the most rewarding part of my ministry here in Robinson.

Second...
This great experience was followed by dinner with my wonderful family. We decided to go out for dinner and because we eat at such an early time the restaurant was fairly empty. Sitting down in a quiet booth we got settled in only to have an older couple with, what must have been, the most annoying child in the Robinson area. Dinner was spent with this child dropping food on my shoulder, making siren noises in my ear, hitting me in the back with some sort of a stuffed snake-eel-fish-dinosaur. Every now and then "ma-maw" and "Chris" would say "turn around Austy" (I assume his real name was Austin but for such a cute little bugger we need to use the pet name "Austy") but little Austy didn't listen.

THIRD...
Kim ordered hot wings for dinner, her desire for bread sticks and hot wings was what brought me and little Austin together in the first place. Well, that and fate! Anyhow, she likes the wings not the drumettes (we call them chicken butts) and so I was lucky enough to polish off the final two for her. I like spicy food and these didn't seem that spicy, not until I finished them and started breathing again.  As I sit here almost four hours later I can still taste the aftershock.

 As I sat down to reflect on this afternoon's events, still celebrating the rebirth of a soul, tasting the hot wings from dinner and icing the wounds obtained from little Austy, I thought about that foundation of beliefs given to me and to so many others. Some of us are so very lucky to be given this foundation at an early age, to be introduced to Christ by our parents, teachers, friends, and churches. Some of us are lucky enough to have the beliefs of others thrust upon us, creating a basis of beliefs for the remainder of our lives. Others, are not so lucky! Some, like little Austy, are not given a foundation, a basic foundation of behavior and respect (I'm making a judgment call here and referring not to Salvation). Yet, just like the hot wings, it may not be felt until after we have formulated our beliefs and have lived through many of the trials and burdens of life and begin to breath again. 

Do you feel the "aftershock" of the foundation that was given to you? If you are not as lucky as I perhaps you had a foundation that was built on uneasy soil or perhaps you never had one formed at all. Yet there is only one foundation, the true foundation, that can stand the test of time, trials, burdens, struggles, stress, and all that life brings. And that foundation is Jesus Christ. 

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 3:11)