3 November. Jesus Christ is the 'living stone'
"So then, rid yourself of all evil, all lying, hypocrisy, jealousy and evil speech. As newborn babies want milk, you should want the pure and simple teaching. By it you can grow up and be saved, because you have already examined and seen how good the Lord is."
"Come to the Lord Jesus, the 'stone' that lives. The people of the world did not want this stone, but he was the stone God chose, and he was precious."
"You also are like living stones, so let yourselves be used to build a spiritual temple - to be holy priests who offer spiritual sacrifices to God. He will accept those sacrifices through Jesus Christ."
"The Scripture says,
'I will put a stone in the ground in Jerusalem.
Everything will be built on this important and precious rock.
Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.' [Isaiah 28:16]"
"This stone is worth much to you who believe. But to the people who do not believe.
'the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.' [Psalm 118:22]"
"Also, he is
'A stone that causes people to stumble, a rock that makes them fall.' [Isaiah 8:14]
They stumble because they do not obey what God says, which is what God planned to happen to them."
"But you are a chosen people, royal priests, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession. You were chosen to tell about the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
"At one time you were not a people, but now you are God's people. In the past you had never received mercy, but now you have received God's mercy."
(1 Peter 2:1-10)
In the First Letter of Peter, Peter uses the analogy of ‘building a temple’ to encourage believers to come to Jesus Christ, the ‘living stone’ who was rejected by men as worthless but chosen by God as valuable (see 1 Peter 2:4, Isaiah 28:16 & Psalm 118:22).
He urges them not to stumble over rocks in ignorance, like previous generations did (see Isaiah 8:14-15). Instead, as they now have a personal relationship with God, and no longer rely on animal sacrifices offered in the Jerusalem temple to cancel out their sins, he encourages them to come as ‘living stones’ to be used in building a ‘spiritual temple’.
Here, they can serve like holy priests in their own homes, at any time, coming into God’s presence by offering up a ‘spiritual sacrifice’ of praise and worship to God.
Christians today act as ‘living stones’ all over the world – whether they are, for example, African Christians building a hospital in Kenya, or Arab Christians running an orphanage in Bethany.
Peter then calls the believers a 'royal priesthood' - “a chosen people, royal priests, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession” (1 Peter 2:9) who are called to proclaim God’s wonderful acts.
The photo shows the Christian staff at Emanuel Hospice, in Oradea, Romania, who are acting as 'living stones', providing a loving and caring service in their community (photo by TEN).
You can read more of Peter's letter @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/…/18-letters…/living-stones/