mary trask, les pierres précieuses du paradis

Pressing on in Peace, Overcoming in Love

John & Mary Trask— Heart reflections ministries

Reflections of the Heart

Jesus made a very intriguing statement in Luke 19:40 during His triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  As Jesus passed by riding on the colt, the Pharisees in the crowd called out stating that Jesus should rebuke his disciples for openly rejoicing and praising God.  In response to their  religious disgust for something they had no understanding for, Jesus told them that if he were to tell the crowds to be silent, the stones themselves would immediately cry out.  Though Jesus only made this comment in passing, the thought that the stones might have something to say to us is intriguing! We know that Paul says in Romans 8:22 that all of creation is groaning and laboring with birth pangs as it looks for the return of Jesus and the restoration of all things.  Habakkuk 2:11 makes mention of stones crying out as witnesses from the walls of the house and the wooden beams answering the stones.  A testimony included in “The 12 Gemstones of Revelation” describes one man’s experience in hearing the “voices” of rocks and boulders as they praised the Creator.  What other messages could these stones be bringing to the church? What could they be saying? We are told in Romans 1:20 that all of creation carries within it glimpses of God’s character awaiting our discovery.  2 Timothy 3:16 indicates that all Scripture is given by inspiration from God and is profitable for us to learn from, so if this is true, what might we learn from the rocks and stones, specifically the stones mentioned in Revelation 21:19-20?  “The 12 Gemstones of Revelation” deals with this subject matter in detail. It is my belief that both stones found on the earth and the gemstones carefully placed in specific order in the foundation of the wall surrounding New Jerusalem speak of one main topic.  Each of the 12 stones listed in the wall  reveal one of 12 distinct areas of growth the Bride (the church) must pass through in preparation for the wedding feast of the Lamb. Spiritual Maturity...is it necessary? One might ask if spiritual maturity is really necessary for the church today?  Won’t maturity come only when we arrive in heaven?  Jesus referred to His desire for us to reach maturity in Matthew 5:48, as He instructed the multitude to “be perfect (complete) as your Father in heaven is perfect.”  Later Paul communicated his desire to present every man as perfect (of full age) in Colossians 1:28.  James described the work of patience as assisting us to become “perfect and complete lacking nothing.” (James 1:4)  Ephesians 4:11-15 exhorts us to aim for the “stature of the fullness of Christ” and tells us that we should no longer be children, but to grow up! Do we have a vision for the future? Without a goal or vision for the future, we fall into something Peter calls “aimless conduct” in 1 Peter 1:17-19.  In Proverbs 29:18, we’re told that without a vision or revelation for the future, people perish or cast off restraint.  We can see without a clear understanding of what we are all working for, it would be easy to just give up or fall into purposeless living.  The 12 stages of our sanctification process as communicated by the stones sets before us clear goals in our growth towards a mature man or woman in the Kingdom of God.  When we understand what stage we may be in, it is easier to see what lessons the Lord may be emphasizing in our lives and to embrace whatever it is He is teaching us. Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power We are not called to a life of profitless busyness, but a life with a clear path set before us.  The church is called to continue pressing through our maturity process to eventually achieve our Heavenly Father’s goal for each of us.  His purpose for each of us is to achieve the “fullness of Christ” even while on this earth.  He is calling for His people to live lives that fully reflect His love and His truth to the world, but not just in word.  He wants to see demonstrations of His power flowing through each of us. Paul said, “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Cor. 2:4-5) The Witness of the Stones Just as Joshua had each of the twelve tribes take stones from the Jordan River (Joshua 4:1-7) as they crossed over and piled them up on the bank to serve as witnesses to what had transpired, I believe the stones, both in heaven and on earth are also witnesses of man’s response to God.  These stones and all of creation are awaiting the full manifestation of the character of Jesus flowing through each of God’s children.  The bottom line is this:  If our lives do not yet look like the life of Jesus, then we are not finished with God’s maturity process.  By the power of His Holy Spirit, He wants to change us, transform us, and grow us up into the image of His Son and it is both our joy and our destiny to fulfill this calling on earth. Mary Trask

Are the Rocks and Stones Crying Out?

Date: 03/14/09

Sail boats on the Sound

A peaceful view

Email: hrm.trask@gmail.com Phone:  (253) 272-5272