“The Builder” by Dave Bessey

www.reach413.com

Each of us are builders, the more we spend in the presence of God the better builder we are.

The other night I was awake most of the night, but for a short prophetic dream. In the dream there was a massive Cathedral that I could see. The Cathedral was being gutted of all the religious sacremental tools. Pews were being removed and the only thing left was the human built building In the dream there was a principality there that was disguising itself as anti- religiosity. I was being attacked by this spirit. But in the course of the attack I was told by Jesus not to be deceived. The thought the religiosity of the old reformation were not in order, neither is this anti- religious attack in order. Everything in the Kingdom, including correction, rebuke, setting things in Order are done through love. Every attack on the Ekklesia is is an attack on the Bride of Christ, His army and family. When the church eats its young or attacks itself there is no real transformation or reformation. It brings death not life, it brings law not grace. This is the exact reason Paul wrote the Letters to the Church at Corinth. No amount of renovation will rejuvenation. Until the foundation is in order nothing will help. We need a complete rebuild of the foundation.

Research:

In the Books of Corinthians, the "foundation" (Greek: themelios) is a metaphor for Jesus Christ and the apostles and prophets. The Apostle Paul, who laid the spiritual foundation of the church in Corinth by preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, stresses that Jesus is the only true and exclusive foundation upon which the church and believers must build their lives and ministries.Building on Christ means aligning with His teachings and glorifying Him, rather than relying on human ideas or secular thinking.

Context in 1 Corinthians

* A Skilled Master Builder (1 Corinthians 3:10): Paul describes himself as a skilled master builder who laid the foundation of the church in Corinth through his ministry. �

* One Exclusive Foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11): He states that no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. �

* Building on Christ (1 Corinthians 3:12-17): Believers are then instructed to build upon this foundation with materials that are enduring (gold, silver, jewels) rather than temporary (wood, grass, straw). The quality of the building will be tested by fire, and only works that glorify Christ will stand, resulting in reward for the builder. �

Key Concepts

* Spiritual Substructure: The word themelios refers to the underlying support structure upon which everything else is built, emphasizing the importance of a firm, stable basis for faith laid in the teaching and ministry of the Apostle and prophet. �

* Authority and Integrity: Just as a foundation determines the integrity of a building, Jesus Christ as the foundation ensures the stability and truth of the church and the lives of believers. �

* Responsibility: Believers are called to ensure that their words and actions are consistent with this Christ-centered foundation, avoiding any attempts to build on their own agendas or human philosophies�

* The Ministry - in 1 Corinthians 12:28-31 AMPC we get a real glimpse into functionality of the foundation. “So God has appointed some in the church [for His own use]: first apostles (special messengers); second prophets (inspired preachers and expounders); third teachers; then wonder-workers; then those with ability to heal the sick; helpers; administrators; [speakers in] different (unknown) tongues. Are all apostles (special messengers)? Are all prophets (inspired interpreters of the will and purposes of God)? Are all teachers? Do all have the power of performing miracles? Do all possess extraordinary powers of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces (the higher gifts and the choicest graces). And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one that is better by far and the highest of them all–love]. 1 Corinthians‬ ‭

Later in his letter to Ephesus Paul clarifies this further how the body is truly built structurally. We can clean everything out but it is not the metal, round bar, wood, concrete that is the church. It is people I dwelt by Christ as they believe , follow and serve Him:

Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬-‭22‬ ‭AMPC‬‬

“For He is [Himself] our peace (our bond of unity and harmony). He has made us both [Jew and Gentile] one [body], and has broken down (destroyed, abolished) the hostile dividing wall between us, By abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the enmity [caused by] the Law with its decrees and ordinances [which He annulled]; that He from the two might create in Himself one new man [one new quality of humanity out of the two], so making peace. And [He designed] to reconcile to God both [Jew and Gentile, united] in a single body by means of His cross, thereby killing the mutual enmity and bringing the feud to an end. And He came and preached the glad tidings of peace to you who were afar off and [peace] to those who were near. [Isa. 57:19.] For it is through Him that we both [whether far off or near] now have an introduction (access) by one [Holy] Spirit to the Father [so that we are able to approach Him]. Therefore you are no longer outsiders (exiles, migrants, and aliens, excluded from the rights of citizens), but you now share citizenship with the saints (God's own people, consecrated and set apart for Himself); and you belong to God's [own] household. You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself the chief Cornerstone. In Him the whole structure is joined (bound, welded) together harmoniously, and it continues to rise (grow, increase) into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, consecrated, and sacred to the presence of the Lord]. In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you yourselves also are being built up [into this structure] with the rest, to form a fixed abode (dwelling place) of God in (by, through) the Spirit.”

Conclusion

Here is the true building process. You are one of the living stones of the temple. We are all used to build up or edify each other. If you build by any other means you are in rebellion. We need to not just remodel, but repent. Gutting brings harm. Christ can restore through deliverance and healing

Blue Print

“HOWEVER, BRETHREN, I could not talk to you as to spiritual [men], but as to nonspiritual [men of the flesh, in whom the carnal nature predominates], as to mere infants [in the new life] in Christ [unable to talk yet!] I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough [to be ready for it]; but even yet you are not strong enough [to be ready for it], For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses]. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men? For when one says, I belong to Paul, and another, I belong to Apollos, are you not [proving yourselves] ordinary (unchanged) men? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Ministering servants [not heads of parties] through whom you believed, even as the Lord appointed to each his task: I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was making it grow and [He] gave the increase. So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but [only] God Who makes it grow and become greater. He who plants and he who waters are equal (one in aim, of the same importance and esteem), yet each shall receive his own reward (wages), according to his own labor. For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God; you are God's garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, [you are] God's building. [Isa. 61:3.] According to the grace (the special endowment for my task) of God bestowed on me, like a skillful architect and master builder I laid [the] foundation, and now another [man] is building upon it. But let each [man] be careful how he builds upon it, For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). But if anyone builds upon the Foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, The work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ] will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done. If the work which any person has built on this Foundation [any product of his efforts whatever] survives [this test], he will get his reward. But if any person's work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire. [Job 23:10.] Do you not discern and understand that you [the whole church at Corinth] are God's temple (His sanctuary), and that God's Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you [to be at home in you, collectively as a church and also individually]? If anyone does hurt to God's temple or corrupts it [with false doctrines] or destroys it, God will do hurt to him and bring him to the corruption of death and destroy him. For the temple of God is holy (sacred to Him) and that [temple] you [the believing church and its individual believers] are. Let no person deceive himself. If anyone among you supposes that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [let him discard his worldly discernment and recognize himself as dull, stupid, and foolish, without true learning and scholarship], that he may become [really] wise. [Isa. 5:21.] For this world's wisdom is foolishness (absurdity and stupidity) with God, for it is written, He lays hold of the wise in their [own] craftiness; [Job 5:13.] And again, The Lord knows the thoughts and reasonings of the [humanly] wise and recognizes how futile they are. [Ps. 94:11.] So let no one exult proudly concerning men [boasting of having this or that man as a leader], for all things are yours, Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Peter), or the universe or life or death, or the immediate and threatening present or the [subsequent and uncertain] future–all are yours, And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.” G1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭23‬ ‭AMPC‬‬

If you are my fiend most likely this final tidbit is for you. My friends are warriors who are pathfinders and pioneers. You take path less traveled or even blast through on the unmarked pathway. You pave the way in following Jesus when others are not. Your focus is “Soulishly and solely” on Christ, because He is the light unto your path you mind is staid on Him or as Jeremiah Johnson said:

PIONEERS: YOU WILL BE ATTACKED

Pioneers… You cannot fulfill the will of God without challenging the way things have always been and causing catalytic changes in the body of Christ. This will inevitably cause many to stumble, scoff, criticize, and falsely accuse you.

There is a demonic strategy set up against every pioneer in their generation that is not only aimed at destroying them, but also scattering the followers. If Satan's attack is successful, everyone involved will come out of the battle hurt and wounded. Remember, Satan uses people to attack, criticize, and question pioneers so that those who are getting set free, refreshed, and empowered by their life and ministry will become confused, disoriented, and altogether stop listening to the emerging pioneers.

Pioneers, you cannot allow yourself to become so easily manipulated by people's criticisms and attacks. Do not try to maintain peace in your heart and life based off of whether people accept or reject you. From my own personal experiences, most of the time God will not deliver you from your accusers, but rather He will actually save you by killing the part of you that is vulnerable to the devil by using the accusations themselves.

As a pioneer, you must recognize that both God and the devil want you to die, but for different reasons. Satan wants to destroy you through attacks and criticisms and then drain you by your unwavering need to explain yourself and your side of the story. (Please stop wasting your time and energy doing this!) On the other hand, God wants to crucify that part in you that was so easily exploited by the devil to begin with. The rest and peace that you are so desiring in your life and ministry will only come when you finally die to what people say and think about you.

Pioneers, in order to deliver you from the praise of men, God will baptize you in their criticisms and attacks. It is painful. You will lose many friendships along the way and the misunderstandings will be many. You will pay a price that most around you will never see not understand. You are speaking a language of reform and awakening that many in the body of Christ just don't have an eye or ear for yet. Do not grow discouraged and most of all, do not be surprised when the attacks and criticisms come. Rather than rushing to defend or explain yourself, my advice would be to go before the Lord and ask Him, "What inside of me are you exposing through the accusation and attacks of others that needs to die?"

Praying for you!

-Jeremiah Johnson”

Forerunners, Pathfinders, Explorers, Pioneers are not Lone RANGERS focused on self:

Luc Niebergall

‭‭ LONE RANGERS VS: FORERUNNERS

It’s imperative for us to address lone rangers mentalities.

LONE RANGERS often expect perfection from established leaders, meanwhile their own hearts are festering in hurt.

FORERUNNERS understand the cost of leadership and show grace as other leaders grow and mature.

LONE RANGERS hide their wounds behind over-spiritualism.

FORERUNNERS cultivate a lifestyle of vulnerability before God and in healthy relationships.

LONE RANGERS view the church as a stepping stone to serve their calling.

FORERUNNERS understand that their gifts and callings are ordained by God to serve others.

LONE RANGERS react out of offence.

FORERUNNERS live from love and servitude.

LONE RANGERS demonize the local church

FORERUNNERS understand how to serve local community.

LONE RANGERS foster an elitism mentality, believing that no one hears God as efficiently as them.

FORERUNNERS understand that they are only one part of God’s plan—we need the gifts and callings of others.

LONE RANGERS hide in their wounds, leading to isolation.

FORERUNNERS hide away in the Father, revealing how they fit within the family of God.”

Hurt people hurt people! Blind do lead the blind, servants serve in love. That is Kingdom!