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

To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"

Cc:

Sent: Thu, Dec 14, 2023 at 5:38 AM

Subject: 12-14-23 THOUGHTS

12-14-23 THOUGHTS

T-Bone’s sermon last Sunday reminded us that we are created in God’s Image, and that we are to show His Image to His creation!  Our first verse below in essence says that!  May we be letters read by the world! May they read a realistic image of our God!  We HOPE, let us BOLDLY SPEAK!  This reading compares and contrasts the OLD covenant with the NEW under Christ.
Verse 14 is key...  “But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant, the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.”  The book of Hebrews follows this reasoning and resounds the theme of the superiority of the New Covenant.  “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” verse 17.  May we see the “Glory of the Lord” and be “transformed by the renewing of our minds” for a great awakening and proving!  Rom 12:1-2

2Cor 3:2-18     You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3  being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4  Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. 5  Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6   who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7  But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,  8  how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?  9  For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. 10  For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. 11  For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.  12  Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech,  13  and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. 14  But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.  15  But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; 16  but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

My Prayer:
May the tablets of our human hearts hold truly and purely, the story of Your love in Christ Jesus. Renew our hearts and minds each day and awaken us to the possibilities for good in our lives. Make us eager to engage each opportunity You place before us, with love. May we be transformed into Your image, from glory to glory.  Give us Your Spirit, Lord.  May we abide in You.   

In Jesus’ name,     Amen.