- araratchurch
- Sep 19, 2023
- 2 min read
In preparation for our discussion over the next five days, please carefully read and meditate on these passages of scripture:
“Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”” Judges 13:2-5 NKJV
“Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”” I Samuel 16:1 NKJV
“And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”” Esther 4:13-14 NKJV
“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”” Acts 9:1-6 NKJV
“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” II Peter 1:10-11 NKJV
The Bible is full of people who answered “The Call.”
On the other hand, we also see people who didn’t answer it, or fell short of fulfilling it.
What IS “The Call”? Have YOU answered it?
Let’s examine “The Call” together over the next five days!
Peace to you. Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him! #ThePropheticWord
- araratchurch
- Sep 19, 2023
- 3 min read
“And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”” Revelation 14:13 NLT
Over the last several days we have discussed what true rest is and what it is not.
We have discovered that rest is not an absence of activity, or even an absence of trouble; but rather, it is the settled, confident state found in being situated, anchored, in Christ, by completely trusting in Him.
Indeed, we discovered that true rest is a person: Jesus Christ. And, His rest is ministered to us by way of His Holy Spirit.
We have also discussed the fact that even many Christians have failed to find true rest because they haven’t submitted everything under the authority of Jesus Christ. Make no mistake, true rest can never be experienced by the one who rebels against the yoke of Christ. The one who will not follow, the one who will not obey, will never find rest.
Throughout the Bible we see God’s people failing to enter into His rest because of their disobedience. Sometimes fear led them to seek help outside of God. Other times, idolatry and lusts led them to reject the Lord’s authority. But, whatever caused them to reject God’s authority, the effect was always the same: disaster.
“God has told his people, “Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.” But they would not listen.” Isaiah 28:12 NLT
“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’ But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!” Isaiah 30:15-16 NLT
Because God’s people would not accept the rest He offered, they were relegated to their enemies who would teach them lessons in a very harsh way.
Jesus confronted those who rejected Him in no uncertain terms.
“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.” John 5:39-40 NLT
In the above scripture He was referencing the religious leaders who did not believe in Him, did not believe He was Who He said He was.
Sadly, these religious leaders were not only failing to enter the kingdom of heaven themselves, they were putting obstacles in the way of those who followed after them. (They were extrapolating burdensome ordinances and rules from The Law to control the people and for selfish gain.)
““But woe (judgment is coming) to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who are [in the process of] entering to do so.” Matthew 23:13 AMP
Unlike the religious leaders, our Lord gave Himself to make it possible for us to enter His rest. And, His commandments are meant to usher us into sonship!
“The scribes and Pharisees tie up heavy loads [that are hard to bear] and place them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger [to make them lighter].” Matthew 23:4 AMP
We have discussed the wonderful invitation given us by our Lord Who bids us to come and learn everything we need to know from Him. Yes, His load is easy and His burden is light. And, it is only under His leadership that we find rest for our souls!
As well, in our opening scripture we see that there will be a day when our rest will be complete in Him. But until then, He’s with us, walking alongside us, and bearing what we never could have carried alone.
If you are not experiencing the true rest offered by God through Jesus Christ, turn to Him today! Trust Him completely! Follow after Him more fully! The wonderful rest, the eternal rest He has offered, can begin right now!
Peace to you. Rest to you. Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him! #ThePropheticWord
- araratchurch
- Sep 19, 2023
- 3 min read
“Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil. It will be health to your body [your marrow, your nerves, your sinews, your muscles—all your inner parts] And refreshment (physical well-being) to your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8 AMP
Once I was asking the Lord why I had so much anxiety, so much of the time. Now, I thought I was just expressing my angst and wasn’t really expecting an answer. But the Lord did answer me saying, “Because you don’t trust Me.”
That answer was like a frying pan up side my head. I never thought that the stress and anxiety I was experiencing were connected to a lack of trust in the Lord. But, being challenged with this blunt answer, I could not defend against it.
Sadly, we can love the Lord, even be living for Him, yet lack rest because we lack trust. Or, perhaps better understood, our fear outweighs our trust in Him.
Perhaps we think that our worrying somehow gives us control over something that is seen as a threat of some sort. But, anxiety and ruminating do not bring control. However, trusting the One Who can bring all things into conformity to what is best for us, will bring rest and solutions.
“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. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth.” Psalms 37:7-9 NKJV
The above observation by David, not only applies to the temptation to fret over the fact that evil people may seem to prosper and/or get by with their mischief, this advice applies to ALL of our distress.
The One Who bids us come to Him for rest, also tells us this:
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:25-33 NLT
You have probably heard our opening scripture about trusting in the Lord. But in order to have rest, true rest, we must put it into action. We must trust the Lord to give us what we need while He is working ALL things together for our good.
Tomorrow we’ll bring all of this together.
Peace to you. Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him! #ThePropheticWord