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

To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"

Cc:

Sent: Tue, Apr 2, 2024 at 5:57 AM

Subject: 4-2-24 THOUGHTS

4-2-24   THOUGHTS      

One more time, “we must see the Church as God sees it.”  Here, it’s a spiritual house with a precious cornerstone.  Inside, it has “living stones” being built into a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices to God through Christ.   What an honor for the believers.  We proclaim the excellencies of God.  We are His special people by His calling.  We live in light, not darkness.   We are named  “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession.”   We must understand that the passions of the flesh wage war against our souls. We are to be abstaining sojourners and exiles to this world!  We are the Church of God in Christ Jesus.  As living stones, we must hasten to take ownership and help build that Church.  We are to grow each other from a loving fellowship!  We have free choice to deal with all this anyway we want to.  We must be most careful to listen to God, and follow His wishes!

1Pet 2:4-11    As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,  5  you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  6  For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." 7  So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,"  8  and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10  Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11  Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

My Prayer:
Father, You have saved us, adopted us, and placed us in the Church of Your dear son.  You have given us precious work to do, and it springs from the loving fellowship You intend for us to be.  Please finish this work You have begun in us.  With joy and zeal, may we let You work in us.  Separate us each day from a world of unloving greed and selfishness.  May our desire be to You, O Father God.  Help our eternal hope to be alive and stirred within us. 

In Jesus’ name,     Amen.