JUDGMENT

“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily" (Isa. 28:16 NKJV).

Prophetically, this verse is speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ who is described as the Stone. He is called the foundation stone, the tested stone, the precious stone, the corner stone, and the sure stone.

Foundation Stone – The Lord Jesus Christ is the only foundation of our salvation. In 1 Cor. 3:11 we read “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” We our salvation upon this foundation or we will have no salvation.

Tested Stone – During His time on earth, the Lord Jesus was tested (“tried”) but passed every test. When it comes to our soul salvation, we need to put our trust in One who is proven and trustworthy. No one is more proven and trustworthy than the Lord Jesus Christ.

Precious Stone - The word “precious” carries the idea of great value. When we speak of precious stones, we speak of stones of great value such as a diamond. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Stone of greatest value. The word also the carries the idea of great affection. We call those we love “precious.” If there is anyone we should love, it is the Lord Jesus because He has saved us from eternal condemnation through His work on Calvary.

Corner Stone – In the ancient Near East, the cornerstone did two important things. First, it tied two walls together. This speaks of the mediator work of Christ who brings the sinner to God. Secondly, it was the pattern of the entire building. The whole building was set up according to the cornerstone. The Lord Jesus is the pattern we need to follow in life.

Sure Stone – The word “sure” carriers the idea that something that will not fail. Christ our Lord will never fail. The salvation He provides for us will never fail. It will last for eternity. The world makes promises but fails miserably to fulfill them. Not so the Lord Jesus Christ. He accomplishes what He promises He does. You can count on that!

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises, leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself!”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 – 1945) Lutheran Pastor and Theologian

Word Study

Discipline (trained)

In 2 Peter 2:14 we read, “Having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children” (NKJV).

Discipline (trained) is the Greek word gumnazō (γυμνάζω = goom-nad'-zo). It means to exercise bodily and described an athlete exercising in the gym. We get our English words gymnasium and gymnastics from this word. Figuratively, gumnazō means to exercise so as to discipline oneself or to exercise vigorously, either the body or the mind. It describes the rigorous, strenuous, self-sacrificing training an athlete undergoes.

In secular Greek literature gumnazō was used to refer to an athlete training in the nude, as was done in the Greek games, and to refer to training in general. Here in our verse, the word trained is in the perfect tense indicating a past completed action with ongoing effect. This means that these false teachers had lived in a heart atmosphere of covetousness for so long that their heart condition was one of a permanent state.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah will declare things not yet done (Isa. 46:9-10)

New Testament Fulfillment – John 13:19

Did You Know…

In the Bible, it states that Jesus cleanses us from our sins by His blood (Rev. 1:5; Rom. 5:9).

Bible Quiz

According to the Book of Joshua, what did Rahab do to put a marking on her home saving it from destruction?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: According to Proverbs, feeding a hungry enemy and giving a thirsty enemy a drink will be like doing what. “Heaping coals of fire on his head” (Prov. 25:21-22)

Everyday Expressions Alluded to in the Bible

“Scrape the bottom of the barrel”

“So she said, as the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die!” (1 Kings 17:12 NKJV).

“Scrape the bottom of the barrel” - The expression “scrape the bottom of the barrel” carries the idea of barely making ends meet. In context, this widow was in bad shape. She is literally scraping the bottom of the barrel herself. Hearing the desperate plight of the widow, Elijah challenged her to trust the Lord for His provision. God protects and provides for His people. But there is a condition: we must trust and obey God’s Word. Just as the widow trusted and obeyed the Lord, so we too must trust and obey Him.

Did You Know – Christian History

Augustus Montague Toplady was born November 4, 1740, at Farnham, Surrey, England. He was an Anglican cleric and hymn writer.

He studied at the Westminster School for a while, but was sent to Ireland in 1755, the same year as his conversion. Toplady received his degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from Trinity College. He was ordained deacon in 1762, as a priest two years later, and served as curate (parish priest) at Farleigh, Hungerford until 1766. During 1775 he took a leave to minister to the French Calvinist Reformed Church in Orange Street, London.

His first published work was Poems on Sacred Subjects, Dublin, 1759. His major works were the Historic Proof of the Doctrinal Calvinism of the Church of England (1774) and The Church of England Vindicated from the Charge of Arminianism (1769.) Toplady was prone to arguing and was cutting in his opposition to Wesley followers.

Toplady suffered from tuberculosis. The day he died, he was calling, “Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!” He told his friends that he could not live much longer for no mortal man could live after seeing the glories of God that he had seen. Toplady died August 11, 1778; he was not quite thirty-eight. However, his short life-span was enough to produce one of the most beloved of all hymns - Rock of Ages. .

Today, few if any read Toplady’s sermons or his other works, but we still sing his hymn. It has remained a favorite, being sung in churches or at home; it speaks of Christ’s mercy to all ages.

A Little Humor

A pastor was known to have a Bible verse for everything that happened. One Sunday as he was preaching a bug flew into his mouth. He gulped and said, “He was a stranger and I took him in.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“The time is short. Eternity is long. It is the time of decision!”