Living Stones

I Peter 2:5   

You, also, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house . . . 

We are living stones, we are built into God's temple, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost. We are God's Temple in Heaven, the original, the pattern God showed Moses on the mount, after which, according to which the Tabernacle was made.

Revelation 6:9-10  

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"


Revelation 16:7  

And I heard the altar respond, "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments."


The sixth seal showed John the martyrs who were crying out for God to judge those whose rebellion against God resulted in their martyrdom; John saw them as "under the altar" in Heaven.

Then, when the bowls of wrath are poured out on the land, sea, and fresh waters, it is the Altar itself that commends God for His vengeance and justice that the martyrs had cried out for at the Fifth Seal.

It appears to me that, since we are all Living Stones of God's Heavenly Temple, the martyrs seem to be the stones of the very Altar in that Temple. What an exalted, privileged position they have!

Suffering and Hope

Romans 5:3-5   

We also rejoice in our sufferings, -- This seems impossible until we read the rest.

because we know that -- We're not guessing, we're not hoping so, we know.

suffering produces perseverance, -- we learn to patiently keep on keeping on.

perseverance produces character, -- The character of Christ Himself being reproduced in us, conforming us into His very image.

and character produces hope. -- Not an "I hope so" kind of concept, but the very knowing. 

And hope does not disappoint us, -- We know for a certainty that God is always faithful to keep His promises, no matter how bleak matters look to us at the moment.

because God has poured out -- Poured out, not dripped or skimped on. 

His love -- His very Agape love, unconditional and abundant.

into our hearts -- Filled our very selves with this supernatural level of caring, overflowing us, so that we can spill over onto other people whose lives touch ours.

by the Holy Spirit, -- His own Spirit of Life, who is the Seal, the Guarantee and the Deposit; the Down Payment on all God has promised us (Ephesians 1:13-14), just as sure as that the sun will rise tomorrow!

whom He has given us. -- The One who is powering the New Life God gives us when He calls us into His own Kingdom, to be His sons and daughters, to rule as His kings and queens.

Just as Jesus endured the Cross, seeing the Joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2), we can rejoice (take joy in) whatever trials, sufferings, tribulations, afflictions, troubles and persecutions that come into our lives, knowing that they will help us learn patience (perseverance, hopeful endurance, constancy, patient waiting), which develops in us good character (proven trustworthiness, tested integrity), which produces in us a constant attitude of hope (to anticipate with pleasure, expectation, confidence) that will never (shame us down, make us ashamed, disgraced or dishonored) disappoint us. What a wonderful Father we have in our God! 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!