Jesus, the Creator of the Universe who became a man, is the Ultimate Builder, but too often His living stones ignore His instructions and do their own thing. When churches deny the living Jesus an active building permit in their worship services, they build them according to their desires and ignore His. When Jesus’ living stones are passive and unresponsive to His direct building instructions, the body of Christ is paralyzed.

Jesus is the Great Bodybuilder. He wants to build His body of living stones by revealing His supernatural presence to them. The risen Jesus builds eternal relationships.

People build church buildings and religious programs. The living Jesus builds powerful and lasting heart connections. If Christ-followers would allow the risen Jesus to build us together heart-to-heart, there would be more Spirit-led Christianity in the world! Surrender your whole heart to God so that you can become a living stone in the spiritual house that Jesus is building on the rock of direct personal revelation from God,

The Master Builder wants to reveal Himself directly to you so that He can build you together, heart-to-heart, with His sold-out followers. Then He can make His people a spiritual house–an assembly where He can freely manifest His power and presence using ordinary people as His Spirit-directed building blocks.

If you have “tasted that the Lord is good,” then “come to Him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to Him” so that “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house a to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices.” That “spiritual house” is Christ’s town hall meeting (ekklesia) where all Christ-followers (living stones) are called out to be Spirit-led priests who actively minister to and serve both God and one another as they are prompted by Jesus, the present and living Head of His ekklesia. (Inspired by 1 Peter 2:1-10.)

Only the living Jesus can assemble “living stones” together as His body built on the rock of direct personal revelation from God. A preacher can’t; a church planter can’t; a program can’t; a sermon can’t; tradition can’t; liturgy can’t; but Jesus can! Will we get our stuff out of His way and “prepare the way of the Lord” so that the risen Jesus can build us together under His direct presence and leadership?

Whoever owns the building can override the living Jesus and control what goes on in church. Instead, let the risen Jesus be the Lord and Master of His assembled people, The organization that owns the building should never be in control of what happens when Christians gather in Jesus’ name.

Be like “living stone” Phoebe (referred to in Romans 16:1-2). Be a humble servant who helps Christ’s Spirit-led town hall meeting (ekklesia) freely function in your city and wherever Jesus sends you and you will be an amazing blessing to many people.

Christianity isn’t built on ideas or idols. It’s built on the rock of inner eyesight full of ongoing revelation that continually beholds the risen Lamb of God.

If churches won’t train Christians to be Spirit-led–to listen to and obey the risen Jesus–who will? (See Romans 8:14.) To brand Christianity around anyone but Jesus is to create a false Gospel.