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

To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"

Cc:

Sent: Fri, Apr 19, 2024 at 5:46 AM

Subject: 4-19-24 THOUGHTS

4-19-24   THOUGHTS

Two great words are found in our reading this morning; LOVE & ABIDE!  We see that God is love and the source of love!  God’s loving us first,  produces an imperative (a must for us).  “We ought to love one another.”    If we can accomplish this love, and we must, “God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.”   God’s giving of His Spirit is connected with our ABIDING!  
John says he saw and now testifies of the coming of Jesus to this world!  He gives the purpose as SALVATION!  How precious to abide in Him and He in us!  This is no mediocre discussion!  It is to be the essence of our lives!  It is our relationship with our God and it comes from the promise of a living hope.  It begins here, it lasts forever!

1John 4:7-15    Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  8  The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  9  By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12  No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.  13  By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. 15  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
1Pet 1:3   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

My Prayer:
Lord God, give us Your Spirit that we may abide in You and love one another.  Help us to absorb Your word and mind sufficiently to have this in us.  We praise You and honor You and love You.  May no weak form of this relationship be sufficient for us.  Give us zeal and diligence and an awesome desire to gain the very best that You have offered.  Teach us Abba as we seek You. In the name of our Lord,   Amen.