Iconic Strength

Luke 6:47-48 -- "I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built."

image: "Space Needle At Night" by Yatharth

It is true that when most people hear the word earthquake they think of California and the San Andreas fault. But a distant neighbor to the north, the earthquake prone state of Washington, feels a number of earth mumblers as well. It's true. Seattle, Washington has seen its fair share of earth shakers - but in 2001 it was hit by a rumble that measured 6.8 on Richter scale. That's pretty huge!

And that beautiful icon - The Space Needle - standing tall with its blinking light high up  into the clouds withstood the quake with nary a scratch.

The reason it survived? Back in 1962 when it was erected for the World's Fair, the architects doubled the standard building codes when it came to the specs for the Seattle icon. In fact, the foundation for the Space Needle is 30 feet deep and weighs - get this - 5,850 tons! In its concrete rock-solid foundation is an additional 250 tons of reinforced steel re-bar. So the foundation weighs as much as the building itself.

And while it's feet are firmly planted, it can bend in the wind like a pro. It's so strong that its said to have withstood winds that howl at 200 miles per hour!

So, as it juts up and pokes its head through the clouds that often cover the Emerald City - it can look down on shorter, newer buildings that didn't fair nearly as well when the earthquake hit in 2001.

Now that, ladies and gentlemen - is strength. Like a rock!

Listening to the radio the other day in the car with my husband I learned that The United States now ranks among the worlds LEAST Christian nations. Can you believe that?! It broke my heart to hear those words! What has happened to us? Where is our rock-solid foundation?

Gentleness and kindness of spirit do NOT mean backing down when it comes to our morals and spiritual back-bone! In fact, through out the entire book of Luke we see that while Jesus is telling us to love one another and forgive as He forgave - he ALSO expressed some righteous anger when turning tables over at the temple. On that score He did not back down from what was right!

And neither should we!

When the political flood waters rise - or more accurately, CONTINUE to rise - we are NOT prepared to withstand the deluge! Our foundation, our nation - is no longer UNDER GOD! In fact, there are several people out there that would like to remove that phrase entirely from our money and our pledge of allegiance!

Why?! I don't understand that!

The truth of the matter is that our nation was planted with God-fearing seeds - by people who came here to worship God in their own way - without mandates from the church or meaningless government demanded ritual. NOT to get AWAY from God or the worship of Him! They came over in a time when a lot of the churches were corrupted by money grabbers and politicians more interested in reputation and the bottom line than in serving Jesus. THAT is what lies in our nation's foundation! The desire and the passion to personally wield the Word of God and learn, worship, and love our Creator and Savior on a deeply personal level.  The separation of church and state was instigated to protect the church and the people in it! Not the other way around - not to protect the state!

How is it we have so distorted the truth? Are we so afraid to stand UNDER GOD? And if so - WHY?!

We will not benefit from continuing down this horrible path! Jesus said in the book of Luke that He will show us what he is like - he who comes to Him and not only hears His words - but puts them into practice.

What are we putting into practice as a country? I don't think it's the Word of God, that's for sure.

So how do we implement change? Well, it starts in your own home. With your own family - in your own church, on your own street corner. Pray fervently. Strengthen your own foundation and then do whatever it is you/I can to help others cling to THE ROCK as well.