TEARING DOWN & BUILDING UP
by Marsha Burns:
The Tearing Down
Much
of what we built in the past has been torn down. But, the foundation on Christ
stands firm, and He will cause us to build again.
Jeremiah 45:4-5 …Thus says the LORD: "Behold, what I have built I will break
down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land. And do
you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring
adversity on all flesh," says the LORD. "But I will give your life to you as a
prize in all places, wherever you go."
We
have truly been in a transformational year. We have changed dramatically, and
as a result we have had opportunities to hear the voice of the Lord more
distinctly than ever before.
Small Straws:
Your spiritual foundation was built on Christ and is still solid. What
you built in the past according to the dictates of men and religion has been
torn down so that you will be ready to build again according to My Spirit.
You are about to begin again, and this new beginning will surpass every
other beginning. There will be a tantalizing sense of mystery founded on My
hope and promise along with an excitement of expectation of My purposes being
fulfilled. This newness of life will go beyond anything you have imagined or
believed. However, the power of cleansing that you have experienced internally
and externally must be maintained.
You must be careful how you build on that clean foundation.
1
Corinthians 3:
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master
builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one
take heed how he builds on it.
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is
laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, straw,
13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it
will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort
it is.
14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be
saved, yet so as through fire.
This
time of beginning again is notable.
You have seen the work of men. You have seen the work of religion. You have
experienced fleshly endeavors. It is now time to see what God will do!
Build, as led by the Spirit, by the grace of God.
You
are entering a time when you will have opportunities to do things in life
differently because you have gained wisdom through your mistakes and
failures. You can’t erase old outcomes, but you can take what you’ve learned
and do better.
Leave the past where it is. You can’t change what has happened.
You can, however, move forward
from your current position.
Philippians 3:13 (again) Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended;
but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching
forward to those things which are ahead…
The Building Up
The
process of tearing down has been both natural and spiritual, just as the
building up process will be.
In a
vision I saw a man building a house with bamboo, and I knew this house would be
simple, flexible, and durable.
Bamboo includes some of the fastest-growing plants in the world. Bamboo has a
higher compressive strength than wood, brick, or concrete and a tensile strength
that rivals steel. Compressive strength resists being pushed together, whereas
tensile strength resists being pulled apart.
I
believe this vision is a type of who we are becoming in Christ. God is about to
cause us to become a better house—simple, flexible, durable.
Simple: without a
mixture of evil, free from guile, innocent
Flexible: ready and able to change so as to adapt to different circumstances
Durable: tough, resistant, imperishable, indestructible, strong, sturdy
1
Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
A
New Day Is Dawning
We
must allow each day to truly become a new day. I was born at 8:26 a.m. Almost
every morning, my attention is drawn to the clock at that time, and I
deliberately position myself to make the most of the new day, leaving the
failures and disappointments of yesterday behind. And, I am suggesting that you
do the same. Start with a clean slate!
As
each new day begins, it would be good to take a position spiritually to preserve
and protect the sanctity of life in the Spirit. Choose to make God your first
priority in life.
1
Corinthians 6:20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your
body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
In a
vision I saw a fork in the road where a traveler would have to choose which way
to go, and the Lord said, “You are coming to an intersection in life where you
must choose the direction that your life will take. The choices will be
clear, and you will be able to distinguish between the two. One path will
draw you ever closer to Me, says the Lord, and the other path will take you
further down the road of worldliness and self-interest. Choose wisely.”
We
will see more contrast—the light getting lighter and the dark getting
darker. The righteous will become more godly, and the wicked will become more
evil. There will be an ever-widening chasm between the two.
Wherever your focus has been on external things, God wants to do an internal
work of reordering your priorities to align with the importance of life in the
Spirit.
Each
day will present opportunities to put God first—to get connected and stay
connected. Then, He will direct every, single step.
You
have seen what you don’t want. You have seen the work of the enemy against
you. You have seen the works of men. You have had plenty of chaos and trouble
that tried to destroy the tenderness of your heart towards God. You know what
it is like to experience the meanness that protects religious and legalistic
attitudes. Don’t go down that path again. Find the path of love, of peace, of
righteous living. Find the way of the Holy Spirit and never deviate from it
again. Set your face like flint to seek God, no matter the cost or
distraction. This is a time when you can reinvent yourself.
In
another vision I saw someone trudging through the sand on a valley floor, a very
dry place, on the way to a mountain with snow-covered peaks, and I knew that
this person represented those in the Body of Christ who are still in a very dry
place spiritually, but moving towards fresh anointing and renewed life in the
Spirit.
God
will continue to unfold and reveal His purpose for us as you begin your ascent.