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.

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The cry of a generation, to cleave wholly to the Lord.

They are sick of compromise, and a church that is irrelevant.  They are confused over a teaching that on one side talks about power, but on the other hand, can’t get out of its own politics and powerlessness.

Jesus said that would know us by our love, and yet they know us by our cliches.

We have traded faith for doctrinal statements.  We have traded true understanding for a listening to sermons we really don’t believe down in the depths of our heart–not enough to be changed.

Some are sincere, but they lack tools to apply.  Many want to teach and help others out of the mire, but they fail to understand how to reach in.

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If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

Luke 14:26

The way of discipleship is the way to follow the cross.  The requirement of discipleship is to never look back.

Jesus said that the Kingdom was like a precious pearl, that, when found, a man sold all he had and bought it.  There is something about finding something that is worth it.  If you can see it, if you can recognize what you see, and correctly appraise it, it is not a hard choice to lose everything else to obtain the best. Read more…

But seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 6:33

There are many things we see in church today.

We have programs.  We have buildings.  We have ministries.  We have ministers.  But seek first the Kingdom.

James 3:16 says that where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is confusion and every evil thing.  Competition between brothers rises, looking to a particular gifting or position in order to get attention abound.  Attempts to fill unmet needs in the soul by some level of attainment in the spirit are present in our ministers.

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Faith is a substance.  Faith is a communicable dis-ease with the status quo.  Faith makes a way where there seems to be no way, and calls those things that are not as though they are.  Faith looks beyond the facts, and sees God’s Truth, what He has said.  Faith hopes beyond all hope, and is righteousness to God.

When one hears a Word of the Kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches it away.  This is the word of the Kingdom.  This is the Word of Faith, which we speak.

1 Corinthians 13:13 says that these three remain:  faith, hope, and love.  Hope is what we wait with expectancy to happen.  Faith is the substance of that, now.  We might hope for a piece of bread to eat, but Faith is to have the substance of that, despite my natural hand still being empty.

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