From: "Phil Rembleski" <PHIl@rescuechurchofchrist.org>
To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"
Sent: Thu, Aug 10, 2023 at 6:09 AM
Subject: 8-10-23 THOUGHTS
8-10-23 THOUGHTS
One of my favorite trues is in verse 24 below: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” This is such a powerful principle. Jesus said “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23b We face life with a conflict of interest... Serve me, or serve God? Rom 8:5-6 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace," In simple terms, Jesus is about to die and bear fruit beyond imagination! Sin, and death and Satan are about to be defeated, the ‘GREAT DRAWING” is about to begin!
John 12:23-33 And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. 26 "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
27 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." 29 So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, "An angel has spoken to Him." 30 Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. 31 "Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." 33 But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.
My Prayer:
With our all we thank You for this marvelous gift of Christ Jesus. The sense of eternity is displayed in this. Your great love has come down, and Your awesome plan of redemption has been perfected. It is You, O God, saving us. No wonder we should be a living sacrifice. Help us set the priorities of return love. May we see clearly the only reasonable path. May we follow that path with all diligence and zeal. Awaken us, wonderful God, to Your glory. May we set our minds on You and not the world or the self. Help us to be sheep that know Your voice and follow. May we overcome. In the name of our Savior, Amen.