From: "Phil Rembleski" <PHIl@rescuechurchofchrist.org>

To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"

Cc:

Sent: Tue, Dec 6, 2022 at 6:06 AM

Subject: 12-6-22 THOUGHTS

12-6-22   THOUGHTS

My intent this morning was to work on Ecclesiastes 3.  I borrow a couple of verses from there, and move to 2Cor 5 for some depth.  Eccl 3:10-11  & 17    I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.  11  He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart,   yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
17  I said to myself, "God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man," for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.
Our “reason for being”,  is embedded in our Creator!  With  “eternity set in our hearts”  we “GROAN!”  Please, O God, help us to groan intensely and rightly until we see your face!   Help us to be good sheep.  The Christian reads powerful words of eternal comfort below.

2Cor 5:1-11a    For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  2  For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, 3  inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. 4  For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. 5  Now
He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.  6  Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord —   7  for we walk by faith, not by sight —  8  we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9  Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.  10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11  Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men,

My Prayer:
O God of all eternity, we praise and exalt your great name.  We want, more than anything, to be with you eternally.  Thank you for promises,  and for Jesus, who assures that hope.  Knowing this much, Father, may we persuade men as you let us live.  Focus our hearts and minds on things above, not on the things of this world.  Help us always to discern Satan’s lie, wherever we see it.  Teach us, and help us, to groan rightly and powerfully.  In the name of our Lord,    Amen