“God’s Rest” (Pt 2)

 

TEXT: Genesis 2:1-2: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.  Vs 2: And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

I had mentioned in part one of this message how that after God had “ended” (finished) His work which He had made, He was able to enter into His rest and He entrusted the business of the creation into the hands of the LORD God Adam (male and female), whom He had made into His own image and after His likeness.

 Look at this.  It was the “man” (Adam) that the LORD God formed of the dust of the ground that fell, and not the LORD God Adam.  In Genesis 2:16: The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:  Vs 17: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:  for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”.  Genesis chapter three you find the “fall of man” or the “fall of creation”. 

·         Genesis 3:6: And when the “woman” saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.  Vs 7: And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

The LORD God didn’t give the command to the “woman”, but to the “man” (Adam).   Even though the “woman” (the adulteress church) had partaken of the fruit, the creation was still intact (unimpaired; uninjured).  It wasn’t until the “man” (Adam) partook of the fruit in disobedience to the LORD God, that the creation fell.  1 Timothy 1:14: And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

God has never left Himself without a remnant.  Isaiah 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.

BACK TO GENESIS 2:2: And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 

This word “work” is from the root word mel-aw-kah’, meaning deputy-ship (to deputize [appoint as deputy]), ministry, general employment (never servile).

A “deputy” is a person appointed to act for another!  So God deputized Adam (male and female), and told them to have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth (Genesis 1:26).  Vs 28: And God blessed them and God said unto them, “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it:  and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth”.  These people God had deputized were the LORD God Adam.

One of the definitions of “rested” in Genesis 2:2, is “repose”.  In the Hebrew it’s the root word shabath’, meaning to repose, desist from exertion; cease; rest.  Repose is defined in Webster as to place trust in someone; to place (power, etc) in the control of some person or group.   

God entrusted His power into the hands of a group of people called Adam in Genesis and today He has entrusted His power into our hands a group of people called Christians. 

Repose is a takeoff of the word “reposition”.  The prefix “re” means to do again.  Webster defines position as the way in which a person or thing is placed or arranged; one’s attitude or opinion; the place where one is; location; rank.  I stated that God repositioned Himself in the man (Adam) (male & female) as LORD God deputizing them with power and authority and blessed them saying unto them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26-28).  The LORD God deputized the man Adam that he formed (Genesis 2):  Jesus deputized His twelve disciples (Matthew 10:1):  and the Holy Ghost has deputized us the church (Acts 1:8).  But above everything, God deputized Jesus to be the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).  It’s all because He is before all things, and by him all things consist (Colossians 1:17):  (vs 18c): And that in all things he might have the preeminence!

God deputized Jesus to be LORD of the creation because He was and is “the Beginning”.

·         2 Corinthians 5:19: To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself; not imputing their trespasses unto them.

·         Colossians 1:15: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

·         Vs 16: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, dominions, or principalities, or powers:  all things were created by him and for him:

·         Vs 17: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

·         Vs 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.

·         Revelation 3:14: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.

God (Elohim – Creator) is doing the work in Genesis chapter one, but in chapter two the LORD God (Jesus) He had deputized is now creating and making because God (Elohiym – Creator - the Most High) is now “resting” in Him as He Jesus Christ is resting in us today or has taken up “position” in us His Body, the Church and deputized us by the Holy Ghost and He’s saying:

·         Matthew 28:18: Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth”.  

Vs 19: “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  vs 20: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:  and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (age). Amen”.

·         Mark 16:15: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

·         Luke 10:19: Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy:  and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

·         John 14:12: Verily, verily, I say unto you, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than thee shall he do; because I go unto my Father”.

·         Acts 1:8: You shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:  and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

This power that Jesus has given unto us as stated in Luke 10:19: “I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy:  and nothing shall by any means hurt you”.

This “power” Jesus has given us is exousi’a, meaning (in the sense of ability) privilege, force, capacity, competency, freedom superhuman, potentate, token of control, delegated influence:  authority, right, liberty, jurisdiction, strength. 

We must first exercise this authority over ourselves to bring every area, heart, soul, mind, and body under the control of the Holy Ghost, so that we can totally be at “REST” with a calm and peace that passes all understanding, then we will be in position to lead others into the place of rest.

These “SERPENTS” mentioned in Luke 10:19 aren’t snakes as some suppose but it typifies the characteristics of people that oppose what God is doing in your life.  Serpents in Greek is oph’is, (through the idea of sharpness of vision); a snake (fig) (as a type of sly cunning) artful malicious PERSON, especially Satan (people that oppose the things of God). 

·         Matthew 16:21: From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

·         Vs 22: Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, “Be it far from thee. Lord:  this shall not be unto thee”.    

·         Vs 23: But he turned, and said unto Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan:  thou art an offence unto me:  for thou savors not the things that be of God, but those that be of men”.

At that moment Peter was Satan because he was opposing God’s plan for Jesus’ life.  But of course Jesus took charge of it because He had control over His own heart, soul, mind, and body, and was determined that nothing or no one was going to stop the purpose He was sent here for!

And by the way this is the same “serpent” that lied to the woman in Genesis 3.   And it’s the same “serpent” that portrays himself as the “dragon”  that he has become in the book of Revelation, still operating under the guise of government, politics, socially, economically, ecclesiastically!

The “SCORPIONS” here are not  “spiders” as some suppose, but typifies the end results of what will happen after accepting the traditions and teaches of men.  Scorpion throughout Revelation is defined as skorpi’os, meaning to pierce; a scorpion (from its sting) (the poisonous sting of the venom that’s in their tail) (the death messages preached through religion). 

·         Revelation 9:3: And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth:  and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

The power is the “deadly venom that’s in their tail” (the deceptive teachings of men).  Remember Revelation 12:4: (speaking of the dragon):

·         And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven:   (not the physical stars out in the sky but those that were carrying the kingdom message of truth), 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.

The “dragon” is (the systems of men): social; political; economical; ecclesiastical [ideas; philosophies; vain deceit; traditions and teachings of men; rudiments of the world] (Colossians 2:8]):

·         Beware (be watchful; cautious), lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after CHRIST.

This is done through the false teachings of religious order.  Proverbs 14:12 states, “There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death”. 

The only way you can get anything from God according to the teachings of men is after one dies and goes up to heaven or by Jesus coming back on a cloud and rapturing you out of here.  Both are deceptions of the enemy.  The “tail” is that which follows the animal – “death” is what follows the “tales” of religion.  Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

·         2 Thessalonians 2:10: And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

·         Vs 11: And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

·         Vs 12: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Delusion is plane’, meaning, a straying from that which is godly; err; wandering; be out of the way / also from plan’os, meaning an impostor or misleader; deceiver.  (It didn’t say that the devil would do this but “God would send strong delusion” to those that do not want the truth).

There is no way one can truly REST without truth.  Think about this, religiously speaking:  if the only way you can have peace, divine health, eternal life, etc, is when you die and get to heaven, then you are most miserable living here on earth, waiting to die and get to heaven to have all of that.  That’s a perfect example of someone sitting on death row.  We can have all the blessings of God right now!  We are over comers right now!  We certainly can have “rest” (be calm and have peace) in Him right here and right now!

The scripture states that there “yet remains a rest” to the people of God.  Hebrews 4 talks about “THE PROMISE OF REST”:

·         Hebrews 4:1: Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest (katap’ausis), any of you should seem to come short of it.

Hebrews 3:12-19, the disobedient generation of the Israelites did not “enter into God’s rest (katap’ausis) because of unbelief”.

·         Hebrews 4:2: For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them:  but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

·         Vs 3: For we which have believed do enter into rest (katap’ausis) [calm; tranquility], as he said, “As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest (katap’ausis):  although the works were finished from the foundation of the world”.

·         Vs 4: For he spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest (katapau’o) [settle down; colonize; desist; give rest; restrain] the seventh day from all his works.

[God is ETERNAL, so His REST is ETERNAL]!

·         Vs 5: And in this place again, “If they shall enter into my rest” (katap’ausis) (calm; tranquility).

·         Vs 6: Seeing therefore it remains that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief.

·         Vs 7: Again he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, “Today after so long a time; as it is said, today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts”.

·         Vs 8: For if Jesus (Jehoshu’a )[Joshua] had given them rest (katapau’o) [to settle down, ie to colonize, or to (cause to) desist: cease; give rest; restrain] after taking them into the promise land, then would he (God) not afterward have spoken of ANOTHER DAY.

Even with Joshua taking them into the promise land God’s people still didn’t “rest”.  Jesus said “Come unto me, all you that are heavy laden and I will give you “rest” (Matthew 11:28), and people still didn’t rest.  But NOW that the Holy Ghost is given, God’s people can now have this “complete rest” and it’s up to us the Church (Christ’s Body) through the power of the Holy Ghost to give them this rest through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God in its fullness in us right here and right now!

·         Vs 9: There remains therefore a rest (sabbatismos’) to the people of God.

·         Vs 10: FOR HE THAT IS ENTERED INTO HIS REST (katap’ausis) [calm; tranquility], HE ALSO HATH CEASED FROM HIS OWN WORKS, AS GOD DID FROM HIS.

In Genesis 1:28, God didn’t give “man” a job, He gave him a command: “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:  and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth”.

Just as when God created, all He had to do was think it and speak it into existence!  All the LORD God had to do was speak the Word.  The same for us, all we have to do is speak God’s Word by faith to whatever situation presents itself for us to have the victory over it.  Mark 11:23, “For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith”.

·         Vs 11: Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest (katap’ausis) (calm; tranquility; perfect peace), lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

The “REST” God wants us to enter into is katap’ausis, which is reposing down in relation to “an abode” which is a dwelling place:   [being in a state of calm, rest or tranquility; perfect peace].  This rest can only be found in “heaven” (higher realms of spiritual elevation), not out beyond the blue, but in the Holy Ghost.

·         Acts 7:48-49: Howbeit the Most High dwells not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool:  what house will you build me?  Saith the Lord, or what is the place of MY REST?

[God’s place of “rest” certainly isn’t in physical buildings but He dwell in His people, His heavens which we are]!

Rest in this verse here is (eire’ne, meaning (to join); peace; prosperity: one; quietness.  This “rest” is being “AT ONE”, in relation to men, nations, man and God:  it denotes harmony!

 God’s “rest” is entered when the believer has become “one” with God that loves Him and is persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate them from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).  Then the believer is “resting” knowing that the “work is finished” when he/she can open their mouth and speak as God speaks knowing that what they say shall come to pass because they are one with Him:

·         Deuteronomy 30:12: It is not in heaven, that thou should say, “Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it”?  Vs 13: Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou should say, “Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it”?  Vs 14: BUT THE WORD IS VERY NIGH UNTO THEE, IN THY MOUTH, AND IN THY HEART, THAT THOU MAY DO IT!  (Romans 10:8).

·         Proverbs 18:21: Death and life are in the power of the tongue:  and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

·         Matthew 12:36: But I say unto you, “That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment”: [meaning the day (at the time) they speak it, it shall begin to perform what they say-whether positive or negative]:  Vs 37: for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Hebrew 4:9: There remains therefore a rest (sabbatismos’) to the people of God.

This word “REST” is from the root word “sabbatismos”, meaning a sabbatism or the repose (position or place) of Christianity (as a type of heaven) which is being in Christ Jesus: 

·         Ephesians 2:6: And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 

 [The “Sabbath-keeping” is the PERPETUAL (eternal – everlasting) Sabbath “rest” that is to be enjoyed uninterruptedly by believers in their fellowship with the Father and the Son, through the power of the Holy Ghost right NOW , every day, in contrast to the WEEKLY Sabbath under the Law.  God’s “seventh day” is ETERNAL AND NOT WEEKLY!   “SABBATISMOS REST” of God is us resting in God Himself, and we can have it right now!  It is an eternal rest and it’s available to us NOW!!!

·         Mark 2:27: And he (Jesus) said unto them, “The Sabbath (God’s eternal or daily rest) was made for man and not man for the Sabbath” (Sunday rest), as most Christians are yet hung up on.

[Man was not made for rest, but rest was made for man especially when he becomes “ONE WITH GOD”]!

·         Mark 3:1-6: (Jesus healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath – [the religious Pharisees got angry and sought to destroy him]. 

·         Vs 4: And he (Jesus) said unto them (Pharisees), “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil?  To save life or to kill”?  But they held their peace.

·         Vs 5: And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he said unto the man, “Stretch forth thine hand”.  And he stretched it out:  and his hand was restored whole as the other.

·         Vs 6: And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

There are people today that don’t understand what the Sabbath really is.  Many still believe that it is Sunday and won’t do anything else on that day except go to church.  But I had a job for years that I had to work at least every other Sunday and it didn’t affect my relationship with God.  I guess my question is, “How can God’s rest be tied down to just one day”? And it isn’t!  It’s “eternal”, it’s every day in Christ Jesus!

·         Exodus 20:8: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

·         Vs 9: Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:

·         Vs 10: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God:  in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.

·         Vs 11: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day:  wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

In Hebrew sabbath is from shabbath’, meaning intermission [an interval of time between periods of activity].  In the Greek it is from sab’baton, meaning a day of weekly repose.  Remember, 2 Peter 3:8: 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.

 From the time of the fall of the creation via the Adam race in Genesis till the fullness of the time when God was ready to reconcile the creation back unto Himself through Jesus Christ, many transitions took place throughout the eons of time.  But God swore an oath to Abraham that He was going to bless him and his “seed”:

·         Genesis 22 (when God tests Abraham):  vs 15-18: And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, “By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:  that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice”.

The LORD did not say seeds as many, but his “seed” and that “one seed was Christ”:

·         Galatians 3:16: Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.  He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is CHRIST:

·          Vs 29: And if you be Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

We are included in that blessing because we are Abraham’s seed through Jesus Christ!  We are partaking of that blessing because Jesus has delivered us from the power of sin, death, hell, and the grave by way of the cross through His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and descending into us making us the Church, members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones (Ephesians 5:30), of which He is the Head (Colossians 1:18)! 

So to totally understand the “Sabbath” (intermission), we must know what “seventh” means because the “Sabbath” is contained in the “seventh day”.  Seventh in Hebrew is from shebiy’iy (sheb-ee-ee’), meaning seven; seventy; an indefinite number; sevenfold.  Then it goes to another root word sheba’ (shaba’) meaning to be complete; to seven oneself; swear (as if by repeating a declaration seven times), swear, charge, oath, adjure.  Often to swear or to take an oath is to strongly affirm a promise.  Seven is God’s number of perfection and completeness!  This is because God did all His work within the “SIX DAY” period (or stages of replenishing He carried the creation through to accomplish His purpose-not just limited to a 24 hour, six day period).   And “six” is the number of man, the number of flesh or carnality!   

·         2 Peter 3:8: One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

God saw the “ending” or “finishing” in the “beginning”.  He knew Jesus was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8):  God knew He was manifesting His Son Jesus to destroy the works of the devil (1John 3:8). 

·         Colossians 2:13-15: And we being dead in our sins and the uncircumcision of our flesh, hath he quickened (made alive) together with him, having forgiven us all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

The “Sabbath” in Hebrew is defined as “an intermission”.  Within this intermission came the work of the cross.  So the “Sabbath” was contained and completed within the sixth day period. [Remember, we can’t lock God into just a “24 hour” day period because God uses “dispensations” (a dispensing of time that He uses to fulfill a divine purpose)]:   Ephesians 1:10: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.

·         Genesis 2:1: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.  Vs 2: And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

God had “finished” or “ended” His work and could “REST” on the “seventh day” (the affirmation of the promise of the blessing that had been completed for us through Christ).  And because of Christ we to can “REST IN GOD”!

·         Romans 8:2-4: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:  that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

·         2 Corinthians 5:19: To wit (know), that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing (holding against) their trespasses unto them:  Vs 21: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

·         Hebrews 9:11-12: But Christ being come a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained ETERNAL REDEMPTION for us.

·         1John 3:8: He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sinned from the beginning.  For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

The Sabbath was the covenant sign of God’s lordship over the creation. The definition of “Sabbath” (shabbath’) meaning intermission, also goes to sha’bath, meaning, to repose, desist from exertion, cease, rest, celebrate, leave, still.

Rest in Webster’s Dictionary means ease or inactivity after exertion; relief from anything distressing, tiring, etc.

We are no longer under the Law, but the grace of God.  We have been redeemed from the Law and we can now “rest in God” under grace! 

·         Ephesians 2:5: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened (made alive) us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved); vs 8: By grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God.

Jesus by way of the cross, His resurrection, and ascension, and taking up residence in us by the Holy Ghost, has made “RESTING” in God available to us now!  So the “Sabbath day” doesn’t have to be linked to just one particular day now, but in God we can “REST” every day because  the “seventh day” is an “ETERNAL DAY” which was the making complete of our RESTING in God Himself right here and right now!

Hebrews 4:9: There remains therefore a rest (sabbatismos’) to the people of God.

REST (sabbatismos’) a sabbatism, the repose of Christianity (is a type of heaven), it is the “perpetual Sabbath or rest” to be enjoyed uninterruptedly by believers NOW in our fellowship or better yet, our relationship with the Father and the Son, through the power of the Holy Ghost in contrast to the weekly Sabbath under the Law.  This “sabbatismos’ rest” is the “rest” of God Himself, and we can have it right now because of the shabbath’ or intermission [an interval of time between periods of activity] of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, destroying the works of the devil (1 John 3:8), and the power He has given us through the Holy Ghost: 

·         Luke 10:19: I give unto you power to tread on serpents, scorpions, and all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall be any means hurt you. 

·         Acts 1:8: You shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me: 

It is up to us now, the Body of Christ to give “rest” to God’s people through the preaching and teaching of the fullness of the Gospel to them:

·         Luke 4:18-19: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

·         2 Corinthians 5:20: Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us:  we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Hebrews 4:10: For he that is entered (present tense) into his rest (katap’ausis) (or sabbatismos’) is reposing right now being positioned in God Himself in a state of calm, peace, tranquility, and he also hath ceased from his own works (past tense), as God did from his!!

Hebrew 4:11: Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest (katap’ausis) [calm; peace; tranquility] or (sabbatismos’) [heavenly place – in Christ Jesus], lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

That word “labor” (not servile work) is defined from the root word spouda’zo, meaning to use speed; to make effort; be prompt or earnest; endeavor; be diligent; study; hasten; be eager, which is the same root word “study” in 2 Timothy 2:15 is from, telling us how to show ourselves approved unto God, through studying so that we can rightly divide the word of “truth”, and live thereby.

So people of God lay aside every weight that doth so easily beset you (us) and dwell in the “PERPETUAL (continual; daily) REST” in your Heavenly Father, that’s been given us through Jesus the Christ!!!

Pastor Gracie Perry