Remember the Foundational Stone*

When Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land, twelve stones were placed as a monument for future generations to remember the great thing that the LORD had done for His people. There is a spiritual Stone, a foundational Stone, that not only serves as a reminder, but as a Stone upon which the living house of God is being built. In order to be a part of that living house of God, an acknowledgement of, and connection to, this foundational Stone must be made: "When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter (meaning rock or stone), and upon this rock (projecting rock, large stone) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Mt. 16:13-19). We are to bind and loose what God has bound and loosed. However, what is this stone to which Jesus referred above? This Stone upon which the church is built was revealed by the prophets: "Hear now, O Joshua the high priest...for behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes (see Rev. 5:6): behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day." (Zech. 3:8-9). Who can remove iniquity from the land in one day but the Messiah, the Savior? The Lamb slain in Revelation, who is Jesus, has seven eyes (Rev. 5:6). We get more understanding regarding the Stone from the Psalms: "It is better to trust in the LORD than put confidence in man...The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner." (Ps. 118:8, 22). Although rejected, this Stone is the chief building stone, the cornerstone. Jesus referred to these very scriptures, and warned that because they had rejected this chief cornerstone, God would remove His kingdom from them, and give it to others who show forth the fruit of accepting this cornerstone. Jesus also said that this Stone (speaking of Himself) would cause many to fall and be broken by it, but for others, the Stone would fall on them and grind them to dust (Mt. 21:42-46). Peter also wrote about the Stone that was rejected: "...desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded...unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed." (1 Pet. 2:1-8). Regarding those who believe on this precious chief Cornerstone, and are not offended by Him because of disobedience, Peter wrote: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people,; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." (v. 9-10). Peter then wrote that as such, we are to live as those who are walking in this calling of grace, not walking in fleshly lusts, so that others, even if they speak evil of us, might see our good works, and glorify God in the day of His visitation. (v. 11-12). We see the work of this Chief Cornerstone, Christ, as Peter wrote about how we have been made "the elect" because of Him: "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." (1 Pet. 1:2). God is not willing that any should perish, but by His Son, the eternal blood of of Christ has been sprnkled on the Mercy Seat for all who will accept this provision for our sin. This is the elect: "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth....there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word (which is Jesus), and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one...And this is the record (see Jn. 19:35), that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life...And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." (1 Jn. 3:5-12, 20). As confirmed by scientific testing, the Shroud of Turin bears both the water and the blood from the crucified man of the image, Who, I believe is Jesus Christ. Scripture confirms this also saying that when the Roman soldier pierced the side of the crucified Jesus with his spear, both water and blood serum came from the wound. Because Jesus had already died, the blood had separated into its physical components: water and blood serum (see Jn. 19:33-34). John was also the disciple who, when arriving at the empty tomb of Jesus with Peter, looked in, saw the empty linen burial cloth and believed (see Jn. 20:3-9). As mentioned with the water and the blood, the Spirit of God, Who is always confirming Christ to us, is also our guarantee or assurance of the "Yes" of God regarding His promises, and we are sealed in this "Yes" of the Holy Spirit in our hearts (see 2 Cor. 1:19-22). Our Chief Cornerstone, Christ, has given us the Holy Spirit for this reason. The prophet Zechariah wrote that it is by the Spirit that we, and Israel, can see the truth of the Savior: "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." (Zech. 12:7-10, excerpt). The "inhabitants" of Jerusalem spoken of here by the prophet, are not only composed of the tribe of Judah, but there are those residing in Jerusalem from all of the tribes of Israel, and by the Spirit given to them by God, they shall see their pierced "son", their Messiah - Jesus. *Based upon the 7/23/23 message of Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson to the Church. To hear the full message, look for Dr. Stevenson's Facebook page. You can contact this ministry at PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. God bless you.