Reflections On A House Of Stones

"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."
1 Peter 2: 5.
                                   

My Grandparents on my Father's side lived in Arkansas when I was a small child and I did not get to see them very often. I remember my first visit to their home was when I was about seven years of age. My Mother had told me they lived in a rock house, unlike the wood frame house that we lived in. I could not imagine what it would look like as there were not any houses like what she described in our area. I could hardly wait to see my Grandparents, and also the house which my Grandpa Phillips, who was a carpenter, helped build.

                                       

As we neared the home, I remember seeing it was an older cottage made of stones and large rocks of many different colors such as brown, tan, gray, white. Some of the stones or rocks seems to be polished and smoothed while others looked rough. They were all put 
together with mortar and together made a beautiful rock house which I thought was unique and the most unusual home I had ever seen. My Grandfather knew the materials chosen for the construction could withstand the storms, rain, and winds which could destroy others nearby but his was made of strong materials. The rains would only help clean and polish the stones as they could endure any storm. The best part of the small rock house was that it was filled with love inside by my Grandparents who had weathered the many storms 
of life together for around fifty years with the Lord's help.
                                          

As I think back on the old rock house, I think of how Christians are referred to as 'lively stones' which make up the House of God or Christ's Body, on earth. Each one of us are different ,not only in thought, but in appearance. All of God's children on earth still have a few rough edges that need to be smoothed off by the power of the Holy Spirit. In this great House have been many Saints who are now in heaven and made perfect as their spirits are with the Lord. We have a great cloud of witnesses in the heavens who in their days testified of the saving grace of the Lord.
                                     

There are many colors of lively stones, all ages, denominations, tribes, nations, races, rich and poor in this spiritual house, and all together make up the universal church or Body of Christ. One thing that we all have in common, if we are a part of this house, is that we all  have the same mortar holding us together. This is Christ and his love which he has given us and 
must flow through each of us in the body from one part to the other to hold it together. Without this mortar of his love to join us fitly together, there will be cracks or divisions between the stones which will allow the enemy to come in and seek to divide and destroy. He is the head of this great Body of Christ on earth and as his love flows to us it must also flow through us. The love of Jesus is to the Body of Christ what blood is to our human bodies. His love is because of His shed blood
and it flows through us and must be extended from the greatest to the smallest as each member is of utmost importance to our Lord and Savior. His love is also to flow out of us and through us to the lost and dying of this world as an unconditional love, such as that of our Savior. We can only have a love like we are admonished to have by making Christ Lord of our lives.
                                         

The old rock house was beautiful to remember as the design was unique and each stone had been added one at a time with patience until the home was completed. This is the way it is with us today. With loving care, our Maker designs the spiritual house on earth adding one stone at a time to the design until the day we are all called to meet Him who will be saved.  We are each unique individuals made into brand new creations by the work of the Master Designer who joins us with others after washing each stone and cleansing it to make each a new creation in Him. He takes time with each of us and is so loving and patient as daily he makes us to be more like Him. 
                                        

God laid in Sion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded. He is what holds the whole spiritual house together and
without Him we can never be a part of the spiritual house of God. He was made the Head of the Corner, or the Chief Stone in the design, and we are built on a solid foundation in Christ Jesus as we stand upon His Word and in Him. The winds may come and the floods may rise, but if we are grounded in Him and fitly joined to his Body, we shall not fall.
                                         

Just as the builder of the old rock home of my grandparents had to pick out each stone and place it in just the right spot, our Lord picked us out, selected and chose us also. He places us in the Church and gives spiritual gifts, as He wills. We must look to our Maker and Creator and know that He alone can solve every problem as He made and created us in his image and chose each to be part of his spiritual house on earth. We are told to honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, and honor the king. 
                                              

Jesus was a living stone, disallowed of men, but chosen of God, and precious.  We may also be rejected but we are chosen also by God and precious in his sight. May we see that we must all be fitly joined and compacted or knit together by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every  part, making increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. We must love one another and will see edification and growth in the body as each works effectually . We must let Jesus flow through us to touch others. He alone can  add living stones to the spiritual house that is still being built today, but we can
seek to find those lost who need to be cleansed and made fit for the Master's use that they might hear the gospel message and be saved. 
                                             

The old house is gone now and where it once stood is now a large golf course with it's modern facilities on the grounds. The memories of the house build of stone still remain in my mind when I think of my Grandparents. I also remember that their love was what made the house a home and also what makes our spiritual house of God as it  should be, as well as our own houses. Our prayer is that we might worship and praise the Master Designer more each day and let his love keep us close as we cling to Him. One day 
those in Christ will be joined with those who have already gone on before to make up the New Jerusalem and the whole house of God in that beautiful city. Until that day, may we seek to grow in grace as we daily seek His face.
                                        

 

Blessings In Christ, Jo Ann Kelly (c) 2003 J. P.'s Inspirations

 

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