Breaking Ranks 3

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 The Invitation Has Been Sent Out

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”  Let each one who hears them say, “Come.”  Let the thirsty ones   Let them come and drink the water of life without charge.” Revelation 22:17

come- anyone who wants to.

Thirsty? Come! 

No matter who you are, no matter how long you have or have not been a Christian- God wants to change your life!   I believe he said, “Life and Life more abundantly.” 

I believe if life falls short of “abundantly”….

It’s time to break ranks. 

Just as people cannot break free from the bondage that holds them, people cannot break ranks unless they turn to Jesus, repent, let go and start letting God/Jesus teach you to live in the understanding/will of the Spirit of God.

Let this be a refreshing living word for us

Romans 12:2 says “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.”

I think we can get into this rut or believe some lie that holds us back and from breaking rank where we truly experience what God wants for us.   

To truly live as God intends us to live we must “let” be reliant on Him in all things.  I mean how much of the burden do you carry? Are you “yoked” with God or not?   

Our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ lived in this way of thinking… and because He did, He continually broke ranks with the ways of men.  Think about it.  He crossed lines that men set.  He went against the grain of society norms.  Men hated and resented Him and do to this day because of who He IS -not truly understanding He is God- not us.

 

He even breaks ranks in the people He chooses to represent Him expecting us to break ranks as well and live by His example- in only being captive in Spirit (Him/God), not to ways of men. 

When we start to believe we are contained by “something” other then God what happens? I can tell you it’s pretty lousy.

But what happens to our cup when we allow God to stir and fill it up?

 Psalm 23:5-6 says…

“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.  You welcome me as a guest, anointing my head with oil.  My cup overflows with blessings.   Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.”

 And Proverbs 21:1 says…

“The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; he turns it wherever he pleases.”

 Think about it....

Breaking Ranks 2

 

…. God says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.  I have called you by name; you are Mine. When you go through the deep waters, I will be with you.” Isaiah 43:1-2

I was reminded of a passage written by the prophet Ezekiel.  A man (probably Jesus) showed Ezekiel water that was coming up from beneath the threshold of the temple.  The stream passed to the right of the alter and went though the south side of the east gate. The man measured the stream every 1750 feet.  He did this four times and each time told Ezekiel to cross the stream.  The first time it was up to Ezekiel’s ankles.  The second time it was up to his knees.  The third time it was up to his waist and the fourth time the stream had turned into a river that was too deep to cross without swimming.  The man led Ezekiel back along the riverbank and to Ezekiel’s surprise there were suddenly fruit trees growing on both sides of the river producing a new fruit crop every month.  This fruit was for food and the leaves from these trees for healing (Revelation 22). The river then flowed into the desert where it entered the Dead Sea where it turned the salt water into fresh water.  Fish of every kind abound there and fishermen would stand along the opposite of shores drying their nets but the marshes and swamps did not become purified but became sources for salt.  (Note Ezekiel 47:1-12)

What a WONDROUS illustration this should be to us….

Combined God’s word and Spirit (the stream/river) is the source of power and life for His temple (us).  His Word and Holy Spirit purify and flow from within, maturing, sanctifying and clothing us.

1 Corinthians 3:16 says “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?”

His Spirit brings an understanding of His GREAT love until we are literally swimming in it (Ephesians 3:17-20, 2 Peter 1:5-8).  God’s Spirit goes where? The desert.  He sought me out in the desert.  He brought me life and he planted me along the riverbank (Psalm 1) where we produce the fruit of the Spirit and gifts of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11).

His Spirit brings life to where there was nothing.  He touches people of every kind and leaves us examples of what happens when we don’t trust God, try to control, are not obedient to HIM and look to and practice sin -hence the salt marshes and swamps where nothing lives and death remains.

God is the God who makes all things new.  His thoughts are higher then our thoughts and His ways are higher then our ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9, Revelation 21:5)

Without God’s Spirit at work within us, we are naked. 

Jesus said to the Laodicea church, “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold.  I wish you were one or the other!  But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth!  You say, ‘I am rich.  I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable, and poor and blind and naked.”  Revelation 3:15-17

 

We have no relationship with God if we don’t have the Spirit of God at work within us... Remember the foolish brides/virgins in Matthew 25?

 

A people, who experience spiritual death and spiritual birth/LIFE, should break ranks.  They should want to experience renewal and LIFE and not settle.  Remember God speaking to the dry bones in the valley and giving them tendons and them with flesh and skin and breath again? (Ezekiel 37:1-14) 

Breaking Ranks 1

Just as there is a time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones, there is a time to close ranks and a time to break ranks.

New Christian Jews grew up with the law and though they could not live up to them, they had a difficult time leaving them behind.  The law was what the Jews “knew”- this living by the grace of God through Jesus Christ was all new to them.  They were breaking ranks with the old ways.   No longer did they have to bring their sacrifices to the temple for their sins, which were “tangible”… and made them feel in this sort control but now they had to trust in the “intangible”. 

In all honesty, churches in this age have the same problem.  They want “comfort” that is controlled by them. 

This past December my wife and I walked into a young man's hospital room whom we loved and appreciated.  Just by looking at his body you would have thought he was just sleeping.  Even the monitors in the room recorded a steady heartbeat but upon closer examination all brain function had stopped.

A life support machine gave his body the appearance of "life" keeping his organs and tissue viable for transplant.  

The church can be on "life-support".  It can look alive but spiritually "dead".  It can have the appearance of "life" with programs, events, bible studies, teaching and so on but "activity" doesn't necessary mean it's spiritually" alive "

Jesus said to the church of Sardis, "I know all the things you do, and you have a reputation for being alive- but you are dead." Revelation 3:1

 … the intangible is unpredictable, challenging, unorthodox and at times irrational in our understanding.  I am sure when Jesus told the man to fill the containers with water and pour some for the master of ceremonies, he probably thought, "How can water be mistaken as wine?"     

I was given a picture once.  The Spirit of God was like a beautiful wild stallion and He comes when we are still.

He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

The Spirit of God cannot be tamed.  He does not fit or can he be contained nor does he feel welcomed by wayward hearts, lip service, man made customs and rules learned by rote. (Isaiah 29:13)

 He is the Spirit of God that must be FREE not shackled and directed by unreliable men!

This same stirring and restless should live in the believer!
 

For a people to live as GOD intends us to live, we must not only break ranks with the unjust ungodly rules, social norms, and sinful ideals of this world but religious mindsets.  

Ever hear, “That is the way we have always done it”?   

How about thinking and living too much in the past? What does this mean to the new Christian?!!!    How about compromising the word of God to appease the views of the world? Who is the church to reflect? God or the world?
 

Look at the beautiful cathedrals and church buildings in Europe where God’s people used gather.  Do you wonder why some nearly stand as empty shrines for tourist to visit and held religious ceremony?   
Why did they become to be this way?  What became law in their hearts? What encroached and infringed? What became censored?  How were they scrutinized? Were they persecuted?  Were they tamed by society? Did they compromise the word of God and in doing so... God became no one to honor or fear? 

When churches become like tombs, God becomes an absent “god” in people’s minds.  He becomes that “unknown God” that people give little thought to even when they walk through shadows of steeples that hold up a cross.  And the signs are obvious... a rot and decay of society... the suffering and loss of souls for lack of knowledge of God (Hosea 4:6).  The church building soon becomes just a social gathering place, a club for “Christians”.

Do we see this happening in America?

Comforts

A Christian church will die if:
1. It compromises to the ungodly pressures or thinks it's doing the world a service by agreeing with it's sin.   This is dangerous, laws are made in people's hearts and legislation and soon "anything evil" goes.  (Sin separates us from God.)

2. If it thinks it has "arrived".   It has experienced worldly success and soon sees no need for workings of Spirit of God.  It does what it feels is best without consulting God.

And just as the" law" did nothing for the Jews except to show their guilt of sin so are these so-called “comforts” that are like a plague to a church.

For as children of God we have heard these words, “The law kills but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6)

The “comforts” of man do little to sustain our spiritual house in fact I have found they actually weaken and brings instability into our life and those around us- for sanity and peace are gifts from God to those who trust and are guided by Him. 

 Colossians says," Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." 2:8

Don't Count On You

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Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:

“ ‘I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. Matthew 26:31-35

This may seem absurd that Peter told Jesus, who is God, who knows all... who is the author and finisher of his faith -that he wouldn’t do something that God already knew he was going to do.  Jesus was not speaking over Peter’s life.  He just knew what would come against Peter. 

“Simon, [Peter] Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. ³² But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”  Luke 22:31-32

Satan would sift Peter with Peter himself.   He would use Peter’s own understanding against him.  He would have Peter rely on his own mental capacities of will power, might, strength, intellect and so on... Things that would be sure to fail him because God was not empowering or guiding them.

Peter's understanding was boat with a hole as big as Jesus in it and as soon as it touched the water it was going to sink.
  

Yes, Peter lived with the Word of God.   Yes, Peter knew the Word of God.   Yet like us at times… Peter got caught up in himself.  Think when Israel got caught up in the moment and decided to go into battle without God... what happened?  They lost but when God did go with them int battle, it didn't matter how out numbered they were God gave them victory.

Satan, wants to us to unintentionally separate ourselves mentally from God who enables us to overcome.   Satan knows our weak esteems, fears, anxieties, pride, prejudices, and so on and when we aren't aware of what we are figuratively chasing or being chased by, we step right off our firm foundation, which causes us to stumble, trip and fall. 

“If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself.  In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.

Don’t be conceited, sure of your own wisdom. Instead, trust and reverence the Lord, and turn your back on evil; when you do that, then you will be given renewed health and vitality.” Proverbs 3:4-8

"This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts. What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" Zechariah 4:6-7

Not submitting, humbling himself and drawing close to God robbed Peter of being empowered by God’s peace, assurance, grace that are included in His love.  Those things were there for Peter but he turned inward toward himself instead of towards God.  Can you think of a time when you have done this? What were the results? 

Do you remember what Jesus told Paul?

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.”  2 Corinthians 12:9

We are not to be separate from God as Christians but find our fullness and completeness in God through submitting to God and seeing our need for God.

“God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.” Matthew 5:3

When we do this, it is no longer us but Christ within us doing the heavy spiritual lifting. We understand in the Spirit that it's Jesus who gives us LIFE and is our life.  Our existence isn't run by our understandings, fears, anxieties, imaginations, false hopes, frustrations, and so on but God who gives us peace, love, hope, joy, patience, faithfulness, contentment and so on.
 

As I was speaking about this with a brother in Christ, I saw a vision.  It was of a person lying down on their back where I could see the inside view of the stomach area.   The outer surface of the body/flesh had the appearance of charcoal wood and it was crumbling away in small cube like pieces to reveal the brilliant colors that translate Christ within.  I was then reminded of these two verses.

“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38

"You are the light of the world-like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see.  Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all." Matthew 5:14-15   

 This question also came to mind later…

“Why do people put so much into what is perishing instead of letting go and letting God build up the soul man?"

Your Spiritual House, A Palace for Whom? 4

About a year ago my youngest brother was living on his own.  A friend came over with an acquaintance (a person my brother did not know) to play video games.  My brother played video games for a while with them but then told them he was going to bed.  

Sometime later that night my brother awoke to a knock on his bedroom door.  My brother asked who was it and his friend answered.   Come to find out the friend’s friend was acting strangely.   My brother got up and indeed something was very wrong.   The young man was talking with a different voice and his behavior was anything but ordinary.  After several times of asking the young man to leave and him not doing so my brother called the police.   

When the police arrived they too asked the young man to leave.   The young man grabbed a knife from the kitchen.  The police seeing the threat drew their guns and ordered the young man to put the knife down.  He said, “ok” but resumed coming towards the officers with knife in hand.  Again the officers told him to put down the knife.   The young man rushed the officers and shots rang out in the night.
 

The young man incurred several serious gunshots was rushed to a nearby hospital.  I don’t know what came of him... if he survived his injuries he is probably in some mental hospital somewhere.

Knowing some law enforcement officers and being related to several these aren’t unfamiliar stories.                    

Jesus says, “For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe— until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings. Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.

When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order.  Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.” Luke 11:21-26
 

This scripture has repeatedly come to my mind often these past few weeks as we have discussed our spiritual house.

Jesus refers to a person influenced by evil as a “palace for Satan".

Only by the power and name of Jesus can one cast out and over power Satan and strip him of his weapons and free the people in bondage to Satan.

Jesus says "These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Jesus then says the evil spirit leaves the person to seek rest in the desert.  Interesting is the word “desert.”

A desert in most cases is a dry place almost entirely void of water. 

But water is also an illustration of the Holy Spirit, Who is the Living Water.

Jesus says the evil spirit goes to the desert to get away from God but can’t because God is everywhere.

“Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 23:24

David said, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” Psalm 139:7

So finding no place to hid from God, it returns to the person it left.  Interesting it goes back to the person from in which it came.   It goes back to the person who can deny God as LORD of their life. It’s like a person can be a stronghold for an evil spirit and they, blinded by the evil spirit, aren’t even aware of it.  They are blind to what is real and God who is not only real but life giving.  

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

A human, created by God, is given the ability to choose to love God or not love God, to accept God or deny God, to trust God or not trust God, to obey God or not obey God, to find life or stay lost to life.  He is either a vessel for God or a vessel against God.

When I gave my life to the Lord I remember looking for those dark influencing “feelings” I once had before but they were gone.   They were instantly gone but what had come of them?  I didn’t know at the time but the living power of the Spirit of God chased them away and kept them from coming back.  He then supernaturally put a seal on me telling evil I was now a child, possession and temple of the living God.

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promise of the Holy Spirit.” Ephesians 1:3

^“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

When the Holy Spirit comes into us, who believe Jesus as Lord and Savior, He fills us up like a glass of water to the top so nothing else can be poured in and He, being Living Water, continues to keep that glass full. 

Jesus says “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." John 4:14

This is not true of someone who doesn’t give his or her life God.   

I have often wondered about those who hear the life saving news of Jesus Christ and they seem to accept it with joy in their hearts.  There is this moment of clarity in their life and they seem relieved of their spiritual pains but after a short time they go back to their old way of life and live more rebelliously then they had before.  So even though they had their spiritual house “swept and put in order” there was no genuine acceptance in their heart- so no seal was given by God and the seven more evil spirits then the first come in to their lives and they are worse off then before.  They live as the rest of the world or worse.

So a word of caution here... when praying over those burdened by evil.  Are they "only" wanting relief from the burden of evil or are they wanting Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior over their life?  If they are only wanting relief from the burden of evil then you are doing them no favor but could be be making their situation worse off then before.      

Jesus continues his thought with:

“But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” Luke 11:28

I find “putting the word of God into practice” is not just reading the word of God and trying to orchestrate those things on our own but us seeking and surrendering God to make those things become a reality in our life.  Where our spiritual house is His palace.   

Cosmetic Fixes to Our Spiritual House 3

We bought some deck paint to fill in the cracks in our aging sun baked deck.  It did a great job filling in the cracks.  But... after that year it started to show signs of cracking and peeling.  Now I am thinking we will probably have to start investing in some new decking material.

Painting with cosmetic paint is not all that different to what we try to do in our lives to cover up problems and issues in our life.

In our spiritual house we try to cover up the imperfections in some cosmetic manner but this fact remains the same… unless those underlying issues are dealt with, repaired and resolved they are bound to pop up and be exposed... again.

So what do people do to cosmetically to paint over the deteriorating or problematic underlying conditions in their life? 
      

Well each person is different so they deal with their underlying problems differently but here are some general ones.

•  Some avoid and deny there is a problem in their spiritual house. 
• Others pick up other habits that avoid the issues in their spiritual house. 
• Then there are others who prefer to numb their senses to the troubles.
• While there are others who see the issues in their life but place blame on everyone and everything else.
• Then we have those who like to rationalize things away... (Like everyone else does it.) 

The cosmetic “cover ups” might be gambling, excessive shopping, using antidepressants, engaging in risky behavior such as drinking, drugs, and engaging in adulterous and premarital sex, getting lost in work or working in excess to reach some financial pinnacle where they will feel secure and successful but the fact is the things of this world will never make us feel secure, then there are those who have “cosmetic surgery” done- they are not happy in the image God created them in so they change it, then there those who start having eating disorders, some withdraw, some hurt themselves, others bully, others lie and lie and lie, some become stubborn, … and we could make a list that goes on and on.  The fact is they are not dealing directly with the underlying issues in their life.

When we choose to cosmetically “cover up” something up in our lives we deny God from working in our life.  We are actually running from God or act like He doesn’t even exist.   We choose to sin and we choose to keep sin in our lives.
 

This is the scripture God gave me for this section.

"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." John 3:19-21

You know some even become religious to cover up their imperfections and we see this with Jesus talking to the Pharisees.

Jesus seeing right through them said, "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:26-28

Isaiah 29:13 “Then the Lord said, ‘Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,”

One might go to church to look good to others or to appease people but that is just cosmetic if you are going for those reasons.  God wants you to be with God’s people and that you maybe continually be built up in Him.  Don't go to church to get people off your back go to know what it means to be part of the body of Christ!

  

One might even go through the outward signs of giving their life to Jesus Christ to “fit in” but God is not some club.  He is an inward change and outward expression of His love working in you and I.
 

Restoration.

I find in all matters of life nothing is too small or big for God to fix.  If there is something wrong in our life that we want fixed, God can fix it, He knows every square inch under the roof of our spiritual house. 
 

How do we know this? Because those who have truly surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ and continually do so have experienced this first hand with dramatic results His unclogging and restoration efforts in our life.

Ezekiel 11:19-20 says "And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.”  

This means we may know the will of God that is good, pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2) We can find the green refreshing pastures that Jesus speaks about in John 10:9 in the mist of this “cosmetic fix” world.   But you see we can’t have what is truly good, pleasing and perfect without Jesus Christ being LORD of our life.

It seems impossible to experience such a reality but what is impossible with us is possible with God. (Matthew 19:26)

Where Does The Spiritual House Sit? 2

--> My bride has a great aunt who used to have a house in the rural town of Robinson.   It had it’s own fishpond and several acres that she rented out to people who needed pasture space for a cow or a horse or goat. 

The house was a normal house but on several visits I noticed a particular situation with the floors of the house.   On one visit the floors seemed in unison and then on another visit some of the floors were in a discord of several inches.  

What was causing this sinking and rising of the floors? 

Come to find out part of the house sat on a fault line.  This fault line was not only causing problems to certain floors in the house, but cracking in the exterior brick, doors to drag or not close, windows to not open, cracks in the walls and ceiling, and so on….

I don’t know if the house is still there for when a house sits on a fault line there is no choosing of sides…  there is just separation.

House on Fault Line.

"If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. Mark 3:25

So where does your spiritual house sit?

Is your spiritual house sitting on a fault line where there is this occasional or continual rising and sinking of disharmony?  Do your spiritual doors drag or not close or maybe they don’t open at all? Doors that don’t open don’t allowing God to come in and have satisfying meal with us.  Doors that don’t close allow everything to come in and overwhelm the soul.  Is there cracking in your ceiling and walls?  Are you continuing to have to go back and repair damage?  Damage you have allowed by not trusting in God? Do your windows not open, not allowing God to refresh your soul during the day?   Is there bowing in your floor jousts? Causing you to trip and misplace your steps? Where there is no knowing of assurance or security.  Is there this continual unsettling and unrest?

Jesus said, “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. ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ 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. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27

Every human being, being Christian or not have found his or her spiritual house on a fault line.  Some people continually live on a spiritual fault line never finding rest. 

Many Christians have come to a situation where they have found their spiritual house isn’t firmly sitting on God and His word but a little on this world or people of this world or even themselves.  

Why the illustration of a fault line?  Because a fault line symbolizes two rocks not one.  God is one rock not two. 

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2

God does not share His glory with any other type of rock, gravel, sand or dust.  God does not share His glory that stabilizes us and keeps us unwavering and persistent in Him.  He alone needs to be our strength.

"I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.” Isaiah 42:8

Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6:24

Let’s look at that word, “mammon” for a moment.  A lot of bible translations translate “mammon” as money/riches but looking this up in the concordance and seeking the Lord I find it encompasses a lot more:

·      Idols (Can’t serve both God and idols/lifeless objects.)

·      Things done for personal gain such as lies, deceit, slander, falsehood…

·      Religious activity that seems devoted to God but is not true in our heart & Spirit. 

·      Things done in selfish pride.  

·       Deeds done to prove one’s own self-righteousness to God and others.

·      Thing done to receive human praise or acceptance (To fit in, or to fit into a people’s standards.  To  make self look good by actions, appearance or material wealth.) 

·      To find security in our human ability or in the things of this world instead of God.)

·      Putting people before God in our heart, mind and soul. 

·      To “serve” anything that is not of God.

These things are considered mammon.   When we find ourselves trusting more in them then God, it leads to “faulty” damaging and a dangerous reasoning.   

And if we look at the entire section of where “mammon” is found, we find this to be true in Jesus’ very own words.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+6&version=NIV

People build on fault lines not realizing these things are not only faulty but are temporary and even dangerous.  

“The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” I John 2:17

Thus says the Lord, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord.” Jeremiah 17:5

When we allow people and the things of this world to have a greater emphasis in our heart over God -we have put our house on a fault line and if not realized and corrected will cause our spiritual house to crack and fall…   Hope in the things that are not lasting seems very irrational but yet people do this in a lack of real understanding of WHO is Life and what is not life.   Ever act irrationally, felt depressed, lost hope, feel deep wounds of hurt, live in only the mundane feelings of life- never inspired? Why?  Is the answer because we have trusted in our own feelings, others, and the things of this life more then God?  These things can have a powerful faulty effect on our life if we are not set firmly upon God who is to be our only ROCK.

For those who unintentionally find themselves in those situations, I hope they fall into the care and discipline of the LORD who is full of hope and mercy.  For I have seen and heard of many with resentful, hopeless hearts who have put their trust in people/things and when the things they trust give way they are broken, damaged and some even do the unthinkable in taking their own lives and the lives of others.   Some even blame the LORD.  They also lash out at innocent by standers and those who represent God.  It wasn’t God who told them to trust these faulty frailties but they did, giving over a trust that only God should have had.  I myself have been guilty of this more then a few times and it has been a hard lesson to learn and God has gracious helped me repair the damages.

Apostle Paul wrote, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Romans 7:15

Why do we occasionally fall into this, “I do what we hate”?

·      We do what we hate because we fall into a faulty understanding of the flesh.  We find we haven’t secured our spiritual house as secure as we thought to God our immovable rock.  Instead we have slipped some on to faulty soil or ground.   If we find ourselves in this position we must repent/apologize to God and He (God/Jesus) is who just will forgive us of our sin.  But we can’t continue to return or practice that sin.

“Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” Galatians 6:8

“No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.” 1 John 3:9

·      We do what we hate because we have not allowed the Carpenter (Jesus) to build and/or orchestrate His understanding in us through His life giving Word in that situation. 

·      We do what we hate because we take things in our own hands (even momentary)   not really comprehending the results and consequences of our actions.

 “Furthermore, it isn't good to be ignorant, and whoever rushes into things misses the mark.” Proverbs 19:2

·      We do what we hate because we don’t listen and obey the Spirit of God. 

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.…” Galatians 5:22-23

As we read last time, “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor is in vain.  And unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards watch in vain.”  Psalm 127:1 

We are spiritual house that is being built and we must let the Carpenter of our life build our spiritual house and not be tempted to take things into our own hands and build on things that are unstable and even dangerous.

For man may build and may even build quickly, but if it isn’t built in Spirit and truth/ the resonating empowering foundation of Christ, a man’s desires will not last.

“Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.…” Psalm 37:4

Spirit and truth. 

A person may believe in the truth but they may act contrary to the way they believe because he/she is not living and submitted to the Spirit at that moment, time, and  understanding.

Have you ever done so?  Of course, we all have at several different points in our life.

Be glad God corrected you then instead of later for everyone’s work will be tested.

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. ¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:10-16

Our spiritual house and God

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him, Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him.  Then you your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

Just as the house of God (the people of the church) cannot stand and do what God wants and wills if it is not submitted to God’s Spirit so it with our spiritual house.  We must always be cognoscenti to see if we have allowed our spiritual house to slip and straddle that spiritual fault line between Jesus Christ and this world and the ways of the flesh.

We find ourselves in a cultural story, a family story, a story of circumstances and situations but though we may be in those stories that is not our story.  That is not our hope. 

This soon to be history and a future will come to an abrupt end but we are just passing through this experience- our story originates with our eternal God, our Heavenly Father and our LORD Jesus Christ who made us and transformed us as individuals in Christ and He will one day take us up into eternity in heaven where all is made right. That is our identity.  That is our hope.  That is our peace.  That is our assurance. That is our source of empowerment.  That is our story that lives in us if we allow it.  That is our life and our lasting foundation.  Anyone Christian who believes this experience is life is missing out.  They are missing the point that we died with Christ and our life is in God.  It is hidden from view to those in this life, those who only put an emphasis on the cares of this short experience or hold on too tightly to these days but one day our real life will be revealed to all those who were blind to this truth. God is the author of our life.   He breathes into the hallways and rooms of our life and transforms the mundane into something good, pleasing and perfect because our foundation is firmly standing upon Him.   

God alone brings stability to our Spiritual house.

“Just as it is written, "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." Romans 9:33 

Friend, remember where your spiritual house is to sit.