Christian Living

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I Corinthians 3:10-17

We often sing the songs “I’ve Got A New Home Over In Zion, And It’s Mine, Mine All Mine”; “There’s A Leak In This Old Building And My Soul Has Got To Move To A Better Home”; “On My Way Home”; “Thank God For My Mansion”; “Tell Heaven I’m On My Way Home”. Well, as I’ve read the Bible, thought over these songs and petitioned God for a greater understanding of our New Home, God has begun to reveal some things to me about that home we are proclaiming to move into one day when this earthly life is over. We are looking for our souls to have a resting-place from sin, troubles, burdens, pain and sorrow, and the opportunity of experiencing the pleasure of eternal peace. We are looking to live happily ever after. Well, I come by to warn you that you may be in for a rude awakening when your soul leaves your earthly tabernacle if your home is not built according to the Will of God. You may be in for a home that won’t seem as wonderful as those songs describe. Now, you may be saying, “Now, Kim, what are you talking about because God has promised us this place that we are working to live in?” Well, God has promised to prepare a place for prepared people. Just what are you prepared for now, and what are you preparing for in your life to come? You can’t just expect to go live in a nice mansion when you’ve invested in a shed, a tree house, a tent, a box, or a shack. I just stopped by to tell you that you are building your home day-by-day, smile-after-smile, stab-after-stab, lie-after-lie, sin-after-sin, seed-after-seed, brick-by-brick. You are adding blocks to your home every day by the way you live, the way you walk, the way you talk, the songs you sing, the steps you make, but most importantly the way you treat your fellowman. So, if that house doesn’t feel and look quite the way you imagined it, don’t be surprised, don’t blame anybody else, and don’t feel bad because it’s the work of your hands, your mouth, your body, your feet, your heart, and your very desire.

Well, I’m gonna give you the opportunity to take a look at the homes you’ve built so far so that you can determine if you need to tear some stuff down and start over fresh. To do this, you’ve got to be honest with yourself; don’t be in denial, or this won’t help you. I want to, through the Spirit of God, help you build that mansion so that you can someday live in it. I want you to understand that a house must go through all kinds of inspections, tests, and must meet certain guidelines to be certified as a home, and the same applies for your heavenly home. Your home will be tried by the fire, and very home that cannot stand the trials, the tribulations, the storms, the failures, and the disappointments will be destroyed in that eternal fire. If your home is not strong enough to stand in the midst of storms and tragedies, it’s not worthy to be in the Heavenly City called “Glory”. There are certain standards and requirements your house must meet to be a resident in Glory. God has certain building codes, and His stamp of approval must be on your building permit for your home to be certified as a permanent resident in Glory. You know, in this life we have high class, where there are mansions and just beautiful expensive homes; middle class, where there are nice homes, but not so extravagant, and there is the lower class, where you have shacks, slums, and not-so-nice homes. Well, it’s not like that in Glory, there is only one class, and that is the Heavenly Class, and your home has got to meet all guidelines, or you will not reside there.

Now, God has been kind enough to give us the construction plans to build our homes, which is the Bible, the word of God. In these plans, He tells us how to build a good strong stable home, and what to build it with. Although God has given us these plans, we are trying to add to and take away from the plans to build the house we want or suits us. You’re messing up because God knows what kind of house you need.
Some of us are being foolish like the pigs in “Three Little Pigs” building with straw and hey, being cheap, cutting corners, not making the necessary sacrifices to obtain sufficient material; not realizing, that you will pay more in the end because if a strong wind comes by, your home will be destroyed, and you’re gonna have to start all over again. We all know that strong winds will blow in our lives sometimes, and we’re gonna need a good strong structure that will stand still. What I mean is you don’t need that religion that stands as longs as things are going well, but just as soon as a little trouble comes, you crumble, lose focus and faith, just fall to the ground. Straw and hey are non-sacrificing materials. You don’t have to give up anything to get straw and hey; you can pick it up from anywhere at little to no cost. Some of us have that type of religion. I’m just doing enough to “SAY” that I’m saved. I go to church and I put my money on the table; I don’t have to give up my lying, my cheating, my stealing, my fornicating, my adultery, my backstabbing, my gossiping, my habits; I don’t have to give up that. As long as I’m going to church, me and God got a thang going on. Sorry, hey and straw are not approved by God. God wants Christians that are willing to give up the things they love most just to serve Him. Just coming to church is not enough. Just paying your tithes is not enough. You’ve got to give your body as a living sacrifice to God; using it to please Him and Him only, regardless of what your desires and wants are. Warning!!! Don’t build with hey or straw because your home will be doomed when the storms of life begin to rage; when the winds begin to blow; the rain begins to fall; the lightening begins to flash; and the thunder begins to roar. You don’t have walls that can stand; you don’t have a solid foundation because you are building with faulty, cheap, and non-acceptable material. So, if you are coming to church, claiming to be saved; claiming to be a Christian, claiming to have turned your life over to Christ and claim t have turned from your wicked ways, you sshouldn't be lying on your neighbor; you shouldn't be talking about your neighbor and scandalizing his name because he has a few faults, you would be praying with him and for him. If you still have those unclean habits, please tear your house down and start over. How many of you have ever had rain to fall in your life, and you began to go back to your old way of life for a sense of security? You are building with hey and straw. If you can’t go through a major storm without picking up that whiskey bottle, you are building with straw. If your so-called friends can’t talk about you without you getting in that mud-slinging ring with them, you are building with straw. If you are in a marriage and you find out that your husband and your wife hasn’t been as truthful and faithful as you think you’ve been without playing the same game, or without walking away, your structure is weak. If you can’t forgive and forget, your structure is weak. Take the time to look at the structure you’ve built so far. Are you building with hey or straw? How strong are you? Can you endure the storms without caving in and returning to your evil ways?

Some of us are building with wood; wood is strong, but very combustible; a good fire will tear it apart. Some of you are strong to a certain degree. Satan can mess with your family life, your cars, your home, but if he bothers your money, that financial security, it’s over. You begin to doubt God’s ability to deliver and make a way. You begin to question God’s love for you and His eternal plan for your life? Don’t you know that all things work together for our good? Don’t you know that God has your very best interest in mind in all situations under all circumstances? If you can’t stand being on the verge of losing everything that you have, without doubting the existence and power of God, your structure cannot stand the fire. If you have found that you are building with wood; tear down and start again.

Some of us are building with precious stones, like diamonds; something expensive and pretty but just for the eye. You know who I’m talking about those people that go to church every Sunday, pay their tithes, and is always ready to give a good sizeable donation, but forget all about God Monday through Friday. They have that kind of religion that pays good money, but is just for people to see. Diamonds will crack; they can’t take a good beating; if these people get hit just right, they crack; they fall back into a world of sin and just turn from the church; they aren’t any more good, nor worth anything. Their living and giving are in vein. All you diamonds and pearls that look good in church, but aren’t good for the church, tear down and build again.

Some of us are building with silver. Silver will bend, and you can always bend it back in place, but there’s always evidence that it has been bent. You know those Christians that go to church, pay their tithes, and talk church all the time, but follow the majority, regardless if they are right or wrong; they bend easy. They are easily persuaded. Silver doesn’t stand well against pressure. It’s not strong enough to be tried by fire. People are able to do anything or say anything in your presence. If you are not strong enough to stand up to someone and say, “You are wrong, and I’m gonna pray for you.” If you just laugh off sin being committed by your neighbor, you are a bender; you are building with silver. If you can’t stand for someone to tell you that you are wrong without being bent all out of shape, you are a bender; you’re building with silver. If you are a bender and just seem to go with the flow, please stop; just stop and start rebuilding.

Out of all the materials available to build with, God wants us to build with gold. How many of you think you are building with gold? Gold is a very strong material; it resists fire, and I don’t care what kind of weather it’s left in, it is still valuable and pretty once it’s cleaned up. People that are building with gold hold on to their faith when they're talked about and mistreated; when doors are closed in their faces; when they don't have any money in their pockets; when they are forsaken by family and friends; when the storms rise; the winds blow, and the thunder roars; when the mountains seem to be a little high, the valleys a little low, and the rivers a little wide. People of gold are encouraging and inspirational to others. They don’t let Satan get the best of them. They don’t bend; they don’t cave in; they don’t crumble; they don’t crack; they stand solid on the Word of God. They stand steadfast and unmovable always abiding in the Word of God. They love in spite of being hated and mistreated; they can stand being talked about and lied on. They can stand being false accused. They can stand the tests of time. They can stand being looked over and kicked down. They can go through the fire and come out as pure gold. These houses are standing on a solid foundation. Build with gold. Gold is a material able to withstand the trials, tribulations, troubles, let-downs, put-downs, failures, disappointments, and storms of life.

Now that we all know what plan is available for you and what you need to build your home, how and where do we start? You don’t have to worry about the lot because God purchased a world of vacant lots through the sacrifice He made in giving the life of His only begotten son to save us. So, your lot is the gift of life; all you need to do is build on it. Now, let’s build a nice sturdy house. We have the lot, but it is void; there is nothing there but grass, weeds, old dirt, and some junk the devil has tossed onto it; sin, bad habits. We’ve got to clear the site; get all of that mess out of the way. To clear your site, you must confess of your sins, admit that you have problems, junk in your trunk; skeletons in your closet; ask God to come into your life so that he can bulldoze all that stuff off your lot into the sea of forgetfulness; and believe that He will do just that. Now that you have your lot clear, God begins to lay the foundation by giving reinforcement called the Holy Spirit, something that will keep you, strengthen you, encourage you to stand strong, and direct your path. He will also put in a plumbing system so when the devil drops off waste such as lust, evil desires, envy, jealousy, strife, and hate, it can be flushed out. God has a plumbing line called prayer and repentance; the line is always open and just a word will redeem you when you fall short or backslide. As long as you are faithful to God, you don’t have to worry about the system getting backed up because once you repent, that sin is gone, never to return again. Now, let’s put up the framing; your house is gonna need something to stand on, which is faith in the promises of God. Always hold steadfast on the word of God. Always trust Him to be working your problems out for your good. Always believe that He has your best interest in mind. Never ever doubt the Lord; that can cause some sin to back up into your home. Now, it’s time for the exterior; let’s cover up what God has built. Your exterior will be the blood of Christ because it protects the inside of the house. The blood is your protector; your shield from all evil. Now that the outside is done, what will be inside? Fill the inside with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Carry the word of God in your heart. Always know the will of God, and you will be able to recognize the tricks of Satan. Always have the word of God on your tongue so that you will know how to answer when Satan approaches you.

If you’ve been following God’s plan, your house is well on it’s way to certification for residency in Glory. If you have found that your house is not built up to God’s standards, you need to tear it down and begin to rebuild quickly because you don’t have time to waste; for, we are living in the last days, and time is winding up. You’ve got to be prepared when the Savior returns to carry you away from this mean and cruel world. I know you have worked a long time, and suffered many of things waiting to enter into your heavenly mansion, and I know you want to be able to live in your house in Glory. God wants you there too, but you’ve got to do it His way; you’ve got to seek ye first the Kingdom of heaven, and all these things will be added unto you. If you build with God, rain may fall, but it won’t drown you because you’re covered by a strong roof top called the blood of Jesus, and there is power in the blood; there is strength in the blood, and there is protection in the blood. The winds may blow, and earthquakes may tremble, but your house won’t fall and won’t crumble because it’s standing on a strong foundation called the word of God. In the Word of God, there is light, peace, and direction. The flood of trouble may rise, but it won’t ruin your interior because your house is standing on God’s promises never to leave you nor forsake you, but to be with you always even until the end of the world. Your home cannot be repossessed because the mortgage was paid in full when Jesus died on the cross and rose early one Sunday morning to save our sin sick souls. That old thief Satan cannot come in and steal your joy and hope because God has a security system installed built to recognize the voice and the very manner of that old slew foot liar. It knows the way he looks, the way he walks, the way he talks, and the very way he acts, and every time he moves in for an attack, you will hear an alarm go off in your spirit saying “Fast and Pray.”

You see, I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get in my mansion because there will be no more lying, cheating, and backbiting. I’ll be in a place where I can rest from all of my troubles. I won’t have to worry about any more light bills because there is a light there that shines forever. I won’t have to worry about any more water bills, because there is a spring there that springs up from everlasting to everlasting. I won’t have to worry about furniture because God has a seat there just for me. I don’t have to worry about how I will get in because there are twelve gates in that city; three gates in the north; three gates in the south; three gates in the east; and three gates in the west, and all I have to do is just step in. I’ve got a new home, and it’s mine, mine, all mine. A home where I can rest my weary soul. So, when it’s time for me to leave this old world; when my head is cold, my eyes have rolled to the back of my head, my tongue is cleaving to the roof of my mouth, and this old body returns to clay, don’t cry for me, but rejoice because I’m just another soldier gone HOME to live with the Lord.

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