Day 52 - 10 May 2020

Day 52             May 10, 2020             
​HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

 The assigned readings for this the fifth Sunday of Easter and Festival of Christian Home are: Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16; Acts 7:55-60; 1 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-14.  Celebrate this Lord’s Day by attending the virtual worship of your choice.

 In the lesson from Peter we find our identity as believers.  Let me borrow and commentary on these verses.  “Holiness of Heart and Life - Humility”

            “Chapter 2 of 1 Peter is built around the theme, found in v.9, of the Christian’s new identity and responsibility for personal integrity: (see below).  The new birth is not a magical event that changes a person instantly into the likeness of Christ, but rather the commitment to the daily journey of intentional painful, and sacrificial work of character formation.  The Jesus-follower must constantly deal with character issues of ‘the flesh’ that threaten to sabotage the soul, damage relationships, and neutralize the mission of Christ.” (Wesley Study Bible p 1562) 

         What an honor and a responsibility we have as God’s people during these trying days.  We need to remain strong and continue to build upon our cornerstone.  We can be a witness to those in need by sharing God’s love which is not always accepted.  Just as Jesus was rejected, there are times when we as Christians are rejected as well.

1 Peter 2:2-10 (CEB) “2 Instead, like a newborn baby, desire the pure milk of the word. Nourished by it, you will grow into salvation, 3 since you have tasted that the Lord is good.4 Now you are coming to him as to a living stone. Even though this stone was rejected by humans, from God’s perspective it is chosen, valuable. 5 You yourselves are being built like living stones into a spiritual temple. You are being made into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Thus it is written in scripture, Look! I am laying a cornerstone in Zion, chosen, valuable. The person who believes in him will never be shamed. 7 So God honors you who believe. For those who refuse to believe, though, the stone the builders tossed aside has become the capstone. 8 This is a stone that makes people stumble and a rock that makes them fall. Because they refuse to believe in the word, they stumble. Indeed, this is the end to which they were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. 10 Once you weren’t a people, but now you are God’s people. Once you hadn’t received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

1 Peter 2:2-10 The Message “2 Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God's pure kindness. Then you'll grow up mature and whole in God.  3 You've had a taste of God. 4 Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor.  5 Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you'll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God.  6 The Scriptures provide precedent: Look! I'm setting a stone in Zion, a cornerstone in the place of honor. Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation will never have cause to regret it. 7 To you who trust him, he's a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him, The stone the workmen threw out is now the chief foundation stone.  8 For the untrusting it's . . . a stone to trip over, a boulder blocking the way. They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted.  9 But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you - 10 from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.”

God who has given us new life in Christ, let us be building blocks upon the cornerstone.  Help us remember that we have been chosen by you to a higher calling.  We want to be your instruments in these days.  Hear our prayers.  Amen
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Today: humility