Just Pondering
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Rick Branan |
According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:10-11 (CSB)
Samuel John Stone, a clergyman of the Church of England, the son of Rev. William Stone, was born at Whitmore, Staffordshire, April 25, 1839. He was educated at Pembroke College, Oxford, where he was graduated B.A. in 1862. Later he took orders and served various Churches. He succeeded his father at St. Paul's, Haggerstown, in 1874. He was the author of many original hymns and translations, which were collected and published in 1886. His hymns are hopeful in spirit and skillfully constructed. He published several poetic volumes. He died November 19, 1900
--Hymn Writers of the Church, 1915 (Charles Nutter)
The Church’s One Foundation
The Church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is his new creation,
By water and the word;
From Heav'n he came and sought her
To be his holy bride;
With his own blood he bought her,
And for her life he died.
Elect from ev'ry nation,
Yet one o'er all the Earth,
Her charter of salvation
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With ev'ry grace endued.
'Mid toil and tribulation
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forever more;
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with thee;
There, past the border mountains,
Where in sweet vales, the bride
With thee, by living fountains,
Forever shall abide!
Written by S.J. Stone
I enjoy woodworking. We recently remodeled our garage and turned it into a studio and shop. Every task we undertook, we needed to be sure we were straight and square. That always made the next step easier. In our focus scripture, Paul reminds the church at Corinth that he has laid a foundation, by God’s grace, which was based on Jesus Christ. We ran into square and straight problems because the garage had settled and moved. When we lay our spiritual foundation on Jesus Christ, it will not move.
Psalm 118 reminds us that Jesus is the cornerstone. Christ quoted this verse when rebuking the scribes and chief priests. They knew that He knew what they were about and had already rejected Him. S.J. Stone, in the final verse writes, “With thee, by living fountains,
forever shall abide!” When we make Christ our sure foundation, we can live with Christ eternally.
Do you have that assurance? It really is simple: Admit you’re a sinner and repent; Believe the Jesus Christ is God’s Son; and Confess Him as Lord. Take those steps today.
Just pondering . . . Bro. Rick