The Power to Remember · It was in remembering, recalling and reciting of their history, especially...
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And you also became God’s people when you heard the true message, the Good News that brought you salvation. You believed in Christ, and God put His stamp of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit He had promised. The Spirit is the guarantee that we shall receive what God has promised His people, and this assures us that God will give complete freedom to those who are His. Let us praise His glory! Eph. 1:13-14 GNT The Call to Remember We are called by God to remember. There are over 100 passages in the Bible that deal with the act of remembering. Throughout history, mankind has always gotten into trouble when they started forgetting. This is why God gave and required His chosen people to “remember” the important moments, the de?ining moments of their history and re?lect on the lessons to remember and not to forget their identity as the people of God. We need to be reminded to remember, if the history of Israel gives us a big lesson, people tend to be very good at forgetting even when remembering is crucial to their existence. Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn My hand against their adversaries. Psalm 81:13-14 It was in remembering, recalling and reciting of their history, especially their spiritual history, that strengthened the spiritual identity and life of the Israelites. Deut. 11:18-25 I will remember the works of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. Psalm 77:11 The command to remember what God had done was to rekindle the understanding of who they were; the people of God! Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder – twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, “What do these stones mean?” Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped Nlowing when the Ark of the Lord ís Covenant went across.” These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever. Joshua 4:5-7 The Power to Remember The ability to remember is a wonderful gift that God has given to us. Some of our memories are joyful, and we can recall wonderful experiences. Sometimes we remember difQicult times and the memories can cause problems for us. What we must develop is greatness of our new identity or the enemy will exploit our weakness without it. There is a New Identity for the People of God You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10 NLT Your identity is very, very valuable. The enemy Qights our identity because with an understanding of our identity comes an understanding of our rights and privileges as children of God. This has been the strategy of the enemy from the very beginning in his constant effort to sidetrack the plan of God. When we received Christ we were stamped by God by the Holy Spirit. We bear the image of God our Father. His ownership of us declares His possession of us and provides His inQluence in all of our life. We must believe in the value of our new identity in God and ?ight any challenge to it, everything depends on it. The stamp of God on us should make us aware that we carry the image of Jesus Christ everywhere we go. We are the body of Christ! The Way God Distinguishes Us as His Children How we see ourselves isn’t nearly as accurate, as our position in Christ has made us to be. We are a chosen people in Christ! Beloved, we are [even here and] now God’s children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God’s children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is. 1 John 3:2 AMP Core Point: God always has instructed His people to remember and hold steady to the de?ining moments of their identity. In the midst of the upheaval of the world around us, we above all people, must remember who we are as the people of God! Core Statement: I will remember who I am in Christ. God has made me His child, and regardless of the world around me I am am secure and blessed as a child of Almighty God. My identity in Christ is who I truly am!
Transcript of The Power to Remember · It was in remembering, recalling and reciting of their history, especially...
AndyoualsobecameGod’speoplewhenyouheardthetruemessage,theGoodNewsthatbroughtyousalvation.YoubelievedinChrist,andGodputHisstampofownershiponyoubygivingyoutheHolySpiritHehadpromised.TheSpiritistheguaranteethatweshallreceivewhatGodhaspromisedHispeople,andthisassuresusthatGodwillgivecompletefreedomtothosewhoareHis.LetuspraiseHisglory!Eph.1:13-14GNT
TheCalltoRememberWearecalledbyGodtoremember.Thereareover100passagesintheBiblethatdealwiththeactofremembering.Throughouthistory,mankindhasalwaysgottenintotroublewhentheystartedforgetting.ThisiswhyGodgaveandrequiredHischosenpeopleto“remember”theimportantmoments,thede?iningmomentsoftheirhistoryandre?lectonthelessonstorememberandnottoforgettheiridentityasthepeopleofGod.Weneedtoberemindedtoremember,ifthehistoryofIsraelgivesusabiglesson,peopletendtobeverygoodatforgettingevenwhenrememberingiscrucialtotheirexistence.Oh,thatMypeoplewouldlistentoMe,ThatIsraelwouldwalkinMyways!Iwouldsoonsubduetheirenemies,AndturnMyhandagainsttheiradversaries.Psalm81:13-14Itwasinremembering,recallingandrecitingoftheirhistory,especiallytheirspiritualhistory,thatstrengthenedthespiritualidentityandlifeoftheIsraelites.Deut.11:18-25IwillremembertheworksoftheLord;SurelyIwillrememberYourwondersofold.Psalm77:11ThecommandtorememberwhatGodhaddonewastorekindletheunderstandingofwhotheywere;thepeopleofGod!Eachofyoumustpickuponestoneandcarryitoutonyourshoulder–twelvestonesinall,oneforeachofthetwelvetribesofIsrael.Wewillusethesestonestobuildamemorial.Inthefutureyourchildrenwillaskyou,“Whatdothesestonesmean?”Thenyoucantellthem,‘TheyremindusthattheJordanRiverstoppedNlowingwhentheArkoftheLordísCovenantwentacross.”ThesestoneswillstandasamemorialamongthepeopleofIsraelforever.Joshua4:5-7
ThePowertoRememberTheabilitytorememberisawonderfulgiftthatGodhasgiventous.Someofourmemoriesarejoyful,andwecanrecallwonderfulexperiences.SometimeswerememberdifQiculttimesandthememoriescancauseproblemsforus.Whatwemustdevelopisgreatnessofournewidentityortheenemywillexploitourweaknesswithoutit.
ThereisaNewIdentityforthePeopleofGodYouareachosenpeople.Youareroyalpriests,aholynation,God’sveryownpossession.Asaresult,youcanshowothersthegoodnessofGod,forhecalledyououtofthedarknessintohiswonderfullight.Onceyouhadnoidentityasapeople;nowyouareGod’speople.Onceyoureceivednomercy;nowyouhavereceivedGod’smercy.1Peter2:9-10NLT
Youridentityisvery,veryvaluable.TheenemyQightsouridentitybecausewithanunderstandingofouridentitycomesanunderstandingofourrightsandprivilegesaschildrenofGod.ThishasbeenthestrategyoftheenemyfromtheverybeginninginhisconstantefforttosidetracktheplanofGod.WhenwereceivedChristwewerestampedbyGodbytheHolySpirit.WebeartheimageofGodourFather.HisownershipofusdeclaresHispossessionofusandprovidesHisinQluenceinallofourlife.WemustbelieveinthevalueofournewidentityinGodand?ightanychallengetoit,everythingdependsonit.
ThestampofGodonusshouldmakeusawarethatwecarrytheimageofJesusChristeverywherewego.WearethebodyofChrist!
TheWayGodDistinguishesUsasHisChildrenHowweseeourselvesisn’tnearlyasaccurate,asourpositioninChristhasmadeustobe.WeareachosenpeopleinChrist!Beloved,weare[evenhereand]nowGod’schildren;itisnotyetdisclosed(madeclear)whatweshallbe[hereafter],butweknowthatwhenHecomesandismanifested,weshall[asGod’schildren]resembleandbelikeHim,forweshallseeHimjustasHe[really]is.1John3:2AMP
CorePoint:GodalwayshasinstructedHispeopletorememberandholdsteadytothede?iningmomentsoftheiridentity.Inthemidstoftheupheavaloftheworldaroundus,weaboveallpeople,mustrememberwhoweareasthepeopleofGod!
CoreStatement:IwillrememberwhoIaminChrist.GodhasmademeHischild,andregardlessoftheworldaroundmeIamamsecureandblessedasachildofAlmightyGod.MyidentityinChristiswhoItrulyam!
