JESUS, THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE :
Matthew 16:18, "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Some people have mistakenly interpreted this passage to say that Peter was the foundation on which Christ would build His Church. However, that would violate many scriptures that refer to Jesus as the "chief cornerstone."
Ephesians 2:20 does mention the apostles as being part of the foundation stones of Christ's church, but it doesn't single Peter out above any of the other apostles, This same scripture once again mentions Jesus as the "chief cornerstone."
There are two different Greek words used for "Peter" and "rock" respectively in verse 18. The word used for "Peter" means "rock" but signifies a piece of rock like a pebble. In contrast, the word translated as "rock" signifies a massive rock which certainly refers to Jesus, the "chief cornerstone." Some have suggested that the foundation rock referred to was confession that Peter made saying that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt. 16:16). Although it is true that, to enter God's kingdom, we do have to confess that Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9-10), in light of the Old Testament prophecies and New Testament references to Jesus being the "chief cornerstone," this passage of scripture must be referring directly to Jesus as the "rock" upon which He will build His church.
One of the greatest differences between the New Testament believer and the Old Testament believer is the fact that New Testament saints are the temple of God. God Himself actually indwells us. God does not dwell in a building made by man's hands. He now lives in the hearts of those who make Jesus their Lord (Rom. 10:9). The cornerstone of our lives in God must be an ever-increasing revelation of His Son. If we had a real understanding of the reality of Christ in us (Col. 1:27), it would drastically change our attitudes, emotions, and actions.
Note that God will restore all the enemy has taken from you (Joel 2:25).
DON'T HESITATE :
He that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. – James 1:6-8
What happens when you hesitate to do something God has told you to do? Your adversary takes the first step. The devil gets the jump on you.
If you want to live by faith, hesitation is one of the most hazardous habits you could ever have. It comes from being indecisive. The Bible says a man like that is "unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything he thinks, feels, decides" (The Amplified Bible).
If you are double-minded, the decisions you make are split. You try to live by faith and protect your fear at the same time. You make faith statements like "I believe God is going to heal me." Then your fear whispers, "But I wouldn't want to say I'm well just yet." You're so busy going back and forth between faith and fear, you can't make any progress at all.
Kick the habit of hesitation today. Make a solid decision to trust in and act on the Word of God. Settle it forever. Resolve never to entertain doubts again. When doubt comes to your mind, cast it out quickly.
When God speaks, don't waste a moment. Step right out in faith. That way, you can always keep the devil a step behind you!
QUEST FOR STOLEN TREASURE
[Jesus] said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” —Matthew 4:19
In J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the dwarfs gathered to go up against Smaug, the fierce dragon, to retrieve their stolen treasure. In spite of the dangerously frightening quest, Balin, the dwarfs’ second-in-command, expressed confidence in Thorin: “There is one I could follow. There is one I could call King.” His commitment to the mission, as dangerous as it was, was empowered by his confidence in his leader.
At the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry, He gathered a group around Him that would join Him in the kingdom task of rescuing the treasure of lost souls from our enemy, Satan. When He called them, He said, “Follow Me” (Matt. 4:19). For them, following Jesus would mean a radical transition from catching fish to the enterprise of being fishers of men and women who were lost in the grip of sin. But the task would not always be easy; Jesus referred to the quest as taking up our cross to follow Him (see Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).
How do we stay engaged in the battle to reclaim Christ’s lost treasures when it seems intimidating or awkward? By keeping our eye on our Leader. He indeed is worthy—One we can follow, the One we call King!
Lord, in the face of intimidation and fear when seeking to engage others with the gospel, remind me that they are Your lost treasures. I count it
a privilege to follow You into others’ lives.
Follow your Leader into the lives of those around you.
PERSISTENCE
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF PERSISTENCE
You can have all the talent in the world but if you don’t have persistence, you’ll never bring it out. Without persistence, you’ll never see all that God has in store for you. Galatians 6 puts it this way: “Do not grow weary in well doing for in due season you will reap a harvest.” That’s persistence. It means there is some effort involved, but God will reward your effort with success!
When I think of persistence, I think of my husband. Joel Osteen is one of the most diligent and persistent people on the planet! Years ago, he didn’t know he would be a preacher. He didn’t know he would a best-selling author. He didn’t know all that God had deposited within him. But he stayed faithful with what he had in his hand. He was persistent, and that persistence paid off.
Imagine if Joel would have given up. Imagine if he would have listened to the critics. Think of all the hundreds of thousands of people who would not have heard the good news! Now, think of all the people that God has in your future—the people God wants you to reach. Those people need your persistence. They need you to forge ahead.
The thing is that God is not asking you to bring your own victory. He’s not asking you to bring your own progress. He’s simply asking you to not give up! He’s simply asking you to stay in the game. He’s simply saying, “Don’t quit! Don’t faint! Don’t lose ground!”
Anytime you feel tempted to quit because you don’t think you are getting anywhere, remember that oftentimes, we grow in the unseen realm before we grow in the seen realm. We grow spiritually, we grow emotionally, we increase in wisdom and maturity before those doors of opportunity open before us. Don’t ever get tired of learning the lessons. Sometimes we have to learn the same ones over and over, but when it sticks, that’s when we are equipped to grow to another level. Remember, you can’t fail if you don’t quit! Stay in the process because your due season of harvest is on the way. Don’t underestimate the power of persistence!
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9, NIV)
PRAYER FOR THE DAY :
“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12;2)
Dear Lord God, I praise You. I honor You. I see Your face in every sunrise. Your smile breaks through the cloud with radiant sunshine. You brighten up the world and light up my life. Your Spirit comes upon me that my life is on revival. Wash away all my worries and nourish my desert life today. Let the Spirit of God come upon me and make me more like Christ for I am Your chosen servant and wonderfully made child.
Gratefully, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen !!!
Matthew 16:18, "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Some people have mistakenly interpreted this passage to say that Peter was the foundation on which Christ would build His Church. However, that would violate many scriptures that refer to Jesus as the "chief cornerstone."
Ephesians 2:20 does mention the apostles as being part of the foundation stones of Christ's church, but it doesn't single Peter out above any of the other apostles, This same scripture once again mentions Jesus as the "chief cornerstone."
There are two different Greek words used for "Peter" and "rock" respectively in verse 18. The word used for "Peter" means "rock" but signifies a piece of rock like a pebble. In contrast, the word translated as "rock" signifies a massive rock which certainly refers to Jesus, the "chief cornerstone." Some have suggested that the foundation rock referred to was confession that Peter made saying that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt. 16:16). Although it is true that, to enter God's kingdom, we do have to confess that Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9-10), in light of the Old Testament prophecies and New Testament references to Jesus being the "chief cornerstone," this passage of scripture must be referring directly to Jesus as the "rock" upon which He will build His church.
One of the greatest differences between the New Testament believer and the Old Testament believer is the fact that New Testament saints are the temple of God. God Himself actually indwells us. God does not dwell in a building made by man's hands. He now lives in the hearts of those who make Jesus their Lord (Rom. 10:9). The cornerstone of our lives in God must be an ever-increasing revelation of His Son. If we had a real understanding of the reality of Christ in us (Col. 1:27), it would drastically change our attitudes, emotions, and actions.
Note that God will restore all the enemy has taken from you (Joel 2:25).
DON'T HESITATE :
He that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. – James 1:6-8
What happens when you hesitate to do something God has told you to do? Your adversary takes the first step. The devil gets the jump on you.
If you want to live by faith, hesitation is one of the most hazardous habits you could ever have. It comes from being indecisive. The Bible says a man like that is "unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything he thinks, feels, decides" (The Amplified Bible).
If you are double-minded, the decisions you make are split. You try to live by faith and protect your fear at the same time. You make faith statements like "I believe God is going to heal me." Then your fear whispers, "But I wouldn't want to say I'm well just yet." You're so busy going back and forth between faith and fear, you can't make any progress at all.
Kick the habit of hesitation today. Make a solid decision to trust in and act on the Word of God. Settle it forever. Resolve never to entertain doubts again. When doubt comes to your mind, cast it out quickly.
When God speaks, don't waste a moment. Step right out in faith. That way, you can always keep the devil a step behind you!
QUEST FOR STOLEN TREASURE
[Jesus] said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” —Matthew 4:19
In J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the dwarfs gathered to go up against Smaug, the fierce dragon, to retrieve their stolen treasure. In spite of the dangerously frightening quest, Balin, the dwarfs’ second-in-command, expressed confidence in Thorin: “There is one I could follow. There is one I could call King.” His commitment to the mission, as dangerous as it was, was empowered by his confidence in his leader.
At the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry, He gathered a group around Him that would join Him in the kingdom task of rescuing the treasure of lost souls from our enemy, Satan. When He called them, He said, “Follow Me” (Matt. 4:19). For them, following Jesus would mean a radical transition from catching fish to the enterprise of being fishers of men and women who were lost in the grip of sin. But the task would not always be easy; Jesus referred to the quest as taking up our cross to follow Him (see Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).
How do we stay engaged in the battle to reclaim Christ’s lost treasures when it seems intimidating or awkward? By keeping our eye on our Leader. He indeed is worthy—One we can follow, the One we call King!
Lord, in the face of intimidation and fear when seeking to engage others with the gospel, remind me that they are Your lost treasures. I count it
a privilege to follow You into others’ lives.
Follow your Leader into the lives of those around you.
PERSISTENCE
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF PERSISTENCE
You can have all the talent in the world but if you don’t have persistence, you’ll never bring it out. Without persistence, you’ll never see all that God has in store for you. Galatians 6 puts it this way: “Do not grow weary in well doing for in due season you will reap a harvest.” That’s persistence. It means there is some effort involved, but God will reward your effort with success!
When I think of persistence, I think of my husband. Joel Osteen is one of the most diligent and persistent people on the planet! Years ago, he didn’t know he would be a preacher. He didn’t know he would a best-selling author. He didn’t know all that God had deposited within him. But he stayed faithful with what he had in his hand. He was persistent, and that persistence paid off.
Imagine if Joel would have given up. Imagine if he would have listened to the critics. Think of all the hundreds of thousands of people who would not have heard the good news! Now, think of all the people that God has in your future—the people God wants you to reach. Those people need your persistence. They need you to forge ahead.
The thing is that God is not asking you to bring your own victory. He’s not asking you to bring your own progress. He’s simply asking you to not give up! He’s simply asking you to stay in the game. He’s simply saying, “Don’t quit! Don’t faint! Don’t lose ground!”
Anytime you feel tempted to quit because you don’t think you are getting anywhere, remember that oftentimes, we grow in the unseen realm before we grow in the seen realm. We grow spiritually, we grow emotionally, we increase in wisdom and maturity before those doors of opportunity open before us. Don’t ever get tired of learning the lessons. Sometimes we have to learn the same ones over and over, but when it sticks, that’s when we are equipped to grow to another level. Remember, you can’t fail if you don’t quit! Stay in the process because your due season of harvest is on the way. Don’t underestimate the power of persistence!
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9, NIV)
PRAYER FOR THE DAY :
“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12;2)
Dear Lord God, I praise You. I honor You. I see Your face in every sunrise. Your smile breaks through the cloud with radiant sunshine. You brighten up the world and light up my life. Your Spirit comes upon me that my life is on revival. Wash away all my worries and nourish my desert life today. Let the Spirit of God come upon me and make me more like Christ for I am Your chosen servant and wonderfully made child.
Gratefully, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen !!!
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