The Living Stone

1 Peter 2:4-5 “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a hold priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

• 1 Corinthians 3:9 (ESV) “For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.” 
•  Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV) “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit”
• 1 Corinthians 3:11(ESV) “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Jesus is our foundation, our living stone and this is where we place our lives. This foundation stone which is laid by God will not decay or waste way. It is a solid foundation that will last forever.

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Redeemer

Isaiah 59:20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” Says the Lord.”

•  Romans 3:23-24 (ESV) “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
• Galatians 3:13-14 (ESV) “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” – so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” 
• Colossians 1:13-14 (ESV) “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Jesus is our Redeemer. He is the only one that can redeem us from our sins. He is the one that gets us through, delivers us, when we are going through hard times. So whatever comes your way, problems, pain, disappointments, setbacks, etc. know that Jesus, our redeemer lives, and will see you through!

“When life seems difficult and the race we are running seems all uphill, stop and think, Our Lord redeemed us at a priceless cost. If He saw in us enough worth for which to pay His life, is it not worthwhile to rise us and try again, walking with Him and worshiping Him who has redeemed us from sin?” (Jack Countryman)  

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High Priest

Hebrews 8:1 “Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens.”

• Hebrews 4:14-16(ESV) Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." 
• Hebrews 7: 26-27 (ESV) “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.”
•  Hebrews 2:17-18 (ESV) “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

In the Old Testament the High Priest would burn incense daily and would change the showbread weekly. “The table of showbread was a small table made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold. It measured 3 feet by 1.5 feet and was 2 feet, 3 inches high. It stood on the right side of the Holy Place across from the lampstand and held 12 loaves of bread, representing the 12 tribes of Israel. The priests baked the bread with fine flour and it remained on the table before the Lord for a week; every Sabbath day the priests would remove it and eat it in the Holy Place, then put fresh bread on the table. Only priests could eat the bread, and it could only be eaten in the Holy Place, because it was holy.” (The Tabernacle Place) Then once a year the High Priest would enter God’s Sanctuary on the Day of Atonement, which is probably the most important Jewish Holiday. A day to atone for sins.

Jesus came and it was through His sacrifice and the shedding of his blood that makes Him the perfect atonement for all of our sins. It is Jesus’ blood that washes all sins away. There is no sin too ugly, too great that Jesus cannot cleanse and make you holy and clean.

Each of us sin. Though some sins are unseen or well hidden, we all need to remember that Jesus died for each and every one of us. We will all face hard times and temptations. There will be times when are faith waivers, our doubts take over and our strength fails. We need to remember that Jesus is our hope. He is always our mediator with God.

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Deliverer

Romans 11:26-27 “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”

• Psalm 140:1(ESV) “Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men”
•  2 Samuel 22:2 (ESV) “He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.”
• Psalm 25:20 (ESV) “Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame for I take refuge in you.”
• Psalm 144:2 (ESV) “He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.”

The reason Jesus came to earth was to show us the light, show the way, and to deliver us from our sins. He will deliver us through every problem, and every trial we may face. Though we may feel at times that we are alone or may not understand why, He is there.  He is our strong hold, our shield, and the one we can take refuge in. He delivers us from death, giving us a life everlasting.

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Light of the World

John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

•  John 1:3-5 (ESV) “All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
• Matthew 6:22 (ESV) “The eye is the lamp of the body. Si, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. .” 
• John 9:5 (ESV) “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Jesus, the light of the world, came to earth to defeat the darkness. It is through Him that we can defeat the darkness and live in the light. Jesus told us we would never walk in darkness again as long as we followed him. Just as we are following Jesus, we then reflect the Light of Jesus. It is through our words, our actions that they see Jesus.

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Author of our Faith

Hebrew 12:2 “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

·         Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

·         Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV) “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."

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·         Philippians 1:6 (ESV) “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Our faith begins with Christ. Christ is the creator and sustainer of our faith. He is the one who has been there and we should focus on Him in our daily walk. Jesus already knows what we will need to endure and with each step He has gone before us, leading us through. Jesus suffered and died on the cross and even at the end he focused on the reward and not the pain. So just like Jesus our attention needs to be on the reward, heaven, and not the long difficult road.

Jesus watches over us, watches over our faith, He cares for it and He will give us the strength to sustain it.

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Jesus

Matthew 1:24-25 “When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

   ·         John 14:6 (ESV) “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one come to the Father except through me.”

·         Romans 6:23 (ESV) “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”       

·         John 11:25 (ESV) “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet he shall live.”

Jesus served people when here on earth. Jesus ate with sinners. He touched the dead and made him breath. He came to seek those who were lost. We all know the list goes on. I find comfort knowing he came for me the sinner, to heal me, to give me a new eternal life.

Take comfort knowing He is here for each one of us.

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