He will finish the work

Rom 9:28  For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

Some would quickly argue that it hasn't been a 'short work' at all. That thousands of years have passed, and no one would call thousands of years short.

Except maybe those living in eternity, maybe they have a much different idea of what a short work is.

When you live from eternity to eternity couldn't even a million, trillion years be short?

If bringing it down to humanity, to us beings who do live in time, it's still very understandable to comprehend that a 'short work' could be thousands of years, especially when we read this--

2Pe_3:8  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

We cannot be ignorant of this.

God's word tells us-  'He will FINISH the work.' Too many don't even believe that. They don't believe it will ever be finished that things will remain as they are, or rather variations of things will remain as they are for eternity. That until mankind comes up with a way to create their own immortality, that men will continue to live and die as always. I saw a program on televison the other night all about people striving for mankind's immortality- there is a billionaire funding a whole thing on it called the 2045 Global Initiative, the Global Future, towards a new strategy for human evolution.  The program talked about how there are a lot of people - the smartest of scientists in the entire world working toward human immortality. A man who is called a futurist who predicted the internet way before it became a reality, who predicted a people being able to search the internet years before it ever happened. This man predicts that in 30 years or so mankind will have figured out how to be immortal.  It's true, it's factual that computers themselves are getting smarter and smarter, exponentially smarter all the time at a rate that we can't even truly fathom.  Does all this mean that God doesn't exist?

NO!

God will FINISH the work. God will finish what He started. We know that saying well, we've said it, we've heard it said by others- finish what you start. God will finish what He started.

Rom 9:28  For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

God will finish the work, God will cut it short in righteousness.

This is TRUTH.

2Pe 3:3  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
2Pe 3:5  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
2Pe 3:6  Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
2Pe 3:7  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
2Pe 3:8  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

This is TRUTH.

More tomorrow by the grace of our LORD JESUS CHRIST!

All in His LOVE - He will finish this work in righteousness, in love, in His time. May we be ready and waiting for Him when He finishes His work, all by HIM, all THROUGH HIM and the righteousness He alone possesses.

A Remnant

A seed.
A remnant.
A very small remnant.

Rom 9:29  And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

Isa 1:9  Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

*******

A very small remnant of people have remained God's all through time from the beginning. The earth has never been completely void of those who would be God's. Satan has done his best to get everyone down to the last person to belong to him, but he's never succeeded. Though the world was filled with evil Noah found grace in God's eyes.  Though not even ten righteous people were found in Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot was saved from destruction.

There has forever been those who would be God's, all through HIS mercy.  Those living in a sin-filled world yet choosing to love God more than themselves.

Let's read what Paul said after repeating what Isaiah said--

Rom 9:28  For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
Rom 9:29  And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
Rom 9:30  What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
Rom 9:31  But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
Rom 9:32  Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
Rom 9:33  As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

I want to study this more in depth, but I'm not feeling all that well tonight so this is going to be really short and we'll pick it up, by the grace of God, tomorrow.

All in HIS LOVE.

Provoking God

God is long suffering.
God is forbearing.
God abides long with us- because we are but flesh.

We try God in so many ways.
We refuse to follow His ways.

Like the children in the wilderness.

Recently in studying a bit of Hebrews we've come across this saying more than once--

Heb_3:8  Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness

Heb_3:15  While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

The provocation.

Psa 95:8  Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness

This was applicable in David's time and applicable in the Apostles time- and APPLICABLE in our time!

They provoked God.

Exo 17:2  Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?

Exo 17:7  And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?

Num 14:11  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

Deu 6:16  Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.

Jud 1:5  I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

I really think we have to think long and hard about how the Israelites behaved in the wilderness after they were freed from Egyptian slavery. Because when we are freed from sin, being born again by water and Spirit, we too can fall under the same sort of actions, provoking God. We too can refuse to believe God will care for us and provoke Him.  That last verse above is something we must KNOW-  the Lord did SAVE His people out of Egypt but those who AFTER being saved did not believe in Him- were destroyed.

We too can be destroyed for lack of belief.

In the wilderness they were hunger and thirsty and what God provided was NOT enough for them, they wanted more. To just survive wasn't what they wanted, they wanted luxuries.  Aren't we all too often guilty of the same thing?  It's not enough that we have bread and water, we want steak and potatoes, we want a full course meal.

Forgive us, Lord, please forgive us weak flesh beings! Please, we don't want to provoke You, we don't want to tempt You, we want to be Yours in all things, in all ways, wholly Yours, trusting in You for everything, without murmuring, without complaining.  Please, Lord, help us! We do not was to be destroyed for our lack of belief in You for ALL things!

All in YOUR LOVE!


Psa 78:1  Maschil of Asaph.

 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

Psa 78:2  I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old

Psa 78:3  Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

Psa 78:4  We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

Psa 78:5  For he established a TESTIMONY in Jacob, and appointed a LAW in Israel, which he COMMANDED our fathers, that they should make them known to their children

Psa 78:6  That the generation to come might know them even the children which should be born who should arise and declare them to their children

Psa 78:7  That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God  but keep his COMMANDMENTS

Psa 78:8  And might not be as their fathers,  a stubborn and rebellious generation  a generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

Psa 78:9  The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
Psa 78:10  They kept not the COVENANT of God, and refused to walk in his LAW
Psa 78:11  And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

Psa 78:12  Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
Psa 78:13  He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.
Psa 78:14  In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.
Psa 78:15  He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.
Psa 78:16  He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

Psa 78:17  And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.
Psa 78:18  And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.


Psa 78:19  Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
Psa 78:20  Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?


Psa 78:21  Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;
Psa 78:22  Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation


Psa 78:23  Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
Psa 78:24  And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
Psa 78:25  Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.


Psa 78:26  He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.
Psa 78:27  He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:
Psa 78:28  And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.
Psa 78:29  So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;


Psa 78:30  They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,
Psa 78:31  The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.


Psa 78:32  For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.


Psa 78:33  Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.


Psa 78:34  When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.
Psa 78:35  And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.


Psa 78:36  Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.
Psa 78:37  For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his COVENANT.


Psa 78:38  But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
Psa 78:39  For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.


Psa 78:40  How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
Psa 78:41  Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.


Psa 78:42  They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.
Psa 78:43  How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:
Psa 78:44  And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.
Psa 78:45  He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
Psa 78:46  He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.
Psa 78:47  He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.
Psa 78:48  He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
Psa 78:49  He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
Psa 78:50  He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
Psa 78:51  And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:


Psa 78:52  But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
Psa 78:53  And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
Psa 78:54  And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.


Psa 78:55  He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
Psa 78:56  Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his TESTIMONIES:
Psa 78:57  But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
Psa 78:58  For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

Psa 78:59  When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
Psa 78:60  So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;
Psa 78:61  And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.
Psa 78:62  He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.
Psa 78:63  The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.
Psa 78:64  Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

Psa 78:65  Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
Psa 78:66  And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.
Psa 78:67  Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
Psa 78:68  But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.

Psa 78:69  And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.

Psa 78:70  He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
Psa 78:71  From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
Psa 78:72  So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

Satan tells you not to keep the Sabbath, do you listen to him, or to God?

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.

A Rest of Remembrance

Entering into God's rest. How utterly amazing.

We must enter into God's rest, it is something so incredible, a gift that has been given to us and a gift that has been DENIED to some, denied because they hardened their hearts, they tempted God, they erred.

Heb 3:7  Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
Heb 3:8  Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Heb 3:9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
Heb 3:10  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
Heb 3:11  So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

If we long to follow God we cannot HARDEN our HEARTS.

Psa 95:1  O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Psa 95:2  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
Psa 95:3  For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
Psa 95:4  In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
Psa 95:5  The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
Psa 95:6  O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
Psa 95:7  For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
Psa 95:8  Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Psa 95:9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
Psa 95:10  Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
Psa 95:11  Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

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.

For forty years people God rescued from slavery by miracles, many, many miracles-  tested God. God revealed His love to them and all they could do was test Him, over and over again. They hardened their own hearts against God.

Once again we have to ask ourselves why.  Yet, today don't we do the same thing?

God rescues us through His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior and then we turn around and continue to try God over and over.  God has given us all He can give us, the rest is up to us, not to God.  We want some spiritual protection shield placed around us so we don't have to ever be tempted to sin again. We don't want to be faced with the choice to sin or not sin. We want some special stamp to stamp us and mark us as impervious to being tempted. We want something not even the Son of God had!

Our Savior was tempted!

Heb 2:17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Mar_1:13  And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.

Heb_4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

We flail at our situation and toss blame around saying if only we weren't tempted, but even our Savior was tempted and you can be sure He was not only tempted like we are, but probably a lot more than we ever are. When He walked the earth, God in human form subject to temptation Satan had to pull out all his best temptations ruthlessly attacking Christ with them. This was Satan's chance to prove he was just and God unjust. He failed! Praise God, He failed!

So while we continue to tempt God, not following Him, choosing to rebel, we cannot hope to enter into His rest.

And last week during a study this thought was brought to my attention- days one through six of creation all end with this…   'And the evening and the morning were the…'  first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth day.  But the seventh day doesn't end that way, we are never told the evening and the morning were the seventh day.  Why?  It begs a question, doesn't it? Why?

The Seventh Day was a day holy and sanctified, blessed by God, a day set aside. Yet could it also be that mankind and all creation were never supposed to leave God's rest? They were to live in God's rest.  It's just a thought, but one that is very provoking.  The day made holy, the day sanctified, the day blessed not as a day of creating, but day of resting.  A day of completion.

When the slaves were freed from Egypt by the many miracles, they were drawn away to live a new life, a life under God's rule. God gave them His laws of love and in that law was a law that told them to keep the Sabbath holy. To keep the day of rest that God created, holy.  A stark contrast to working under the Egyptian rule which never demanded rest for them. A holy day, a day of rest, a day dedicated to the worship of God, one day out of seven of them, the seventh in the week.  Rest.  Commanded to rest.  How many of us wish we could be commanded to rest? Seriously? We live in a society where playing is as important to us as our working and to be ordered to rest, well, sure, cool, wonderful, no problem.  Yet, this isn't a selfish rest we are called to but a rest of remembrance.

A rest of remembrance.

More tomorrow by the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!

All in HIS LOVE!

Affliction shall not rise up a second time

Nah 1:9  What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.

Some question the whys and wherefores of God and the world He's created. They question why He allowed sin in the first place, they question His methods, His plans. They even question whether or not He will let sin rise again. These questions are really good questions as long as those asking them really want the answers.  People don't always want the answers when they ask questions, they sometimes ask them to make their point and no answer will satisfy them, not really.

So when we ask the question if sin will ever rise again we can read the above verse--

Nah 1:9  What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.

It will NOT rise up a second time.

When God created beings with free will there was always the chance they'd choose to not love, rather than love. Does that free will disappear, ever? No. However, we are all making choices and as we all know some choices we make are final, aren't they?  Sometimes we make decisions and there is no turning back. We also know what it's like to regret some decisions and wish we could undo them. Sometimes we can make changes but this choice, the choice to choose our Savior and love over Satan and not loving is one of those choices we all have to make and at some point in our life that choice will be a forever choice one that we can NEVER change because we've made the choice with all the facts and HONESTLY, TRUTHFULLY, we would NEVER want to alter our decision for God, not ever.

The angels in heaven have already all made their choice.

Remember this--

Rev_12:4  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Job 38:7  When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Isa 14:12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations!

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven fallen unto the earth: and there was given to him the key of the pit of the abyss.

Satan is referred to as a star that fell from heaven.

Then we read that he takes one third of the stars of heaven with him.

That third of all the stars made their choice! There is no going back for them, it was a forever choice. Once all the angels had their day of decision it was final.

All of us have a final day of decision too, but it's not as clear cut as us knowing when that day is, because it's our life and the choices we make right up until the day we can no longer make choices.  For some, those living in Christ when He returns, they'll have had to make their final decision at some point, but we don't know what that point is any more than those who have died knew when theirs was.

The bottom line is, sin will NEVER rise up again because the choice for God by those choosing Him to be their everything, their life, their love, just everything, they would never choose sin and they've proven that in their choice before heaven is their home and eternity is theirs.

The power of free will is never taken away, never.

And even here upon earth us humans can make choices that are forever, willing choices that are forever- choices we make and never go back on, not ever.

Sin will never rise up again, this is the hope we have in our Savior, and end to all sin and everything that is a result of sin- all pain, all sorrow, all heartache.

Please Lord, help us to make our forever choice- YOU and YOUR LOVE!   All by YOUR grace, YOUR love!

The Word of the Lord Abides Forever

1Pe 1:24  For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth:
1Pe 1:25  But the word of the Lord abideth for ever. And this is the word of good tidings which was preached unto you.

All flesh is as grass.
All glory of the grass the flower.
Grass withers.
Flowers fall.

We know this for a fact don't we? We've all seen grass die. We've all seen flowers wither and fall.  We know that we are no better than the grass or flowers in that we too have a life that begins and ends. We wither, we fall.  If it is our lot to live unto old age it isn't a very pretty thing at all. The withering is very obvious.

All flesh withers and falls without exception.

ONLY the word of the LORD abides for ever.

The Word of good tidings.  We know what that word is, we know it is the TRUTH of salvation. The truth that we pass our earthly residence as something being TEMPORARY.  Yes, we have a life here, but the life here is a prelude for those who would be God's people.

A prelude.  A beginning. We all begin here upon our earthly residence, this journey we call our life. It's a beginning and we choose whether or not we want to be born again into a new life. Once we make that choice we are one step closer to our heavenly residence. I'm not talking about life after death, life after death is NOT Biblical.  I'm talking about the Gospel preached by our Savior, the heavenly kingdom to come.  He's told us that He will come again for us. He's told us that He is preparing a place for us so we can be with Him.  We are told that when He returns all that are dead in HIM will live again and rise to meet Him in the air, this is what our Bible says. This is the thought we must have all the time, daily, not just on special occasions. We need to think on these things, we need to daily call upon our Heavenly Father, we must daily seek forgiveness, repenting of our succumbing to our flesh natures, knowing that one day through Him we will be with Him in His heavenly kingdom.  

Whether we live 1 year, 10 years, 20 years, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100 years  we are living in a prelude to eternity if we are Christ's because HE abides forever, the WORD abides forever.

All in Christ, please, Lord, let us be in YOU always. Help us through this prelude to eternity. We have a beginning here and with You we will have no end...no end.

All by YOUR LOVE, YOUR GRACE!