Thursday, July 2, 2015

Carla was hilling up the potatoes and brought in a couple she accidently dug up – they are looking good, should have a decent crop.
Haven’t heard anything from the Lynds tribe, which I would take as good news.  They will contact us if needbe.  It is a long drive from Alaska to the lower 48 and while in Canada her phone rates are considerably higher.  They gott’m if they need’m.
Teresa and Ian are heading to Krakow – indeed since they are 6 hours ahead of us, they may already be there.  They are visiting a lot of museums and taking in the sights and local cuisine.
She is much braver than I – she has planned the trip, from start to finish, adjusting it as she needs/wants to all on her own.  She used guidelines from travel experts, but they are not with any groups.
Six European countries and all the logistics of getting from one place to another while arranging for lodging, when they will visit what or see what, etc. – all planned by herself; quite a feat if you ask me.
She wants to be able to go at her own speed without depending on others and their timings.  The only luggage they have is carry-on – what is in their backpacks - nothing has to be checked.
While in Poland at a laundromat she met some people from Louisiana and Medford, Oregon. 
They are having quite an adventure.
1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
I was reading a devotional e-mail from Open Doors this morning and the above verse was the text used.
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, was the base of the writer’s comments.
We are a stone in the church.  WE are what God is using to build His great spiritual temple.
Suddenly, to me this verse truly came alive.  What follows is my thoughts, based on the author’s words; using them as a means to discover truths in my own heart.
Mathew 21:42  Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
As many of you, I have read this verse many times, heard preaching and teaching on it – and was probably told, but it didn’t set in, that we are part of that great architecture God is building.
Jesus is the Corner Stone, but we are stones that are built upon other stones formed by Christians for two thousand years.
Some are large, others are very small, but all are important to the completion of His temple.
Most of us aspire to be greater than we are today, so we focus on what we want to be greater than – trusting that we will maximize our purpose.  However, very few reach that pinnacle – it seems there is always someone better than ourselves.
We think along the lines of success being something we can point to as a physical thing, promotions, good salaries, and all those things that are tied to our physical life and well-being.
But, as the author points out, that cannot be the purpose of our life; there are far too many people who are not even given the opportunity to maximize their talents and skills.
Our purpose is to serve God, and the success of what we do is decided by Him and Him alone.  We are a small part of that temple, but we are a part. 
By serving Him we demonstrate His love to others.  Together, we build a great temple, one that we cannot build alone. 
A temple that God has allowed us to be a part of; the cornerstone, the most important stone, is Jesus Christ.  We have the privilege of being placed in that temple with Him.
We are part of a permanent structure.  It will last forever.  The great cathedrals in many parts of the world have endured storms, invasions, earthquakes and many trials, yet they stand, some for hundreds of years. 
Yet they are nothing compared to the spiritual temple that is being built – BEING BUILT – an ongoing process by God using the dedication of His children as stones - to last forever!
Later, Art :-)
From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again

No comments:

Post a Comment