The House Made of Flesh: The Sand of Self: The Watch Letter

The Wise and Foolish Builders

(Matthew 7:24-27)

24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

This scripture is a wake-up call! A house made of sand cannot stand. Read on to find out what that sand is. I had never looked at it this way until I listened again to a broadcast from 2018 by our Pastor Chief Apostle H.C. Gunn called "Watch Yourself." A few days ago, I was folding some clothes and letting old broadcast messages play, and it was like a refreshing shower. Sometimes we need to stop and play the word and let it clean us up. Apostle Angel Lewis always encourages us to do that. I thank God for Chief Apostle Gunn's labor that we have so many messages to go back and listen to.

When I heard Chief Apostle Gunn teaching on that particular message, it was like he was teaching us right now in this very moment because it was a word for right now. The same things he mentioned we are facing now. But that's why we need Prophets like him in our lives. When I told him about the message the other day, he said that the Lord was just dealing with him and his wife, Apostle Felicia. God was calling attention to self and flesh. We rejoiced! God knows how to rescue his people, and it's a blessing when we are all on one accord in the Lord. So, today's "WATCH LETTER" is inspired by that message. It is time for us all to take a good look in the mirror and "WATCH YOURSELF." Be sure to listen to the broadcast message here: https://www.thebodyofchristinc.com/listen-in?wix-music-track-id=5710877783410109&wix-music-comp-id=comp-kjfzbgmx.

During the broadcast, he said don't build your house on your flesh (another way of saying: self, selfishness, selfish-ambition, self-pride, self-pleasing/gratification, self-defense, etc.)

This ties into what Chief Apostle Gunn has always taught us: we cannot allow the fallen nature to rule in us. The fallen nature comes from the selfish acts and decisions of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. All they cared about at that moment was them, not what God said or how they would affect their children, future generations, or even their habitation.

So, anything that has to do with focusing on self brings us right back to that moment when God had to remove Adam and Eve from his perfect garden; he could not allow their self-interest to live there. The garden was a place without corruption; their selfishness would have allowed corruption in. It wasn't the serpent to blame; it was them and the choices they made for themselves. The serpent (devil) was powerless in God's garden, but he knew that if he could appeal to them to be focused on self, he could get them to do the damage for him. God having to expel them is all the evidence we need that self (our fleshy ways) can not build or maintain a house (spiritually and physically); it only corrupts it.

As Chief Apostle Gunn always says, the Bible will back you up if you are preaching what God says. And Habakkuk tells us what God thinks about building your house and life (physically and spiritually) in self or the flesh.

In Chapter 2 it says:

9 Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!

10 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul.

11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.

12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!

13 Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?

So what is flesh? It goes right back to Adam & Eve again. The Bible tells us in Genesis 2:7 that when God made mankind, he made us from the "dust of the ground," which is dirt. Sand is another word for dirt. So, in a nutshell, flesh is a synonym for dirt. Our physical bodies were formed from sand. With just a little bit of water, the sand becomes unstable, it becomes mush, it easily crumbles, it can easily be manipulated, and things placed on it easily sink.... Unless there is a master builder who knows how to strengthen, shape and mold it to sustain it. That master builder is God.

So, why would God use something that can be so un-durable to make us? When we humble ourselves and think about how we were made from dirt, it helps us remember that we are unclean or unusable matter without God. And the only thing that makes us clean and usable is God's Spirit and presence in us (just like it was when he breathed into Adam's nostrils to make man a living soul).

Think about our literal flesh. Our skin easily tears, easily burns, bruises, stretches, and wrinkles. Our skin can only take so much and can be damaged or deteriorate by any circumstance. The environment around us can easily weaken our flesh. Think about sunburn and frostbite. So, if this is true about our flesh in the physical, how much more is it true about our flesh spiritually?

As the word of God says, the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. So, anything we do in our flesh (in self) will fail because it will always be too weak. Only when we move or build by God's Spirit will anything stand. And hence the word of God says, "MY Strength is made Perfect in (Your) Weakness."

If you want to know if you are operating in your flesh (yourself), here is a good test:

Galatians 5:

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Even Jesus, the Savior of the whole world, who got up with all power in his hands, said he could do nothing when operating in self or his flesh. That is why his flesh had to be crucified to show us that we must not depend on it (flesh) or lean on it or live by it, but by God, his Spirit, and His word.

John 5:30: I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

As the first scripture of this post said: A house built on sand will not last. Therefore, a house built on flesh will not last. So, if you are building your faith, relationship with God, house/home, life, marriage, ministry, relationship with your pastor, career, parental or sibling relationships, etc., on sand: STOP RIGHT NOW! Tear it down and ask the Lord to rebuild it for you.

And if he says, "no, I won't rebuild this for you because I am building a new thing for you," accept it. Because if you reject it and try to rebuild on your own, then really, it's just a renovation. During service the other day, Chief Apostle H.C. Gunn told us that renovating your life, home, walk with God, relationships, etc., is just like painting over something. When a home or apartment is repainted, it often covers up old damage, mold, mildew, marks, wholes, etc. So those things haven't gone away; they are still beneath the fresh coat of paint. That means a few years later; the renovation has to happen again. So, with renovation, you are not making something new; you may, in fact, be cloaking something old. When you rebuild (with God) or build from scratch (with God), what you are doing is new and will be made to last.

When we build anything based on our flesh we are automatically setting it and ourselves up for failure — it's self-sabotage because only things built in the Spirit are eternal. One way we can know if what we are building is built on the sure foundation of God is to ask ourselves some questions Chief Apostle Gunn brought forward on the broadcast:

• Who is considered or consulted first when you make a choice? Is it yourself, or is it God?

• Who is your allegiance to? Is it you, a person, a thing, a place or is it God?

• Do you show up for the world six days a week but show up for Jesus only on Sunday?

• Why do you come to church? Check your reason. Is it really to fellowship and participate with God and his people? Or is it all about yourself and what you are trying to gain?

1 Corinthians 3

8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

Replay "WATCH YOURSELF" here: https://www.thebodyofchristinc.com/listen-in?wix-music-track-id=5710877783410109&wix-music-comp-id=comp-kjfzbgmx.