From: "Phil Rembleski" <PHIl@rescuechurchofchrist.org>
To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"
Sent: Mon, May 22, 2023 at 5:16 AM
Subject: 5-22-23 THOUGHTS
5-22-23 THOUGHTS
Our essence as Christians is summarized in the reading below. Living in the Spirit of God is here. Aliveness is here, life! A discussion of adoption and our being God’s children is here. As children, inheritance is considered as we hope and wait. To be fair, our suffering with Christ as children is contemplated as a reasonable thing. There is a powerful “no comparison clause” given to us here! The words “NOT WORTHY TO BE COMPARED” are used. The fellow heir-brother with Christ idea is powerful. The glory to be revealed in us is comforting. With all this presentation of OUR PLACE WITH GOD, we ought to be WAITING...GROANING for our time to live with Him eternally! What a powerful discussion this is! HOPE ON BROTHER AND SISTER! Let’s decide today that we will increase our encouragement of one another as saints headed to heaven! Read this passage each day this week please. Let it have its place!
Rom 8:10-25 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" 16 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. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
My Prayer:
May Your word always dwell in us as Your Spirit dwells in us. When suffering comes, O God, show us the glory to be in our future. Teach us to be eagerly waiting for Your promises. Work with us and empower us to serve You with joy. Give us a keen discerning to perceive any double-mindedness in our lives. May self-control and a powerful love in pure hearts drive who we are. O Father God, we want to be good children. In Jesus’ name, Amen.