SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
(2 Timothy 2:19) "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
(Isaiah 28:16) "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste."
(1 Corinthians 3:10-11) (10) "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon." (11) "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
(Matthew 7:24-27) (24) "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:" (25) "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." (26) "And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:" (27) "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."
(Luke 6:47-48) "Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:" (48) "He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock." (49) "But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great."
PREFACE SUMMARY
When I begin this message, I think of an old song that starts with, "Hold to God's unchanging hand, build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God's unchanging hand." One verse said, "When it looks like the sun will not shine anymore, hold to God's unchanging hand." I'm on a roll now as I hear another song in my spirit that goes something like, "Put your hand in the man who walked on the water, put your hand in the man who calmed the sea. Take a look at yourself, and you will look at others differently. Put your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee."
I shall never forget my first encounter with the Holy Spirit of the Living God, which occurred in the late 1970s in a mighty revival at my home church in Lynn Garden, Tennessee. This powerful experience, which I am blessed to share with you, was a turning point in my spiritual journey.
My Pastor had arranged a church revival that would allow the young preachers at our church to exercise their gifts, and I was one of those newly called preachers. I had sat under his powerful preaching for over three years, hardly ever missing a service. When my time came, I remember standing and taking my text from the second book of Timothy, chapter two and verse nineteen. (2 Timothy 2:19) ‘’Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the lord knoweth them that are his, And let everyone that nameth the name of the Christ departs from iniquity”.
I began my sermon thinking of how I had helped my dad construct a foundation to support a structure we were attempting to build, which would become an oversized garage to maintain heavy trucks. I spoke of digging deep until we hit a solid rock or a complex texture in the dirt. We would secure the digging measurements with wood to keep our concrete intact like a mold, which would be poured into its formation. My job was to get the sand and concrete mixed up with the right amount of water until it was ready to be poured into our foundation.
Beloved, I learned a valuable lesson about construction from my father in childhood. He emphasized that a solid and well-constructed foundation is of utmost importance in supporting any building structure. It provides the essential strength and stability required to withstand a building's weight and the various forces acting upon it, such as gravity, environmental stresses, and seismic activities. Without a strong foundation, a building would be vulnerable to structural failure, compromising the safety and integrity of the entire structure. Therefore, the careful
My father believed in taking every necessary step to ensure that the building was safe and secure. He would determine the structure's height and width and then calculate the required concrete. He would make sure that the concrete mixture was perfect, with the right amount of water and cement, to ensure that the foundation would be strong enough to support the weight of the building. His attention to detail and commitment to safety inspired me to learn more about construction. I have since learned that a strong foundation is crucial for any building, whether a small house or a skyscraper.
