New Warrior Ministries!: Fear in order to enter God's rest.

Greetings in Christ Jesus,

A reflection on today's readings Sunday 11-06-2016

Hebrews 4: 1-13
Psalm 120/121
Luke 20: 41 to end

In the reading from the book of Hebrews we start by reading of the promise of living in God's rest. We can note that there will be those who do not enter into His rest and we can begin to understand that His rest is not fully upon us yet. There are a few types of rest in scripture, one is the Sabbath rest given to the Jews, Christians can also enter in to this type of rest when we worship Almighty God through the risen Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit. But this is not the final rest.

There was a rest for the Jews when they escaped Egypt and entered in to Canaan but this was not a final rest; they still had a lot of work to do. Let us take a quick moment to see also that there was only two people from those Jews who originally fled Egypt and entered the Promised Land; these were Joshua and Caleb.

We rest in Jesus and yet there is still a lot of work to do and much affliction in this present life. Not all will make it beyond this rest here because some will fall. Were you able to see that in this reading of Hebrews?

Looking at today's Psalm does it not tell us that the Lord helps us and keeps us?

In the Gospel of Luke that we read today does it not tell us that the Christ is Lord, He is the Son of David in His humanity and David's Lord in His divinity? We know that Jesus is the Son of David and the Son of God. We know that we have been promised a rest but not all will enter in to this promised rest. How is it that in this short written homily/sermon with these few verses that we can understand who enters this promised rest?

Start again in the book of the Hebrews; are we not told from the start; therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to come short of it? I don't know about you but I do not hear this word fear very often when the preaching starts. Fear lest you fall away. There is no promise of a guarantee. We must be diligent to enter that rest. God's word is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.

Are we not told in the Gospel of Luke to beware of the scribes ? Why? The desire of their heart is not the fear and obedience of God but to walk in pride and to be admired by men, and to rob the widows. The fear of the Lord should guide us to repentance and obedience. Why have we forgotten to fear and obey. Did Jesus not tell us; if you love me, keep my commandments? This is how we enter in to the rest that is promised. My friends there is no other way.

In Christ.