When a house is built on the foundation of the wisdom of “Jesus as Saviour”, and is then established on the understanding of “Jesus as LORD”, so that through the knowledge of Jesus both as Saviour and as LORD, its rooms may be filled with every precious and beautiful treasure, then it shall be like the house that is built on the rock, that when the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds beat on that house, it did not fall. For it had been built on the Rock of Jesus (Matthew 7:24-27). For the fullness of Jesus was in all that house. In both the inner court of the spirit, and in the outer court of the soul and body. 

Not only had the voice of its shepherd “been heard” in the inner court of the spirit, but it had also “been done” in the outer court of the soul and body. Which is a house where the Word has been made flesh. Which is a house that not only “lives in the Spirit” (hears His voice in the inner court of the spirit), but which “walks in the Spirit” (does what it hears in the outer court of the soul and body) (Galatians 5:25). Which is why it is more about “who Christ is in us” than “who we are in Christ”. We are to keep our eyes always on Him, and to not take them off Him and look to ourselves, for then we shall not sink like Peter, but instead walk on the water when the rain comes and the floods rise and the wind beats against the house. The house will have been built on the Rock. (1 Samuel 2:2; Deuteronomy 32:4; Isaiah 51:1; Psalm 18:2). For then we shall be a house that not only “hears” the words, but that “does” them too (Matthew 7:24).

Jesus said all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Matthew 28:18). When we only have part of who Christ is us, we do not have all that is required to be a house that stands when the rain and wind and floods come. When Christ is only “Jesus as Saviour”, He has entered only the spirit part of our house (inner court), and as such His authority is only “in the heaven” part of our world. When we invite Jesus in as LORD too, the Word becomes flesh “in all the earth” of our soul and body too (the outer court of our house as well). Which is when Jesus is also LORD, not just Saviour. And as such His authority is now also on all the earth of our soul and body too. By inviting Jesus into both the inner court and outer court of this tabernacle, we have invited Jesus’ authority both into heaven and also on earth, so that He may have complete authority now in “the whole temple”. For is it not said that we are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). By inviting Him in to all our house, have we now then not given Jesus a place to lay His head (Matthew 8:20). Does He not have full and free reign throughout all the house?

In Matthew 7:24-27, it tells of a time when the rain WILL come, and the floods WILL rise, and the winds WILL beat against the house. It doesn’t state “if”, but “when”. Hebrews tells us that “Yet once more”, the LORD will shake His house, denoting the removing of those things which can be shaken so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. “And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN."” (Hebrews 12:26). In Luke, it speaks of “men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” (Luke 21:26). In Haggai we read, “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Haggai 2:6-8). The desire of all nations is the city of peace, the new Jerusalem, that cannot be shaken. It is the peace that surpasses all understanding, which is the peace that cannot be shaken. All the nations will desire that peace when the shaking of heaven and earth comes, when the rain falls, and the floods rise, and the winds beat against the house. Whilst all about, there will be those losing their peace, which is those who will be losing their heads, for they did not establish the Head as their head, but for those who have built their house on the Rock of Jesus being both the foundation and the Head, being both the beginning and the end, they will not be shaken. And the silver and gold that is His, is every precious and beautiful treasure of those who have built their house on the wisdom of Jesus as Saviour, and established their house on understanding Jesus as LORD, and through the knowledge of Jesus as both Saviour and LORD, have filled all the rooms of their house with every precious and beautiful treasure. For it is these who have already been refined as silver seven times (Psalm 12:6-7), and who have already been tested as gold by fire, who will not be shaken when once more the shaking will come. “This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'" (Zechariah 13:9).

This is confirmed in Revelation 11. In Revelation 11, it speaks about the outer court being trampled by the gentiles. In Revelation 12, the fact that “some of the church” is protected and “other of the saints” are overpowered when the great shaking of the tribulation is upon us all, is highlighted in Revelation Chapter 11, where the outer court is allowed to be trampled, but not the inner court or holy of holies. People will not lose their salvation (the holy of holies will not be trampled), but they will endure the trials of the tribulation (the outer court will be trampled). For they had not given Jesus authority in the outer court. They had continued to live for self according the desires of their souls and bodies. They had not made the Word flesh. They had merely trusted in Jesus only as Saviour, but had not established Jesus also as LORD. Together this presents to us an entire spectrum of experience among saints relative to a most certain and imminent tribulation: “some to total escape and victory, some to conflict and victory, some to conflict and defeat, and some to totally overpowered defeat!” Those who have hedged their bets, and placed their trust only in Jesus as Saviour, not in Jesus as LORD, will be allowed to be trampled by the beast and his gentiles during the end time tribulation which is soon to be upon us all. However, those who have built their house on the Rock will totally escape when the rain falls and the floods come and the wind beats against the house. For they have invited the authority of Jesus into both the heaven of the inner court and all the earth of the outer court. They have built their house on the Rock. For their’s will be a peace that cannot be shaken. Theirs will be the Desire of all the Nations. In those days, many will run to the great Shalom that cannot be shaken. For “the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty."” (Haggai 2:9).

Who we are in Christ is up to Christ. Who Christ is in us, is up to us. Choose you this day who you will serve, but as for me and my household, we shall serve the LORD (Joshua 24:14-15).

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be all the honour and all the glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17).