This week I was reading about something that’s been found in space.  Scientists spotted what they referred to as a “burp” right next to a massive black hole!  Its 24 million miles light years away in a place called NGC 5194, is composed of hydrogen, and you can only see it with a powerful x ray telescope.

I find that hard to believe, even though it’s probably the truth.  For me, it’s far easier to believe in the words of Christ as the truth.  I see the words of Christ enacted in the church as much more tangible; bearing fruit in us, building us together for a place.  Christ is truly doing a work in us.

We are spiritual people, who come together under God with a foundation that is Christ Himself.  We are being built together as a Holy temple, able to offer sacrifices to God!  We are not saved to be on our own, or to be Christians who standalone far off.  We are to build a community to offer sacrifices to God!

Going back to the space gas… I can’t see that because I haven’t got x-ray eyes.  But I can see this!  I can see one life after another coming together, and building something that is Holy and precious to God!

We go on being living stones, being built together in 2016.  It’s easy sometimes not to go on in God sometimes, not to go on being built in God, or have a foundation in God, and instead to pull yourself apart as a stone alone.  I encourage you to see things afresh – He’s called you!  He’s called you for a spiritual togetherness, which brings a spiritual sacrifice to God.  He wants it from you!

Some people struggle at this time of year.  But we have to go on into the New Year, carrying this one next into 2016.  The scripture urges us to go on, and continue being built!  And what is your part?  It’s to be you!

Remember, the devil is good at undermining us and separating us off, because we are continually “being built”.  Each disciple and apostle had to learn these things!  When you build your life on Christ’s example, you are being brought together by God, which brings together a spiritual House and brings about a sacrifice to God.  God is in those things!  Otherwise Christ wouldn’t have promoted it and we wouldn’t have evidenced it.

Acts 20:32
So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

We all have times where we think we can’t get where we need to go.  We all need building up in difference way, but God has promised that He will build us up.  He has called us into a place of inheritance – amongst those who are sanctified!  Are we looking for our inheritance or are we just sitting there?  Are we looking for an action and a direction, for you and your church?  Be encouraged!  We are being built up to receive that inheritance!

Peter himself, who is called the rock, had to put himself right and put his roots down further after being put right.  Even he needed restoration and foundations yet deeper.  If you’re going to build up high, then the foundations have to go down deep.  And with deep foundations, everything gets dug out – pebbles, muck, awkwardness etc.  Peter had to do it, just like us… time and time again!

In the passage from Matthew above, Christ tells us exactly what we need to do to see our errors and dig our foundations.  We need to hear and do the Word of God!

Both the building built on sand and the building built on rock get the same tribulations – the wind, the harshness of the sea and the rain.  The wise man, who hears and does, is the one built on rock.  The difficulties and challenges will still come, but Christ assures us that He is with us through it – He is with us in that very place!  I know I’d far rather go through those things with Him than without Him.

If we do not hear Christ, we stop being those living stones.  The compound effect is that the Church stops being made of living stones!

So, I ask you now… going into 2016, would you dig your foundations deeper?  Will you call Christ Lord and obey him?