God was delivering a message in the stones, but I did not hear it immediately. While on a visit to my island home just over a week ago, I kept noticing the beauty of stone architecture, not realizing there was a message being spoken in the stones. For example, this church built in 1861 – my mother played the pipe organ here for many years. (Photographers credited).
Also, this old (and still functional) 2000-gallon (7570-liter) water cistern/tank located on land owned by our family. The stone pillars stand 6 -7 feet (2 meters) tall and have withstood the weight for more than 70 years.
During a drive through the mountains, headed to the island capital Kingston, last weekend, I took these next three photos.
I began to notice more and more stonework than I had for many years. And, by sheer coincidence, the Scripture I had just read (1 Peter Chapter Two) discussed Living Stones. Within the same week, after I listened to a testimony from someone named Stone, God had my attention. He was delivering a message in the stones! To confirm this, He gave me a short Prophetic Dream which I will share before the end of this post.
Living Stones
Stonework varies in color and design with a common bond, mortar. And, like natural stones, Living Stones are very diverse.
Another characteristic of Living Stones is they feed and grow up on the pure milk of the Word (1 Peter 2:2). God chooses them and bonds them together by the Holy Spirit to form the body of Christ.
Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (I Peter 2:4-5)
Living Stones are precious to God and serve as His holy Priesthood, to offer up acceptable prayers and praise.
Appointed Yet Rejected
Could these possibly be the same stone? Yes. One is an undesirable rock in the rough and the other is a precious perfectly polished diamond.
Valued in Heaven, Living “Stones” are offensive to this world. The world rejects them just as it rejects Jesus (the Chief Cornerstone).
The Mirror of the Word
The disobedient are “appointed” to the Word, per Peter. So, why is it so offensive? According to the Book of James, the Word of God is like a mirror.
Hearing the Word then forgetting what God said or not putting His Words into action is like
“a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was” (1:23-24).
Without God’s Word, we could easily fall prey to our own perspectives, self-image and offenses.
Weaponized Stones
Conflicts and offenses will arise as Jesus warned. True, our tongues can deliver messages in stones, life and blessings or injury or death. (James 3:1-12, Proverbs 28:21).
Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me. (Matthew 18:7, 11:6)
Sometimes the offense is against God because we think that He failed us in some way. ” Yet [Jesus] was delivered up because of our offenses and was raised because of our justification (Romans 4:25, bolded for emphasis).
The reality is, some people stay offended for years because their wounds are very deep, or they find it difficult to seek God. Conversely, others become offended because they are disobedient to the Word or have forgotten the Word they once heard. Regardless of how an offense comes, the Bible warns that we must forgive others (Matthew 18).
Help for Offended Hearts
God cares about offenses. He knows precisely how to heal or cleanse offended hearts.
Remarkably, God’s process looks similar to how diamonds are made (heat and pressure) and yet He is gentle and attentive.
Hosea 5:15 states “I will return again to My place ’till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
The prophet implied that when God’s Presence lifts from us, we become more aware of the heat and pressure of life’s afflictions. Then, in our desperation, we acknowledge our feelings and seek God more earnestly. Eventually, we discover (or re-discover) His immense kindness and mercy. It is God’s kindness that melts away the hardest hearts and enables us to forgive willingly.
Receive these Scriptures as written in stone-
God never forsakes us or abandons us.
Written in the Stones
As if to confirm this message in stones, I also received this short spiritual dream in the same week.
Dream: A Stone iPad
I opened an iPad cover, but instead of seeing a tablet computer, there was a slab of cut stone in the shape of an iPad.
In the parabolic language of Scriptures and Dreams, an iPad can be a wordplay for “eye” (spiritual seeing/hearing). Since they connect the user to different media (news and social media), iPads provide information. Stones, rocks, and gemstones can represent foundations, building blocks, altars or memorials. But, in this context, stones are words or revelation (For example, Jacob’s stone pillow and the stone tablets with the 10 commandments).
Interpretation: This is the season for Living Stones to seek guidance and revelation from God’s Word and the Holy Spirit, rather than look to other sources. Also, we must not forsake the Word or promises of God for popular (social) opinions.
Prophetic Significance
The Georgia Guidestones was destroyed this past week https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones, confirming this message. The Lord is saying:
Natural stones, words and opinions will fail, but the Word of the Lord (the Chief Cornerstone) endures forever! Amen.
This final photo shows small, engraved rocks that I keep on my coffee table as a reminder of His Names. Now I can see the message in the stones (He is our Chief Cornerstone). Thank you for reading!