Well Based
by John Berry
I have a book at home called ‘Men and Sheds’, and I bought a shed recently. Being a man it was a significant event for me! In order to get the best out of my new resource I spent some time in preparing the ground to provide a sound base for its construction. The finished building is now sitting resplendent in green protective paint and has successfully withstood strong winds and rain without any damage to the structure or its contents.
It has, however, become evident to me how much people lack a foundational understanding of the Kingdom of God. No wonder there are so many people who are still suffering from the damage of the past and unable to receive the healing that Jesus shows us is God’s intention for us. It’s difficult to install solid foundations for an existing building, because it involves complicated underpinning processes.
But through biblical teaching and prayer we can install the solid foundations into people’s lives that they have lacked, and see them well grounded for the futures in Jesus. The firm foundation restored gives the solid base that is needed for facing the storms of life.
Rather than having to restore those foundations it would be so much better if they could have been built into the lives of new believers from the start. Praise God for the opportunities that Ellel 365 and the Living the Life series provide, but let’s also keep encouraging those responsible for discipleship in the local churches to take seriously the foundational biblical teaching. If Kingdom principles such as the consequences of the fall, the reality of the work of Satan and the Healing power of the cross were built into young Christian lives from the start, then equipping the saints for their work of ministry would be so much more effective. The enemy would be disempowered and the Lordship of Christ firmly established.
My shed will fall apart one day, however good the foundation, but lives built on Jesus will not!
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, that you are the only foundation that will withstand the pressures of time and be sufficient for eternity! Help me never to try and build my life on any other foundation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
John Berry entered the Baptist Ministry more than 40 years ago, and joined the Team at Ellel Glyndley Manor in 2007 with his wife Jennie. They have both now retired from the team but remain as part of the Teaching and Associate Ministry Teams at Glyndley. John and Jennie have seven Grandchildren.
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