From: "Phil Rembleski" <PHIl@rescuechurchofchrist.org>
To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"
Sent: Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 5:56 AM
Subject: 6-15-21 THOUGHTS
6-15-21 THOUGHTS
When I read from Ecclesiastes, I often feel small, disheartened and without much value. Ecclesiastes tries to get us to see the vanity of this world and a fleshly life! Life is not about the world we live in, but about the God we intend to live with eternally!
Rom 8:8-9 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
The idea that I am not much different than any other man who has ever lived on this earth is humbling. That’s good! The CYCLES OF LIFE have always been, whether of the earth and the weather patterns, or of the generations of man and the things we do. Ecclesiastes will teach us to DIE, BE CRUCIFIED and DENY ourselves! It will teach us SELFLESSNESS!
John 12:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
What God makes me MATTERS! What I make of me doesn’t!
Eccl 1:1-10 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." 3 What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun? 4 A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever. 5 Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again. 6 Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns. 7 All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again. 8 All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing. 9 That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new"? Already it has existed for ages Which were before us.
Here’s where God takes us:
Rom 8:16-18 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
The “SUFFERING” words above surely include DIE, BE CRUCIFIED, DENY and SELFLESSNESS! We must work on WHO WE ARE in order to BE the people God wants us to be!
My Prayer:
O God thank you for the way you have created all things. Teach us to live in agreement with your design. Help us to put ourselves in place. May we seek love and not self. Help us to die in order to live. Give us life as you intend it to be Lord. May we learn to yield and submit and consider others before self. May we be your people of light and salt. Help us to tell the good news of Jesus. It’s in his name that we pray Amen