OUR HOLY HOUSE, BUILT UPON A LIVING CORNERSTONE

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

As you come to Him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to Him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a Stone in Zion, a chosen and precious Cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.” (Isaiah 28:16)

Now to you who believe, this Stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” (Psalm 118:22)

and,

“A Stone that causes people to stumble and a Rock that makes them fall.” (Isaiah 8:14)

They stumble because they disobey the Message—which is also what they were destined for.

1 Peter 2:4-8

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Any building or institution that wants to establish itself with integrity will be concerned about establish the right foundation, one that will stand firm and strong in the midst of any environmental challenges, whether external or internal.

Thankfully, the Christian church and its individual building blocks are constructed on the greatest foundation ever, a perfect foundation that will not be shaken or moved. Of course, that foundation is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, affirmed through today’s scripture passage from the second chapter of Peter’s first letter to “God’s elect”, the “exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia” (1:1):

As you come to Him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to Him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a Stone in Zion, a chosen and precious Cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.” (Isaiah 28:16)

Now to you who believe, this Stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” (Psalm 118:22)

and,

“A Stone that causes people to stumble and a Rock that makes them fall.” (Isaiah 8:14)

They stumble because they disobey the Message—which is also what they were destined for.  1 Peter 2:4-8

Note here that Jesus and all those who choose to believe in Him are likened to “living stones” that are “built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood”. These “living things” share this in common:

All have presented themselves as “spiritual sacrifices”, as “offerings” that are “acceptable to God”. Jesus did this directly while all those who placed their faith and belief in Him offered themselves to God through Him, the one and only Son of God who was “rejected by the builders” and yet still became “the cornerstone”. This fulfilled the prophetic words of the 118th Psalm in verse 22:

“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

Those who rejected the living Stone, Jesus, aren’t built upon it. Rather, the cornerstone becomes a stumbling point, the “Rock that makes them fall” as Isaiah writes in the eighth chapter of his book of prophecy (verse 14).

Conversely, those who choose to believe in Jesus, see the precious value and spiritual fortitude found in and through Him, the precious value and spiritual fortitude established by the Father God He is one with (John 10:30). These Christ disciples are skillfully and masterfully put into place by God, the Master Builder of all things, so to become the blessed church, established through His Son who is not only the Cornerstone but the Head.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all a part of God’s holy house, the living stones laid one upon another on the living Solid Rock, Jesus, and on that Solid Rock, our Cornerstone, we will never be moved or destroyed. Not now, not ever.

Thanks be to God for the incredible gift of His Son.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.