vision

The post that appears below is an experience that I had several years ago when I was still pastoring a church. I believe it is relevant now as I look out over the landscape of Christianity and see all the ministries that are failing for a variety of reasons. Receiving God's direction and help I believe are contingent on our actual motives for service as well as being in line with God's timing. I was part of an international association of ministers and I was privately informed that if I went "along to get along" I could go far. I eventually resigned because I wouldn't go along . You might ask why if I was doing things right then why do I not have a church today? The answer is that pastor is not my calling and God permitted me to do so because there were things that I needed to learn and that was the best way to learn. The lessons I learned are invaluable to me now.
It was during this time that I received the vision that appears below.

The Foundation

(1 Cor 3:11 NKJV) For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

In my vision I saw what appeared to be a foundation of a very large building with a floor which seemed to be of poured gold. The perimeter seemed to go deep into the earth and appeared to be of the same substance as the floor that was as pure gold but translucent, reflecting light and allowing light to shine through it. I immediately knew this to be the “foundation which is Christ”.
This foundation seemed to be ready to be built upon and I thought it to be the foundation that Christ had been building for our church.
Nearby I saw a number of building blocks and sensing that it was my job now to build on this foundation I selected a nice looking one and lifted it onto the edge of this foundation. Having had a vision and plan for the structure of my church and the programs I thought should be in place, I carefully adjusted the position of this block until it seemed to fit perfectly into the blueprint that was in my mind. After a short time the block that was so carefully placed slid off the edge of the foundation and fell to the ground. I walked over and examined it closely and found some minor flaws though the block seemed to be a very solid block and able to support a lot of weight. I decided I must have been too hasty in choosing so I looked around and spied a block that stood out from the others so I picked it up and placed it on the foundation and moved it about until it seemed to fit into a niche. Soon, to my consternation this too slid off the edge and tumbled to the ground. These blocks represented people that I had chosen to fill slots in the team structure that I felt I was supposed to put together to support the vision and goals of our fellowship. At times we had received a prophetic word or someone had shared a dream that built our ego as to what God was going to do with our little group. (At the time I did not realize how these fed the flesh.)
I continued to look around at the blocks that were just laying around and eventually picked up another good looking one that represented a particular program that I was sure would motivate the people to work together in unity toward a common goal. This too eventually slid off the foundation and tumbled to the ground. This happened several times in succession and I finally just stood there in utter bewilderment. As I was pondering this and what it might mean I heard the Spirit say “ try this one”. I turned to look and saw a block I had not seen before. It was quite plain and unattractive in appearance and had the word “Love” written on it. In obedience I picked it up and place it upon the foundation. To my amazement it seemed to sink down into the foundation until it disappeared completely. As it did the level of the foundation rose up over it’s entirety just as would a glass of water rise when an ice cube is added and as the ice melts it would become one substance.
Again I heard the Spirit say “try this one” and I turned to see another block that also appeared drab and unattractive but had another fruit of the Spirit written on it. As I place it on the foundation the result was the same as previously. This was repeated several times and then the vision ended.

My understanding was simply that man always looks upon the outward when he try’s to build for God.
(Psa 127:1 NKJV) Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.

We are not to build for God, we are to advance His kingdom and His kingdom is His temple which we are.
(Eph 2:22 NKJV) in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

I understood clearly that every time I was obedient to the Lord and added to my life His building blocks of Godly character that the entire foundation of His kingdom (the city built without hands, who’s builder and maker is God) was then raised to higher spiritual level. This is the entire purpose of the Church of Jesus Christ” to advance the kingdom rule of God in the hearts of men until He is in total control”.

(Luke 17:20_21 NKJV) Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; {21} "nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

Now kings in Jesus day had sovereign control (dictatorial powers) and could remove someone’s head by a simple command. Committees, judges and jury’s were not part of the system so with this thought in mind we know that Jesus meant that the kingdom of God was established only in those who gave Him total control through total repentance and surrender of one’s life. When this occurs then is the person truly born again and will bring forth much fruit unto Him.

Several weeks later I was shown this same vision again, only this time I was aware that other ministers were also there and were watching as I placed blocks upon the foundation and as the blocks slid off onto the ground they picked them up and turned and carried them to a plain plot of ground that looked good to them and began to build buildings and ministries that seemed to hold together and even looked appealing to the eye. The vision ended.

My understanding is that many highly visible ministries we see today are built of rejected building blocks upon a foundation that is no more secure than sand.
The winds are about to blow and the rains about to fall and great will be the fall of that house.
(Mat 7:26_27 NKJV) "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: {27} "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

john martin
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