And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. 1 Kings 6:7

It is our Lord's will to build His Church. It is a spiritual house comprised of lively stones built up (1 Peter 2:5). Those "lively stones" are unlike all the stony hearted men of this world. These lively stones are made to shout out. They rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen. That work was done elsewhere and these were made ready and brought to the Lord's house. The house of God should not be filled with the sounds of "stone chiselers". That is done elsewhere and not by the preachers.

The world, if it had its way would silence every lively stone. What a miraculous thing to consider that all these lively stones were once hard hearted and at enmity with God. But God is able to do what man cannot do. God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. Before they were children born of the lineage of Adam they were elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. These things are unperceivable to worldlings. Worldlings can more readily embrace the big bang theory and Darwin's theory of evolution and just about any other fantasy of their own inventions and imaginations; but they cannot grasp the fact that God had an elect that were chosen in Christ before the world began. That just confounds the wisdom of the world. What a blessing to have experienced the power of God who reveals the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:24) and the peace of God (Eph. 2:14). Those that believeth on Him shall not be confounded (1 Peter 2:6). 3/12/2004 Elder Marty Hoogasian