Wednesday 2 September 2009

We are stones, carried to the mountain Zion, our Heavenly Jerusalem

Positive Power Card; The person who removes a mountain begins carrying away small stones

Spiritual Power Card; We are stones, carried to the mountain Zion, our Heavenly Jerusalem

I scanned for "stone" and "mountain" within the bible and primarily found two related synonyms i.e.
Stone = Cornerstone = Jesus, and
Mountain = Mount Zion = Heavenly Jerusalem

Stone = Cornerstone = Jesus.
A cornerstone needs to be straight and square so that the builder would be able to built the rest of the building straight. A building that leans will not endure. This is the idea that Peter is giving to us by quoting Isaiah.
Isa 28:16 This is what the Almighty LORD says: I am going to lay a rock in Zion, a rock that has been tested, a precious cornerstone, a solid foundation. Whoever believes in him will not worry.

Jesus is the perfect cornerstone upon which the spiritual house of God is built and we are the spiritual stones in this house. We must built and measured against the Living Stone to ensure that we are in line with it. As we are built upon this cornerstone, we must keep our lives aligned to Jesus. He is the foundation and we are to build our lives directly on him.
Act 4:10-12 GW
(10) You and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands in your presence with a healthy body because of the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You crucified Jesus Christ, but God has brought him back to life.
(11) He is the stone that the builders rejected, the stone that has become the cornerstone.


Mountain = Mount Zion = Heavenly Jerusalem
Mount Zion is located on the south-west side of the old city (Jerusalem) , outside of the present walls. In Greek and Roman times this was the southern side of the walled city, the place of the Jesus last supper and the home of the high priest high priest Caiaphas.

Psa 48:2 Its beautiful peak is the joy of the whole earth. Mount Zion is on the northern ridge. It is the city of the great king.

Read more about and view pictures of Mount Zion @ http://www.biblewalks.com/Sites/MountZion.html

Jesus is the Cornerstone of Zion
1Pe 2:6 That is why Scripture says, "I am laying a chosen and precious cornerstone in Zion, and the person who believes in him will never be ashamed."

Zion is God's spiritual kingdom, the heavenly Jerusalem
Heb 12:22 Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to tens of thousands of angels joyfully gathered together

We are the Spiritual Stones
1Pe 2:4-7a GW
(4) You are coming to Christ, the living stone who was rejected by humans but was chosen as precious by God.
(5) You come to him as living stones, a spiritual house that is being built into a holy priesthood. So offer spiritual sacrifices that God accepts through Jesus Christ.
(6) That is why Scripture says, "I am laying a chosen and precious cornerstone in Zion, and the person who believes in him will never be ashamed."
(7a) This honor belongs to those who believe.


We are destined to end up in Zion (Heavenly Jerusalem)
Heb 12:21-23 GW
(22) Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to tens of thousands of angels joyfully gathered together
(23) and to the assembly of God's firstborn children (whose names are written in heaven). You have come to a judge (the God of all people) and to the spirits of people who have God's approval and have gained eternal life.


What about non Believers?
1Pe 2:7b-8 GW
(7b)But to those who don't believe: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,
(8) a stone that people trip over, a large rock that people find offensive." The people tripped over the word because they refused to believe it. Therefore, this is how they ended up.


So, why not pick-up and carry the stones to Jesus?

We can do this in two ways;
Carry each other i.e. support fellow Christians
Pick-up and carry non-believers to Jesus

Thus if we build our lives on Jesus (the Cornerstone),we will be established in our lives and will not be shamed. We also may be rejected by people, but when we are built on Jesus, we will not be rejected by God.

Our value is in being living stones built into a spiritual house (in the Heavenly Jerusalem ) aligned with Jesus, our Cornerstone.

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