Living and working in the spiritual sabbath´s rest (peace) of God

Psalm 92
Psalm 92:1-3 "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy Name, O most High: To shrew forth Thy loving-kindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound."
The psalmist sang this psalm on the Sabbath and exalted YaHWeH with his song. In the Old Covenant God, according to His law, commanded for the Sabbath day to be kept holy.
Deuteronomy 5:12 "Keep the Sabbath day (the seventh day, with us the Saturday) to sanctify it, as the Lord Thy God (YaHWeH) hath commanded thee."
In the Old Covenant God expressed His will through a day of rest, which his people had to sanctify. God wanted to teach His people to dedicate their thoughts, works and their lives to Him alone, in order that He, through the inspiration of His Spirit, could fill His people with His will and His Word, so that they, being delivered from the influence of the enemy, could learn to rest fully in His will and Word. Even now, under the New Covenant, He wants this; He wants us to do this continuously, and not to desecrate this rest in Him.
In order to teach man this in the Old Covenant, He commanded in His law (the ten commandments), that His people should rest from their labors once a week, namely on the Sabbath day, and that they should sanctify this day by dedicating it to Him. In the Old Covenant He had to express His spiritual purpose for man through a shadow image, because man then could not yet understand His will, because the Rebirth of God did not yet exist; for only a bornagain person can conquer sin in His power and grace, and rest in His will and Word. This was really God's purpose when He introduced the Sabbath day in the Old Covenant.
Colossians 2:16-17 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holiday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."
In the Old Covenant this was still to come, but now the Body of Christ must fulfil God's true purpose, namely to rest always in His will and Word, and must not desecrate this rest by falling into sin again. If, in the Old Covenant, God commanded this for ONE day, for us, under the New Covenant, we should dedicate EVERY day to Him, and rest in His will and Word continuously.
Romans 14:5-10 "One man esteemed one day above another: another esteemed every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regarded the day, regarded it unto the Lord; and he that regarded not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and gives God thanks. For none of us lived to himself, and no man died to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge Thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought Thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ."
The psalmist sanctified the Sabbath day, according to the Mosaic law, and he sang YaHWeH's praises and confessed Him to be the Most High in his life. We usually do this on the Sunday, but also EVERY day of the week. Let us then judge no one, whether he wishes to dedicate a specific day to God, or whether he wishes to honor Him every day. The same applies to food and drink. The one may not eat or drink in honor of God, the other does. The Lord Jesus said in
Matthew 15:11 "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth (our speech, when we judge or slight someone), this defileth a man."
Acts 10:15b "...What God hath cleansed, that call not thou (Peter) common (impure)."
Let us then judge no one, whatever he eats or drinks, because God cancelled these legalistic rules of the Old Covenant as they are symbolic of spiritual matters of the New Covenant. This also applies to the eating of black pudding. Everyone should be fully assured inwardly/in his or her own heart on the basis of God's Word (Colossians 2:16-17).

Psalm 92:4-5 "For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through Thy work: I will triumph in the works of Thy hands. O Lord, how great are Thy works! and Thy thoughts are very deep."
If we walk and live on the Way of YaHWeH's grace, and no sin or sinful state will accuse us anymore in our conscience, then there will be JOY in our hearts, poured in there by YaHWeH, and we will thank, honor and praise Him, and we will often accompany our praise with musical instruments.
Psalm 92:6-7 "A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this. When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed forever."
We praise His works and thoughts, but the unconverted people and fools are blind to these. They neither see nor understand. They do not seek God's will, but they seek worldly profits and carnal lusts and pursue pride/fame and power over people. If they continue in this they will be lost in God's condemnation, for they live and think thus in enmity with God and let themselves, unknowingly, be inspired by satan[1] in their king, their speaking and their works.
Romans 8:5-8 "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
We all did walk as they do (in the flesh, according to our own will), but we have now turned to God and are willing to enter into a deep and permanent relationship with Him (YaHWeH) in His heavenly Kingdom, also now that we are still on earth.
Ephesians 2:1-6 "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
The sinners, who do not convert to God and do not confess their sins to Him live outside/without God, even if the go to church and behave religiously, but God (Jesus Christ) does not see them, and does not hear their prayers/supplications.

CLICK HERE if you want to read more – the study is to long for the Blog.

By E. van den Worm

[1] We write the word satan not with a capital, as it is not a name, but a word meaning opponent or adversary, accuser.

Three reasons that will bring us joy in the Lord

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Three reasons: Mentioned in Isaiah 9

We live in the end-time, a time full of God's judgments over manhood because of its many sins. This is why it is good for God's children to learn how to be able to live in His spiritual joy in order that they might live in His joy, His strength, in spite of worldly problems. Nehemiah 8 verse 11 says:

"The joy of the Lord is your strength."

Let us first read Isaiah 60 verse 1-2:

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord (YaHWeH) is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord (YaHWeH) shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee."

The Netherlands, as it were, defy God with their laws, their homo marriage and euthanasia laws, their abortion law, their attitude toward life. Isaiah 8 verse 21-22 and 9 verse 1 speaks about these dark last days:

"And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness. Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the natoins."

The world of the last days force God to judge it.We read further in Isaiah 9 verse 2:

"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."

When we are plunged in great social and political darkness God will shine a GREAT LIGHT of His Spirit and His Word over us, as a result of which people's consciences will be strongly convicted of sin, and they will be converted; that is to say: the wise among us.

Let Isaiah 9 be our guide further. I will quote the next verse from the literal translation of the original Hebrew text, because the translation we have differ from it.

Isaiah 9 verse 3: "You have multiplied the nation (a great revival took place because of God's light of Word and Spirit), the joy You have not increased. NOW they rejoice in Your sight. They rejoice in the harvest the way one does, when the spoil is divided."

Many will be converted because of God's light. But there will only be spiritual joy in their hearts if they obey the three reasons, conditions, the three "FOR"s Isaiah's prophecy mentions in the following three verses.

The first "FOR":

Isaiah 9 verse 4: "FOR thou hast broken the yoke of his (satan's)[1] burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian."

The Lord fulfilled this on Calvary. There He broke satan's power of sin for ever. He worked an "eternal redemption" there .

Hebrews 9 verse 12: "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."

We have to firmly believe in this victory over satan and, always/at all times. We should keep this in our hearts as a firm promise of God.

2 Corinthians 4 verse 10-11: "Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh."

Thus, we must stay focused on Calvary! One also must BELIEVE that Jesus has the power to deliver us from all power of sin.

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

The second “FOR”:

Believing in His offer for us, however, is not enough. This happened nearly 2000 years ago, but NOW, now that we are converted to Him, He must be able to fulfil this finished work in our personal lives. The sin in our hearts and lives still has to be defeated. For this purpose we must open our hearts and lives to Him so that the King of Glory could come in and wage war with us against every (power of) sin that reigns in our hearts, thoughts and lives.

Revelation 3 verse 20: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

Then He will have SUPPER with us, which means that He will work in us His death and resurrection, His victory over the power of sin and over satan. He must be allowed to do away with, and burn away, our sins and our sinful state; He must be allowed to wash them in His blood.

Isaiah 9 verse 5 tells us the same. And this is the second "FOR" that will make us rejoice in the Lord.

Isaiah 9 verse 5: "FOR every boot of the trampler is with shaking and the coat rolled in blood shall even become burning, fuel for the fire" (literal translation of the original Hebrew text).

Every act of ours that steps on our neighbour mercilessly, and every way of life, every tongue that kills/murders our neighbour, every sin of body, soul and spirit in relation to material or neighbour, as well as all labor for the Lord that we did in our own strength, must be burned away by the purifying fire of the Holy Spirit and of God's Word. We must be delivered of any stain of the old sinful life through participation in His death, in His victory over sin; we must be purified in His blood.

Again, this being freed from sin is not enough. We must also receive from Him the NEW divine life in this sinful world, and continue to walk in a fresh, living RELATIONSHIP with Him, our King and God.

The third “FOR”:

This is the third "FOR" through which we may receive joy in the Lord. Being delivered from the old, sinful life, we may also take part in His resurrection life. In that life we first are born again, and are then allowed to grow therein unto completeness, perfection, until the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ nature. In the process our relationship with Jesus Christ, our King and Lord, also grows into completeness.

First He is born in our heart:

Isaiah 9 verse 6-7: "FOR unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."

He, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, has been given to us for an ETERNAL Friend

John 14 verse 16: "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever."

In this NEW LIFE we must be willing to obey our Leader and King under the discipline of His precious Word, and we must continue to walk circumspectly/carefully.

Psalm 2 verse 10-12: "Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth (we must OBEY the Son). Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling (we must SERVE Him). Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him (we must LOVE Him).”

We must continue to SERVE Him and to LOVE Him, and stay within the FEAR of the Lord lest we fall back into sin. Then He shall lead us with His wonderful counsel, and prove Himself our strong God. He shall be a Father to us and a Prince of Peace, and He shall be our King from NOW until eternity.

Let us also take the next verses to heart:

Matthew 5 verse 8: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall SEE God."

Psalm 16 verse 11: "...in thy presence is fulness of joy..."

Now the purified person can pursue the perfect relationship with the Spirit of the Lamb, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Philippians 3 verse 10-14: "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Our old person must participate more and more in His suffering and death. The New in us, the divine nature, must in ever greater measure have a part in His resurrection Holiness, Glory and Power...! Amen.

By E. van den Worm

[1] We write the word satan not with a capital, as it is not a name, but a word meaning opponent or adversary, accuser.

Three reasons (mentioned in Isaiah 9) that will bring us joy in the Lord