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

To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"

Cc:

Sent: Fri, Jul 2, 2021 at 5:50 AM

Subject: 7-2-21 THOUGHTS

7-2-21 THOUGHTS

Php 1:8-11     For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10  so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;  11  having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Php 2:1-13    Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2  make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3  Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4  do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5  Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,  6  who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7  but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.   9  For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,10  so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12  So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;  13  for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

This last makes it mandatory for us to be diligently involved in our own salvation!  God provides it in Christ Jesus, but our constant willingness to submit to God’s Word is our response to His Great Love.  We note that it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.  
Eph 2:8-10    For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

My Prayer:
Help us O God, that our love may abound in real knowledge and all discernment.  Remove all empty conceit from us.  Ever teach us to be humble and to not look to our own personal interests.  Help us always to have the mind of Christ. May we be filled with the fruit of righteousness.  Work in us and through us O God.  May we boldly declare the story of your love in Christ Jesus.    In Jesus we pray      Amen