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9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

I have often heard it said, “Never forget, who you are and Whose you are!” This seems to be what Peter is saying here.

• God has rescued us!
• He has done this for a great purpose!
• And it ought to make an incredible difference both to us personally and to those around us!

We are not to be the “frozen chosen” but a “peculiar people” who stand out as salt and light in our world because of who we are and what has been done for us. Our activity as the saints of God is a response to what He has already done for us – not a bribe to get God to do something.

Here is a story I found from Our Daily Bread that helps to illustrate this…

As newsman Clarence W. Hall followed American troops through Okinawa in 1945, he and his jeep driver came upon a small town that stood out as a beautiful example of a Christian community. He wrote, “We had seen other Okinawan villages, . . . down at the heels and despairing; by contrast, this one shone like a diamond in a dung heap. Everywhere we were greeted by smiles and dignified bows. Proudly the old men showed us their spotless homes, their terraced fields, .. . their storehouses and granaries, their prized sugar mill.”

Hall saw no jails and no drunkenness, and divorce was unknown. He learned an American missionary had come there thirty years ear­lier. While he was in the village, he had led two elderly townspeople to Christ and left them with a Japanese Bible. These new believers stud­ied the Scriptures and started leading their fellow villagers to Jesus. Hall’s jeep driver said he was amazed at the difference between this village and the others around it. He remarked, “So this is what comes out of only a Bible and a couple of old guys who wanted to live like Jesus.”

The great power of God’s Word leads to salvation through faith in Christ, creating a “special people,” a community of believers who love one another, exhort one another, and serve God together. We need to pray that our churches will be an example of God’s power to a watch­ing world.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And  the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

One of the great gifts that God gives us when He makes our heart His home is the gift of peace. Shalom! Peace is an amazing thing. And it is an amazing work of God to bring peace to a heart that knows no peace. Sin wreaks havoc in our lives to the point where our hearts become full full of fear and worry and despair and confusion… and death. But God changes all this. There are several ways he goes about His work of transformation.

1) He reconciles us to Himself – Reconciliation is the God-initiated act of bringing about peace between Holy God and wretched sinners. Through the cross and the shed blood of Christ He declares that sin is forgiven and that those who profess their allegiance to Him by faith are no longer enemies but friends. And even more than that – children and heirs. This is the magnanimous work of grace that God does in the lives of unbelievers.

2) He empowers us with peace – This is the magnificent work that God does in the lives of believers. As we pray and relinquish to Him the fear and the worry and the despair, His promise is to fuel us by His Spirit with a peace that is beyond our understanding. Those who do not know Christ have no idea what this is like. But those who do know Him are enabled to experience peace when it seems humanly impossible. It is an amazing gift.

This is just one more “brick” that goes into the building up of believers. Listen to God’s Word regarding this brick:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

For in Christ all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace  by the blood of his cross. Colossians 1:19-20

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Remember Lot’s wife.” Luke 17:32

This may seem like a strange verse to pick as a foundational verse but there is a lot more to it than meets the eye. Those 3 words couched in the middle of a talk about Jesus’ 2nd coming have a lot of meat to them when you take the time to think about them. So what is it that we are supposed to remember when we remember Lot’s wife…

We should remember…

1) …That the things of this world are like “skubala” – Yes, you read that right. Skubala is a word that Paul uses in Philippians 3:8  to describe how he felt about everything in comparison to knowing Christ. It is often translated dung – but it really has a more profane connotation if you smell what I’m saying. Lot’s wife was having a hard time letting go of all the stuff that she was leaving behind as she fled Sodom (see Genesis 19) with her family. We need to remember that as much as we like our “stuff”, it is still just stuff – and if it gets in the way of our relationship with God then perhaps it is better to get rid of it.

2) …That disobedience is costly – Lot’s wife was clearly told, “Don’t look back!” (Genesis 19:17). Her disobedience cost her her life. I’m sure she was thinking “what harm can a little look back do.” Or perhaps, “God won’t notice if I just steal a quick peak back at my home for the last 25 years.” She did exactly what most of us tend to do – justify our disobedience. She did not understand how costly disobedience can be – and neither do we.

3) …That “God takes us out to bring us in” – There are times in our lives when we are called upon to leave a person, place or thing that we have grown to love. It might be a relationship, it might be a job, or a church, or a city. It might be a house or any number of things. This much I know: if God calls us to leave, He has a purpose behind it and a future planned for us. But to get to where He wants us to be we have to go through the difficult part of letting go, saying goodbye, and leaving behind. Lot’s wife tried to hang on to what she had – she had a hard time believing that the future God had in store for her was going to be better than the past she was leaving behind.

4) …Not to forget! -So when Lot’s wife looked back she was turned into a pillar of salt. There is a rock formation near the Dead Sea that is called “Lot’s Wife.” It is a monument of remembrance. We have these all over the place. The Holocaust Museum. The Vietnam Memorial. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Gettysburg. The Empty Tomb. Jesus adjures us to “Remember Lot’s wife!” Why? So that we never forget. Never forget that we were made for eternity. Never forget that our hearts will be restless until we find our rest in God. Never forget that that the consequences of disobedience are brutal. Never forget that the purposes of God are glorious and so much greater than the purposes of man. Never forget that we have been bought with a price. Never forget that the joy of the Lord is ever and always our strength.

Never forget…. to remember!

“Remember Lot’s wife!” There’s a lot there to remember – pun intended.

 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Such bedrock verses. There is so much that is jam packed into these sentences.

Trust in the Lord  – Most all of us have serious trust issues. Of course this is understandable – Adam and Eve had trust issues when they had no reason to. Our trust issues are generally the result of one of two things: 1) Other people have taught us how “not to trust” by disappointing and deceiving us, and 2) we have chosen to trust in things that are not trustworthy – such as money, success, popularity, people, and other such 21st century idols. Our trust is to be in none of these things but in the Lord.

Do not lean... – We are leaners. We are going to lean on something. The problem with leaning on our own understanding is that our own understanding is more often than not misguided. It is misguided  by faulty information, by deceived emotions, and by wrong advice (though well-intentioned) from other people. We must learn to lean on God (a good definition of trust) because He is the only One that can provide lasting and indelible support.

In all you ways acknowledge Him – The key word here is ALL. You see, we have a tendency to acknowledge Him in some things but not in all things. And this is where we get into trouble. Its like when I use Google Maps to get from Point A to Point B. And I choose to follow Most of the directions but not ALL of the directions. When I do this I usually don’t get where I am going without a lot of recalibration. And it is the recalibrations in life that are often painful, confusing, and exhausting.

He will make straight your paths – I hate detours. When I am trying to get somewhere and I am forced to take a detour I get very frustrated. God’s promise to us is that we can avoid the detours. He will make straight our paths. Sounds like a good deal to me – now all I need to do is trust, lean, and acknowledge.

Why this verse is foundational – Trust is a major issue for believers. Therefore, when it comes to our walk with God we have to get over our trust issues and learn how to be proficient leaners.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV)

Faith is personal – but it is not private! Let me say that again. Faith is personal but it is not private! As believers we are a part of a family – a community that is responsible for one another. Somewhere along the way we got the notion that our spiritual life is our own business and nobody else’s. This is not true.

This verse tells us a few things:

1) We must be intentional about challenging one another to live out our faith in real and practical ways.

2) We must be intentional about meeting together – creating time with one another, so that our faith can rub off on each other.

3) We must be intentional about encouraging one other – building courage into each others lives so that we can boldly walk the walk we have been called to by our Father.

Why? Because there is coming a Day! So we live today with that Day in mind and we remember that we are in this fight together. Celebrating together. Mourning together. Striving together. Learning together. Laughing together. Praying together. Growing together. Hurting together. Playing together.

Together… for the gospel!

Why this brick is foundational: This story illustrates the value for our own growth of helping others to grow…

The story is told of Ludwig von Beethoven. Born into a musical family in Germany, Beethoven was compelled to spend a lonely childhood while he practiced his music for hours upon hours every day. His genius soon showed itself. At the age of eleven he was composing his own music and conducting an orchestra, and in his late teens he went to Vienna for further study. There he reached fame if not fortune. There he composed what was perhaps his most bewitching composition. Beethoven was passing a cobbler’s cottage early one evening and heard someone practicing one of his compositions. As he paused to listen, he overheard the girl express the desire to hear a real musician render it properly. He entered the house and discovered that the young lady was blind. Offering to play for her, he sat at the piano and did so for an hour or more. Dusk had settled into evening. The lone candle in the room went out. But the moonlight glistened in the room and, under its inspiration and that received from the blind girl who so loved his music, Beethoven composed the “Moonlight Sonata.”

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17

Name-dropping. Most of us do it – especially if it will be to our advantage. I’ve name-dropped for lots of reasons: to apply for jobs, in the hope of getting discounts, in the hope of getting free stuff, in order to open a door that might be closed, in order to impress people, etc.

My name is not very well known and is pretty insignificant. BUT, on the other hand, our Saviors name is the Name that is above every Name. And we have been given permission to drop His name whenever we want to. This is an incredibly great privilege. It is a privilege to be used by those who represent the Savior, who act on His behalf, who have His interests in mind, who want to bring glory and honor to Him, who seek daily to follow Him, who imitate Him, who hunger to know Him and who long to bring Him great renown.

But it is not a magic incantation to be used unwisely and it is not a name to be dropped by someone who is looking out for his own name and not the name of Jesus. Check out Acts 19:13-17

Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.”14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.

The name of the Lord Jesus is a powerful name. So as we “do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus” we need to be mindful of who we are and whose we are. Use it courageously… but not carelessly.

Why this brick is foundational:  To quote the song…

No other name but the name of Jesus
No other name but the name of the Lord
No other name but the name of Jesus
Is worthy of glory, and worthy of honor
And worthy of power and all praise

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

This is one of the very first verses that I memorized as a young Christian. It is a great verse. Here’s why:

If anyone – The new life that this verse talks about is not for a select few. It is not for the privileged. It is available for anyone and everyone. But that doesn’t mean that EVERYONE is a new creation. It is a conditional promise. If. “If” is one of those BIG little words. “IF anyone is in Christ…” What does it mean to be “in Christ”.

In Christ – It is almost overwhelming to understand all that is true for those who are in Christ.

1. In Christ Jesus you were given grace before the world was created. 2 Timothy 1:9, “He gave us grace in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”
2. In Christ Jesus you were chosen by God before creation. Ephesians 1:4, “God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.”
3. In Christ Jesus you are loved by God with an inseparable love. Romans 8:38–39, “I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
4. In Christ Jesus you were redeemed and forgiven for all your sins. Ephesians 1:7, “In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.”
5. In Christ Jesus you are justified before God and the righteousness of God in Christ is imputed to you. 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake God made Christ to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
6. In Christ Jesus you have been seated in the heavenly places even while he lived on earth. Ephesians 2:6, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
7. In Christ Jesus all the promises of God are Yes for you. 2 Corinthians 1:20, “All the promises of God find their Yes in Christ.”
8. In Christ Jesus you are being sanctified and made holy. 1 Corinthians 1:2, “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus.”
9. In Christ Jesus everything you really needed will be supplied. Philippians 4:19, “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
10. In Christ Jesus the peace of God will guard your heart and mind. Philippians 4:7, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
11. In Christ Jesus you have eternal life. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
12. And in Christ Jesus you will be raised from the dead at the coming of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:22, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” All those united to Adam in the first humanity die. All those united to Christ in the new humanity rise to live again.

(this last part copied from THIS  Desiring God blog post)

Why this verse is foundational – When we begin to understand what it means to be “in Christ” then we can begin to understand what this new life is really all about. Too many believers don’t understand, and thus, though they have been made new they continue to act in the same old way. it would be like a poor man inheriting $10,000,000 but continuing to live as if he were still destitute. It doesn’t make sense.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

What does “power from the Holy Spirit” look like in the life of a believer? How do you know if you are experiencing His power. Here are a few thoughts…

Courage that overcomes fear (see Acts 4:8 and 13) – I have heard it said that courage is NOT the absence of fear but rather doing that which we fear. This is what the Holy Spirit enables us to do. To boldly speak up even when it scares us. To take on a challenge even when it is out of our comfort zone. To step out in faith even when we know that there are risks involved.

Overflowing joy (see Ephesians 5:18-20) – When the Holy Spirit fills us with power there is an inexplicable joy that wells up within us. There is a song in our heart that has to be sung. There is praise and thanksgiving that has to shared. Joy is a powerful mark of a believer – mainly because there are so few outside of Christ who genuinely seem to be content and at peace with what the world has proffered them.

A vigorous grasp of God’s love (see Ephesians 3:16-19) – A Holy Spirit empowered believer understands and grasps the full extent of the love of Christ. He grasps what it cost God to send His Son to the cross. He grasps what the wrath of God would be upon his life were it not for God’s propitiating love. He grasps what knowing God’s love  calls him to. It is a powerful thing to understand the love of God.

Endurance and patience ( see Colossians 1:11) – This world is not always a nice place to live in. People are not always easy to put up with. Sometimes life is just plain sucky. The Spirit’s power is emphatically manifest when believers  deal with whatever life throws at them with grace and integrity and gritty fortitude. The ability to persevere in this way is nothing less than a demonstration of the Spirit’s dynamic strength in a believer.

These are certainly not the only marks of The Holy Spirit’s power in believers. But it is a good place to start thinking about whether you are experiencing power in your life from on high. And to start thinking about if not, why not?

Why this verse is foundational: “Will God ever ask you to do something you are not able to do? The answer is yes–all the time! It must be that way, for God’s glory and kingdom. If we function according to our ability alone, we get the glory; if we function according to the power of the Spirit within us, God gets the glory. He wants to reveal Himself to a watching world.”
― Henry T. Blackaby

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

The disciples were VERY troubled! For 3 years they have followed this Jewish Rabbi who they believed to be the Messiah. But now he was full of crazy talk. He was talking about his impending death. He was talking about betrayal among the ranks of the disciples. He was saying that where he was going the disciples could not follow. He was predicting that even Peter, his most stalwart follower, would deny Him – not just once but three times. Crazy talk as far as these guys were concerned. So their hearts were VERY troubled!

So Jesus answered their troubled hearts in two ways:

He gave them hope for the future: He told them that they couldn’t go with Him now BUT that they could go with Him later. In fact, that He was going on ahead of them to get things ready for them. Why was this comforting to them? The Jews didn’t have a real clear understanding of what the after life was going to be like. All the disciples really needed to hear though was that they were going to be with Jesus. As long as they were with Jesus then they knew it was a hope worth holding on to no matter how troubling things got until they saw Him again.

He gave them hope for the present: He wanted them to know that… “When life is troubling and you feel like you have lost your way, remember that I AM THE WAY. When you are faced with deceit and despair and discouragement, and when people tell nothing but lies about you and against you, remember that I AM THE TRUTH. When you are facing death because of your indomitable allegiance to Me and to the Kingdom, remember that I AM THE LIFE. He wanted them to know that they could handle whatever came their way as long as they knew Him. And He wanted to assure them that they were not wasting their lives like so many others who were desperately trying to win the favor of God in frivolous and futile ways. He is the way – there is no other!

I have often said that it is tough enough dealing with life’s troubles when you know the Lord. I cannot imagine trying to deal with them not knowing the Lord and having His presence to calm life’s troubled waters.

Here is something for you to ponder: Jesus has been talking about going to the Father’s house. He tells the disciples that “you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas asks Him where exactly is it that you are going. Notice that Jesus does NOT say “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me.” Instead He says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Ponder the difference.

Why is this brick foundational?  Throughout the ages people have tried to figure out how to get to God, how to secure for themselves an RSVP to heaven. This verse makes it very clear. There is only one way. His name is Jesus.