- After a long day of work man needs rest; God rested from his work of creation, after He saw that everything He had made was good. (Whether it was 6 Literal days or 1000 years I don’t know(2Pt 3:8)
- Sleep out of hard work is sweeter than sleep out of tranquilizers!!!
- 2Pt 1:11 – I will remind you of this things, though you know them. V13 It’s right for me to refresh your memory before I put the tent I am in aside.
God has promised an eternal rest for us :
- Heb 4:1-12 :(The writer in writing during a time of great trial to the Christians and there was much apostasy _backsliding). He reminds the believers that, v10 the promise of entering in to His rest still stands. Therefore, let us be careful that we do not miss out. The gospel is being preached to us today like it was preached to the Israelite’s; but the message they heard was of no value to them because they didn’t combine it with faith.
And God declared on oath that they’ll never enter in to His rest…because they grumbled n disobeyed
God has set another day calling it today n He says: “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart”
Any one who enters in to God’s rest also rests from his work…………..therefore, let us make us every effort to enter into that rest though obedience.
Again He says: Rev 14:13b – Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on: “Yes, says the spirit, “they’ll rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them”.
And again He says Psalms 116:15 – “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints”
The Lord continues to remind us: 2Cor 5:1-10 – If the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we’ve a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands; for now we groan, are burdened, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling(But God Has given us His spirit as a guarantee of what is to come).***Sin made life hard for man _ thorns, enmity, ailments, pain in labour and death.
**Death came though Adam (1Cor 15:21)…Resurrection comes through Christ(He’s the resurrection n the life(Jn 11:25_Any one who believes in Him will live even though he dies.)
We do know that as long as we’re at home in the body/tent, we’re away from the Lord.
It’s written_2Cor 4:8_We’re hard pressed but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed, V10 Carry around in our body the death of Christ so that the life of Christ maybe revealed in our body V14_Because we know the one who raised Christ will also raise us with Christ & present us in His presence V16_Therefore, do not lose heart, though outwardly we’re wasting away, yet inwardly we’re being renewed day by day. Our Light n Momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. V18_So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen; for what is seen is temporal but what is unseen is eternal.
He says (1Cor 15:40_There’re heavenly bodies and earthly bodies vs 42 the body that’s sown is perishable/dishonored/weak/natural, it is raised imperishable/in glory/in power/a spiritual body. Vs 51 talks of a mystery: We’ll not all sleep, but we’ll be changed _in a flash in twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. The dead will be raised and we’ll be changed.
****Some won’t enter into the Lord’s rest through natural death but will be changed****
Therefore, we should not grieve like people who don’t have hope (IThess 4:13 – v 16). The Lord will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the arch angel & with the trumpet call of God & the dead in Christ will rise first. The living will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and we’ll be with the Lord forever) Chapt 5:4 – We’re not in darkness, hence this day should not surprise us like a thief).
(Don’t get overwhelmed by the prophesies **The verses that trouble me most are not those I can’t understand, but those I have understood but don’t heed to***(1Cor 13:12_Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then shall we see face to face. Now we know in part; then shall we fully).
1Cor 2:9 Again says: No eye has seen,no eye has heard,no mind has conceived.
Apostle John adds and says: 1Jn 3:2 _ We don’t know what we’ll be, but we do know that when He appears we shall be like him….. for we shall see him as he’s.
Who’ll not enter in2 his rest: (The Disqualified)
1 Cor 6:9 _ The wicked, sexually immoral,idolaters,adulterers, male prostitutes,homosexuals,thieves,the greedy,drunkards,slanderers, swindlers……………..and that is what some of some were, but praise God because we were washed,sanctified,justified in the name of the Lord and by the spirit of our God.
Rev 22:15 – Dogs, magic arts practitioners, murderers, anyone who loves and practices falsehood
What will happen to those who won’t enter in2 His Eternal rest?
Heb 9:27 – After death_Judgement
Rev 20:11-15 – vs 15 anybody who was not found in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire which is the second death; even death n hell/hades were thrown in***Born once u die twice born twice, u die once***
Life does not end in the physical death.
Suffering in the eternal in the lake of Fire is forever, no death, no mercy and it’s irrevocable
Now What?
- God is calling us to obey Him and be holy, HELL is no joke. People are going there daily; the devil disguises as an angel of light n is out 2 deceive many, his will is for all to perish.
- God reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20) _Heavenly calling though we’re in the world.
- Come out of the world and God will receive us, we purify ourselves from anything that contaminates body n spirit, perfecting holiness out of holiness for God (1Cor 6:17, Chap 7:1). The world is drunk with evil.
- We keep watch for we don’t know the day/ hour………as it was in Noah’s days (Matt 24:42); wake up from our sleep because our salvation is now near than when we first believed(Rom13:11),TIME IS UP (1COR 7:29_those who’ve wives should live like they don’t have, those who mourn as though they were not, those happy as if they’re not, those who buy as if it was not theirs to keep, not engrossed in the worldly things. For this world in its present form is passing away), Exodus 11:11_ The Passover feast was to be eaten with the clock tackled in the belt, sandals on your feet with your staff in your hand and it was to be eaten in haste _IT’S THE LORD’S PASSOVER. Signifying, time for salvation/redemption had come and time for leaving Egypt (‘the world’) had come, and it was time t enter into God’s rest (Canaan)
We should not lose heart:
(a) This is an eternal hope (Heb 6:19_We’ve this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure).
(b) He who promised is faithful (Heb 10:23_We hold firmly to the hope that we profess).
(c) Don’t throw away your confidence in the Lord; it’ll be richly rewarded (Heb 10:35_Persevere and do God’s will and you’ll receive His promise.
LIVE BY FAITH…………………men of faith…. Heb 11:8 Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived in tents. V10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God v13_All these people were living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them n welcomed them fm a distance. And they admitted that they’re aliens n strangers on earth…..they had an opportunity to go back…..but they’re looking for a better country_a heavenly one and therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for He has prepared a city for them.
- Jesus went to prepare a place for us………are we preparing ourselves for that place?
- He who makes provision for this life but makes no provision for the life that is to come is wise for now, but a fool forever.
- Many people who believe in the 2nd coming of the Lord are secretly hoping that he tarries simply, because their relationship with Him is no more.
- If the relationship that was there between you and God is no longer there………ask yourself, who moved??
The Lord is patient (2Pt 3:9) n wants us to get saved now. If you’re waiting to get saved at the 11th Hour, you might die at 10:30!!!!!
Can we say like Paul??? 2Tim 4:7
