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Sunday Message · Fountain of Grace International · Pretoria North

Your Life Falls Apart Under Pressure Because of What's Actually Inside You

You know all the right things to say and do in public. But the moment real pressure hits-financial stress, relationship conflict, temptation-you fall apart. That's not a sign you're broken. It's a sign your foundation is built wrong.

Pastor Ricardo Zaal · Fountain of Grace International, Pretoria North

You Know the Words but Not the Life

Most people who claim faith can quote scripture perfectly. They have the words memorized. They say the right things at church. But then life gets hard-a financial crisis, a relationship breakdown, a real temptation-and they collapse into fear, anger, bitterness, or dishonesty. Nothing they said they believed seems to work.

The problem is not that God abandoned them. The problem is that they built their life on the wrong foundation. In Matthew 7:24, Jesus draws a stark picture: a wise person hears His teachings and actually does them. The Greek word is 'phronimos'-not just knowledge, but skilled, practical, proven action. A foolish person hears the same words and ignores them. When the storm comes, only one house stands.

What matters is not what you know in your head. It is what you actually live out in your hands, your choices, and your relationships. The tea inside the cup is what spills when you get bumped-not the bumping itself.

The Seven Pillars That Storms Test

Every building has a structure. When pressure comes, the structure gets exposed. Jesus teaches that a strong life rests on seven pillars that work together. If even one is weak or missing, the whole building fails when the test comes.

These pillars are: obedience (the foundation-actually doing what you know is right); Christ as cornerstone (making Him the alignment for everything, not your culture or comfort); truth and integrity (being the same person in private as in public); prayer and dependence (covering your life with reliance on God, not just your own effort); holiness and separation (being set apart, distinct from the world around you); love and forgiveness (controlling who and what gets access to your heart); and fruit inspection (the visible proof that your life has actually changed).

A storm does not create these pillars. A storm tests them. The collapse happens not because the storm is too strong, but because the house was built badly.

Obedience Is the Foundation-Doing, Not Just Knowing

James 1:22 cuts straight to it: 'Be doers of the word, not hearers only.' This is the bedrock. In construction, the deeper the foundation goes, the higher the building can rise. A shallow foundation-one that rests on appearance or words alone-cannot hold when pressure increases.

Obedience means when God tells you something, or when you know something is right, you actually do it. Not when you feel like it. Not when it's convenient. Not when people are watching. An inspector does not ask a builder to describe the foundation; the inspector digs and looks. God inspects your life the same way. He looks at what you actually obey, what you actually do, what you actually refuse to do. That is your real foundation.

Ask yourself this week: What did God tell me to do that I did not do? Where did I know the right choice and pick the wrong one anyway? That gap-between knowing and doing-is where your foundation cracks.

Christ Must Be Your Cornerstone-Not Culture, Not Comfort

Ephesians 2:20 says the church is 'built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.' A cornerstone sets the alignment for the entire structure. Remove it and everything shifts out of square. If Christ is not your cornerstone, your values, your decisions, and your character will be out of alignment.

Your culture, your upbringing, your comfort, your reputation-none of these can be your cornerstone. Only Christ. This means when your culture says one thing and Jesus says another, Jesus wins. When comfort says 'stay silent' and Christ says 'speak truth,' Christ wins. When revenge feels right and forgiveness feels weak, Christ's way is the alignment that holds everything together.

If you do not have Christ as your Lord and Savior, the entire building will fall. Reading scripture, attending church, looking the part-none of it makes a house stand if the cornerstone is missing.

Truth and Integrity: Being the Same Person Everywhere

Integrity is not what you tell people you are. Integrity is who you are when no one is watching. Proverbs 10:9 teaches that your integrity-your honest character-protects you. A lie and integrity cannot live together. When a storm comes, integrity either holds or shatters, and everyone sees which one it was.

You might be kind to your spouse in public and harsh in private. You might be honest at work and cheat at home. You might give generously in front of others and refuse privately. These splits do not stay hidden. What you do in the dark comes to light. A fifty-rand note on the floor, a moment when no one is looking, a choice when you could get away with it-these moments reveal your true integrity.

The pillar of truth and integrity means you are the same person in private and in public, not because someone is watching, but because you actually are that person.

Prayer and Dependence: The Roof Over Your Head

Psalm 127:1 says, 'Unless the Lord builds the house, the laborers toil in vain.' Prayer is not a ritual you perform when there is a crisis. Prayer is the covering that protects your whole life-the roof. Without it, the floods come in. Without it, you are working on your own strength, which always fails under real pressure.

Many people depend entirely on their paycheck, their partner, their health, their reputation. Then one of those things breaks-a job is lost, a relationship fails, health fails-and they collapse because they have no roof. Dependence on God means you trust that He provides, that He is with you, that your real security is not in what you earn or own but in His faithfulness. Prayer is how you maintain that covering every single day, not just in emergencies.

When did you stop working on your own strength and actually trust God? That shift-from self-reliance to God-reliance-is what the roof of prayer and dependence builds.

Holiness and Separation: The Walls That Protect

Walls protect what is inside a house. Holiness is being set apart-sanctified, consecrated for a purpose that is not the world's purpose. The Bible says, 'Be holy, for I am holy.' This does not mean isolation or judgment toward others. It means you distinguish yourself by the choices you make, the boundaries you keep, and the character you guard.

Holiness shows up in small decisions. When everyone is drinking and you decline-not with pride, but with conviction. When money is on the ground and no one would know if you took it-and you don't. When you are angry and you choose to speak in love instead. These moments build walls around your character that keep out what would damage you.

The question is simple: What separates you from those who do not follow Christ? If nothing visibly separates you-your speech, your choices, your treatment of others-then your walls are not standing.

Love and Forgiveness: The Doors That Control Access

Matthew 6:14-15 is blunt: if you forgive others, God forgives you; if you do not forgive, God does not forgive you. Love and forgiveness are the doors of your life-they control who and what gets access to your heart. When you close that door through unforgiveness, bitterness takes root. You drink the poison of unforgiveness thinking it will hurt the other person. It only kills you.

Forgiveness does not mean forgetting what happened or pretending it was okay. It means releasing your grip on the debt the other person owes you. It means choosing freedom over revenge. When you love someone, you open the door to forgive them. When you refuse to forgive, you lock the door and keep out the grace that could heal you.

Some of the deepest struggles people face-anxiety, depression, rage-come not from the original hurt but from the unforgiveness that followed. The door you keep locked is locking you in with your own bitterness.

Fruit Inspection: The Visible Proof of Everything

Matthew 7:20 says, 'Therefore by their fruits you will know them.' Fruit is not what you claim. Fruit is what actually grows from your life-the visible outcome. If you say you are obedient but you rebel when pressure comes, that fruit shows the truth. If you say Christ is your cornerstone but your choices serve your comfort instead, that fruit shows the truth. If you claim integrity but live differently in private, that fruit shows the truth.

An apple tree produces apples. A pear tree produces pears. You do not get to choose-the nature of the tree determines the fruit. What you are on the inside determines what grows from your life. A Christian produces Christ-like fruit: love, patience, honesty, kindness, faithfulness. If your life produces anger, selfishness, deception, or harshness, then something inside the tree is not Christ.

Do not ask if you look like a Christian. Ask what fruit you are actually producing. Are you more honest than you were? More forgiving? More at peace? More loving? More willing to obey even when it costs you? That fruit is the inspection that matters.

"Storms do not test your appearance. They expose what is actually inside you."

- Pastor Ricardo Zaal

Key Takeaways

  1. Head Knowledge Collapses Under Pressure; Living It Out Stands You can quote the Bible perfectly and still fall apart in real life because knowledge alone is not a foundation. James 1:22 is clear: being a hearer only, without doing, leaves you with no real strength. When financial stress hits, when temptation comes, when a relationship breaks-knowledge cannot hold you up. Only the actual living out of what you know, the practicing of obedience day after day, builds a structure that stands. The gap between what you know and what you do is where your life collapses.
  2. Your Real Foundation Is Obedience, Not Appearance You can look spiritual on Sunday and live selfishly on Tuesday. You can speak truth in church and lie in your business. You can preach kindness and practice harshness at home. An inspector does not ask you to describe the foundation; the inspector digs and looks. God does the same. He looks at what you actually obey, what you actually choose, what you actually become when no one is watching and when pressure forces your true self out. Your foundation is not your image, your words, or your gifts. Your foundation is the daily choice to obey, even when it costs you.
  3. The Storm Will Come-The Question Is Whether Your House Passes Inspection Whether you accept this message or not, storms will come. Financial crisis, relational breakdown, health failure, betrayal-life will test your structure. The question is not if the storm arrives but whether the seven pillars you have built-obedience, Christ as cornerstone, truth and integrity, prayer and dependence, holiness and separation, love and forgiveness, and the fruit they produce-will hold. Every weakness you have not addressed will be exposed. Every pillar you have neglected will fail. Now, before the storm hits, is the time to inspect your own life and build according to God's blueprint, not the world's.

If you are in Pretoria North, come on a Sunday - these messages are preached live every week at Fountain of Grace International, 323 B Danie Theron Street.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I keep failing in the same area even though I believe in God?

Because belief alone is not a foundation. James 1:22 says you must be a doer of the word, not just a hearer. You collapse in the same area because you have not built obedience there. You know what is right but you do not do it. Each time the temptation or pressure comes, you choose comfort or convenience instead of obedience. The foundation cracks deeper each time. Real change requires actually doing what you know is right, not just knowing it in your head.

How do I know if my life is built on the right foundation?

Look at your fruit. Matthew 7:20 says you will know them by their fruit. Are you more honest than you used to be, or just better at hiding? Are you more forgiving, or just more bitter? Are you more at peace, or more anxious? Are you more obedient, or more skilled at justifying your disobedience? When pressure comes-financial stress, relationship conflict, temptation-what comes out of you? That is your real foundation showing. If your fruit does not match what you claim to believe, your foundation is not Christ. It is something else.

What does it mean to be holy if I still live in the real world?

Holiness is not isolation. It is separation-being set apart by the choices you make and the boundaries you keep, not by hiding from the world. You can work in a secular job, have non-Christian friends, and live a normal life while being holy. Holiness shows up in small decisions: you decline the drink, you return the change you were given too much of, you speak truth when lying would be easier, you forgive when revenge would feel better. Holiness means you are visibly different in character, not in appearance or location. It means you actually live out what you say you believe.

Join Us This Sunday

Fountain of Grace International meets every Sunday at 09:00 at 323 B Danie Theron Street, Pretoria North. Come as you are.

Read Full Sermon Transcript
is why does your life keep collapsing if God is for you? Now, I want to take you to a few things that I can guarantee some of us are feeling. You believe in God. Yes, you do. But yet your life keeps breaking in the same places every time. you feel strong in church like you are the daughter of the daughters but then collapse when the real life out there hits you you are literally knowing every scripture that is in the Bible but yet you can't stand under temptations it's like when you are like Jesus, when Satan attempted him, I mean, attempted him to say, let this bread become, let the stone turn it into bread. Jesus used the word. You have the scripture, but you can't even use the word. You feel tired. Every time you start something, you start it over and over and over again. And then when the storm comes, it collapsed. I can tell you, you keep on saying, Lord, Lord, Lord. That's all we hear. Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord. But yet, God doesn't know you. The way you are out there, preaching and telling people about, oh, Jesus is good. But yet, when they're looking at you, they're asking, this Jesus that you are serving, I don't want to serve him. The way you look, you look like somebody who's struggling. It's hard for you. Sometimes you even ask, but is Christianity worth it? Is this kind of faith that I have worth it? Why am I still unstable all of these years knowing God Why do I keep failing in the same area Like as if anytime when they talk about relationships, they make you an example of how failed your relationship is. That one, oh no, that one who had the five husbands, but yet this one is not him. is not yet even the husband. So you are used as an example of wrongdoing. It's like, oh, that one who's standing by the robot struggling every time whenever he has a tough life, he goes and asks for bread by a robot. You get made as an example. You know the questions that you sometimes ask, the questions that you sometimes ask is that, Lord Jesus, why is it that some people made it in life while I am not? Where am I wrong? Huh? Am I having the same life that I've been living and I think it's better? You know, there's a guy called, his name is Goldman. I can't get to his name. Myron, Myron Goldman. I was reading one of his books and I don't think he's the originator of this, but he said, you're living a life of 70 years, but yet you repeat one year over and over and over again. It's like as if you are one year old. You only live in that one year, but you're repeating it for 70 years. I don know who am I speaking to but if you look at your life and you ask yourself was there any growth in my life Or have I been living like myself for 47 years the same year over and over again Is there any growth that's shown? Is it me or is something wrong with how I believe in Christ? These are the questions. These are the things that you're going through. Yet, you don't know. I mean, financial stress, it reveals so much fear in you. Not peace. When you're talking about relationships, relationships, conflicts, exposing your immaturity. let me not even go to temptations temptation shows your lack of discipline when God delays something you get frustrated instead of trusting remember somebody said God's delayings is not denials I don't know where this comes from but I just heard it somewhere so he did not deny you he did not deny you he just had his time and not your time some of us look like hey we are the You know, this is what we do. This is what we do. We look like spiritual strong people with the Bible in the hand. We are very strong. The moment you get into the house, the kids are asking, Hey, mommy, where do you come from? Don't ask me nonsense. You know I'm coming from church. You even show. You know I'm coming from church. Can you see Yet you don show church Inside church you show church Outside I don want to tell you what you are showing but I just saying Sometimes when pressure increases, you fear that you will be exposed. When the pressure gets too much, you are like, what if they can see? I can guarantee you now storms they don't test your appearance they don't test your appearance somebody once made an analogy and said that whenever you're carrying a glass of tea and somebody bump you, it's not because somebody bumped you that the tea spills. no it's not because of somebody bumped you that the tea spills the reason being is that there's tea in the cup that's the reason tea spills if there would have been coffee in the cup coffee would have spilled and I go back to my my analogy that I said to you if you take a container of toothpaste if you check if you take a container of toothpaste and you press it you don't expect lemon juice to come out to brush your teeth no you don't So if you take shampoo bottle, you don't expect dye to come out. So far are you as a Christian that think the word, oh, Jesus out there would make you a better Christian. but you are far from God. And this message specifically has been coming forth for a long time, but I kept on delaying it. But I feel today is the time that I should preach this message. Because many know God's word. they know his word I can guarantee you now ask them to give you you even use Psalm 150 verse 1b they will tell you exactly you don't know where the b come from but they know it have you seen Bishop I don't know why they say Psalm 150 verse 1 and then they still write a B or A or something on it. I don't know. I'm not that good in the Bible. I don't know the Bible that much. I can't tell you in Psalm 23 what it ends with. Somebody can tell you, like, what is the middle of Psalm 23? They will give you that scripture. What is the middle of the Bible? They will tell you, Jesus wept. or is it that one? Something. I think it's Jesus wept. The shortest, no, that's the shortest verse in the Bible. What is the middle one? There's something that I have read about the middle one, but it doesn't matter. But what I'm trying to say is that you know the Bible of your head, but not of your heart. Now, this is what happens. And you will hear me. I've given some hints every time I was preaching for quite some time now about this message. I was saying to you, if you can remember, that the house strength is not shown until the storm comes. You remember I said that So regardless how nice your house looks if the storm comes and it doesn withstand the storm it means that that house, I will go to the house. I will go to the house. I want you to understand something. I want to bring you to my message title. Why does your life keep collapsing if God is with you? Do you hear what I'm saying? He says, why does your life keep collapsing if God is with you? I'm not saying God is with one and God is not with the other. I'm saying if God is with you. So whoever is under the sound of my voice, God is with you. There's no, you know, we live by feeling. I feel like God is not with me. That feeling is never going to change. We can't live by feelings. We need to live by the word of God. The word of God is yay and the word of God is amen. Nothing can be added. Nothing. Let me go to the Bible. Just now you're calling me the same. Hey, you're preaching about the Bible, but do you even know the scripture that you are talking about? Let me start by Matthew 7.24. Let's read Matthew 7.24. And I want you to read with me. It says, Therefore, whoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which build his house upon a rock. Did you hear that I not talked I didn talk about James 1 now I talking about Matthew 7 Matthew 7 Matthew 7.24. Therefore, whoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. Now, the word there, wise, is a Greek. The Greek word for it is phronimos. Phronimos. Now, phronimos here, it means skilled or practical or proven, which means that whenever you are skilled, you can do something impractical as well. That is why whenever you go studies, your studies will be for three years. I mean, for three years, yeah? But the last year or the last semester of the studies will be practical. It has nothing to, it has never been, you study the book to have copper knowledge. I don't know, you know corporate knowledge is like you have the head knowledge. You have to implement what you have learned. Now, if I can subtitle. Who said that? Yeah, subtitle. If I can subtitle my message. I would subtitle it. or let me say the title is why does your life keep collapsing if God is with you? But then under the subtitle, I give you the seven pillars that the storm will test. Seven pillars the storm will test. So there's seven pillars the storm will test. And today you must forgive me. I will go over time. So this won't be a one hour message. It will be a little bit more than the time because I want to make sure that you get it, you understand it. So when this says like a wise man who builds his house on the rock it means that the wise man is skilled is practical and proven that every time whenever he has been building his house on the sand water keep on taking the house down with him So when the storm comes, the house goes with. even if you're looking at it the Bible says in Psalm 118 verse 22 Psalm 118 verse 22 says the following the stone that the builders reject has become the cornerstone the stone that the builders reject has become the cornerstone so he becomes the chief cornerstone in fact other translation says did you hear I'm in the building when I get into the building everybody goes up and they say and they say Evan you You see, I'm in the building now. Then I go to Matthew 21 verse 42. When Matthew 21 verse 42 says, Jesus said to them, have you never read in the scriptures? The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing. And it is marvelous in our eyes. And it is marvelous in our eyes. The Hebrew word here for cornerstone is Ibn Pinnah. Ibn Pinnah. This is what it means. It's the stone that sets alignment. That's what it means. That's the one. If you take that one out, the house alignment is out. It's like a tent. If I make an example, do you know a tent? There's a middle pole. the moment you take that middle pole the tent start not having nice sides if you remove this cornerstone everything shifts So let me give you the seven pillars. Pillar number one. And this is the foundation. This is the foundation. Now the foundation of everybody in Christianity is according to James 1 verse 22. Did you hear that one? I come back. Let me say like my sister. I come for you. I come for you. James 1.22 says, Be doers of the word, not hearers only. So what would be the first pillar? The foundational pillar of what I've been saying. The foundational pillar is to be obedient. That's obedience. So your first pillar, I mean first pillar, the foundational pillar is obedience. If I can tell you now. Now, when you take a house and they ask you the plants and everything of the house, do you know that the first thing they would do is to prepare the ground or the soil or anything that is under the house? For the foundation first. Now foundation. Meaning to say that. When you're looking at the house foundation. The deeper the house. The higher. I mean the deeper the foundation. The higher the house. So. When your foundation is. Is just on top. Like a. A tent. Who is on top of the. the building, any wind that comes can take down that tent. That the foundation And when you talking about a specific building for argument sake no inspection gets done by hearing Wangut, did you hear that part? I said no inspection gets done by hearing. The inspector won't go on your word and says, oh, the foundation is strong. The foundation is powerful. The foundation can withstand any storm that comes its way. No. The inspector will come and do an inspection inside the yard. So what you do in obedience is doing. I mean, what you get by obedience is doing. And that's how you will pass. Doing. That's how you will pass. you actually need to ask yourself the question, what did I obey this week? If there's something that was said you should be doing and you did not obey, knowing that it had to do with somebody's growth or somebody's of yourself, your own growth, the foundation is to obey. What did God tell you that you should be doing and yet you didn't do it. Come on. I'm asking. You see, it's very important to understand something that whenever anybody wants to do something in life, there's something that they need to obey first. And sometimes it's the law that you need to obey. And do you know the law of gravity? Is that what goes up must come down. Therefore, whenever you go into space, the law of gravity is not in space. There's no gravity in space. That is why they're floating. But when you come to earth, what is the law saying? Obedience is already one of the laws that even God has made Do thou not kill don kill So if you're killing your neighbor by the things that you are doing, it's disobedience. Why is it that some Christians, Bishop, I've prepared myself to get the fight for today. So please fight me. Miss God, fight me. But I'm here to speak what God is asking me to do. Have you ever gotten into a Christian's house and somebody else told you, is that one also serving the Lord? Isn't he in your church? But when he's out there, he's swear at me and he's fighting me, he's screaming as if he's not having any fruit of the spirit. Jesus. Jesus. I got first hand of this experience during the course of this week. Bishop, first hand of experience in this week. I've told you, I'll speak to you about it. But just one thing I want you to know. Getting into somebody's house and the first thing the person says, are you here to fight because I'm ready to fight Christian I'm ready to fight and not Bishop I'm screaming here this is my screaming voice I'm not talking about the person's screaming voice yo yo yo I know my mother to be loud but that auntie is louder than my mother she were louder than my mother She screamed. These words I was screaming now. She was screaming. How do you obey God if His word is not within you The foundation of obedience I mean the foundation of everything is obedience and obedience comes from the word of God Obedience is better than sacrifice I've given you this already last week or the week before, but that is why I just want to touch on it. But I hope I've made it clear that the foundation, number one, the foundation is obedience. Then the cornerstone number two is another pillar. And this cornerstone can never be anything else but Christ. Christ alone is the cornerstone. Christ alone. Cornerstone. Ephesians 2 verse 20. Now Ephesians 2 verse 20 says, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. So you cannot build around him. You can't build where he's not there. I can even say if your culture is different, your culture can't build. Your culture is not the cornerstone. How you've been brought up is not the cornerstone. Christ is the cornerstone. I can even say Christ is the one who decides your values. If you don't value Christ, it will not show value in your life. What do I mean by this? He says, be Christ-like. Christ-like. Not devil-like. Christ-like. So if you are Christ-like, it means that Satan is trying to push you to be devil-like. Satan is pushing you to be more like the devil. And that is why whenever storms come, because your cornerstone has not been put in correctly, It shows that your cornerstone has not been strong. Remember foundation? Obedience? That's the foundation. Number two, which is the cornerstone. Christ alone. I don't want to dwell too much on this. If you don't know Christ, I urge you today to take Christ up as your Lord and Savior. I urge you today to take Christ up as your Lord and Savior. because if you don't have Christ as your Lord and Savior the building will fall at school we used to sing a song yes your Bible but your God you know What they forgot to tell is, Bishop, let me say, it says, read your Bible, pray every day, and you will grow, and you will grow, and you will grow. but what they forgot to say is that anybody can read the Bible they won't grow if Christ is not the cornerstone because reading the Bible is like as if you are reading a Mills and Boone's book you are reading without spirit you are reading just another history book But where Christ is definitely you will grow Let me not You understand where I coming from Jesus, you're the center of my joy. All that's perfect comes from you. You know, some of the guys that like to sing, when they sing, they give you powerful word. All you have to do is take that word and make it your own. Number three, the third pillar. I mean, the third one is the pillars. Yeah. I gave you seven pillars. I said to you, seven pillars, I mean, seven pillars that the storm will test. The number three one is a pillar. And this pillar is the truth and integrity. The truth and integrity. Proverbs 10 verse 9 says, somebody's value. Your integrity will be shown by the values that you portray. If you value Christ, it will show in your integrity. I'm just making an example of integrity. Integrity is not what you tell people who you are. Integrity is who you are without people. Even if the people is not there you still the same person That integrity I can tell you now Somebody's integrity has been bruised by a lot of things. But the integrity is the true you. That is why I'm saying to you truth and integrity. because a lie and integrity can't be going together. You don't have integrity if you come with lies. Truth is actually holding the weight while integrity carries the whole loop. The things that you're doing in the dark, it will soon come to light. Which means that whether good or bad, it will prove your integrity. So integrity is the thing that you think it's hidden, but yet it's shown in out there. and the pillar when storms expose your integrity it is where you stand naked in front of man and God you always stand naked in front of God but when integrity is proven. It even shows inside. I have a problem. When I when I'm in my room I can I can tell my wife the fudge you want. But out there oh sweetie my baby baby Huh Then why am I making as if out there My wife is the princess, but in there she is the frog. It is hidden. Integrity comes out. I'm not going to go into too much because I need to make sure that before the next point, you must still remember the first one. Because if the foundation is not obedience, you are not, according to James 1 verse 22, doing. you understand if the second one which is is is is the the second pillar i mean is it did i said yeah pillar if the second pillar is not the cornerstone which is christ you are in trouble the third one which is the pillar the pillars of truth and integrity fourth one which is the roof now when you're looking at the roof the roof is the one that helps with the sun the rain and even sometimes the wind as well because if a house doesn't have a roof these elements will enter. And that is why this is called prayer. So the roof is prayer. And I can also say dependence. So prayer and dependence. What I mean by this is that if you pray it's almost like as if you are asking or depending on God or depending on Christ. So without prayer covering floods will enter. Amen. without your prayer covering, floods will enter. And prayer is not just something that when there's problem, you should pray. Prayer is something that even though there's not problems, you still need to pray. you still need to pray let's go to Psalm 127 verse 1 Psalm 127 verse 1 says unless the Lord builds the house the labors in vain who built it unless the Lord guards the city The watchman stays awake in vain. That is why this is the roof. Because you need the Lord's covering. You need to be dependent on God. You need to. You know, some people think prayer is a ritual. it's not a ritual prayer is not a ritual prayer is literally something that you have to rely on even though today something is not now things is not it's not going yet we have to make sure you pray when it's good your God, the things are going my way. You have to pray. Thank him. That's the fourth pillar, roof. The roof, which is the prayer and dependence. I said prayer, but I'm including the dependence on it so that you can understand you need to depend on prayer. When last did we stop working on our own strength and trust him for knowing that he can do it Bishop, this one speaks to me specifically. When I talk about dependence, I depend so much on my salary that I forgot if that salary gets taken away today, who do I need to trust in? Who do I need to depend on? Because anything can happen. I was talking about, I was talking to my sister's son. I was speaking to him. I told him, hey, bro, you know what? You depend so much on your mother and your father that you never thought of going and seek job for yourself or do something that you can be independent. Yeah, your father just went. He died. Your mother doesn't work. So who do you depend on now? and the thing is we depend so many times on our salaries we depend so many times on what we have coming in that we forgot it's God that has kept us even there was no salary the job is not our have it all and be it all. God is the one that will always provide, regardless. And that is why our prayer life should go to God. Let's go to number five. The number five thing is walls. Did you hear I said walls? Mirror. Now when you talking about goals here comes in the holiness and separation That the pillar Pillar number five is goals holiness and separation That the pillar Pillar number five is Holes Holiness and Separation And I want to make sure that I talk about the Holes, which is the W-A-L-L-S, not the H-A-L-L-S. You know, Holes can mean two things the way I'm saying it. Halls can be the one that you talk inside a lot of people, but this one I'm talking about is the, is it what closes the house. Walls. The Bible says, because it is written, be holy, for I am holy. Now, why do I put the halls here by holy? why do I put here walls by holy it's the holiness that covers us because walls protects what is in us walls protect what is in us walls protect any animal or anything that comes within if somebody fight you the holiness within you can show love. Be holy for I am holy. Holiness is a separation. Separate yourself from what others are doing. Separate yourself. Holiness, yeah, separation. To be holy is to be sanctified, if I can say it correctly. You are set apart for a specific thing. so when you are set apart the walls that keeps you within and remember that when the walls protect you from what is within you it means that holiness is not an isolation it's not to isolate you in a sense of you being holy I can't go and preach to the drunkard. I can't go and serve the murderer. It not to isolate yourself inside your house and think that I am holy I can be a part of this world That's not the holy we're talking about here. Holiness, it's proven that God has consecrated you for greater being. and that greater being is go out there and make disciples of men. I'm just giving you one of the examples. There's more. I'm just giving you one. I don't want you to think that it's only that one. I want you to know that being holy there's more to it. So holiness it distinct you from others. Because anything else looks the same. Everyone else looks the same. It's the holiness that distincts you from the others. And that is why number five pillar is the walls, the holiness and the separation. you know you know i need to ask the question when we're talking about the holiness we're talking about a lot of things that comes your way yeah let's let me make an example like this Do remember, I'm saying this just to prove a point. I don't believe in it. Please, I don't believe in it. I don't say you must not. I say I don't believe in it. Holiness is somebody goes to a party. Everybody is drinking. And they ask you here. Come, have a drink. And then you, you also, let me join in. You understand? I don't believe that drinking makes me unholy. But I have a personal conviction that I should not. be drinking. I don't say anybody else should not be drinking, but the conviction is that I should not be drinking. And my personal belief is that everybody can drink. I don't believe that drinking is a sin. I believe that whenever you drink, you should be enhancing your God-given lovable things that God has been given to you. Because the moment you start drinking and holiness goes out, that's where sin comes in. Makes sense what I'm trying to say. But holiness is there's the 50 rand lying down here. A lot of people is around you. The house, no bread, nicks. You see the person standing with the wallet in the hand. Then you pick up the 50 rand and ask, I see here's a 50 rent lying on the floor. And once again, I'm just making an example. It's not what I'm saying it is, but I'm just making you examples of holiness. Here's a 50 rent I see. So when you see and you ask, guys, whose 50 rent is this? It shows that you are honest. So whenever somebody says, no it's not mine then only you can say like we say in Afrikaans. I don't know what you say in your language now Bishop I don't know what you say in your language but in Afrikaans you know what it means is that when I pick it up I I keep it. I pick it up. I keep it. So what it does do, it proves that your holiness is not to steal from somebody Remember holiness is to be set apart from others So being separated from the others is to prove God is with you That's holiness. Let's go to number six. you know number six i'm showing it like this i can almost say if i show it like this you will you will already see what it means number six is doors doors now let me show you the love of God is so wide the love of God is so high let's call it love and forgiveness. Six, the sixth door, I mean, the sixth pillar is doors. Love and forgiveness. If you take a door, loving sometimes is shown by love, by, by this, like, so it's like almost the doors is hugging you but what this does it also controls access a door controls access who is coming in who is going out so that whenever you do this closing in on somebody that you love it's proof loving even if you don't want to hug me I still love you you know when they grow to a certain age hugging is not allowed but love and forgiveness control access What I mean by this is that Matthew 6 verse 14 and 15. Matthew 6 and I read from 14. For if you forgive me, I mean, if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you Do not forgive men their trespasses. Neither will your father forgive your trespasses. Now let me make an example of this love. When you love something, you will open up the door for that thing. You can almost say to be manifested in your life. And when you don't forgive, bitterness will prove love will forgive they go so if you love somebody you will forgive them I don't say forgotten don't get me wrong I have not I have not talked about forgotten forgotten forget English English I'm not talking about to forget. I've only said to forgive. Forgiveness, when you don't forgive, somebody mentioned it as, they say, when you don't forgive, it's like giving somebody poison. No? Yeah? It's like giving somebody poison. No? It's like you eating poison, thinking others will die from the poison. Something like that. You drink the poison of unforgiveness. You will die and the person will not have anything. Some of the things that we're going through is because of unforgiveness. I can't forgive my father. for leaving me in the time when I needed him the most It not to say I forgot I forgive him It just that forgiveness do best to me than what it does to others. It sets me free. this love controls who comes in your life and who goes out i i don't know the bible says for god so loved the world that he gave and sometimes our loving we gave the wrong things Satan is using it to give the wrong things. So please understand there's a difference between if he loves me I will give him. Do you know that you can't hold God's presence in bitterness? You can't. When you are bitter No, it doesn't go together. God's presence and bitterness doesn't go together. Yeah, my God. Let me, let me, let me. Hey, my God. Sometimes I, I, I don't want to say certain things, but this is something that you need to understand it. Love covers a multitude of sins. but it does not mean that love covers a multitude of sin you must do it aspress what is aspress? unnecessary it's not to sin unnecessary. Love covers all, but it doesn't cover unnecessary things. Please, doors of love. When you open up the door of evil or for evil, love might just go out. So control that access. Number seven. Number seven. And this one. The seventh pillar is inspection. The seventh pillar is inspection. Now, if I give you a brief of all these things, I would say to you the building is very important because when the storms comes the test of the storm will show you message entitled why does your life keep collapsing if God is for you I mean if God is with you the collapse part is because of the seven pillars that you did not allow or that you misuse or don't use at all, which is your obedience, Christ alone. You don't see Christ in it. Truth and integrity. Prayer and I said independence. I said holiness. Number five, holiness and separation. number six your your love and forgiveness and i went on to the last one which is inspection but in the inspection here we're talking about fruit inspection we're talking about fruit now this is where it gets this is where it gets easier or best to summarize everything together. Because when you're talking about fruit, it's therefore by the fruits you will know them. Therefore, by the fruits you will know them. Matthew 7 verse 20. Matthew 7 verse 20 Now Matthew 7 verse 20 Therefore by the fruits you will know them Meaning to say that fruits are the evidence of everything that we have spoken about Are you obedient? Your fruits will show. Is Christ alone? Your fruits will show. Can you understand what I'm trying to say? So this covers everything. The fruits. This inspect your life. And some people that keep on saying, no, I know God in my secret room. I speak to him nicely. But here, you go out here, the way they show the devil, they show you the devil. You can't believe it. Somebody that just said, they are christian no your fruits is your evidence not your gift bishop somebody can sing and worship for god like nobody's business they can even prophesy lie i mean prophesy hey that's the fruit show because Prophecy is only prophecy if it will come true, to pass or what do you call it? If it will happen, it will manifest. Not talking. To tell somebody I'm a Christian is nothing if I don't live like a Christian. My fruits need to be showing what fruit am I. If an apple tree gives apples, it means a Christian will be Christ-like. But if a pear gives a pear fruit, give pears, why do you still show devilish? There a Greek word that means karpos It means the visible outcome of things That like when you put coal under pressure The visible outcome of that is diamond. When you press a toothpaste, the visible outcome of that toothpaste is toothpaste. When you put any pressure on a house, what's inside the house will show. And you've been hearing this message all along. Don't think I'm preaching for you. Don't get it wrong. I'm preaching for me. I'm preaching for me. I said you, you, you, because I don't want you to think that this whole thing up to thus far has been more for me than what it is for you. But don't get too holy, please. Ask yourself, where does my fruit not show? That's what you have to ask yourself. what has changed because you follow God are you still in the same positions if you're not well done because you have changed but if you are I'm sorry I'm sorry as keys I'm sorry I think we can we can safely say a building that is built on the rock I see Damien the rock is not the diamond from the rock What do you smell? Can you smell what the rock is cooking? No, not that the rock. I'm not talking about that the rock. If your house is built on the rock who is Christ Jesus You would withstand any storms coming your way Because storms has only been proven who you are Even under pressure. Who are you? Jackie Chan asked the question in the movie. Who am I? He lost his mind. So many of us lost our minds long time ago and still keep on asking who we are. Although we found our identity already in Christ, yet we still ask, who am I? Lord Jesus search my structure my foundation expose any weak places in my life correct what I've built wrongly Lord Jesus I pray in the mighty name of Jesus that anytime whenever life gets hard, I still choose obedience. I still choose obedience over appearance because even if I look like the one with the Bible under the arm, I still need to obey you. I pray truth over comfort. I pray fruits over noise, over me talking. Let my fruit be shown. I build according to your blueprint, the blueprint that you have given us today in the mighty name of Jesus. When the storms comes, my house will stand according to what you have been helping me to build. because you are the cornerstone. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen and amen. Remember, if I can preach this message or don't preach this message, regret it. Regardless, the storm will still comes. Whether you change or you don't change, the storm will still comes. But the question is, will your house pass this inspection? Meaning showing the fruits. In Jesus' mighty name, amen and amen. We all stand for the grace. Now, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest and abide with us all until Jesus comes. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. In Jesus name.
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