Labor to enter His rest.

Introduction: The greatest fear that Jesus had among the people was not laboring to enter into His rest. Even today Christians are facing the same problem as what Jesus described. Matthew 11:28-30 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” God want His people to rest in His presence. How we enter? Hebrew 4:1-2 "Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it" (4:1). We can paraphrase the thought in this way: God makes it possible for us to enter his rest, so we need to make sure that we accept his offer. If we do not keep our faith in him (the main exhortation of this book), we will fail to enter. How do we enter? Verse 2 tells us, "For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith." The author urges us to be diligent, then he talks about the gospel. This implies that we enter God's rest by means of the gospel. HOW T0 FIND RELIEF FROM LIFE'S CARES; Prayer is the method whereby we attain our goal of relief from our immediate concern or problem. How can we, as Christians, spell relief? We spell it: "P-R-A-Y-E-R". Prayer in itself is our Balm of Gilead.  PRAYER BRINGS HEALING To OURSELVES AND OTHERS:  The Balm of Gilead was obtained in very small quantities from certain trees and plants. It was considered very precious, and it was used for medicinal purposes. Jesus Christ is the Christian's Balm of Gilead. He is very precious to each one of us, and by His stripes; we are healed. PRAYER ACTIVATES THE POWER OF GOD:   Isaiah 53:4-5, Surely He hath borne our grieves, and carried our sorrows: yd we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. Prayer is communication with the "Great Physician" who loves us and cares for our every need. It brings with is powerful rejuvenating properties.   PRAYER BRINGS NEW LIFE: Prayer brings new life to our dead situation. Prayer ignites the flames of faith and hope in our hearts. THANKSGIVING IS INVOLVED IN TRUE PRAYER: King David was a man after God's Own Heart, and he composed 2 Sam. 22:1-51. The words of this song describe the awesome power found in prayer. David knew his God, and he magnified His Name in this model prayer/song. In this song, David tells of the great mercies of God to the merciful. He tells of God's power in delivering the righteous, sand he tells of God's goodness to those who obey His commandments. The Lord tells us that our labor should be to enter into God's rest. This sounds contradictory, but this is the only striving, and laboring that is commanded by the Lord. We are to cease from our own works. Prayer is our labor of love, devotion and surrender. It is the means whereby we can enter into God' The process of prayer in itself brings a rest into our hearts, souls and spirits that produces God's peace and comfort in our lives. Prayer is the key to entering into the rest of the Lord, where we can dwell with the Prince of Peace. Hebrews 4:9-l L, There remained therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. We can enter into this rest from our own works on a daily basis. We do this when we place our total trust, hope and faith in God. Our faith comes from God Who made heaven and earth. He is the beginning of our faith when we are born again, and He is the end of our faith when we experience eternal salvation. 1 Pet. 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. When we pray; it is an activity of faith as we are humbling ourselves before the mighty hand of God, and we are turning everything over to His care. It is an act of love, humility, obedience and faith. We know that our faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God. When we study the Word of God; He is able to communicate His Truth, Life and Way to us. The Word is God (John 1: l), and His Spirit flows throughout His Word. We then know how to pray according to His will. The Word of God will then be flowing in and through us as we pray. 1 John 5:14, And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us. ENTER INTO GOD'S REST THROUGH PRAYER; To enter into God's rest: our desires will be His desires as we have turned our own desires over to the King of kings. The Lord's way and will is best, and we place our total trust in Him. When we pray in this manner, it brings a great liberty into our hearts and lives as we are confident in God's wisdom and direction. Our own ways are unreliable in comparison with God's ways. GOD'S WAYS ARE HIGHER; We can safely surrender all of our needs, problems and cares into His loving arms. Isaiah 55:9, For as the heavens are higher than the　earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. PRAYER IS A TREMENDOUS PRIVILEGE:   The Three Origins of the Ability to Pray All are of and from God: l.) God's great love paved The Way. God the Father gave the very best to all of us; His only begotten Son. He did not spare anything for our salvation. 2.) The Blood of Jesus Christ made it possible for us to enter into God's Presence. 3.) All prayer is heard and answered by the grace of God. God's favor was toward all mankind even when we were in sin. This is a great miracle and an enormous gift. THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF EFFECTUAL　PRAYER: 1.) First, we must come before the Father by the blood of Jesus Christ. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas of sin in our lives so that we can have communion with the Living God. A. We experience a Godly, sincere sorrow for our sins, and we repent: 1. We confess these sins to God. 2. We turn from the sin. 3. We then turn to God with all of our hearts. 2.) We then enter God's gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. A. The Lord inhabits the praises of His people. 1. We thank Him for Who He is and what He has done to secure our salvation, 2. We thank Him for all of His past, present and future benefits. 3. We thank Him for protecting His saint, and for the victory that He has won in our behalf throughout all eternity we will be with Him. 3.) We surrender our desires, our heats and our minds to His care. A. By trusting in the Lord totally; we are able to enter into His wonderful rest. 1. We study His Word to discover His glorious purposes in our lives and in this world. 2.    We pray that we will be led by the Holy Spirit of God and His Word and not by our own understanding. 3. We pray God's Kingdom come; His perfect will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 4.) We listen to hear the Lord speak to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. A. We welcome the Holy Spirit to come and speak to our hearts, 1. We wait on the Lord to hear His voice. 2. We bow before the Lord in humility and adoration. 3. We worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 5.) We now can ask Him for our petitions according to His perfect will: A. We seek Him first, His Kingdom and His righteousness in our prayer of petition. 1. We ask that He brings His Kingdom into our own hearts, our leaders hearts, our families, and we claim His Kingdom where He has given us the authority to claim it for His honor and glory. 2. We name the specific needs that we have found in our area of authority and in the lives of our leaders, families, church and work. 3. We end with thanksgiving for the great and mighty work that God has accomplished, is accomplishing and will accomplish in the future. Five is the number of grace, and the glorious opportunity and ability to be able to enter boldly into the throne room of almighty God is given by the undeserved favor of God. To take advantage of this great opportunity is wisdom and to fulfill this provision of God in our life will have eternal significance for good. Through the process of prayer; we are at rest. We haw the peace of God. There is no peace in this world, but peace can be found at any time night or day in the presence of the Prince of Peace. He wants to transport you into His heavenly realm. There is only one type of striving that is acceptable in the Kingdom of God and that is the labor found in entering into God's rest. When (through prayer) we enter into His rest we no longer will strive in our flesh, but we will learn to be led by the Holy Spirit in all that we do, in all that we think and in all that we say. It is a beautiful freedom from the bondages of this present world. This Way is the strait gate that leads to eternal life with the Lord. We are told to strive to enter into the gate that the Lord has entered through. He has shown us the Way; we need only obey. Luke 13:24, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able Let us pray. Father in Heaven we thank you that you have taught us to labor into your rest. This is to totally depend on you and not on ourselves. Your word says that without Me you can do nothing. We believe in your Word and we will labor to enter into your rest to receive every peace and joy You have for us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

}Building God’s House

}What "building God's house" means

}(Chronicles 13:14 NIV) The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the LORD blessed his household and everything he had.

}All the underlined words are translated from the same Hebrew word bayith. Therefore, the word bayith can refer to both the physical house as well as the family/household associated with it. In other words, God's house or bayith is His physical church or His family.

}Who then is God's family?

}They are His children or all the believers in Jesus Christ.

}(John 1:12 NIV) Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--

}Therefore, when we say that we build God's house, we can refer to both building God's physical church as well as building God's family in the sense of adding to the body of believers and edifying existing believers.

}Is it to have a beautiful church or to have His family built?

}Church you answer.

}Is it to have a beautiful church?.........Yes or No

}To have His family built?.....................Yes or No

}To have a good environment for worship?

}Yes or No.

}But before we go any further let us look what the word of God speaks about this.

}His concern is you.

}1 Chronicles 17:4-6 NIV) "Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. {5} I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day. I have moved from one tent site to another, from one dwelling place to another. {6} Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders whom I commanded to shepherd my people, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"'

}These verses show the priority of God. He is not interested in the building of His house so as to have a luxurious dwelling place (house of cedar). He was just as contented when He dwelled in a tent with the Israelites in the wilderness.

}God's primary concern is always His people. He is interested in a grand temple if that can provide a conducive environment of worship for His people.

}

}How can we build God's house?

}We have seen that there are two primary ways to build God's house.

}1. Build God's physical church

}2. Build God's family (ie body of believers)

}Let's go through each of the two points to come up with practical ideas as to how we can build God's house.

} Build God's physical church

}Help out personally in the building project for the church .

}Contribute financially towards the church building project .

}Help to pray for the church project .

}Give the form the pledge forms to your friends.

}Even non believer.( The time of Jesus the Roman Centurion help to build the temple of God.)

}And Jesus healed his servant by just speaking the word.

}Build God's family (ie body of believers)

}Live a good Christian life so that people can see the difference in Christians

}Pray for salvation of friends/loved ones

}Share Jesus with friends

}Meet the needs of non-Christians in tangible ways so as to win their friendship

}Contribute financially towards missions

}Bless missionaries in other tangible ways so that they can better build God's house.

}Give and it shall be given back to you.

}Luke 6:38

}English Standard Version (ESV)

}38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

}When you are brave to give to God. God will open every blessings to pour out on you.

}Do not be afraid just give and believe that God will surely bless you.

}

}What 1 Chronicles teaches about the various ways to build God's church?

}There are many ways to build God's house. We were told that when David wanted to build God a house, God told him that he was not to build it but instead his son Solomon. (1 Chronicles 17)

}(1 Chronicles 28:2-3 NIV) King David rose to his feet and said: "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. {3} But God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.'

}Providing resources for the building of God's house

}(1 Chronicles 22:3 NIV) He provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed.

}We may give financially towards missions or support specific missionaries who would go out to build God's house.

}Encourage others who have been called to build God's house .

}

}We are moving to a new building.

}God’s vision is very clear to our Church.

}He wants us to build a people full of  His anointing.

}He wants us to teach the message of grace so that people will reign in life.

}And before we move in He is adding to our Church.

}Righteous people full of the wisdom of God to be our next in line for leadership.

}We are building the Physical Church as well as the Spiritual Church.

}So that the body of Christ can worship God in a comfortable way.

}What happens when we build God's house?

}When we build God's house, He blesses us bountifully.

}1 Chronicles 17:7-10 NIV) After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent." ……{7} "Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel. {8} I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name like the names of the greatest men of the earth. {9} And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning {10} and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies. "'I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you:

}If you build God’s house than He will reward you.

}He makes you rule over many things.

}He will be with  you to cut off all your enemies.

}He will prosper you.

}I will make your name great.

}No wicked people can oppress you.

}God will build a house for  you.

}Let us pray.

}Father in Heaven we thank you that you have given us this building.

}We are building your Church in this town Kuantan.Pahang.

}Father we are moving to this new premise we pray that the finance will just flow.

}And even when you touch your people to give they will surely give because they are your children.

}And surely your blessings will over flow in their lives and our lives .

}We thank you and by faith we believe that You have already provided. In Jesus name we pray .

}Amen.

Jesus blood speaks life and favor.

. Today, forensic science tells us that blood has a voice. DNA can be extracted from just one small drop of the murderer’s blood and the results used in court as evidence. Blood is an unpleasant subject to many because it brings to mind suffering and death. Curiously, the Bible is a book literally filled with blood. On 362 occasions the Old Testament speaks of blood, most often referring to sacrifices and death by violence. The New Testament also speaks of blood 92 times, most commonly in reference to violent death. Much of the Bible’s teaching about blood is in relation to the hundreds of appearances of related issues such as the Temple, priesthood, fire, and smoke. So blood in a sense can speak. And when it is the blood of Jesus, it “speaks better things” than that of Abel. Abel’s blood cried out, “Vengeance! Vengeance!” after his brother Cain murdered him. (Genesis 4:8–11) But Jesus’ blood cries out forgiveness for our sins, healing for our bodies, and peace and soundness for our minds. It cries out protection for our coming-ins and going-outs, good success for the works of our hands, the righteousness of Christ as our acceptance before God and much more! The shedding of blood and animal sacrifice likely began with God, after the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, as God covered their nakedness and shame with the skin of an animal (Genesis 3:21). Other sacrifices were offered by Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Job (Gen. 4:1-5; 8:20; 22:3, 13; 26:25; 33:20; 35:7; Job 1:5). Perhaps the most insightful sacrifice was done by Abraham in place of Isaac, where it was promised that one day, through Jesus, God would provide the ultimate sacrifice (Gen. 22:14). Nonetheless, the Old Testament practice of sacrificial atonement was declared by God to be insufficient for the remission of sin (Psalm 40:6; 51:16; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8; Hebrews 10:4). This is because those sacrifices were only preparatory in anticipation of the death of Jesus (Jeremiah 31:34; Heb. 8:3-13). Additionally, the Old Covenant practice of sacrifice was often undertaken by people who did not truly love God in their hearts and instead had only an outward faith (Proverbs 7 especially verse 14; Proverbs 15:8; Psalm 51:17; Hosea 6:6; 1 Samuel 15:21-22). Jesus Blood solves all your problems. Because the bloodshed of animals in the Old Covenant was insufficient, Jesus was sent to shed His blood as our God-man who atones for our sin and bring us into the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 7:22). Therefore, Jesus is our Great High Priest who is in every way superior to all the priests of the Old Covenant (Heb. 2:17; 4:14-15). He laid down his life as the Lamb of God who takes away our sins (John 1:29). He is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), who has saved us from sin and death by His blood (1 Peter 1:18-19) that was shed once to forgive all sin (Heb. 9:26; 10:10). What good can be the blood of Jesus? For example, if you are afraid of losing your job, speak the blood of Jesus over your job. His blood cries out, “Favor with his boss!” And in these days when you are shaken by fears that terrorism may strike anyone, anywhere, anytime, plead the blood of Jesus that cries out, “Protection and deliverance!” When fear rises in your heart as the doctor gives you his prognosis, plead the blood of Jesus over your body. His blood cries out, “Healing and wholeness!” And many other things. Devil fears the blood of Jesus. I was called to deliver around 40 who were possessed with evil spirit in a town known as Temerloh, Pahang. When I reached there I saw them trembling and possessed. When I plead the blood of Jesus on this family the whole family were set free. (All glory and honour to Jesus) Jesus set them free. (He is same yesterday today and forever. Devil fear the blood of Jesus. Another occasion a student who is our “cousins” was brought by an Ustaz to our house to deliver this girl. She was screaming but when she was brought to our house. We closed our home cell earlier and told the rest of our brothers and sister to live. We pleaded the blood of Jesus on her immediately she was set free. ( All glory and honor to our Lord Jesus.) There are many other testimonies that the Lord did through me and my wife. Jesus blood is perfect and powerful Today, there is no longer a Temple, priesthood, or sacrificial system since the Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. But in the New Covenant our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19) and Christians are a priesthood of believers (1 Pet. 2:9). You are all Kings and Priest of Jesus you have the power. Tell to someone you have the power too. No more animal sacrifices. As Christians, we do not offer animal sacrifices but do celebrate the sacrifice of Jesus in communion (1 Cor. 10:14-22). And we do offer our lives (Romans 12:1-2), good deeds (Heb. 13:16), money (Philippians 4:18), and worshipful singing (Heb. 13:15) as living sacrifices to Jesus. Keep Hearing the voice of grace. The eternal blood of Jesus, which speaks better things, will never lose its power. Beloved, see that you do not refuse Him who speaks. (Hebrews 12:25) See that you keep hearing the voice of grace, which speaks salvation, righteousness, protection, deliverance, provision and healing over your life! Your Commitment. “Abba” Father I thank you for the blood of your only begotten son Jesus Christ which speaks better things. Right now I plead the blood of Jesus over my life, my family, my job, my finance, my relationship, over this country Malaysia, over Kuantan. That you set people free from the bondage of Satan. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Rahab receives full blessings of God.

}WHO IS THIS RAHAB?

}A Canaanite woman.

}They believed in the god of fertility.

}Their pagan religion plunged them into the occult, into witchcraft, fortune telling, male and female cult prostitution.

}Offering of their own baby boys and girls as sacrifices in the fire to demons.

}Incest and homosexuality were acceptable practice.

}Leviticus 18:25 (New King James Version)

} the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.

}The land and the people there were defiled.

}God’s anger rose against the land and the people.

}God wants His people pure.

}Israel was a new nation just out of Egypt. God was teaching them to be a holy people (Deuteronomy 7:6, 28:9, Leviticus 19:2). They were entering Canaan, a land with religion and culture over 400 years old . Since the Canaanites were not about to change their ways, they would have to be removed.

}Why Rahab prepared to risk her own life to save the lives of the Israelites?

}Rahab’s faith in God. Joshua 2:9

}Rahab made very clear statements about God.

}Let us see the statement she made about God.

1.9 and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you.

}

}10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

}How can this woman hear so many  good  things about God.

}She heard from the people who visited her.

}She was aware that only through the God of Israel she can be saved.

}She even said that He is the God of heaven and earth.

}She heard that the Israelites crossed the red sea.

}He faith grew even more.

}She pleaded for the lives of her family members.

}She asked the spies to make an agreement with her.

}The Scarlet Cord.

}14 So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the Lord has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”

}The spies made the agreement based on the kindness she showed to them.

}Again there is something that she must do in order  that she and her family must do.

}18 unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. 19 So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.”

}Let us look at the Passover blood.

}Exodus 12:21-23

}New International Version (NIV)

}21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the door frame. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. 23 When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

}Rahab is like a Gentile Church.

}Jesus was a Jew.

}John the Baptist called Him “ The Lamb of God.”

}He was crucified in Jerusalem during the Passover feast.

}The early Christians were Jews.

}But when you believed by faith you become His sons and daughters.

}What happened to Rahab after this?

1.She and her family were saved.

2.Rahab married Saimon the leader of Judah.

3.Her son’s name was Boaz married to Ruth.

4.And her great grandson was King David.

5.And she is included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

}Everyone can receive the blessings by faith in Christ Jesus.

}Rahab lived in city which was under the judgment of God.

}She did not let the environment deter her from coming to God.

}She was able to risk her life in her believes.

}She did not let tradition hinder her from coming to God.

}She had a strong understanding  of the sovereignty of God.

}

}Rahab was searching.

}Psalm 34:10

}New King James Version (NKJV)

}10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

}The way she talked about God clearly indicates that she was searching and hungry for the things of God.

}Her statements about God puzzles me.

}“For the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath.”

}Your commitment and prayer.

}Abba Father  I thank you for the faith that Rahab had in you.

}Although the whole world would have condemned her she was firm in her believes about your mercy and forgiveness.

}Abba I pray that I too will speak about the your Salvation to my family members and friends to bring to you Lord.

}Give me this heart of compassion for others Lord in Jesus name I pray. Amen.