ENTERING GOD’S REST – GOD BRINGS PEACE
2 Peter 3:8
But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. NKJV
From the time of Adam to Abraham was 2000 years.
From Abraham to David was also 2000 years.
And from David to the time of our Lord Jesus was another 2000 years.
So from Adam until the turn of the century, we have now completed 6000 years or six days, we are now in the early morning of the 7th day. Seven (7) is the number for rest, and according to Gods timetable, this is the time when we all should be experiencing rest – our Shabbath.
The Hebrew word for rest is ‘menuchah’; it means more than just freedom from work, it is something positive, it is tranquility, serenity, it is peace and rest. Rest is a level of existence where there is no strife, no fighting, no fear, and no distress can have access to it. It is a description of humankind at rest with God and at peace with the world where he or she dwells.
Its when nothing can ever move you except God, even if all hell breaks loose around you, You will still be at rest with God!
Are you at rest?
Are you at peace?
Ps 37:7
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
God lives in a different time zone which is eternity, His ways are not our ways, that’s why we need to trust and to wait…wait a minute is really 8 months. But here lies the greatest problem of men today, the problem of patience, that’s why the Bible says do not fret.
Fret means to be constantly worried or be visibly anxious. If a person has a problem believing that God is in control, you will have difficulty coming into rest.
Josh 1:13
“Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.‘
For the Israelites, rest was entering into their promised land – it is the same with us, only the promised land is not a geographical place, it’s in us.
Ex 32:4
He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
Ex 32:27-28
Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.'” 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died.
This happened during the feast of Pentecost!
Acts 2:40-41
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
This too is Pentecost, we have been saved and baptized in the spirit, but we have stayed too long in Pentecost – many Pentecostals would say we are happy here. At Pentecost they had water, they had free food, free electricity, they had so much money, gold and silver from Egypt, they had the blessings, they became content.
But they were still in the wilderness!
So they ask? Why would we want to go to the unknown? Why do we have to fight when we have everything here. They just want to enjoy what they have now – this too is true for so many Christians today. That’s why when they reached the promised land in Numbers 13, they were all reluctant to go.
Num 13:31b and 33
We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”
We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
The biggest giant they would have to defeat for them to enter the promised land was their own state of mind and their own hearts. It’s one of the greatest internal battles we will have to face, it may take some time, but we will get there. If we cannot come into rest, (in our promised land) we cannot survive the days that are ahead of us…it’s all about faith, your belief, your trust, and your obedience to God – let this be a warning.
Num 14:22-23
…not one of the men who saw My glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed Me and tested Me ten times — 23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated Me with contempt will ever see it.
(binale wala)
The underlying failure here was their inability to trust God – it’s easy to say I trust God, but it’s not that easy when things are not going right. Fear and unbelief caused them to fail, that’s why though they were already in the promised land, God had to send them back to the wilderness.
This time, you either enter into His rest, or perish in the wilderness!
Heb 4:1
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.
This writing was done around 60AD, that means the early church in the times of the Apostles were also not able to enter God’s rest.
But The Promise Still Stands!
Heb 4:3
Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest.'” And yet His work has been finished since the creation of the world.
Tapos na ang Telenovela, you know we have already won, you don’t have to fear if you know how it ends! If you can trust God for that, then you can rest – it is finished!
Heb 4:11
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. NIV
11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. KJV
These same verses may seem contradicting, but labor here means you make it a project to be diligent, to make it your priority Physical rest is not the problem actually, emotional rest is.
Isa 40:30-31
Even the youths grow tired and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Lack of rest is rooted in unbelief, as unbelief is the source of fear, fear is an emotion that affects our will and our minds, and our emotions affect our physical bodies.
Did you know that there is a negative emotion attached to every disease known to man?
Divine health is an inheritance, and until we come into rest, we cannot access it!
We have everything we need to complete our course. When there is fear, it is always accompanied by anger, jealousy, covetousness, stinginess – they are all internal and you can’t beat the enemy out there if you don’t beat the enemy in here. When you walk in peace, the devil cannot do anything to you anymore because the devil doesn’t know what to do with peace, it confuses him.
Rest and peace is based on the absolute goodness of God, it’s like a canopy, a covering for your life – that is the completion of your salvation. This happens when you let God be God of your life.
Remember, you are the promised land, the Tabernacle of David is in you – to enter the promised land is the fullness of Christ in you.
It’s the final stage of the journey – rapture, heaven…
So we are faced with a choice today…
First, you can stay in Pentecost and be happy, but you will die in the wilderness with all the giants triumphing over you. Or second, you can obey the Word of God, enter into Tabernacles and be victorious.
The first will cause you to fail in the last days – even fail as a foolish virgin!
Num 10:1-5
The Lord said to Moses: 2 “Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out. 3 When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 4 If only one is sounded, the leaders — the heads of the clans of Israel — are to assemble before you. 5 When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on the east are to set out.
There are always watchmen on top of the mountains, when they see the pillar of cloud moving, he blows the trumpet that signals the people to get ready. It’s not easy to always be moving out, like moving to a new house.
When the second trumpet is blown, that means you have to move out, otherwise you will be left behind. Sad thing is, so many were left behind!
In this Feast of Tabernacles, God is sounding the trumpet, the alarm, and we all need to move out.
Eccl 9:11
I returned and saw under the sun that — The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all. NKJV
Time is but a fraction of eternity, it is given to us but it soon fades away. Chance is the Hebrew word paga which means opportunity, impact. When we know the time and make the right choice to take the opportunity, we will be able to move into that rest God is promising us – TODAY!
But if not, we will be left behind. We are the last runners, we cannot fail, there is so much responsibility placed upon our shoulders. It’s getting darker and darker in the world. But for God’s people, it will be brighter and brighter.
A great division is coming, said Bruce Allen, which side will you be on?
Repent of all the sins.
Desire to enter into His rest.
Die some more
EVERYDAY!
