I thought it particularly awesome yesterday when the following verses, this topic of a day of rest, came up that not only did I open an email later and the very same verses were a part of someone else's daily study, but then again another person's.
God gives us messages sometimes and then He emphasizes them so that only if we are blind and deaf to His Hand at work in our lives do we miss the importance of what He is trying to instruct us on.
We want instruction, we want His guidance, we want to know His will and sometimes unmistakably we are taken by the shoulders placed at our student desk, sat down, and told to take notes and pay close attention, this will be on the final exam.
A Rest of Remembrance
Heb 4:4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Heb 4:5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Heb 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Heb 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Heb 4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Labor to enter into God's rest.
In the other study I saw yesterday they talked about going over to Israel and watching the extreme hustle and bustle that takes place before the Sabbath begins. People are laboring to enter the rest to come. They are preparing for the day of rest. They are working towards the end of working on that very special day. They go to great lengths in their preparing because they don't want anything to interfere with that special, God ordained, God sanctified, God commanded day of rest.
Just imagine it, if you've never lived it yourself, and even if you have, imagine it as the reality it is. A whole group of people, a whole nation of people with the exception of those who've rebelled against the commandments, preparing for the Sabbath rest. The intense activity and then finally- the rest where everything comes to a halt. All work has stopped, not a single shop open, not a single person out and about working or seeking entertainment. A whole bunch of people stopping everything so they can enter the Sabbath rest, a blessed day of REMEMBRANCE devoted solely to GOD, to the CREATORS, the REDEEMER.
Yes, you heard me right, I said CREATORS.
Remember this--
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
The WORD WITH GOD.
In the BEGINNING WITH GOD.
ALL thing were made by HIM.
Col 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Creators, plural.
God with God in the beginning creating all things.
All too often we are under the mistaken belief that God the Father is the sole Creator, but that's not true at all as His Word reveals to us. And when we realize that it was CHRIST in HIS God form before taking on flesh and becoming the declared Son of God, who was the there in the garden of Eden creating all things, even the seventh day of rest, making it holy, sanctifying the day how can we turn around and say He changed that day when the Bible gives us NO such commandment anywhere. In fact He tells us this--
Heb 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Heb 4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Jesus had given them rest, and not for any other day.
There REMAINS a rest to the people of God.
If we are to enter God's rest we have to stop ALL our work.
We must prepare to enter God's rest, believing God's word, God's will.
Once we have labored to enter into the rest we can find amazing things there in that rest. It's not a day of nothingness, wait, I have to correct myself, it is a day of nothing SELFISH, a day given to GOD for Him to do with as HE wills. If we are bored, distracted, angered, despising of His day of Rest, a day we can give to HIM in absence of us doing anything at all, simply give ourselves to Him for that entire day, if we despise doing that now, what makes us think we will enjoy it later?
You see we despise it now because SATAN uses that day to tempt us unmercifully to keep us from that rest, God's rest. Satan works incredibly hard to make it all but impossible for us to even desire to enter God's rest. Have we resisted Satan unto blood, so that we may keep God's rest? Have we? Have we strove against Satan, fighting the intense spiritual battle, using all our armor, all our weapons just so we can keep God's rest? Or has Satan told us it's not that important? Has Satan told us that it doesn't matter, we're doomed anyway so why bother? Has Satan stood face to face with you and told you that he doesn't want you to keep the Sabbath holy, so you're not going to? Has Satan laughed at you and told you that you have to reason to keep the Sabbath you belong to him, not God?
Satan does NOT want us to remember God. And on a day when we are to remember all we can of God, Satan will do EVERYTHING to keep us from doing so.
We are to labor to enter into God's rest.
If you are working for something, say a vacation, when it comes time for you to stop working and take your vacation you are more than happy to do so. We should LABOR, we should WORK to enter the Sabbath rest, and when it comes time to enter that rest we should do so happily, knowing whether or not we are *ENJOYING* it, that we are doing GOD'S WILL, and giving up our selfish desires, giving up part of ourselves to HIM, choosing to give ourselves to HIM. Choosing God over Satan. Please LORD, help us to choose YOU!
Bless us LORD, keep us in YOU, by YOUR power, YOUR will, YOUR LOVE! Let us remember You and all things You were, are, and will be and us in YOU, through YOU, by YOU.
God gives us messages sometimes and then He emphasizes them so that only if we are blind and deaf to His Hand at work in our lives do we miss the importance of what He is trying to instruct us on.
We want instruction, we want His guidance, we want to know His will and sometimes unmistakably we are taken by the shoulders placed at our student desk, sat down, and told to take notes and pay close attention, this will be on the final exam.
A Rest of Remembrance
Heb 4:4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Heb 4:5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Heb 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Heb 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Heb 4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Labor to enter into God's rest.
In the other study I saw yesterday they talked about going over to Israel and watching the extreme hustle and bustle that takes place before the Sabbath begins. People are laboring to enter the rest to come. They are preparing for the day of rest. They are working towards the end of working on that very special day. They go to great lengths in their preparing because they don't want anything to interfere with that special, God ordained, God sanctified, God commanded day of rest.
Just imagine it, if you've never lived it yourself, and even if you have, imagine it as the reality it is. A whole group of people, a whole nation of people with the exception of those who've rebelled against the commandments, preparing for the Sabbath rest. The intense activity and then finally- the rest where everything comes to a halt. All work has stopped, not a single shop open, not a single person out and about working or seeking entertainment. A whole bunch of people stopping everything so they can enter the Sabbath rest, a blessed day of REMEMBRANCE devoted solely to GOD, to the CREATORS, the REDEEMER.
Yes, you heard me right, I said CREATORS.
Remember this--
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
The WORD WITH GOD.
In the BEGINNING WITH GOD.
ALL thing were made by HIM.
Col 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Creators, plural.
God with God in the beginning creating all things.
All too often we are under the mistaken belief that God the Father is the sole Creator, but that's not true at all as His Word reveals to us. And when we realize that it was CHRIST in HIS God form before taking on flesh and becoming the declared Son of God, who was the there in the garden of Eden creating all things, even the seventh day of rest, making it holy, sanctifying the day how can we turn around and say He changed that day when the Bible gives us NO such commandment anywhere. In fact He tells us this--
Heb 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Heb 4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Jesus had given them rest, and not for any other day.
There REMAINS a rest to the people of God.
If we are to enter God's rest we have to stop ALL our work.
We must prepare to enter God's rest, believing God's word, God's will.
Once we have labored to enter into the rest we can find amazing things there in that rest. It's not a day of nothingness, wait, I have to correct myself, it is a day of nothing SELFISH, a day given to GOD for Him to do with as HE wills. If we are bored, distracted, angered, despising of His day of Rest, a day we can give to HIM in absence of us doing anything at all, simply give ourselves to Him for that entire day, if we despise doing that now, what makes us think we will enjoy it later?
You see we despise it now because SATAN uses that day to tempt us unmercifully to keep us from that rest, God's rest. Satan works incredibly hard to make it all but impossible for us to even desire to enter God's rest. Have we resisted Satan unto blood, so that we may keep God's rest? Have we? Have we strove against Satan, fighting the intense spiritual battle, using all our armor, all our weapons just so we can keep God's rest? Or has Satan told us it's not that important? Has Satan told us that it doesn't matter, we're doomed anyway so why bother? Has Satan stood face to face with you and told you that he doesn't want you to keep the Sabbath holy, so you're not going to? Has Satan laughed at you and told you that you have to reason to keep the Sabbath you belong to him, not God?
Satan does NOT want us to remember God. And on a day when we are to remember all we can of God, Satan will do EVERYTHING to keep us from doing so.
We are to labor to enter into God's rest.
If you are working for something, say a vacation, when it comes time for you to stop working and take your vacation you are more than happy to do so. We should LABOR, we should WORK to enter the Sabbath rest, and when it comes time to enter that rest we should do so happily, knowing whether or not we are *ENJOYING* it, that we are doing GOD'S WILL, and giving up our selfish desires, giving up part of ourselves to HIM, choosing to give ourselves to HIM. Choosing God over Satan. Please LORD, help us to choose YOU!
Bless us LORD, keep us in YOU, by YOUR power, YOUR will, YOUR LOVE! Let us remember You and all things You were, are, and will be and us in YOU, through YOU, by YOU.
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