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

To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"

Cc:

Sent: Fri, Feb 23, 2024 at 6:15 AM

Subject: 2-23-24 THOUGHTS

2-23-24   THOUGHTS

We have two parallel passages below.  The concern is the proper working of the Church, by avoiding the fraud and deceitful scheming of certain men.  The Church was to know the “substance that belongs to Christ”.   The Church was to grow in knowledge and practice into a mature body.  It was to be a building, growing “love process”,  with  each  “member-soul” supplying its proper  part.  The sum of the parts, was to make a powerful, mature, whole body!  I wonder if the parts are waiting for the whole to grow them?  The primary responsibility of each part is evident.   It’s a “joints and ligaments”  process.  The growth  “IS  FROM  GOD!”  Have we lost our “self-starting” nature?  Do we self-start ourselves,  instead of the Church of God?
Matt 6:33   "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Col 2:16-9    Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day —  17  things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. 18  Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19  and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.
Eph 4:11-16    And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,  12  for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13  until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.  14  As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15  but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,  16  from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

My Prayer:
Father God, focus our hearts, minds and bodies on Your work.   May we seek first, the first things.  Remove our desires for the world’s stuff and ways.  Teach us to drive the influences and distractions of our culture from ourselves.  Draw us to a oneness with Yourself, that we may abide in You.  May we learn the joy of being pleasing children as we serve the cause of eternity. Teach us to foster a self-starting nature.   In the name of Christ our Savior,       Amen.