Colossians 1:10, "Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better."
Oh, if life was as easy as black and white. Blueprints already printed, and easy to follow. But that was not God’s intention when He created this world full of colors and then us in His image. He wanted us to be able to think, discover and learn not only about Him but how this world works. Unfortunately, we have gone and muddied up the waters and decided to complicate life even more, and the devil is right there to remind us and show us that this world is better off without God. But when we spend time in God’s Word and we allow the things around us to show us God’s goodness and how we can learn and grow with what He has given us, we can learn to silence the devil’s voice and work toward salvation. Let’s continue to see how these 6 stones can help us remember how to get through life with Jesus in the center.
Granite: This is a very sturdy rock used for many buildings because of its toughness and durability. It resists heat and frost and can be very appealing to look at. The Bible tells us that in all we do, one specific thing is the most important, build your life on Jesus for He is our Rock our Cornerstone, Isaiah 28:16, “Because of these things, this is what the Lord God says: “I will put a stone in the ground in Jerusalem, a tested stone. Everything will be built on this important and precious rock. Anyone who trusts in it will never be disappointed.” Ephesians 2:19-22, “Now you who are not Jewish are not foreigners or strangers any longer, but are citizens together with God’s holy people. You belong to God’s family. You are like a building that was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in that building, and that whole building is joined together in Christ. He makes it grow and become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Christ you, too, are being built together with the Jews into a place where God lives through the Spirit.”
When our lives are built on His foundation, we can be sure He will take care of us and lead us. Like granite the Lord is our sturdy foundation tough and durable, and He will help us resist the heat and frost.
There's something cool I also learned about granite. Granite is not just one stone, it actually has feldspar, quartz, and mica mixed into it. These all interlocked together give the granite its lighter and darker tones. With each rock there can be different varieties of color depending on which of the three, or two of the three, are more dominant.
Okay, enough science talk. When I read this, it reminded me that Jesus is not just one, He is part of the Trinity and they all interlock together to form the cornerstone in which we build our lives. What's even cooler is that we all have the base of God in our lives, we were created in His image. Yet depending on how the Trinity mixes into our lives, we all turn out unique in a variety of differences yet all interlocked as one because Jesus lives in us.
Petoskey Stone: This is a unique rock and usually can only be found in or on the shores of Lake Michigan. It's unique because of how it looks, with the white obscure circles fanning out with lines and the circles inside the circles with darker circles. It's a rock that can't be missed once you've seen a few. As unique as these rocks are they are still like most rocks found. Gray, dull, rough, and bumpy. Many rock collectors like to gather these stones and then take the time to polish them, usually using a rock tumbler. The finished product is a shiny, smooth, rock with its designs brought out, and it's very nice looking.
We all start off in this world rough and sinful because we're born into it. We will all stumble and fall in life. There will be times we are short of God's glory. How many of us have lived more in this world than in the footsteps of Jesus? As we go through life, Jesus, when we let Him, will come along, pick us up and begin the polishing process to make us shiny (righteous). It won't be a bed of roses, there will be times we will feel Jesus rubbing out our sins or tumbling us about to smooth down the rough edges. When we allow the little bit of tumbling, in the end we become new and shiny and Jesus will shine through us for others to see and learn more about Him- 1 John 3:5, “You know that Christ came to take away sins and that there is no sin in Christ.”
As you go about your life remember you are unique and special, and you are part of God's family. We may have fallen far from creation, but we are still God's creation. He wants to be part of your life and like the unique stone we collect in our homes He wants us to live with Him because we are special.
White Stone: Revelation 2:17, “Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. “I will give some of the hidden manna to everyone who wins the victory. I will also give to each one who wins the victory a white stone with a new name written on it. No one knows this new name except the one who receives it.”
Let's begin with a little history and why God used the symbol of a white stone. Back in the early New Testament times when a Roman trial concluded it was time for a panel of judges to decide a person's fate as guilty or innocent. The votes were registered by the judges putting a black or white stone in an urn. Black-guilty, white-innocent. Depending which color came out the most decided the fate of the one on trial.
So, when Jesus tells us in Revelation, a white stone is given to those who overcome. He is saying, ‘I have reviewed all the evidence, and I have judged you not guilty.’
This message still resonates with us today as it did in Bible times. Christ has already cast His vote. He has found me NOT GUILTY! Regardless of our actions in the past, Jesus’ blood on the cross has brought forgiveness to all who seek it.
Now, a little like the voting system of guilty and not guilty the Greeks began the system when it came to elections. White- in favor for your candidate, black-don't want them.
Revelations white stone can also tell us that Jesus is voting for us, we have His full support, and He has our back when we choose to live righteously with Him putting the worlds ideas behind us.
We can choose to carry a white stone around in our pockets or purse to remember we have been forgiven and washed clean with the precious blood of Jesus. The devil will try to bring us down, use our past against us. But, we know, Jesus has reviewed all the evidence, applied His blood to our life, and found us blameless and free from shame.
When life seems tough or you feel no one is with you or has your back, remember. Jesus has cast a vote for you- Romans 8:31. Rejoice, cast off all doubt. The only vote that matters has been cast in your favor.
Six stones or minerals. Six ways we can be reminded of Jesus in our life daily. Six ways we can learn to be more like Jesus and do as He has asked, and share the good news with others. If you have a chance, gather these six stones, and display them in your home as a reminder of God's love for you.
Taking time each day in God's Word helps us grow more Christlike and when we seek knowledge from the scriptures we can learn more about who God is and what He has done for us and the promises we have in store for us. It doesn't have to be long, but the more you spend in the Bible the more you can understand how this world is falling apart and how much the Lord is with you. I hope you have had a chance to study with us as we have been going through a study learning how we can give more to Jesus and the joys we can receive when we do. Today we are moving into study 5 and how we can overcome our fears.
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