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Comfort Through Rest Isa 53:4-54:1 “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” In this time we must learn how to be comforted. For in His comfort we enter into the REST of God. In Exodus 18:18 Moses’ father-in-law told Moses that taking matters into your own hands would wear you out – for it is too heavy a burden to carry – so seek for some help. We have federal guidelines to tell us what the legal weight is for bridges, elevators and airplanes. The same principle applies to us. We must know what is the limit of weight we can place upon our shoulders. Jesus paid the price for our burdens, griefs, distresses, pains and sorrows. God is wanting us to lay aside unnecessary weights. Father wants us to live one day at a time: Psm.68:19 “Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God of our salvation – think about that.” (AMP) The reason Solomon could say all of life was vanity is that he didn’t know how to let God be God and carry his concerns. We won’t walk in comfort until we let go – and let God. Every work of darkness is trying to overload us with burdens of difficulty. The Lord doesn’t want us to have confidence in ourselves. Self-confidence keeps us from entering into the REST in God. *The first step in entering into REST is to acknowledge “I can’t do this Lord.” Then let Him take over. People who experience nervous breakdowns suffer because they carry what they are not supposed to carry. It used to be difficult to understand how people could break under the weight, but now the burdens are severe enough that I can see with a compassionate heart how it happens. This is why we need Holy Spirit living inside of us. Every hour of the day we need His Comfort and strength to solve our problems and difficulties. Each of us is required to do what we need to do, but when it gets too hard, then we turn it over to Him. The ego says, “I can do this myself.” Psalm 127:1 tells us “Except the Lord builds the house, they that labor do it in vain who build it.” We do what we can with our limited human abilities, then what we can’t do, we turn to Him. We do this so we will spend time working on and establishing our faith in Him: (1Timothy 6:12) “Fight the good fight of faith.” If we don’t do this, we won’t enter into His rest, we won’t know when to stop. Draw close to the Lord, dare to let go of situations, stand firm on the faith you have in God: (Ephesians 6:13) “Having done all (the crisis demands), to stand firmly in your place.” But before standing you have to do your part – put on God – the armour of truth, righteousness, peace, salvation, faith, and the Spirit. **So the first step in coming to His REST is acknowledgement of your limitations. The second step is putting on the life of Christ and standing firm. We all believe that perfect rest awaits us at death. But we don’t have to wait to die to enter into His rest. What does Isaiah 53 tell us? Christ paid the price for all our burdens and struggles. So if we attend to the Word of Truth and obey this word, instead of struggling with our burdens and problems, we can enter into His rest. According to Hebrews 4:10-11 if we don’t enter into His rest now, we fall into unbelief, but Jesus tells us how to enter into His rest: (Matthew 11:29-30) Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne. [The Amplified New Testament] The yoke is the example of complete surrender to Jesus – do what He says to do, go where He says to go and be what He says to be – EXACLY. But you won’t enter into His rest until you stop bucking the system. If you want true freedom from the law of mankind, you must continue in the yoke of Jesus. That is the way true rest comes. The commands of the Lord are not laborious, complicated, or exaggerated. It is those who have a mind to obey Him that will enter into His rest and comfort. God is the sum of the law. His commands are not difficult because we can draw on the perfect triumph of Christ Jesus. The coming of Christ in our life makes it possible for us to receive the healing found in Isaiah 53. The more we accept His life over our life, the greater the change and influence that will produce the REST. To accept the YOKE of Jesus is the essence of “belief” found in Hebrews 4:10-11. No yoke – no rest! What we have today is chaos in the lives of Christian people because they won’t wait on God, or stay yoked to Jesus. Therefore, their belief won’t remain. It is going to take a spirit of meekness and humility to remain in His yoke. It will take complete trust in Jesus that will reveal how easy our burdens become. And then we will know that Christ has removed the stress and given us true comfort. We will go through adversity and tribulation in order for us to realize this truth. Proud people can’t rest in God. Only the weak and lowly of heart will find their rest: In Hebrews 4:3 The word “believed” is “adhered to” = means to stick to it. To be bound to Him. If we want His rest, we must get bound to Jesus, becoming, as it were, His Siamese-twin. Why doesn’t the enemy want you to enter into His rest? Because once you find the reality of it you won’t allow anything to keep you from it. What exactly must we do to be “zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently” to enter into God’s rest? *** 1st. Step = Acknowledge you can’t do it any more on your own. 2nd. Step = Put on the life of Christ 3rd. Step = Abide in the Vine [abide = The Word – let the rhema of God come forth & obey it.] God’s promise is comfort and refreshing when you are weary, but will we believe? We can only enter into His rest by faith. And when faith is operating in your life, you shall find comfort for your soul and rest for your life. -Pr. Steve December Newsletter 2005 | Comfort Through Rest | Christmas Presents, or Christ's Power? Pastor's Journal December 2004 | Eye of a Needle part 1 of 3 | Church as Spiritual Zion part 3 of 3 |
Biblical Counseling for Leaders
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