Author: Leslie Eaddy-Brooks

Throughout history, man has built feats of marvel and wonder! Man has mastered the art of homebuilding as well. In building a home or any structure, it is important to first make sure that a proper and solid foundation is laid.

The Bible says in Matthew 7:24-27, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  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. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

The interesting thing is, even when a natural house if built on firm foundation, over time, the house begins to settle. The natural occurrences of the shifting of the earth, wind, erosion, and other elements will also cause slight shifting in the house. Cracks in the walls and floor may soon appear. Generally, if the foundation is secured on solid footing, the cracks can easily be repaired without further damage.

Likewise, what happens when a house is NOT built on firm foundation. We see in Matthew 7 Jesus using a natural illustration to explain a spiritual principle. Anything that is not built upon the solid rock of faith in Jesus Christ, will soon crumble.

The longer we live, challenges are certain to occur in our lives. Our faith will be tested. Our health may be tested. Marriages are certain to be tested. People will disappoint us. Our finances will be tested.

We are so busy trying to fix the cracks we see in the wall. We keep putting spackle and plaster over the cracks. It appears to be working for a short while, but then the cracks start to reappear. What we fail to realize is that the cracks are but a mere result of a much bigger problem!! The problem is that the FOUNDATION is not secure! The wall was placed on foundation that was not built on secure ground!!!

In Luke 6:47-49 the Bible states Matthew 7: 24-27 again, “Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

It is so important for us to build our lives, our decisions, and our faith on the solid rock which is Jesus Christ.

This is Leslie Eaddy Brooks, Think About It!

The Bible has stories etched thru it in the form of parables. Jesus used concepts and customs of that day to drive home spiritual truths. One of those stories is the story of old and new wineskins. The Bible states in Matthew 9: 16-17,

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved”

During the time Jesus walked on Earth, people carried liquid in animal skins. Fermented liquids, such as wine, would expand during the fermenting process. If you attached a new patch of animal skin to an already expanded ‘old’ animal skin, the new patch would expand as the fermenting wine expanded, thus causing the old skin to detach from the new patch.

At the time Jesus spoke this parable, John the Baptist was in prison for declaring that Jesus was the Lamb of God and for baptizing Him in the River Jordan. While in prison, John sent his disciples to see Jesus’ activities.

They returned to report that Jesus was gathering and eating with sinners. John may have been disturbed by this news because he was a keeper of the law, observing fasting rituals and abstaining from strong drinks and particular foods.

What Jesus was trying to illustrate in the parable is that He came to introduce something new that neither John the Baptist nor the people of that day had ever experienced before.

Isaiah 43:19 is a foretelling of the coming Messiah and the redemption of man back to God. It states, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

You cannot put a “new thing” into an old way of thinking. What Jesus was saying is, in order to contain the “new wine” He was offering, you have to remove your old way of thinking and accept His message in a new mind.

II Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

This is Leslie Eaddy Brooks, Think About It!

Would you routinely be “up close and personal” with someone who is constantly sneezing, coughing, hacking, with a runny nose, and is complaining of a sore throat??? NO!!

Why???

You would be afraid of catching what they have.

In the same way, we must be very careful of how “up close and personal” we are with negative people!

The Bible tells us to guard our hearts with ALL diligence for out of it spring the issues of life! (Proverbs 4: 23)

Be very careful who you constantly let speak their negative words over you on a daily basis. Keep your distance from such people! If not, you will find yourself beginning to act and feel negative, angry, depressed, and unhappy!

GUARD YOURSELF AGAINST PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SPIRITUAL FLU!!!

~Selah

Copyright 2018 – 2019 Leslie Eaddy-Brooks | All Rights Reserved | Created by Leslie Eaddy-Brooks

    

Aren’t these pics beautiful? God taught me a very valuable lesson while caring for this plant. I love it when He teaches me things thru everyday items we see. A student gave me this plant at the end of the last college semester. When she gave it to me, it was much like you see it now, but only a smaller version. The flowers were in full bloom and it was beautiful.

Then, the flowers started to wither and die and some of the leaves started to die as well. I almost threw it out because I thought it would eventually die completely. At the last minute, I decided to try to revive it. I pruned the dead leaves and flowers and put it on my breakfast table, which is surrounded by windows. I also began to give it water.

Slowly, but surely I saw life come back to this plant. It seemed to respond very well to the sunlight and water. I am soo happy I decided to give it a chance.

Here’s my lesson: I started to throw this plant out because I didn’t have a vision for it. I saw the dead flowers and leaves and immediately gave up on it!! I believe the Holy Spirit prompted me to keep it because I needed to learn a lesson.

Sometimes in life we give up on people and dreams because they appear “dead” or “dying” to us. We don’t have a vision for what can become because we are too focused on the “dead” aspect of a person or situation.

If that is you, go back and revisit the situation and work with it. Maybe that thing needs to be moved to a different location where it can receive life-giving sunlight. Maybe it needs nourishment. Hang in there. Work with that dream or person. Give it sunlight. Give it nourishment. Maybe, just maybe, you will see life come back into that thing. He that has ears, let him hear!!!!

Love You,

Copyright 2018 – 2019 Leslie Eaddy-Brooks | All Rights Reserved | Created by Leslie Eaddy-Brooks