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Building An Unshakable House

January 27, 2024

As we consider the turbulent times in which we live, it is quite apparent that our nation and our world is in grave trouble! Deep darkness is advancing as the systems of this world are crashing. All that can be shaken in both the natural and spiritual realms is being shaken. In the midst of this tumultuous shaking men's heart will fail them for fear (Luke21:26), however, know this for certain: there will arise a glorious, victorious bride who will stand boldly in unprecedented authority and demonstrate the reality of the unshakable Kingdom of God.

The Bride of Christ is currently in the greatest building project of all time. The finished product of this incredible creation will be a "glorious house" which will stand unshakable in the midst of a world that is falling apart. Although destined to become unshakable, the Bride of Christ needs to realize that she has a part to play in her destiny. In order to reach completion (thus enabling her to fulfill her role in God's great end-time drama), the Bride of Christ must be a diligent follower of the instructions given to her in God's word. One such instruction is found in the parable Jesus taught concerning the wise and foolish builders. "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 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. 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" (Luke 6:46-49 KJV).

Through-out the ministry of Jesus, we find He often used parables to teach spiritual truths. So is the case of this parable of the wise and foolish builders. In this story, Jesus uses the illustration of two different builders. One builder is wise and the other foolish. The wise man dug deep, and laid his foundation on a rock, whereas the foolish man built his house on the sand. After the houses were built, the flood arose, and the stream beat vehemently upon both houses. The wise man's house withstood the storm for it was founded on a rock. It could not be shaken; it stood firm and strong. Not so, the foolish man's house for it fell, and great was its fall.

I grew up in Florida and spent many wonderful days at the beach. One of my favorite things to do at the beach was to build a castle out of sand. Oh, how proud I was of my splendid sand castle! That is, until the inevitable happened, and a huge wave came and washed it all away. It didn't matter how much time I spent building my grand castle, or even how beautiful it looked. Because it was built of sand, it couldn't withstand the force of the waves that washed in upon it.

Sadly, many of God's people are building their homes (spiritual lives) on the shaky ground of this present world and its system - having abandoned their pursuit of the Lord and the plans He has for their lives. According to Jesus, these are foolish builders and the homes/ lives they are building could be likened to a castle constructed in the sand - beautiful to look at, but when the raging storms of life come, the fate of the foolish builder consists of devastating collapse. How different the outcome of the wise builder: When the furious storm comes, he is prepared, for he has followed the teachings of Jesus and built his house on the Rock, Christ Jesus. His house is unshakable. It stands firm and unmovable as the winds blow and the rains beat vehemently upon his house.

Blueprint for an Unshakable House: Come, Hear, Do

Above all else our life must be anchored in God and His living, unchanging Word. This anchoring takes place as we come to Jesus, hear His words and then become a doer of His word. Jesus is even at this very moment calling to His Bride; summoning her to enter a deep relationship with Him. The depth of our relationship with God in our earth life is the one singular thing that will matter most in eternity. His heart beats with an insatiable longing for the one He purchased with His Own blood to draw away from all that hinders and distracts and come close to Him.

Everything in our life should be secondary to our times of fellowship with our Beloved. These precious moments of communion are the basis of our spiritual lives, for it is out of our times with Him that He floods our hearts with the knowledge of Himself. It is in knowing Him (His heart, nature, ways, and personage) that our hearts are established in the living reality of Who God is. This then engenders faith and trust in the goodness and faithfulness of God. Herein lies the secret to building a solid foundation for our lives. In Matthew 4: 4 we read these words: Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

God is continually speaking to His people; seeking to communicate His plans and purposes to them; seeking to build them up and prepare them for all they will encounter on life's journey. But are we hearing the word that is proceeding from His mouth? Consider this...how can we hear, unless we come and sit at the feet of our Beloved God? What God has said, is saying, and has yet to say to us is the bottom line of every situation and circumstance of our life. It is the determining factor of our success or failure. Just one word from God can save our life, change our circumstance, and even produce a miracle. How it behooves us to keep ourselves in a place with God that is conducive to hearing. Hearing from God cannot be hurried or forced! Hearing requires listening, and the place of listening is found in drawing away from the distractions of this life and spending time with our Beloved Lord. It is there in His presence that our spiritual hearing is cultivated.

Although hearing is essential, hearing is not enough. James addresses this issue: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed" (James 1: 22-25 KJV). We must act on what we hear. We must obey. Our obedience testifies to our trust and confidence in God.

Storms will come! Jesus said they would. The wise are building on the Rock, Christ Jesus. He is their ever consuming passion and pursuit. They highly esteem His word, hiding it in their heart, using it as a road map on the journey toward their eternal destiny. Their heart cry is to always do the will of God. When the fierce storm blows on their house, they have no fear, for they are anchored in the goodness and faithfulness of God. The wise know that when the storm has passed, their house will be standing firm and secure. How different the conclusion of the foolish builder - the one who doesn't have time for God and spiritual things. Instead of developing a relationship with the Lord, the foolish builder has allowed himself to become allured by the enticements of this present world and his carnal, fleshly desires. According to Jesus, his house does not fare well. In fact, when the strong winds of trouble blow, his house will fall apart in devastating ruin.

This is not the day or hour for the Bride of Christ to be foolish or for that matter "smart." It is the time for the Glorious Bride of Christ to be wise!

Recommended Reading:
Unshakable Bride of Christ

Scripture References:
Matthew 4:4 Matthew 7:24-27 Luke 6:46-49 Luke 21:26 James 1:22-25

Unless otherwise stated, all scripture quotations from Amplified Bible
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