This two-part devotional discusses why Jesus was a carpenter and the importance of unity in the church. Part 1 explains that as a carpenter, Jesus shapes believers like pieces of wood to fit together and build the church, with Him as the cornerstone. He smooths off rough edges to join everyone as living stones in His spiritual temple. Part 2 discusses how Satan places invisible, transparent walls between Christians to isolate them. However, believers can see through the lies, reach out to each other in prayer, and watch the walls come down. This allows Jesus to continue connecting all parts of the body to construct a united, glorious church.

1. JESUS THE CARPENTER
&
WALLS THAT DIVIDE
___________________________________
A Devotional In Two Parts
Part One - Jesus The Carpenter
Part Two - Walls That Divide
Prepared by
James E. Barbush
Thoughts Originated On August 4,1992
Made Into A Daily Devotional On January 1, 2003

2. Day One
JESUS THE CARPENTER
(This is Part One of a Devotional that is provided on two consecutive days.)
While driving in my car one day on the way home from work, the following questions occurred
to me (or were placed in my mind by the Lord):
In His physical life, why was Jesus employed as a CARPENTER?
In His physical life, why wasn't Jesus employed as a SHEPHERD?
I meditated on the questions and considered the following:
† Moses was a shepherd for 40 years in the desert.
† King David was a shepherd as a boy.
† A pastor in the Christian church is termed and tasked as a shepherd.
† The shepherd is a key Biblical figure.
† In the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as a shepherd and Christians are referred to as
sheep (passages from the King James Version):
John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that
great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory
that fades not away.
1 Peter 2:25 For you were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and
Bishop of your souls.
Moses and David of the Old Testament are types (representations) of Jesus of the New
Testament. So, why wasn't Jesus a shepherd in his physical employment on earth? Why was
Jesus a carpenter?
The answer occurred to me (or was placed there by the Lord).
Jesus was a CARPENTER by trade since He is THE BUILDER of the Church.
He is THE ONLY BUILDER of the Church.
As a Carpenter, the Master Builder shapes the pieces of wood so they will fit to make a sound
structure. There is a sequence to his operations in making a final product:
† The Carpenter has the trees cut down and the logs cut into beams and columns.
† The Carpenter cuts the beams into boards and blanks.
† The Carpenter mortises the ends of the members so they can be connected together.
† The Carpenter saws, chops, carves, shaves, and whittles the pieces so they can be fit together
tightly.

3. The Master Builder shapes us so we can be fit together into the Church of which He is the
cornerstone. (passages from the New Century Version):
1 Peter 2:5-6 You also are like living stones, so let yourselves be used to build a spiritual
temple - to be holy priests who offer spiritual sacrifices to God. He will accept
those sacrifices through Jesus Christ. The Scripture says:
"I will put a stone in the ground in Jerusalem. Everything will be built
on this important and precious rock. Anyone who trusts in him will
never be disappointed.”
Ephesians 2:20-21 You are like a building that was built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in that building, and
that whole building is joined together in Christ. He makes it grow and become a
holy temple in the Lord.
Do you feel that you are being reshaped into something that God wants you to be? Do you feel
that God, in Christ, is cutting off certain aspects of your life, carving your life and changing it
from what He wants you to be? Do you feel that God is smoothing your rough edges so that you
can not be offensive to other people? Do you feel that God is making us into a fine piece of
finished work? Does the process hurt a bit?
Prayer: Lord, help us to be willing to be shaped into a building that is joined together in Christ.
Help us to endure the pruning as you shape us into the living stones that you want us to be. Help
us to be aware that all you work on us is for the purpose of building Your Holy Temple. We
look forward to being united in Your Holy Temple.

4. Day Two
WALLS THAT DIVIDE
(This is Part Two of a Devotional that is provided on two consecutive days.)
We spoke yesterday that Jesus, the Carpenter, is the builder of the Church. But at times, there
are people in the church from which we seem to be disconnected. We can’t seem to develop a
meaningful relationship, though we may have tried. What keeps us separated?
In spite of the Carpenter's desire and goal to build a united Church, there are many Christians
who, along the way, become isolated members of the Church. They have a wall built around
them that keeps them separated from other members of the Church. When this wall is in place,
the Carpenter cannot shape the member to effectively fit with other members. Therefore, the
member stays isolated and might not be effectively used in the construction of God’s building.
The member is isolated by a wall that surrounds him. However, the member can be set free from
the wall that surrounds him and keeps him isolated from other church members.
The first step is to recognize the following: The wall is transparent. The wall has no substance.
The wall has no foundation. The wall is a lie placed there by Satan. The Christian can picture
this wall as a stone wall that he can see through to other Church members. The wall does not set
into the ground, since it has no foundation. Though the wall appears to be stone, the Christian
can see through it and does not have to beat on the wall to try and knock it down.
The next step is for the Christian to reach through the transparent wall with his arm and hand,
and touch the Christian that he feels separated from; then, confess that the wall separating the
two Christians is going to come down. The Christian then prays, believes God for freedom, and
waits. See if the wall is removed without a stressful, mental battle against a spiritual foe. Glory
to Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
After removal of the transparent wall that is a lie of Satan and is without substance and
foundation, the Carpenter can continue working (sawing, chopping, carving, shaving, chiseling,
and whittling) on the disciple, and connect the disciple to the other disciples that he was isolated
from. The Carpenter will continue to construct a Church that is united in Christ.
Romans 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
The Carpenter will continue to construct a church that will ultimately be without spot or wrinkle.
Ephesians 5:24-27 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be subject to their
own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and
gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that
he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but
that it should be holy and without blemish. (King James Version)
Though this passage compares marriage to the relationship between Christ and the Church, it
also speaks of Christ’s completion of a Church that is glorious.
Prayer: Lord, help us to see the walls that surround us and keep us from being united to other
Christians in the building of Your Church. Help us to see that the walls are made of Satan’s lies
and they have no substance, have no foundation, and are transparent. Help us to reach out to
other Christians so that the walls will come tumbling down and You will continue Your work in
placing us as living stones into Your Holy Temple. We look forward to being united in Your
Glorious and Holy Temple.