Living Stones (Part 1: Created for a Purpose)

August 15, 2011 at 10:53 pm (About Sin, Assurance, Devotional Thoughts., Forgiveness, Grace, Life, Lighter Burdens., Mercy, Our Unchanging God, Peace, Resting, Salvation, Sins, Sovereignty of God, Trusting, When you are afraid, When You Feel Like Crying., Wisdom)

Scripture reference;

 ⁵Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.  1 Peter 2:5 KJV

  ⁹But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

 ¹⁰Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10 KJV

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

  ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house^[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Peter 2:5 ESV 

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10 ESV

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 ¹To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV

I find it interesting that there are some things that are always right or wrong. But there are other things that are right on one occasion yet wrong on another occasion, because they have to do with timing.

Have you ever heard of the game called “Aggravation”, or “Wahoo”?  They both are games for up to six players in which the object is to be the first player to have all four marbles  reach the player’s home section of the board. I remember playing it as a child. Each player had four marbles in one color. One player might have been red and the others were usually yellow, green, orange, or blue. It was “aggravating” when I was so close to home, and another player would come along and bump my marble off its spot. Sometimes we would fuss over who got to be a certain color. I would sometimes say “The red ones are mine!” There were times that the marbles seemed to have a life of their own and would tend to roll if the holes that they were meant to rest in were not made deep enough. If the owner of the game got mad he or she might gather up all of the marbles, the dice and the board and go home. It was at that moment we would be reminded that we were actually only “allowed” to play with those marbles when the owner let us.

In some ways people are like those marbles. We each have tendencies to roll in certain directions and need our holes ( preset boundaries), to keep us from rolling around when it’s not our turn to move. Sometimes other marbles bump us and cause us to go places to which we do not wish to go. We might do the same thing to others. Then when the time is right we are all reminded that we do not belong to ourselves, but to someone else who has the authority and power to do what He wishes.

It’s true…all people are created by God and will have to answer to Him one day:

²⁷And just as it is appointed for [all] men once to die, and after that the [certain] judgment, Hebrews 9: 27 Amplified Bible

Isn’t it comforting to know that God is good, and just, and promises to work good even in bad situations?  I am really glad that the Lord loved the world so much that He made it possible to have eternal life and to have the burden of sins borne by Him:

 ¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 KJV
    ²⁸Even so it is that Christ, having been offered to take upon Himself and bear as a burden the sins of many once and ^[d]once for all, will appear a second time, not to carry any burden of sin nor to deal with sin, but to bring to full salvation those who are [eagerly, constantly, and patiently] waiting for and expecting Him. Hebrews 9:28 Amplified Bible

 ²⁸And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

 ²⁹For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

 ³⁰Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30 KJV

    ²⁸We are assured and know that [^[j]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

    ²⁹For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was ^[k]aware and ^[l]loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.

    ³⁰And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being]. Romans 8:28-30 Amplified Bible

If we accept the Lord’s offer of salvation and call on the Lord we will no longer be just marbles, but will be “Living Stones” with a special purpose…we will dwell in the Light and praise Jesus.
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“And Can It Be That I Should Gain” by Charles Wesley

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord?  Please click here:https://pronetoponder.wordpress.com/category/about-salvation-very-important-words/ and make sure.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just click here: www.biblegateway.com They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!