1 Peter 2:1-12 KJV
1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 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.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an 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:
10 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.
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Has believers of Christ we are spiritual houses. Our bodies are living temple for God's Spirit. As new born babies we desire the milk of the word, but do we fully grasp the meaning of what it is to know God's word and to obey it. Most of us I believe that are Christian at least understand it somewhat. I think it is something not fully grasp til a level of maturity though it is known even to babies in Christ. The time of hearing without understanding and their time with hearing with full understanding. It like signing a contract for a job and it all in black and white but the meaning of the words were unclear. Meaning what it truly entailed was not fully understood. Many evangelist help people get saved, if it was not for the Holy Spirit many people would of gotten baptized without understanding past the basic steps of faith. Meaning leaving out the crucial parts of faith and that is the baptism of the word of God. Baptism by the Spirit of God.

Truth I am humbled sometimes looking back on things I write, because I know though I might have brains some things come by Holy Spirit alone and not by my ability. God is doing his work, it is God's word that penetrates the very soul of my being and hopefully others that are reading as well. Yet without Christ coming in the flesh, dying to save humanity, because of their desire for peace and not war though he was the King and had the ability to overcome the enemy, the people lack the reality of God's love for man and who he truly is. Here is Christ in the flesh better then having Moses who was completely man. If rebellion had broken into war, he could of feed the people, heal their wounds in battle and gone before them in every battle. In every battle have victory. The world and his people crucify him. Yet they had God in the flesh before them who could and does have victory over the enemy.

We stand upon God's word and stand on Christ teachings, only to turn away from the truth is only recrucifying Jesus. There is nothing wrong with thinking on God's word allowing it to penetrate us into godly action, but in truth our human nature wants to over ride his word, though we sing I surrender all, and all to him I owe. We sing the song send the light the blessed gospel light yet do we truly desire him? Up from the grave he arose, and yet do we realize God's ability to restablish his word in our world and our hearts. The backslidden person only needs to confess it to God, only needs to stop running in the wrong direction. As old preacher I once knew said tell it to Jesus. And in truth confession begins there. Testifying of such a confession to help another return to Christ is all is needed to show another the way.

We are built on the solid foundation of faith in Christ, we are living stones or livily stones created to praise God and to offer Spiritual sacrifices unto God. We are built first on the truth of God's word who is Christ in the flesh. We are built on the assured and tried foundation that does not break. We are to offer up Spiritual sacrifice. A praise is a type of sacrifice, but it also as to do with our comments to God as we grow in faith, to offer up our spiritual sacrifice of where we choosing his way and not our way. To commit and give ourselves over in those areas he is teaching us about. To give ourselves to him as we acknowledge his work in our life and we praise him for that work in our life. Spiritual change will happen in faith even when we are wandering in the desert with the need of God's word in our life to enable us to be who we should be in Christ but are not. Whether in an oasis or in the desert heat in our journey we must learn to rely on what we know about God and his Son. We are built on the solid rock of faith and he stands inside our hearts and communes with us and sits with us to talk to us.

As believers we are called out of darkeness into the light of Christ. We are called to be saved, and we answer as believers to the light that Christ showed us. As we take steps of faith, we learn and grow in different areas of our life. Our job is to show others the light that they too can walk in. There are people that see our faith and speak evil not knowing anything about faith or our imperfections because of our humanity. They speak evil because of our humanity fails to live up to the Gospel of faith perhap. Yet they understand not the grace of our God and our Savior Jesus Christ. They know not about this Spirit of God that speaks to our hearts to help us to live not by our humanity but by his grace, knowing his grace is sufficient for our needs. That if we fail we have advocator in Christ Jesus, who on the cross said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do"(Luke 23:34). We know because of his resurrection he truly did forgive us for he remain speaking with his disciple for 40 days after the resurrection.

To desire the word to know the value of the word, to know persecution is going to come by our obedience and disobedience to God's word from the world saying look at that they can not obey God either we just as good as them. Those people not understanding the blood covering we have because we believe in Jesus. That God no longer sees our sin, but has provide a covering for us through the sacrifice of his Son. Our way made clear to talk with God with Christ interceding on our behalf.

The word being our best tool used when we talking to God about a problem. If God can do it for me he can do it for you. If God did it way back when he can do it for us now and in the future. God is able to do the impossible in our life beccause we hold to the precious word of God by faith. We hold to Christ who came in the flesh. We hold to his teachings, and trust the Holy Spirit to intercede in our life.

People in general are going to talk about things that are in opposition to their way of life, even though it be good, it maybe be talked about as evil. Churches in general are not abusive but occassionally there is a story of abusive churches and when the story is proven not to be a lie, then it usually comes to light by media. Sometimes not. Yet evil talk is often misunderstanding of traditions or actions of a believer in opposition to the world, like saying they don't allow dancing. Bible full of places where people danced to the Lord. People thinking drinking is not allowed. Jesus went to a wedding and proved the best wine. It can get more extreme but those are simple answers to the fact Christians can do that. Some people think everything evil including us, who believers think are heathens. Many people live "normal' lives without being a believer, they just do not know about why faith is so important to the believer. Why it crucial to one's life. So if they can find evidence of peculiar people, only people like them, they know not the difference of people of faith, beyond traditions.

To understand the specialness of our faith is because we recognize not only God but his love for man because he sent his Son to die for us, to make away to him, that we know we can and will be forgiven if we ask him. That our Creator God cares about each of us. He not imaginery, but a reality. God is real, his desire for us to worship him is real. The desire of his to bless us is real. His desire to give us hope in a dying world is real. Knowing these things should make us desire to know this Creator who cares about us.

Dear Heavenly Father, build your word in us as believers, speak your word into our hearts by your Spirit. Help us to praise you and give you honor for the work you are doing in our life. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: 1 Corinthians 3:13-17 KJV
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.