Jesus welcomed the people, taught them about the Kingdom of God and healed those in need. Luke 9:11

Seeds of the Kingdom

Well Based

by John Berry

16 September 2009

« Previous Day | Next Day »

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
Matthew 7:25, NIV

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.

 

Sign Up Now

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship. Provided full acknowledgement is made to Seeds of the Kingdom as the source, you are also welcome to use it in a non-commercial way and reproduce it in magazines or other Christian websites. The copyright for any commercial use of the material remains with Ellel Ministries International.