Tag Christian Living

WATCHMAN’S REPORT: DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

We plan as though time were ours to command, confidently declaring, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit.” Yet, as James reminds us, we do not know what tomorrow will bring. Our lives are but a mist that appears briefly and then vanishes. Instead of presuming on the future, we should humbly say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13–15)

This truth calls us to acknowledge that God is sovereign over all time, and our plans must always be submitted to His will. In a world that grips the illusion of control and endless tomorrows, Scripture confronts us with the sobering reality that our days are numbered and the night is nearly over.

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

The Midnight Hour and the Illusion of Tomorrow

Every night we lie down assuming we will rise again. We set alarms with confidence. We plan tomorrow as if tomorrow is guaranteed. But the Word shatters that illusion with sobering clarity. Paul writes, “Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:11)

The language is urgent. Not casual. Not optional. High time. The moment to wake up is not later. It is now.

Jesus told a parable that feels painfully relevant in this hour. Ten virgins. Ten lamps. Ten people who believed they had more time than they did. All ten slept. But at midnight—the hour no one expected—a cry pierced the darkness: “Behold, the Bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him!” (Matthew 25:6)

Five were ready. Five were not. And when the door shut, it did not reopen.

There will be no “do over,” no second chances, and no overtime granted—just the sound of a closing door.

Jesus presses the point even further: “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:44)

We do not get to choose the hour. We only get to choose whether we are awake when it comes.

And if the midnight cry feels distant, look around—the signs are already shouting.

The Signs of the Times: A World Drifting Toward Midnight

Jesus rebuked His generation for knowing the weather better than the spiritual climate: “You can discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.” (Luke 12:56)

But today the signs are not subtle. They are loud, global, and accelerating.

  • Wars and rumors of wars fill the daily news.
  • Nations align in patterns that echo ancient prophecy.
  • Economies tremble under instability.
  • Violence, corruption, and deception rise like floodwaters.
  • The love of many grows cold.
  • The Church, in many places, sleeps with its lamp half-empty.

Paul’s words ring louder than ever: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand.” (Romans 13:12)
Far spent. Not beginning. Not halfway. Far spent. The Watchman sees a world drifting toward a prophetic midnight while the Church hits the spiritual snooze button.

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come…” (2 Timothy 3:1)

The Trumpet That Will Interrupt Every Tomorrow

Paul describes a moment that will interrupt every plan, every schedule, every assumption of “tomorrow”: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet… the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:52)

There will be no warning siren. No countdown. No five-minute delay. Just a trumpet. A transformation. And a final dividing line between the ready and the unready.

Jesus said it plainly: “At an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man comes.” (Matthew 24:44)

The Watchman hears the faint echo of that trumpet reverberating through the shaking of nations. The world is not winding down randomly—it is moving toward an appointed hour.

The Prophetic Burden of This Moment

This report is not prediction. It is pattern. It is Scripture. It is the convergence of signs Jesus told us to watch for. The Watchman bears the weight of this moment because the world is rearranging itself into prophetic patterns, the Church is distracted by comfort and routine, believers are living as if the midnight cry is centuries away, and a spiritual drowsiness is settling over people who once burned brightly.

The shaking in the nations is not random—it is a divine alarm clock.

The Call to the Remnant: Wake Up and Trim Your Lamp

The midnight cry will not wait for anyone to finish getting ready. Scripture calls us to watchfulness, sobriety, and readiness. Paul writes, “Let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:6)

Jesus warns, “Blessed is that servant whom his master will find watching.” (Luke 12:37)

This is the hour to examine the oil in our lamps, to strengthen what remains, to guard our hearts, to walk in repentance, to cultivate intimacy with Christ, and to resist the spiritual drowsiness of the age. The night is far spent. The day is at hand. And the trumpet is closer than we think.

Benediction: A Call to Stand Awake in the Light

May the Lord awaken every sleeping heart and steady every trembling one. May His light break through the fog of distraction and call us into the clarity of His presence. May He strengthen the weary, revive the watchful, and stir the embers of every lamp that has grown dim. May the God who neither slumbers nor sleeps teach us to walk as children of the day—sober, alert, and anchored in hope. And may His peace guard our hearts as we wait for the appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Closing Prayer

Father, we come before You with humility, acknowledging that our days are in Your hands. Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Awaken us from spiritual sleep and open our eyes to the lateness of the hour. Strengthen us to walk in repentance, purity, and readiness. Fill our lamps with the oil of Your Spirit so that when the midnight cry sounds, we will rise with joy and not with fear. Keep our lamps burning until the trumpet sounds. Keep us watchful, steadfast, and faithful as we seek Your face while it is still called today. In the name of Jesus, our soon-coming King, Amen.

WHAT IS SO ORDINARY ABOUT ORDINARY TIME?

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

A Season the Church Calls Ordinary

Across much of the Christian world, especially within reformed and liturgical traditions, the rhythm of worship is shaped by what is known as the common lectionary. This structured calendar divides the year into seasons—Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and the long stretch that follows known as Ordinary Time. These seasons were intended to guide congregations through the life of Christ and the story of redemption in a predictable, orderly fashion, giving shape to the church’s worship and teaching throughout the year.

For many congregations, Easter stands as the pinnacle of this cycle. Sanctuaries fill, choirs swell, banners rise, and the church gathers in its greatest numbers to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yet once Easter morning passes, the atmosphere shifts. The lilies are removed, the choir robes are stored, and the church quietly returns to its familiar routine. Though the weeks that follow are still technically part of Eastertide, the energy fades as congregations drift toward summer schedules and lighter commitments.

Then comes Pentecost Sunday—often acknowledged, sometimes noted, rarely emphasized—and immediately after it, the lectionary enters its longest season: Ordinary Time. The very name suggests a return to normalcy, a settling into the predictable, a season without urgency or intensity. It is the church’s way of saying, “The high moments have passed; now we resume our regular pace.”

But this assumption is precisely what must be challenged, because nothing about the life of the early church was ordinary, nothing about the age we live in is ordinary, and nothing about the risen Christ or the outpoured Spirit invites us into a season of spiritual neutrality. The lectionary may call it ordinary, but heaven does not.

The Church Returns to Routine, but Heaven Does Not

The modern church often treats Easter as a spiritual summit, a moment of heightened celebration followed by a gentle descent back into routine. Yet the early church knew nothing of this rhythm. For them, the resurrection was not an annual observance but a daily reality. Luke tells us, “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33. They did not commemorate the empty tomb; they lived in its power. They did not treat Easter as a holiday; they treated it as the beginning of a new creation.

The modern church celebrates the resurrection as an event. The early church lived the resurrection as a lifestyle.

Pentecost: Christmas and Easter Fully Realized

If Easter is the moment the church celebrates Christ’s victory, then Pentecost is the moment the church receives its purpose. In the life of the Living Church of God, Pentecost is not a footnote to Easter; it is the fulfillment of everything Christmas and Easter set in motion.

Christmas is God with us. “They shall call his name Emmanuel.” Isaiah 7:14.

Easter is God for us. “He is not here: for he is risen.” Matthew 28:6.

Pentecost is God in us. “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” John 14:18.

At Christmas, Christ came to dwell among humanity. At Easter, Christ conquered death for humanity. At Pentecost, Christ came to dwell within humanity.

Pentecost is not an appendix to Easter; it is the purpose of Easter. The resurrection was the victory; Pentecost was the transfer of power. The resurrection declared Jesus Lord; Pentecost made the church His body. The resurrection opened the tomb; Pentecost opened the heavens.

And yet, in the modern church, Pentecost is often treated as a liturgical afterthought. It is rarely celebrated with the same intensity or expectation as Easter, even though it is the day the church received its identity, its mission, and its power. Heaven, however, has never forgotten Pentecost. Heaven still burns with Pentecostal fire.

Man‑Made Religion Cannot Produce What Only Christ Can Give

The church’s drift into routine is not merely a scheduling issue; it is a spiritual condition. Man‑made religion, with its holidays, symbols, and ceremonies, often becomes devoid of real meaning because it excludes the truth found only in Christ. It offers rhythms without revelation, rituals without relationship, and celebrations without surrender. When Christ is not at the center, even the most sacred observances become hollow.

This is how symbols become idols. This is how holidays become substitutes for holiness. This is how a people who once knew the living God become a people who merely commemorate Him.

Christ did not come to establish a holiday in His honor; He came to establish a people who serve Him. He did not come to create a calendar; He came to create a kingdom. He did not come to inspire seasonal devotion; He came to ignite lifelong discipleship. He did not come to be remembered once a year; He came to be obeyed every day.

“Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.” 1 Peter 2:9.

Christ shed His blood to create a people, not a program; a kingdom, not a calendar; a church, not a holiday.

The Early Church Walked in Power — The Modern Church Walks in Caution

When we look at the book of Acts, we see a church that healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, opened blinded eyes, and confronted darkness wherever it appeared. Nothing about their lives was ordinary. Nothing about their gatherings was predictable. Nothing about their witness was safe. They lived in the power of the risen Christ, walked in the fire of the Holy Spirit, and carried the authority of the kingdom of God.

“And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people.” Acts 5:12.

“These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.” Acts 17:6.

But today, the modern church often turns a blind eye to sin, buries the dead instead of raising them, prays for the sick without expecting healing, tolerates darkness instead of confronting it, and avoids impact to avoid persecution. It chooses safety over surrender, comfort over calling, and predictability over power. The early church walked into cities and demons screamed; the modern church walks into cities and nothing notices.

The early church prayed and prison doors opened; the modern church prays and hopes the service ends on time. The early church preached and hearts were pierced; the modern church preaches and feelings are soothed. The early church lived in the fire of Pentecost; the modern church lives in the fog of “Ordinary Time.”

The Danger of Calling Anything Ordinary

The lectionary’s term “Ordinary Time” may be organizational, but spiritually it is dangerous. It trains the church to expect nothing unusual, nothing supernatural, nothing disruptive, nothing that would require surrender or obedience. Yet Scripture calls believers to the opposite posture.

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15–16.

“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep.” Romans 13:11.

There is no ordinary time for a Spirit‑filled church. There is no ordinary time in a shaking world. There is no ordinary time when the kingdom is advancing. There is no ordinary time when Christ dwells within His people.

The only thing ordinary is the faith we have settled for.

These Are Not Ordinary Days

Look at the world. Look at the nations. Look at the church. Look at the signs of the times. These are not ordinary days. These are prophetic days—days of shaking, days of sifting, days of awakening. The church is acting as though we live in ordinary times, but we do not. We have not lived in ordinary times since Christ rose from the dead. The resurrection ended ordinary. Pentecost ended predictable. The Spirit ended routine.

A Call to the Church Before Pentecost Arrives

Pentecost is approaching, and this is a timely word. The Spirit is calling the church to wake up, rise up, and step into the fire that birthed it. The Spirit is calling us to reject the predictable rhythms of Churchianity and embrace the unpredictable movement of God. The Spirit is calling us to remember that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead now dwells in us.

Christ now dwells with us and works to do His will among us—if we let Him.

Pentecost is not ordinary. Pentecost is not optional. Pentecost is not a footnote. Pentecost is the heartbeat of the church.

May the church awaken. May the fire fall again. May the people of God rise from the ashes of routine and step into the extraordinary days for which we were born.

The Frozen Chosen: A Prophetic Editorial to the Body of Believers

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

“By Now You Ought to Be Teachers” — The Divine Indictment

The modern church is filled with believers who have mastered the art of showing up without ever truly growing spiritually. They attend services faithfully, sing with enthusiasm, and serve occasionally, yet they remain unchanged in their spiritual maturity. These are the saints who occupy the church building but never embrace the deeper promises of faith. They are what I call the “frozen chosen.”

The Spirit addressed this condition long ago, warning believers through the words of Hebrews: “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God” (Hebrews 5:12). This is not a gentle suggestion but a stern rebuke.

The Lord is essentially saying that you have been part of the church long enough to grow, to mature, and to reproduce spiritually. You should be teaching others by now. Yet, instead, you still require someone to reteach you the basics repeatedly. This confusion of longevity with maturity is the tragedy of the frozen chosen.

The Highchair Church: When Milk Becomes a Lifestyle

Paul’s words to the Corinthians express a similar frustration: “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat” (1 Corinthians 3:1–2). Milk represents the beginning stages of faith, while meat symbolizes spiritual growth and maturity.

Unfortunately, many believers have made milk their permanent diet. They seek comfort without conviction, blessings without burden, inspiration without obedience, and sermons without surrender. They grow older in the church but not deeper in Christ. A church filled with believers who refuse to develop spiritually will never be able to fully digest the truth.

The Immaturity That Weakens the Witness

Paul warns the Ephesians about the dangers of spiritual immaturity: “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro” (Ephesians 4:14). Immature believers are easily swayed by trends, follow personalities rather than Christ, fall for false teachings, get offended quickly, and require constant supervision.

Such believers cannot stand firm because they have never learned to walk in faith. They cannot discern truth because they have never learned to listen to the Spirit. They cannot lead because they have never learned to follow Christ. A church filled with spiritual children cannot confront the mature darkness of the world.

The Mission Failure: When the Church Refuses to Go

At the heart of this editorial lies a deeper issue: the church has failed its mission. Jesus did not command believers to sit and wait, stand in one place, or hope that people would come to them. Instead, He said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19) and “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15).

The mission is to go, not to stay; to make disciples, not merely maintain programs; to teach, not tolerate; to preach, not preserve. We are called to be living stones (1 Peter 2:5), lights in the world (Matthew 5:14), salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), witnesses unto Him (Acts 1:8), and ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Yet many believers have become stationary stones, dim lights, flavorless salt, silent witnesses, and passive attendees. We change pastors, churches, worship styles, and programs, but we rarely change our posture. Discipleship demands action and commitment.

We desire salvation without surrender, calling without cost, and purpose without participation. But Jesus said, “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Hearing without doing is not discipleship; it is self-deception. “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22).

A church that refuses to go is a church that refuses to grow.

The Illusion of Progress Without Transformation

Many congregations mistake activity for advancement. They celebrate anniversaries, programs, conferences, installations, and renovations, but none of these guarantee true transformation.

Jesus did not say, “By this shall all men know you are My disciples—that you attend faithfully.” Instead, He said, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit” (John 15:8).

A church can be busy yet barren, full yet fruitless, loud yet lifeless. If the people are not growing, the ministry is not succeeding.

The Lampstand Warning: When God Removes What Man Preserves

The Lord Jesus gives a final warning to churches that refuse to mature: “Repent… or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place” (Revelation 2:5). The lampstand symbolizes God’s presence, approval, witness, and authority.

A church may hold onto its building, programs, traditions, and calendar, but if it refuses to grow, God will remove its lampstand. He will not endorse immaturity, empower stagnation, or anoint apathy.

A frozen church is only one step away from becoming a forsaken church.

A Resolution for the Body of Believers

Let every believer hear the Word of the Lord: “By now you ought to be teachers.” Growth comes quickly to those who pour out what God has placed within them. The whole concept of sowing and reaping applies to doing the work of the ministry. Do not be a perpetual student, lifelong infant, or spiritual dependent. Leave the Father’s house and go to work in the field.

Resolve to grow beyond milk, hunger for meat, go into the world, preach the gospel, teach the nations, shine as lights, live as witnesses, obey the Word, and bear lasting fruit.

For the Spirit is speaking to the churches: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Revelation 2:7), before the lampstand is removed.

Hollow Rabbit Religion

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

The Hollow Rabbit Problem

Easter is the second most important candy‑eating occasion of the year for Americans, who consumed 7 billion pounds of candy in 2001, according to the National Confectioner’s Association.

  • In 2000, Americans spent nearly $1.9 billion on Easter candy, while Halloween sales were nearly $2 billion; Christmas, an estimated $1.4 billion; and Valentine’s Day, just over $1 billion.
  • Ninety million chocolate Easter bunnies are produced each year.
  • Chocolate bunnies should be eaten ears first, according to 76% of Americans. Five percent said bunnies should be eaten feet first, while 4% favored eating the tail first.
  • Adults prefer milk chocolate (65%) to dark chocolate (27%).

They are fanciful, often gold‑wrapped, usually elegantly packaged, full‑color presentations. From all appearances, those chocolate creatures are a delightful treat to eat. On the surface these beauties are elegant and proud. Inside, however, they are an empty hollow shell.

I do not know about you, but I prefer solid chocolate rabbits over the hollow ones. I much prefer to bite into a solid milk chocolate bunny. I have been fooled in the past into purchasing what looked like a solid chocolate rabbit only to get home and find out it was not. One bite is all it took to know I had been deceived. Although it had the appearance of being solid, it did not pass the bite test. Of course, I could have employed the pinch test at the store, but that would have only left a broken bunny on the shelf where once stood a proud whole rabbit.

After Easter, mark‑downs can be found on the broken chocolate rabbits even before the holiday buying season ends. The chocolate still tastes as good as it did when it was in the form of a full standing rabbit, but since it now resembles a pile of chocolate flakes, it lost some of its value. Although the chocolate did not lose any flavor, it was no longer pretty to look at.

Hollow rabbits outsell solid rabbits primarily because of the cost. You can get a gigantic 12‑inch rabbit for about half the price of a much smaller solid one. Children love the fact that they have this huge chocolate rabbit to eat, when in reality the amount of actual chocolate in that 12‑inch rabbit is less than half of the smaller sized version.

Outwardly these proud rabbits stand tall, but apply just a little amount of pressure and they will crumble. There is no real substance to them. They are of little value when faced with just the slightest bit of pressure. By contrast, their solid shelf‑mates can withstand tremendous pressure. Have you ever tried biting the head off a solid rabbit?

Solid or hollow — which do you prefer?

Solid or Hollow Worship

Our church worship could be looked at from the viewpoint of solid or hollow. Are we worshipping with our whole hearts, souls, minds, spirits, and strength, or is it more of an outward show to win favorable ratings from onlookers?

“In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. He carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields Solomon had made. So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. Whenever the king went to the Lord’s temple, the guards bore the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.” (2 Chronicles 12:9–11)

The gold was gone. It was replaced with bronze. Although it had an appearance of gold, it wasn’t. Bronze is far cheaper to produce than gold and thus less valuable. Although stripped of all the gold, the king made a show of worship anyway. If anyone came to steal these bronze shields, would they get anything of value when compared to the golden shields that had been there? Are we taking away anything of value from our worship services — any golden nuggets?

“Be careful not to let anyone rob you of this faith through a shallow and misleading philosophy. Such a person follows human traditions and the world’s way of doing things rather than following Christ.” (Colossians 2:8, GW)

All across our land many church houses are filled with bronze where once stood gold. What once was solid biblical preaching has been replaced with hollow messages of self‑improvement. These messengers appear to preach solid biblical counsel, yet their teachings contain no substance. Unable to offer the solid meat of God’s Word, they are left with only hollow arguments to the world’s ills. These solid‑looking brass shields, though golden in appearance, lack the value of pure gold.

It may be milk and it may be chocolate, but is it solid? What is your worship made of? Will it stand up under pressure? What is behind that golden appearance? Is it solid or simply hollow? Can you worship when times are rough? Has the enemy come in and taken all the value out of your salvation experience and left you with just a semblance of true worship?

“But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness.” (Isaiah 40:31, BBE)

What Foundation Are You Building On?

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

The Question Every Disciple Must Face

Every life is built on a foundation, whether we acknowledge it or not. Jesus made this clear when He said,

“Whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his house upon a rock”
(Matthew 7:24–25)

The storm did not reveal their intentions; it revealed their foundations. Both men heard the words of Christ, but only one obeyed them. The difference was not sincerity, emotion, or religious activity. The difference was obedience to the words of the Lord.

Paul echoes this truth when he writes,

“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ”
(1 Corinthians 3:11)

He warns believers to “take heed how you build” (1 Corinthians 3:10). This is because the Day will test every man’s work with fire. Wood, hay, and stubble burn quickly, but gold, silver, and precious stones endure. The question is not whether you are building, but what you are building with—and what you are building on.

Sincerity Is Not a Foundation

Many Christians today are sincere, but sincerity is not a foundation. Sincerity can be sincerely misplaced. Israel was sincere when Paul said they had “a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 10:2). They were passionate, but they were passionately wrong because they substituted their own righteousness for the righteousness of God.

Jesus confronted the Pharisees for the same reason:

“You make void the commandment of God by your tradition” (Mark 7:13)

They did not reject God outright; they simply elevated human teaching until it overshadowed divine instruction. This same pattern repeats in the modern church. People cling to rituals, holidays, denominational doctrines, and inherited practices, believing that by keeping these traditions they are honoring God. Yet when asked what the Lord requires of them, many have no answer, because they were never taught to ask.

When Tradition Replaces Truth

Many believers were taught to follow the church calendar, but not the voice of the Shepherd. They were taught to keep the traditions of men, but not the commandments of God. They were taught to carry out religious acts, but not to repent, believe, and be led by the Spirit.

Replacement holidays like Christmas and Easter are only the most visible examples. They are sentimental, familiar, and deeply ingrained, but they are not the foundation God laid. They are cultural observances elevated to the status of holy days. Meanwhile, the appointed times of the Lord are dismissed as “Jewish” or irrelevant. These times were written by His own hand, fulfilled by His Son, and witnessed by His Spirit.

Yet the New Testament speaks of Passover, Pentecost, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Tabernacles with reverence, not dismissal. These feasts carry God’s fingerprints. They are covered with the blood of Jesus. They need no wreaths, ornaments, or external trappings to feel holy. Their holiness is inherent because their Author is holy.

But the problem goes deeper than holidays. Churches have elevated ritual washings, denominational formulas, and man‑made requirements. They value these above the weightier matters of repentance, faith, and the leading of the Spirit. People are taught to trust in the act rather than the transformation. They believe in the ritual rather than the repentance. Their faith lies more in the formula rather than the faith.

Scripture says plainly:

“As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14)

And again:

“If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Romans 8:9)

Yet many have been taught to trust in outward forms while neglecting the inward witness of the Spirit.

The Foundation God Requires

A true foundation begins with repentance, continues faithfully, and is sealed by the Spirit. It is shaped by obedience to the words of Jesus, not by the expectations of culture. It is strengthened by the fear of the Lord, not by the comfort of familiarity. It is aligned with the Father’s will, not with the calendar of man.

Micah asks the question plainly:

“What does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

Jesus answers it even more directly:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27)

The foundation God requires is not built on tradition, ritual, or sentiment. It is built on Christ, His Word, and His Spirit. Anything else is sand.

The Coming Test

The storm is coming, the fire is coming, and the Day is coming when every man’s work will be revealed. Jesus warned that many will say to Him, “Lord, Lord…” and list their religious activities, but He will answer,

“I never knew you” (Matthew 7:22–23)

Not because they were evil, but because they built on activity instead of obedience.

Only what is built on the Rock will stand. Only what is built on Christ, His Word, and His Spirit will endure. Everything else—no matter how sincere, sentimental, or traditional—will collapse when the winds rise.

How to Test Your Foundation

Scripture never leaves us without a remedy. The Lord not only commands us to build on the right foundation—He tells us how to examine it.

Paul urges believers to “examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). This examination is not optional, because the testing of our foundation is not optional. The storm will come. The fire will come. The Day will come. Wisdom examines the foundation before the shaking arrives.

The first test is obedience to the words of Jesus.

“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46)

Our foundation is unstable if tradition, culture, or denominational teaching shape our lives more than the commands of Christ. This is because it is cracked.

The second test is repentance.
John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord by crying, “Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8). Repentance is not a ritual; it is a turning of the heart. If repentance is absent, the foundation is weak.

The third test is the witness of the Spirit.

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God”
(Romans 8:16)

If the Spirit is not leading, convicting, guiding, and confirming, then the foundation is not Christ but self.

The fourth test is alignment with the Word.

“Sanctify them by Your truth; Your word is truth”
(John 17:17)

If our beliefs can’t be traced to Scripture in context, they can’t support the weight of discipleship.

Wisdom or Folly

Jesus ends His teaching on foundations with a warning and an invitation. The wise man hears and obeys. The foolish man hears and ignores. The difference is not in what they heard, but in what they did with what they heard.

Ignoring the condition of your foundation is folly. Checking it is wisdom. The storm will expose every hidden weakness, every unexamined assumption, every tradition elevated above truth. But the one who builds on Christ, His Word, and His Spirit will stand when everything else falls.

The question remains for every disciple:

What foundation are you building on—and will it stand when the testing comes?