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

To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"

Cc:

Sent: Mon, Oct 14, 2024 at 5:10 AM

Subject: 10-14-24 THOUGHTS

10-14-24   THOUGHTS

In a study book by Cassandra Martin  just started by our sweet ladies, the question is posed, are you a  “LIVING STONE or PET ROCK...?” .  Is our desire to sit on a table or take LOVE TO THE STREETS?   Careful, this may be a pet  rock speaking?  There is so much power in the words this morning.  We’ve shared them before.  Christ, the living cornerstone!  Our trust in Him is to be total and all consuming. The declaration that begins at verse 9 should overwhelm us.  We are “in His light”, the people of God.  Mercy is ours!  We belong to God!   Our declared purpose is to “declare the praises of Him who called you, out of darkness into His wonderful light.”   Like Jesus in Luke 2:49   “we must be about our Father’s business!”  2Cor 4:6-7 ESV  “For God that commanded the light to shine out of darkness, is he which hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of that power might be of God, and not of us.”

Pet 2:1-10      Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2  Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3  now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4  As you come to him, the living Stone— rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5  you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6  For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 7  Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," 8  and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 9  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  10  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

My Prayer:
Father God, help the word LORD, to have meaning in our lives.  As “living stones” and “earthen vessels” may we be about Your business.  You have called us into Your  wonderful light, help us to bear fruit.  Help us to see Your love more perfectly, to desire Your presence more deeply, and to respond to Your awesome love with our all!  Guide us home, O God.  
In the name of our Savior,    Amen.