According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.  For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,  each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.  If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.  If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

A man set out one day to build something in following after God.  He did only what He sees the Father do, He spoke only His Father gave Him.  He wrote no books, built no organization, established no hierarchy, and built no buildings.  His work stands today, outside of time, outside of everything.

Today, we establish works.  We build buildings.  We write manuals and church government manuals.  We learn, study, and write leadership guides.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 3:6

If only the church would grasp this one point, this little thing, so much needless conflict and heartache could be avoided.  If only this one thing could be heeded, how much quicker could we spread the Kingdom throughout the whole world.  Everything else is really unbelief in this simple principle.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, plain and simple.  Like oil and water, spirit and flesh do not mix.  You cannot have a work that is part of the Spirit, and part of the flesh.  You cann0t mix the two.  The part that is of you will fail, the part that is of the Lord will succeed, with or without you, depending on how close to the pattern you follow.

Only the Spirit gives life.  The flesh profits nothing.  When we do not labor by His Spirit, we waste our time.  We waste our labors.  Why labor for for that which does not satisfy?

There is only one thing, at the end of the day, that matters, and that is His approval.  If we have that, the world makes sense.  If we fail to reach that, as Paul wrote, we will “suffer loss”.

There could be a thousand tasks that vie for attention, a thousand voices crying for your efforts, but if the Lord only highlights one, then that is the only one that is right.

Jesus said it this way to his natural brothers.

So Jesus said to them, “My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune.

John 7:6

When you live by the Spirit, everything matters.  A wrong partnership, a wrong choice of standards, a wrong plumbline can destroy much good work.

When you lose this world, that one flows easier.  When you stop looking for what you can gain, and come to the end of yourself, you can say with the great ones, “You don’t have anything I want.”

There is nothing that the flesh can add to the Spirit.  There is no amount of wealth, finances, reputation, or encouragement the flesh can offer to the Spirit.  Any attempt to improve upon the Spirit’s plan is simply an “Ishmael” waiting to happen.  It is a son of a slave-woman, that, although you love him, you will have to send him away when the son of the free woman, Isaac, comes.

If you build by the flesh, you build into bondage, organization, structure, decay, and, in the name of “religion”, into an anti-god, anti-christ doctrine.

If you build after the Spirit, you enter into that which is Eternal.  God is able to supply resources.  He is not short, or in lack.  But, if you are not willing to pay the price, go the full distance, and lose yourself, lose your self-will, and lose your own designs for what ministry ought to be and what a “ministry” ought to look like, you are not fit for the Kingdom.

But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Luke 9:62

The flesh will not do.  It didn’t do it when Jesus was here, and it will not do it now.

Unless you build by the Spirit, while God can use it for good, such as to teach you obedience through the things you suffer, and God being greater than our weaknesses is able to work through anything, it does not do any good to build by anything but by the Lord.

The Spirit is Eternal.

If you build in the Eternal realm of the Holy Ghost, and use true wisdom from above, true faith, true deliverance, your works will not go forgotten, even if the memory of them is cut off from the Earth.

Why do I know that?

Because, so long as you build based upon the Word of God, God said that His word would not return void.  You could build the greatest empire this world has ever known in the natural, but if that kingdom is not based upon the word, it will crumble to dust, and be burned forever.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Mark 13:31

You see, even what Jesus said about the woman who anointed his feet, in Mark 14:9 he said that what she had done would be done, in memory of her.

You don’t have to have your name in a book.  You don’t have to be recognized on TV.  You don’t have to be the greatest preacher.

Some of the greatest work for God ever done will never be told outside of heaven.  Some remember Daniel Nash, the intercessor who prayed so hard for Charles Finney, but what of the hundreds of others like him throughout history.  What about the unseen thousands who have stood.

It isn’t about gifted-ness, it’s about faithfulness.  It isn’t about looks, it’s about substance.  It isn’t about anything, except faith, hope, and love.  These are the three things that remain (1 Corinthians 13:13), and these are your reward.

If you are living for anything else, it is a work of the flesh.  By the Spirit of Grace, by the cross of Jesus, put it to death.

Only the anointing breaks the yoke, only the Spirit gives life, and only through Jesus do you have life.

Every other thing, no matter how much it might filly your belly, no matter how good looking or attractive to men, or desirable to get wisdom (Genesis 3:6), is simply a work of the flesh, and is idolotry, plain and simple, no matter how well intentioned.  Until you come to the cross, acknowleding you have no good thing within your old self, and learn to live by His Spirit (Galatians 5:16), you will always be attracted to that little tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Live by the Spirit. Be free!