DISCIPLINE#5 OF 12 - SABBATH REST

                    THE BMIC BLAST - MARCH  2025

CONSIDER THIS: REST

 REST….“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.…Hebrews 4:11.

CONSIDER THIS: A person can be both busy, hardworking and always on the go, while at the same time, functioning from the assurance which God’s Rest gives. Are you that kind of a person? What does this mean anyway? What is this “rest” the Bible talks about and how does it apply to me?

ACTION: Read Hebrews chapter 3:7 through chapter 4:13. Pray for revelation and discernment about this powerful message and passage from the Lord .

Begin a Prayer Journal or if you have a Journaling Bible, begin notes on topics like “What is God’s “rest” and then record any thoughts or difficulty you may experience truly resting in the Lord? The key is prioritizing in prayer and submission to the Will of God, so that the Work of God can proceed in and through us.

Pray and journal like this – Heavenly Father, I come to You in Jesus Strong Name asking for wisdom, guidance and direction about how to remain in Your Will, how to remain obedient and fully reliant on You, and still accomplish the things I am supposed to, in my daily life. Father I trust You completely in this. I accept completely the answers You will provide and I rest in this decision to fully walk in this Truth all the days of my life, in Jesus’ Name amen.

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THE ALL-POWERFUL GOD - PSALM 139: VERSES 17-21

In Psalm 103:2, we are reminded that we should “Bless the Lord, Oh my soul….and forget not His benefits”.  The actual word for Benefits is the Hebrew word “gemul” which literally means….in context…”forget not all that He (the Lord) has given unto us”! We Christians have a tendency to not just forget what He has done for us, but the actual “benefit” of resting in the Victory of sin and death which He provides at the positional point of Salvation. 
One of the primary “benefits” of true conversion, from the dominion of darkness to the Kingdom of God’s marvelous light, is the ability to REST in the Lord! Jesus said it well (no surprise here). He said “you have not, because you ask not”. To paraphrase the King, we stress much, because we rest not.  The Bible talks about rest for the people of God all the time. Hebrews 4:9  tell us “there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God”. While we have to work at staying close to the Lord, through right living, prayer and Bible study as well as good deeds, the most important part of our position in Christ is already done. We are forgiven if we repent. We are heaven-bound because Jesus the Son of God died for our sins on the Cross, and He is our Lord and Master. The important work is done.

King David, the prophet, warrior poet and king of Israel knew this, without knowing the fullness of Christ during his time on earth. He did not know the Name of Yeshua, but David was one of the few in the Old Testament who had the Holy Spirit of Christ! Here is the King of Israel, who had conquered all enemies, after spending over a decade on the run from King Saul and his assassins just resting and basking in the Glory of God.
Psalm 139:17-21
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.
19 O that You would slay the wicked, O God;
Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.
20 For they speak against You wickedly,
And Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.

Verse 17-18 are perfect examples for us today, on how a man or woman or child of God should function daily, in a dying, stress-filled and dangerous world, even when things personally go against us. Therein lies the Power of God in two distinctive ways. These ways are both the All-Powerful or Omnipotent God Himself and the Power of God imputed, embedded and existent in us in the Person of the Holy Spirit!

These are things which these two verses teaches us so we can have that same confidence, power and then rest in this Omnipotent God:
- The Thoughts of the Lord are not only precious, they take precedence over every other thought. His thoughts are NOT our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). His Thoughts are right in our hands. His thoughts are known as The Bible. His Thoughts show us the pathway to peace, purpose and emotional prosperity.

- King David and most believers in God from Adam to only 400 years ago, never had a copy of the Bible EVER! It did not exist in the form, in which we are so fortunate to have nowadays. They did have the scrolls of the Law – the first five books of the Old Testament and the two historical books of Samuel; the Kings and the Chronicles (1st and 2nd of each, respectively).  They knew the works of the Lord from Abraham, Moses, the Crossing of the Red Sea and all His marvelous works. There were so many, concerning the Kindness, mercy and love of God that they could only come from His Unfathomable Mind and Heart. We have all of those Words and Thoughts and could never fully grasp the Totality of both words and thoughts in this lifetime. We could live to be 176 years like Abraham and still not understand 30% of them. This alone should inspire awe and reverence in Christians today.

Because the man of God knows what he doesn’t know (David that is,) and fully comprehends the absolute Power of God in His incredible Mind and Heart, the king is using wisdom, fortified by knowledge to discern the extent of this Power. God tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. You and I would be VERY wise if we recognize this huge TRUTH and live by it daily. Jesus Himself tells us, in Matthew 10:28 the following "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell".

Verses 19-22 is a perfect example of the scary, yet awesome, Power of God to destroy evil. He – the Lord – HAS dismantled so many evil empires over history, we lose count. The very first one was the entire world during the Flood of Noah’s time. Later on, the Israelites were told to take the land belonging to the evil Canaanites and on and on. God even sacks the cities of His own people in order to uphold His Holiness as well as teach a lesson. The brutal Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar was saved by God towards the end of his life. However. before that, the Lord sent Nebuchadnezzar to sack, burn down now pagan Jerusalem and take the majority of people into exile, hundreds of miles away. 

God will always be holy, holy, holy.  All humankind, in our natural states, are wicked, wicked, wicked.  From here on out, after all we have seen and read of the Power of God to destroy evil in all of human history, anything we see taking place should be viewed with biblical lens. These lens shine the light on the sins of all people. When we see entire nations where witchcraft and voodoo are the major religions as in several third world countries suffer natural disasters and constant poverty, we see the power of God to punish (verse 19)

When we see nation against nation, tribe against tribe followed by pestilence and disease, we see verse 20.  Those who worship other gods in the demonic realm are not only taking the Name of the one True God in vain, they have violated the very first commandment and the law which has been written on hearts of ALL humans, since the time of Creation. While all final accounts will be settled for good on Judgment Day and eternal punishment awaits the wicked of the world – both nations and individuals, some judgment has already begun in this life. This is what the plaques of the Dark Ages was all about or the ruins we see in Central and South America now of ancient peoples who shook their fists at Holy God....among many others.

The people of God are supposed to hate, despise and turn away from all this wickedness of not just other nations, witchcraft and worse. But we are also commanded to not participate in the corruption of the modern culture and its obvious excesses (Verse 21).  The Word of God in this verse says “hate with a perfect hatred”. However, there is an addendum.

While we despise and stay away from everything evil, nonetheless, we pray for and about the entire scenario. We pray for protection from ALL evil (Psalm 91 and others). However, we also pray for the salvation of those involved in evil. Even if the evil is perpetrated against us, we pray for them.  We have personal evidence this kind of prayer works. The Power of God is such that sure He punishes evil, but He is also so powerful in love and goodness that He pardons those who have hated Him their entire lives, if they turn from their sins, repent and accept Him as Lord of their lives. In this, we see the Omnipotent demonstrate the amazing Power of Forgiveness. Glory to His Name. 

WORD OF LIFE, PART 14 - "THE ETERNAL FLAME"

"Your Word is a Lamp to my feet and a Light to my path"

Psalm 119:105 (above) is one of those verses we see Christian apparel marketers or bumper sticker creators maximize in their usage. There is nothing wrong with this because the words therein, are perfectly true and should be worn on both one’s sleeves or on a ball cap. Two things are happening here which are directly related to each other as our portion in the land of the living. 

First of all, a lamp is a fixed unit which sends out light when fueled by an agent and a wick. The fuel could be oil, gas or even battery/electric powered. The wick is the means by which the fuel shoots the light which illumines atmosphere around the lamp as long as the fuel lasts. 

Secondly, the other thing happening is "the path" which the lamp lights up. In the Christian life, the Pathway we are on, in this journey of life is our full time Christian walk, until we graduate up to Heaven. The Lamp, the Word of God here, is fueled by the Holy Spirit. The good thing is this fuel never runs out, as opposed to the lamps and bright lights made by man. There is a supernatural sources which never runs dry. The wick is still the Holy Spirit who is both fuel and source of Light. This wick is similar to the "Pillar of Cloud" which led the Israelites out of Egypt by day and the "Pillar of Fire" which then led them by night through the desert etc. for forty years. Those "Pillars" lit up the pathway for God's Chosen Nation just as the Word of God lights up our hearts, minds, bodies and souls NOW. This modern day pillar is what we MUST saturate our very beings with so we can fulfill God's Law and purpose. His Law, remember, is to love Him with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength (bodies).

The purity and quality of the supernatural fuel never changes. This lamp is not a flashlight which is weak and runs out of battery. This Lamp is burns bright within our soul because the very Power of God is its fuel. It need not have any recharging. We are the ones who need recharging. It needs not have a wick or a filament to burn bright. The Holy Spirit releases more and more lumens to make the picture more high definition so we can grasp the Wonder and Work of God being done in our lives. 

This Lamp is not just a torch which burns bright and then is extinguished, but it guides us like a Pillar of Fire through the Pathways, Highways, Byways and yes – the Deserts of Life, until we reach the Promised Land. That is the Lamp we are talking about in this verse.

Psalm 119:105-112
Nun.
105   Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
106   I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I will keep Your righteous ordinances.
107   I am exceedingly afflicted; revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.
108   O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me Your ordinances.
109   My life is continually in my hand, yet I do not forget Your law.
110   The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I have not gone astray from Your precepts.
111   I have inherited Your testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart.

112   I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, even to the end.

Everything else flows from this. Unlike rebel Israel in the desert for forty years during the Exodus, we, who are called by His Name, are to react just as in verses 106 and 108. We understand completely and have a full grasp of the meaning of our Salvation. To that end, the Word and us have become One. As we study the progression of the previous 100 verses, the Word of God is now honey to the taste and supernatural food which forever satisfies (verse 106). To that end, we are duty bound to praise and worship Him (verse 108). While the request is made for acceptance of that offering, it will be received as it was done in righteousness.

There is a huge caveat. The Lamp has to be fuel with the fire of the Holy Spirit Who installs in us, the very Spirit of Christ to both accept, process, embed and then TREASURE all His Words in our own heart. This process leads to such hope, peace, joy and contentment that we above all the rest, are the people mentioned in Hebrews Chapter 4:9. These are the blessed ones who have rest because we are the people of God. His Word confirms that we, indeed are. 

This Rest spoken of and promised by the Lord Himself is crucial, if we desire to persevere through the many valleys which life takes us through. Verse 107 speaks of the suffering of most of God’s people. From the underground churches where up to 300 million Christians worship under constant daily threat of violence and worse. Verse 107 speaks of Christians in the Middle East or Central Africa or Asia, under duress…and so on. Verse 109 speaks directly of our condition in times like these. For many, life does hang in the balance, whether it is a serious health issue or as in some parts of the world, bodily harm and persecution await Christians, from the enemies of the one True God (as previously mentioned). But even in those times, we can rest and rely on His promises, being boldly determined to keep every single decree and statute of the Word of God – until the End (verse 112).  This is the nature of the fulfilled Christian man or woman of God. 

WORD OF LIFE, PART 4: THE REST AND RESCUE OF GOD

We have all had these seasons in life, when nothing goes right - the bills are piling in. If there are young or teenage children, just keeping them focused on the important things in life and not the culture which demands their souls and attention can be overwhelming. If you are a single parent trying to deal with work, children, child care, food on the table, homework done and a car muffler going out, sometimes life is just too much. If you're a middle-aged dad, the college bills are coming in, and no job prospects for little junior lie ahead. If you're a senior, the end of life is on the horizon ahead, and somehow life feels unfulfilled, or even empty.

So what do we do when feeling crushed, under the gun and there is no end in sight. You hear the preacher in church tell you on Sunday morning, if you can even make it to church, that "you must give it to God".....or "let God have it".....or "make Jesus the Lord of your life".... or "read the Word of God, it has the answers". As a Christian, you may know all of this is true, or could be true and you consider Jesus as Savior. You even prayed "the prayer" and accepted Christ into your life. But with all you're going through, none of it seems real. There is a disconnect. In fact, there seems to be a huge gap of reality.

Here is where the preacher is right! The Word of God DOES have all the answers. In fact the words themselves contain answers, therein. But there is a caveat and it requires something not human within us to bring deliverance and breakthrough. Do not get this wrong. It has nothing to do with "sowing a seed" or chanting a verse as you see on those TV shows on prosperity, word faith or contemplative prayer programs. These are outside the realm of the Spirit. What we are talking about here is letting loose the Spirit of Christ within us, to remove the human element of wanting to control outcomes and answers, and then allowing Him to guide us into the areas of all Truth.

This is basically what surrendering or committing your life and mine to Christ really means. The examples cited above (bills, teenage rebellion, stress, car problems, work etc.) can, do and will continue to overwhelm us. These are what daily living is all about. But it can also be about REST. This is the Rest emanating from the penumbras of the not-so-hidden Oracles of God, which is the Bible.

This Rest is saying as verse 25 below says "My soul clings to the dust"....Lord I can't take this anymore. Help me!!!" But then, we acknowledge in verse 26 that we have been doing it our way for so long, that it "ain't workin, hoss"! But Verse 26 also has something else...and it is that caveat we mentioned earlier. We realize that our way is not working and the cry for "RESCUE" is being heard!  This is surrendering to Jesus as Lord! It simply means - our ways are useless, He is Lord so now, "Jesus, God, You are MY LORD - please RESCUE ME!"

Psalm 119:25-32

Daleth

25 My soul clings to the dust;

Revive me according to Your word.

26 I have declared my ways, and You answered me;

Teach me Your statutes.

27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts;

So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works.

28 My soul melts from heaviness;

Strengthen me according to Your word.

29 Remove from me the way of lying,

And grant me Your law graciously.

30 I have chosen the way of truth;

Your judgments I have laid before me.

31 I cling to Your testimonies;

O Lord, do not put me to shame!

32 I will run the course of Your commandments,

For You shall enlarge my heart.

And He does - every time! The problems never go away, but now, they seem bearable if we keep our Focus on Him. They are manageable if we read a portion of Psalms every day or the Gospels or 1 John. They are His because we rest in His Word and His promises. That is what Psalm 119 is all about - the Word As Life, the Word to Life and the Word OF Life, the Life of the Believer!

Resting on the Word, when we are in sackcloth and ashes like Job, in the dung heap of life, brings meditation (verse 27) and thinking about that Scripture and the Goodness of Yahweh, as you drive the long commute to work, or to drop your teenage kid to the soccer game or swim meet....or as widow going to the senior home to volunteer to help with social activities.

Resting on the Word means that even your heart is melting with sadness, sorrow and loneliness (verse 28), He will send you back to the Bible and you will find that ONE word, phrase or passage which He wrote just for you, and you realize, "God, You really do have my back!"

Resting on the Word means no more cutting corners to shade that truth to avoid embarrassment or this corner to "save time or a buck" but now, you see and FEEL His Grace lighting up the next half mile ahead for you to travel (Verses 29- 30). Because you have chosen to accept this Rest, you are now committed to this road, and thus, MORE Grace lies around the bend.

Resting on the Word means rejecting yourself as the author of your own breakthrough and answers and accepting His guidance now. Why shouldn't you? He knows the end from the beginning. He has laid out the road map to peace, joy and contentment - even in times of trouble, so let us saturate our minds DAILY with His Truth. Then watch the oil of joy flow to bring rescue and healing, so much so, that the Testimonies of your growing love and heart for God just want to burst out of our chest! These testimonies are so rich, they will lead others to this Rest and Knowledge - if we just tell them!

Jesus said in John 16:33 "in this world, you will have tribulation (troubles, all kinds of bad things happen) but BEHOLD (be of good cheer, even in horrible times), I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD!!" (My emphasis and explanations in brackets are not from scripture, but interpretation). 

Therefore, go rest high - on the mountain and Word of God. Amen.