And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. Matthew 7:25-27
What ‘words’ was Jesus referring to here? The sermon on the mount. The sermon begins in chapter 5 of Matthew. If you haven’t read it in awhile now would be a good time to revisit it and ask the Holy Spirit to illumine it to you. Why? Because the ‘storm’ is beginning to blow with greater and greater intensity around the world. And while we still have time, we need to check our ‘foundation’. What exactly is your faith built upon? What rhema ‘Words’ of God are in your heart that He has given you that define your own intimate relationship with Him?
The institutional Church is now being challenged at every level, as it should be, because our faith should NOT be in the institutions… but in Jesus Christ. And our spiritual relationship and growth should be through a vital and very personal intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit, who is teaching you, guiding you, and convicting you of changes He wants to make in your life. It’s not about the ‘platform pulpit’ having the next ‘revelation’ from God for all of its ‘members’. Jesus didn’t come to establish a ‘religion’, or another ‘set’ of rules, but an access to His Father and a way for us to be indwelled by Him / the Holy Spirit. Jesus was the most religion decentralist the world had ever seen. Jesus opened the ‘way’ to His Father for every human who wants it.
The enemy always comes to twist the words, and to keep you from thinking I’m some kind of universalist, I adhere with my entire life to these following words of Jesus.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
There is only ONE path to the heavenly Father, the Creator, the …I AM THAT I AM, and that is through faith and acceptance of who Jesus is. But I also firmly adhere to these words as well from Jesus.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27
This is where most of the institution veers from the ‘path’. Most step into the role of the Holy Spirit and usurp the Voice of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in the lives of their members. EVERYONE who is a true disciple, follower, sheep in His flock, must learn to recognize His (Jesus / Holy Spirit) Voice INSIDE OF THEM. But most of the institution of the Church just likes to give you more rules, requirements, and steps to live by. They reinstitute the ‘Clergy model’ rather than accepting the New Testament covenant of EVERY follower being a ‘minister’ of Christ, and the ‘clergy / spiritual authority’ now sits with the Holy Spirit within every believer of Jesus. Will those clergy be in judgment over you at the end of your life? No. In fact their judgment will be even more severe as they took the role of overseer / teacher in so many lives.
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. James 3:1
(And yes I do recognize the irony in what I’m doing here — and am very sober about it.)
Now is the time to to shore up your foundations of faith. Become honest with yourself and ask Jesus to immerse you completely again with the Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit what hinders your vital relationship with Him. Build your life on the Rock. Make sure your foundation is built on the eternal ‘cornerstone’.