How to survive the storm
Safe rooms, storm cellars, safe houses, building high, building low; and moving away, but where to? These are some of the things people are thinking about in regards to future storms, floods, or earthquakes. There are also economic, societal, and governmental catastrophes that may occur.
Jesus says that storms will come and to be ready. How does he say to be ready? At the end of the sermon on the mount, Jesus says that the key to surviving storms and floods in life is to put his words into practice. That is what discipleship is: Following Jesus, listening to him, reading his words and putting them into practice; with each other. The big mistake is to hear the words of Jesus, perhaps study them, and even know them so well, that you can teach them to others; but not to practice them! Sounds crazy, but this seems to be our problem at least in the part of the American christian culture that I have been familiar with. It's much harder to live it than to know it. God is after changed lives and transformation. That's real learning, when you become what you have learned. Jesus warns us that hearing him is only the beginning and that we must do it and become it; be disciples and not just observers.
We would be wrong to take away that Jesus has formed a new law centered religion that builds on Moses but Jesus is the new law giver. The larger context of Jesus whole message, that the sermon on the mount is found inside of, is the message of the kingdom of God. Jesus has come, declaring God's kingdom. This message is part of that: how to live. But, we also need God to live it. We die daily as another writer would say and the Holy Spirit helps us, empowers us in our weak flesh to live out Jesus ethic. Jesus way here is full of grace, which means a fail-safe environment. There's grace to fail, grace to try, grace to cry. Jesus is saying that you must try. You can't do nothing and make it through storms.
“Everybody who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder who built a house on bedrock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It didn’t fall because it was firmly set on bedrock. 26 But everybody who hears these words of mine and doesn’t put them into practice will be like a fool who built a house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It fell and was completely destroyed.” Matthew 7:24-27 (CEB)
Jesus says that storms will come and to be ready. How does he say to be ready? At the end of the sermon on the mount, Jesus says that the key to surviving storms and floods in life is to put his words into practice. That is what discipleship is: Following Jesus, listening to him, reading his words and putting them into practice; with each other. The big mistake is to hear the words of Jesus, perhaps study them, and even know them so well, that you can teach them to others; but not to practice them! Sounds crazy, but this seems to be our problem at least in the part of the American christian culture that I have been familiar with. It's much harder to live it than to know it. God is after changed lives and transformation. That's real learning, when you become what you have learned. Jesus warns us that hearing him is only the beginning and that we must do it and become it; be disciples and not just observers.
We would be wrong to take away that Jesus has formed a new law centered religion that builds on Moses but Jesus is the new law giver. The larger context of Jesus whole message, that the sermon on the mount is found inside of, is the message of the kingdom of God. Jesus has come, declaring God's kingdom. This message is part of that: how to live. But, we also need God to live it. We die daily as another writer would say and the Holy Spirit helps us, empowers us in our weak flesh to live out Jesus ethic. Jesus way here is full of grace, which means a fail-safe environment. There's grace to fail, grace to try, grace to cry. Jesus is saying that you must try. You can't do nothing and make it through storms.
“Everybody who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder who built a house on bedrock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It didn’t fall because it was firmly set on bedrock. 26 But everybody who hears these words of mine and doesn’t put them into practice will be like a fool who built a house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It fell and was completely destroyed.” Matthew 7:24-27 (CEB)
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