BUILDING YOUR HOUSE UPON THE ROCK

Whenever we consider the concept, and the reality, of laying a foundation in our lives, there is always one parable, which immediately comes to mind. It is known by almost everyone who has ever heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, if only in passing, as the most common and now almost euphemistic teaching; since it has become a universal, cultural, and literary byword for the fact and claim of the gospel story upon history, especially by those hoping to relegate the claim of the gospel upon their lives. But, nevertheless, it still equates, and forever establishes, Jesus as the actual Rock, or bedrock, of our salvation.

Greetings Beloved, In the Precious Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I'm Rev. John McFarland, and I'm excited to welcome you once again to the Wonderful Counselor experience of prophetic outreach ministry and apostolic empowerment for your life, which is in modern terms, your "spiritual life coach".

“I Am Here To Call You Forth Into God’s Kairos Time:

To Confirm And Accelerate Your Heavenly Vision,

To Declare And Reveal Your Windows Of Opportunity;

To Open Doors To Your Future,

Which Can Never Again Be Closed;

And Close Doors To Your Past,

Which Can Never Again Be Opened."

MATTHEW 7
24 Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that hears these sayings of mine, and does them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

This instruction is given, first of all, to every one of us individually, concerning our own souls, but must then be further applied to our collective relationship into the Church, symbolized by the extended house, and household of God, metaphor.

Jesus makes authoritative claims for his sayings by presenting them to us simply as matter of fact statements. These sayings were immediately recognized by the people, as being authoritative in comparison to the vain philosophical debate of the scribes. We’re told the people were astonished at his doctrine. All the sayings of Jesus, as the Living Word, are now indisputable sound doctrine of the Church.

This teaching in paraphrase tells us the following things:
1. The wise man will build his house upon the solid rock of Jesus’ sayings.
2. The foolish man builds his house upon the shifting sand of his own ideas.
3. Times of testing are going to come upon every one of us, sooner or later.
4. A house built upon the rock will stand, but those built upon sand will not.

What sayings of Jesus, or other scriptures, do we then need to hear and obey to build our house; and household of faith, the Church; upon the Rock of his truth, rather than the sand of our own ideologies and imaginations, no matter how well intentioned? That is going to be one of the recurring themes we explore together during this upcoming year, as we learn how to "Be Followers Of Christ".

Q&A - What do you have to say?