Building our House
Stuart and I have been talking about home renovations in the last few months.. it's going to take planning - not just what to renovate, but how, and how we'll pay for it, and what will be best renovations to get family value out of the renovations.
1 Corinthians talks about building your house. Stuart and I have been building our spiritual house for nearly 12 years now.. the 28th will be the 12th anniversary of our Christian Walk, and so our "house" is nearly 12 years old. In 12 years we have been part of a Brethern Church where we were Born Again throught the blessing of premarital counselling, married, baptised and began our learning. Then because of a university change, we moved and attended at a Baptist Church, where we were blessed immediately with loving kindness, welcomed into a fellowship group, deepened our walk with the Lord through education and service and fellowship relationships. However, we were also challenged, as the Ruach Hakodesh was teaching us that some of the teachings of this church were not what He had planned for us. And so on we marched.
Then came another move and another church search, leading us to the Pentecostal Church, where the leading of the Ruach Hakodesh was telling me things.. but I wasn't listening this time, I was listening to the teaching of the church. But there was nothing to hold me in this church, we weren't growing, not fellowshipping and not serving, so we started to look for those things in "a church".
1 Corinthians 3
Paul and Apollos, Servants of Christ 1Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to mature Christians.
12 years ago, we were babies in the Lord, no one could talk to us as mature Christians, we were still trying to learn who this Christ - this Messiah - who Yeshua was.
I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life.[b] 2I had to feed you with milk and not with solid food, because you couldn't handle anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, 3for you are still controlled by your own sinful desires.
12 years later I think we've moved past this point, we now are better able to chew on some meat, having started to build our house, having started with the milk, and moving on to "solid food".
You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your own desires? You are acting like people who don't belong to the Lord.
I guess I'm at the point of understand that though I'm excited about the house I'm building, I need to trust that Adonai is in control of all the other houses being built, and that people are where YHVH wants them to be right now. I don't want to ever be known as one who doesn't act like she belongs to Yeshua, but I do falter from time to time. There are times I push too hard, wanting others to catch on to the things I'm learning, but I have to realize that it's just not where they're at right now.. and leave it there. I don't want to quarrel.
4When one of you says, "I am a follower of Paul," and another says, "I prefer Apollos," aren't you acting like those who are not Christians?[c]
One thing I've always felt was that no matter where I was worshipping/learning, I was a Christian, not a Pentecostal, not a Baptist, not a Brethren. I think this is what Paul is trying to get at here.
5Who is Apollos, and who is Paul, that we should be the cause of such quarrels? Why, we're only servants. Through us God caused you to believe. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6My job was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow. 7The ones who do the planting or watering aren't important, but God is important because he is the one who makes the seed grow. 8The one who plants and the one who waters work as a team with the same purpose. Yet they will be rewarded individually, according to their own hard work. 9We work together as partners who belong to God. You are God's field, God's building--not ours.
God's field, God's building.. Yes, that's who I am, who Stuart and I are. So why, now that I'm at the Messianic church, why do I feel the stronger tug to take on this name. I think it's because I feel like a WHOLE Christian now, starting to really get into the meat, having spent the last 12 years really drinking up the milk, learning about the Messiah, learning to walk in His Truth, learning to, seek HIM for my direction, eagarly leaning on the Ruach Hakodesh for all that I am to know and learn. Yes, I'm being taught, but more than ever, I'm teaching myself to SEEK HIM.
10Because of God's special favor to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder.
Foundation ~~ Funny thing about foundations, in talking to others about how we can expand our home, do some renovations, foundations really come into play. We can build up over the original foundation, but we can't build up over the extensions, as their foundations are not strong enough to support a second story. If our spiritual foundation is Yeshua - Yahushua -Y'shua - Our Salvation. If we add extensions.. Salvation=Yeshua + works; or Yeshua +baptism; or Yeshua + baptism in the Holy Spirit; or Yeshua + a certain style of dress or head covering or lifestyle.. then you can't build UP from those extensions and still expect your house to stand. NO, the foundation is Yeshua - not a denomination, not a church, not church fathers, not even Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - JUST YESHUA.
Now others are building on it.
As long as those who are building on it, are building on the same foundation!
But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have--Jesus Christ.
Stuart and I are building on this foundation. We're learning what it means to be saved through the work of Yeshua on the cross, how we live because he has taken our burden of sin, how to worship, how to hear and obey.
12Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw.
When we first started our walk, we thought we were building with Gold, Silver and Jewels. - We were eagar to build with these materials, but we sometimes found that the teaching was teaching a "wood", or a "hay" or "straw". We didn't want this as our building materials, and so at first we just rejected the teaching but stayed in the church, and then eventually, had to decide to leave the church altogether. Our goal was to build a house as best as we could witht he bes materials.
13But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value.
Now there are some who don't really care what their house is being built out of, and there are others who DO care. Those who care are really wanting to build their houses out of gold, silver and jewels, but I do think that if the foundation has been twisted, has been distorted - away from Yeshua, or in addition to; then a house built with the best intentions, can still be built out of straw. I may be building a house out of straw, even though I think I'm building it out of gold, silver and jewels. When I go through the fire, I want my house to be standing.
14If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward.
I want a reward.
15But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss.
I don't want to suffer great loss.
The builders themselves will be saved, because the foundation is Yeshua but like someone escaping through a wall of flames. Do I want to barely make it to heaven? Do I want to be the bride who's had to take a taxi through heavy traffic, arriving late to her own wedding? or do I want to be the bride who arrives at the appointed time in a beautiful horse draw carriage. Just like I don't want to invest money on a renovation that in 5 years will fall into the ground because I've built it over an extension without a sure foundation, I am eagarly seeking to build my spiritual house on Yeshua.
16Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in[d] you? 17God will bring ruin upon anyone who ruins this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you Christians are that temple.
18Stop fooling yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you will have to become a fool so you can become wise by God's standards. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,
"God catches those who think they are wise
in their own cleverness."[e]
20And again,
"The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
that they are worthless."[f]
21So don't take pride in following a particular leader. Everything belongs to you: 22Paul and Apollos and Peter[g]; the whole world and life and death; the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Elohim has not changed since he created the world and the universe. He will not change between now and when He returns riding on his white horse, with his robe stained with the blood of his perfect bride's purity, and on into eternity. His Whole WORD is the material for building MY House. I'm understanding His Word like never before I have the Ruach Hakodesh to thank for that. Not that he has given me a new baptism, not that I have a new special gift, just that I am seeking HIM, the obey HIM and to know him. Each step I take in obedience to HIM brings everything into better and better focus for me to understand and obey and rejoice! Baruch Hashem!
Elu Elu, hotzianu, hotzianu miMitzrayim, hotzianu miMitzrayim, dayenu, daydayenu, daydayenu, daydayenu, dayenu, dayenu, yenu,dayenu
Elu Elu natan lanu et ha Torah, Dayenu!
Elu Elu natan lanu et Yeshua, Dayenu!
1 Corinthians talks about building your house. Stuart and I have been building our spiritual house for nearly 12 years now.. the 28th will be the 12th anniversary of our Christian Walk, and so our "house" is nearly 12 years old. In 12 years we have been part of a Brethern Church where we were Born Again throught the blessing of premarital counselling, married, baptised and began our learning. Then because of a university change, we moved and attended at a Baptist Church, where we were blessed immediately with loving kindness, welcomed into a fellowship group, deepened our walk with the Lord through education and service and fellowship relationships. However, we were also challenged, as the Ruach Hakodesh was teaching us that some of the teachings of this church were not what He had planned for us. And so on we marched.
Then came another move and another church search, leading us to the Pentecostal Church, where the leading of the Ruach Hakodesh was telling me things.. but I wasn't listening this time, I was listening to the teaching of the church. But there was nothing to hold me in this church, we weren't growing, not fellowshipping and not serving, so we started to look for those things in "a church".
1 Corinthians 3
Paul and Apollos, Servants of Christ 1Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to mature Christians.
12 years ago, we were babies in the Lord, no one could talk to us as mature Christians, we were still trying to learn who this Christ - this Messiah - who Yeshua was.
I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life.[b] 2I had to feed you with milk and not with solid food, because you couldn't handle anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, 3for you are still controlled by your own sinful desires.
12 years later I think we've moved past this point, we now are better able to chew on some meat, having started to build our house, having started with the milk, and moving on to "solid food".
You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your own desires? You are acting like people who don't belong to the Lord.
I guess I'm at the point of understand that though I'm excited about the house I'm building, I need to trust that Adonai is in control of all the other houses being built, and that people are where YHVH wants them to be right now. I don't want to ever be known as one who doesn't act like she belongs to Yeshua, but I do falter from time to time. There are times I push too hard, wanting others to catch on to the things I'm learning, but I have to realize that it's just not where they're at right now.. and leave it there. I don't want to quarrel.
4When one of you says, "I am a follower of Paul," and another says, "I prefer Apollos," aren't you acting like those who are not Christians?[c]
One thing I've always felt was that no matter where I was worshipping/learning, I was a Christian, not a Pentecostal, not a Baptist, not a Brethren. I think this is what Paul is trying to get at here.
5Who is Apollos, and who is Paul, that we should be the cause of such quarrels? Why, we're only servants. Through us God caused you to believe. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6My job was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow. 7The ones who do the planting or watering aren't important, but God is important because he is the one who makes the seed grow. 8The one who plants and the one who waters work as a team with the same purpose. Yet they will be rewarded individually, according to their own hard work. 9We work together as partners who belong to God. You are God's field, God's building--not ours.
God's field, God's building.. Yes, that's who I am, who Stuart and I are. So why, now that I'm at the Messianic church, why do I feel the stronger tug to take on this name. I think it's because I feel like a WHOLE Christian now, starting to really get into the meat, having spent the last 12 years really drinking up the milk, learning about the Messiah, learning to walk in His Truth, learning to, seek HIM for my direction, eagarly leaning on the Ruach Hakodesh for all that I am to know and learn. Yes, I'm being taught, but more than ever, I'm teaching myself to SEEK HIM.
10Because of God's special favor to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder.
Foundation ~~ Funny thing about foundations, in talking to others about how we can expand our home, do some renovations, foundations really come into play. We can build up over the original foundation, but we can't build up over the extensions, as their foundations are not strong enough to support a second story. If our spiritual foundation is Yeshua - Yahushua -Y'shua - Our Salvation. If we add extensions.. Salvation=Yeshua + works; or Yeshua +baptism; or Yeshua + baptism in the Holy Spirit; or Yeshua + a certain style of dress or head covering or lifestyle.. then you can't build UP from those extensions and still expect your house to stand. NO, the foundation is Yeshua - not a denomination, not a church, not church fathers, not even Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - JUST YESHUA.
Now others are building on it.
As long as those who are building on it, are building on the same foundation!
But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have--Jesus Christ.
Stuart and I are building on this foundation. We're learning what it means to be saved through the work of Yeshua on the cross, how we live because he has taken our burden of sin, how to worship, how to hear and obey.
12Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw.
When we first started our walk, we thought we were building with Gold, Silver and Jewels. - We were eagar to build with these materials, but we sometimes found that the teaching was teaching a "wood", or a "hay" or "straw". We didn't want this as our building materials, and so at first we just rejected the teaching but stayed in the church, and then eventually, had to decide to leave the church altogether. Our goal was to build a house as best as we could witht he bes materials.
13But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value.
Now there are some who don't really care what their house is being built out of, and there are others who DO care. Those who care are really wanting to build their houses out of gold, silver and jewels, but I do think that if the foundation has been twisted, has been distorted - away from Yeshua, or in addition to; then a house built with the best intentions, can still be built out of straw. I may be building a house out of straw, even though I think I'm building it out of gold, silver and jewels. When I go through the fire, I want my house to be standing.
14If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward.
I want a reward.
15But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss.
I don't want to suffer great loss.
The builders themselves will be saved, because the foundation is Yeshua but like someone escaping through a wall of flames. Do I want to barely make it to heaven? Do I want to be the bride who's had to take a taxi through heavy traffic, arriving late to her own wedding? or do I want to be the bride who arrives at the appointed time in a beautiful horse draw carriage. Just like I don't want to invest money on a renovation that in 5 years will fall into the ground because I've built it over an extension without a sure foundation, I am eagarly seeking to build my spiritual house on Yeshua.
16Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in[d] you? 17God will bring ruin upon anyone who ruins this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you Christians are that temple.
18Stop fooling yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you will have to become a fool so you can become wise by God's standards. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,
"God catches those who think they are wise
in their own cleverness."[e]
20And again,
"The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
that they are worthless."[f]
21So don't take pride in following a particular leader. Everything belongs to you: 22Paul and Apollos and Peter[g]; the whole world and life and death; the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Elohim has not changed since he created the world and the universe. He will not change between now and when He returns riding on his white horse, with his robe stained with the blood of his perfect bride's purity, and on into eternity. His Whole WORD is the material for building MY House. I'm understanding His Word like never before I have the Ruach Hakodesh to thank for that. Not that he has given me a new baptism, not that I have a new special gift, just that I am seeking HIM, the obey HIM and to know him. Each step I take in obedience to HIM brings everything into better and better focus for me to understand and obey and rejoice! Baruch Hashem!
Elu Elu, hotzianu, hotzianu miMitzrayim, hotzianu miMitzrayim, dayenu, daydayenu, daydayenu, daydayenu, dayenu, dayenu, yenu,dayenu
Elu Elu natan lanu et ha Torah, Dayenu!
Elu Elu natan lanu et Yeshua, Dayenu!
posted by Sombra | 5:42 PM
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