Rest and Abide

Newsletter #385 - November 2011 - By Shepherds Chapel - http://www.shepherdschapel.com/

Troubled times lie ahead, beloved. The Holy Spirit can inoculate you against troubled times. The inoculation is simply knowing the truth. The truth allows you to rest and abide in Father through the troubled times. Let's begin our study in Matthew.

Matthew 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

Jesus is coming down pretty hard on Capernum. They had seen miracle after miracle, but didn't believe.

Matthew 11:24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee." 25 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

Those who were wise and prudent in the ways of the world couldn't understand, but the message was put forth so that a child with eyes to see and ears to hear could understand. Truth is always like that.

Matthew 11:26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in Thy sight. 27 All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.

God loves you. He wants you to find His saving power. He wants you to find His Son, Jesus Christ.

Matthew 11:28 Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Do you have trouble in your life? Are you carrying heavy burdens? Take you problem to the Lord. He promises to give you rest.

Matthew 11:29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

He is able to give rest to your very soul. That brings true peace of mind, beloved. If you have peace of mind, you are blessed.

Matthew 11:30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

Jesus wants to help you with your troubles. His yolk is easy to put on. When you put His yoke on your burdens become lighter, because He is helping you. Talk to the Lord. Rest in Him. Turn with me to Mark.

Mark 6:31 And He said unto them, "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while:" for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Ministering to others can be hard work. It can make for some very long days, when the people are hungry for God's Word. Jesus is encouraging the apostles to rest.

Mark 6:32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. Mark 6:33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew Him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto Him.

The people were starving for truth. They realized where Jesus and the apostles were going, and raced around the shoreline and were waiting on them when they arrived.

Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and He began to teach them many things.

Jesus didn't send them away because He was tired. He realized feeding the sheep was more important than resting. By teaching the people, He was giving them rest.

Mark 6:35 And when the day was now far spent, His disciples came unto Him, and said, "This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:

It was getting late in the day, and remember, the disciple hadn't had time to eat anything.

Mark 6:36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat."

Jesus would tell the disciple to feed the people. This has a physical and spiritual meaning. The famine in the end times is not for bread, but for hearing the Word of God (Amos 8:11). They fed the people with spiritual truth, and as for the physical, they fed the people five loaves of bread and two fishes. This satisfied the people. Yoke yourself to Jesus. When you take on His yoke, Jesus takes care of the difficult tasks and you can handle the rest. To fully find His rest, you must abide in Him. Turn with me to John.

John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

"Mansions" doesn't mean a big luxurious house. The word in the Greek language is "mone" (mon-ay'). It i an abode that you can reside in, today. It is a place where you can find rest and peace of mind, now. If you abide in Him, there is no reason for our heart to be troubled, which means to worry about anything.

John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Some people have trouble understanding this verse. Jesus is promising that His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, will abide in us, if we will receive Him. You know He abides in you when you feel the warmth as He touches your heart. He is called the comforter, because He comforts you.

John 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." 5 Thomas saith unto him, "Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"

It is good we have a doubting Thomas. Today, many of God's children are doubters. Thomas should have known Jesus is the only way to salvation.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.

This verse may offend some, but this is just the way it is. You can't have the Father without the Son.

John 14:7 If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him."

How could this be? They were looking at Immanuel. Immanuel means "God with us".

John 14:8 Philip saith unto Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us." 9 Jesus saith unto him, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, 'Show us the Father?'

This isn't difficult to understand. It is really quite simple. God was born in the flesh as Jesus Christ. The name "Jesus" in the Hebrew language means "God's salvation". He came in the flesh to defeat death (Heb. 2:14).

John 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.

The word "dwelleth" is "meno" (men'-o) in the Greek language. It is a form of the previous Greek word "mone". It means abide. It is a very special feeling when the Holy Spirit abides in you. He warms your heart.

John 14:11 Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works' sake.

If they didn't believe His words, they should have believed the miracles He performed. The blind received their sight. The lame walked. The dead came to life.

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 these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.

The Shepherd's Chapel is a good example of this promise coming to pass. Imagine, we press a few buttons, and God's Word is broadcast around the world.

John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If you need bricks to build a ministry for Jesus Christ, ask for them. God will provide the bricks, if you are willing to do the work.

John 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it. 15 If ye love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever;

Here we have our word "abide", again. The Comforter provides a resting place where you can abide with Him. You don't have to wait for heaven. You can rest in Him, now.

John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Power from on high is at your disposal, because the Holy Spirit dwells within you.

John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also.

The Holy Spirit is able to comfort you, now.

John 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you. 21 He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him."

Do the best you can to keep His commandments, and the Lord will love you.

John 14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, "Lord, how is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, "If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.

If the Holy Spirit dwells with you, the Father and the Son dwell with you, as well. Wherever Jesus and Father are, the Holy Spirit is there also. Rest and abide with Them.

John 14:24 He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father's which sent Me. 25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

Jesus is preparing the apostles for His ascension. Notice the simplicity with which Christ taught.

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Rest and abide in the Holy Spirit. He is able to teach you all things. Don't ever forget this fact.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

There is no true peace of mind in the world. True peace of mind only comes from the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

John 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved Me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for My Father is greater than I.

Jesus dis ascend, but He did not leave us comfortless. Rest and abide in His Spirit.

In His service,
Arnold Murray