Simple Fact

‎Wednesday, ‎April ‎28, ‎2021

Good Morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: Philippians 2:5-8

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Memory of the month:  And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" —Luke 24:32

Today's reading: 1 KINGS 3-5 LUKE 20:1-26

Simple Fact

God made the mountains and hills and valleys and plains and their wonders never cease to amaze me. I have seen things that defy explanation that are probably not very amazing to most but to me are simply wonderful. The cap rocks on some of the hills around here are great. Some are several feet thick and run all the way across the hills with hardly a crack. Some are thick and sectioned like 'jig-saw' puzzle pieces, some weighing tons.

Today's new testament reading records the words of Jesus as He quotes Psalm 118:

“The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone’?

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed."(Luke 20:17-18)

One cross-reference takes us to Zechariah 4:7 ►

"What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!'"

The teachers all say that both stones are Jesus with some saying, also, that the capstone is the finishing touch to the top of the temple.

From my experience, it is appropriate for me to think that the capstone-the thick top plate of the mountain is taken and cut to be the cornerstone of the foundation of the temple. It just makes sense to me. ( But, then, none of the old writers ever pushed brush in the Hill Country.) Everything between the top of the mountain and the cornerstone-all is His.

Your idea of a 'cornerstone' may be totally different-and that's just fine. The Lord, in all His infinite wisdom has led us all in different directions with different experiences-the Lord is one-our worlds are many. There is only one cornerstone-just one.

The 'only one' crushes many today. They cannot buy into that. Why? Because it was not 'their' idea. Their minds are controlled by the contrary notions of the enemy.

We must believe that God loves them through their 'contrary notions' and so love them, too-enough so they experience that love. Some will respond positively and some will never believe but we must love through it.

You may not agree with me about the capstone and the cornerstone and that's fine, it's O.K. It is just an idea.

But the fact that Jesus is the cornerstone and the capstone-as well as the only way, truth ,and life-the only way to salvation-well-that is simply that-a fact.

If you see folks stumble, offer a hand up in the name and love of Jesus.

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Destroy in me my urge to judge someone for their weird ideas and let me see through it to the part You died for. Forgive my harsh judgements.

Merciful and great God!

In the name of Jesus,

Amen