Who's Building Your House? by Brother Duke Hansen

         For the scripture reading this morning, we are going to go to Psalm 127. This psalm is only 5 verses long, yet it cuts to the quick on the vanities of man without the blessings of God. It really isn't hard for us to understand that mankind has a desire to always be in charge.

        Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

        The first part of this verse is the theme for this message this morning. "Except the Lord build the house." Either you allow him to build the house or you are attempting it on your own. Man doesn't want  to follow any process which is outlined in the Bible. Man wants to do things his way on his time and not follow common sense. Man wants to control every part not of just his life, but everything else his life touches. 

        There are some people who think that they can speak things into existence. They're part of that whole name it claim it move. There are verses which are cited to support their theology, but there is often an overreach through misinterpretation. You aren't God yourself. You cannot command things to occur without any word from God himself. You are just wanting to build your house and be firmly in control.

        There are people who have huge imaginations. Their dreams are large and presented in widescreen. They will fail sometimes many time before they succeed at something. Some hard realities need to be allowed to temper those imaginations. If you are being led by your imaginations, you too are trying to build your own house.

        You can watch, pray, and intercede. You are a watchman. You are to guard your own door to the house. If you aren't submissive to God and follow the process from scripture, men will fail as a watchman of their home. If you are worried about being right more than being submissive to God, you are trying to build your own house.

        Your body is the temple of the Lord. When toys body is being attacked, this gives you a moment to pause and to think where you are and what you allow. Are you allowing the world or your flesh to build or are you allowing God?

        2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

        Verse 2 is nationwide phenomenon in churches promoting and selling the pinnacle of manhood by promoting every bit of this as what Godly men are to do. In scripture, it's known as vanity. Jesus is the bread of life and scripture instructs you how to eat the body. It is repentance, baptism, and the Holy Ghost. The bread of sorrow is made of anguish, worry, and torment. Some people feast on this bread daily. You could start praying instead of worry and toil over things. Excess anguish and toil in your life causes a hardness to the point of brittleness. Your flesh makes things all the worse in daily situations. Often it unloads more worry and toil upon your mind. Yes, the devil is here to kill, steal, and destroy, but our flesh, or specifically our ego readily hands the devil things in our life through the week. We are an unwitting victim because our flesh loves the victim role so well. You can combat situations daily through prayer and not just for Sunday. Submit yourself to Gos, resist the devil and he will flee from you. There are too many pf people who will skip the first two steps and want to immediately engage in a fight. They chase more the glory of a single victory in front of their brothers and sisters in church on Sunday. They are no better than the Pharisees that Jesus called out in his ministry.

        3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

        4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth.

        You can have substance, authority, the Holy Ghost, gifts and still if you aren't fully submitted to God, are trying to build your own house. Holding grudges and not forgiving others is a stumbling block to us when it comes to overcoming and spiritual victories. If you don't know the struggles you have, you aren't really in the fight.

        Children are a heritage of the Lord. If we see the problem we can seek God for the steps to our solution. There are people who do plenty well in life but do not take care of their children. Some move heaven and earth to build and establish their child's own home but don't train them in how to run it.

        5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

        Blessings, but also the bloodline for God. This is what children are born into. Boys should be trained and taught to be watchmen for their home while girls should be trained to run the home as a godly woman. You need to be a help to your children every step along the way. It is your obligation and duty to do so. Temper your guidance with some reality and not overwhelm them with imagination.

        God allows us to make decisions, experience highs and lows, destroy things where we reach a place of submission to hear from him.

        When you engage with the enemy, you fight him with facts and with truth. Put on the full armor of God for your defense. God is pulling for you, encouraging you through these hardships and struggles in life. Shouting at the enemy and bringing heaven down doesn't bring the victory except to your flesh.

        There are those who will tear people down no matter if it's in good times or bad. It isn't whether I believe something is good or bad, but telling you my opinion is vanity. Maintaining a public image is vanity before God. Do and build your life the way the Bible says than your flesh says.

        Think about your process this week and see if it's your hand at work on your house is it his. You didn't turn out the way you are today by accident. Think about who's building my house. You have to be submissive to God's cause.