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Last week, I attended the annual assembly of our association of churches, the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada. The assembly took place at a conference centre and hotel in Calgary. There were more than 300 people present. The theme was “Christ our Cornerstone.”

In the construction of stone buildings, the cornerstone is the most important stone. It is the first stone laid. Every stone placed afterwards is measured from the cornerstone. The cornerstone ensures the building is square and stable. The building can only stand “true” if the cornerstone is placed perfectly.

Jesus is our Chief Cornerstone. In Isaiah 28:16, the Lord says, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.” With Jesus at the centre of our lives, our lives have structure, strength, and stability. Even when things are difficult, we know he is able to carry the weight of our concerns and difficulties.

To make this point, one speaker at our assembly invited us to say together these words: “Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth, and he has full rights over my life.” The speaker wanted us to remember that because Jesus is the cornerstone our lives are built on him, not the other way round. It’s not that we are the cornerstone of our lives and we fit him into our lives at our convenience and for our benefit; it is that we conform to his ways. We submit to him. We follow him. Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth, and he has full rights over my life.

Doesn’t this change how we live, how we speak, how we think, how we act, how we care, how we worship, how we pray, how we serve, how we work, and how we love? Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth, and he has full rights over my life.

I invite you to pause for a moment. Think about what you did yesterday, what you will do today, what you expect for tomorrow. Bring these in prayer to Jesus and say, “Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth, and he has full rights over my life.” You may need to confess sin; you may need to change plans; you may need to make a tough decision; you may need to stop, pause, and not rush into something; you may need to give extra time in prayer. Jesus is the Cornerstone – he is Lord of heaven and earth, and he has full rights over my life.

視頻大意翻譯(video Chinese translation):

大家早。

上星期我參加了加西浸信聯會的年度會議。該年會是在卡加利一個飯店的會議中心舉行的。超過300名來自西岸各浸信會教會的會員參加。

大會的主題是”我們的房角石基督”。在用石頭蓋的建築物裡，房角石是最重要的石頭。它是第一塊放下的石頭，接著每塊石頭以它為基準來放好。這房角石確保建築物方正和穩固，唯有這房角石完美的放好，這建築物才能”真正”的站立。

耶穌是我們的房角石。以賽亞書28:16

” 所以主耶和華如此說、看哪、我在錫安放一塊石頭、作為根基、是試驗過的石頭、是穩固根基、寶貴的房角石、信靠的人必不着急。”

當耶穌是我們生命的中心時，我們的生命有構造，有力量和穩定性。就算遇到困難時，我們可以在真理中得靈靜，因為我們知道祂能承受我們的擔憂和困難。

為了在大會中表明這點，講員邀請我們一起說”耶穌是天地的主，他對我的生命有充分的權力”。講員要我們記得，因為耶穌是房角石，我們的生命建造在祂上面；而不是反過來，我們是自己生命的房角石，在我們方便時，以我們的方法，為了自己的好處，我們才讓祂融入我們的生活。相反的，我們順服祂，跟隨祂。耶穌是天地的主，他對我的生命有充分的權力。

這不會改變我們生活的方式嗎?這不會改變我們如何說話，如何思考，行為方式，如何關懷，如何敬拜，如何禱告，服事，如何工作和如何愛嗎? 耶穌是天地的主，他對我的生命有充分的權力。我邀請你先暫停一下，想想你昨天做了甚麼事?今天你會做甚麼事，明天你又有甚麼期望呢?把這些在禱告中都帶給耶穌，說” 耶穌是天地的主，他對我的生命有充分的權力”。你或許需要承認你的罪，改變計畫，你或許需要做艱難的決定，你或許需要停下來，不要急於做某些事，你或許需要花更多的時間來禱告。耶穌是房角石-祂是天地的主，他對我的生命有充分的權力。

讓我們禱告.

Grace and peace

Pastor Callum