Peaceful Rest – BT5

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Jesus invites us all to rest our souls

 

 

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Don’t forget to read Peaceful-Rest – BT2 for the summary and the ‘take away’ action items.

 

In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus says:  “[I strongly urge you to] deute Come-near-NOW pros toward-reaching Me, all who actually, presently exhausted-from-working (a) kai and/coupled (b) are already [with ongoing effects] phortizo weighted-down-from-being-overloaded, and/then (b) I shall actually give you rest (c). “[I strongly urge you to] take My yoke (d) upon you and/coupled (b) learn (d) apo of/off-from Me, for/because I am gentle (e) and humble/lowly in heart (f), and/then (b) you shall actually find rest (g) for your souls” (h). <Notes> a) kopiao:  growing tired, weary, fatigued, or exhausted from toil, burdens, or grief, b) kai usually has a “and/coupled” copulative force, but sometimes also a cumulative force as here – twice Jesus gives 2-part imperatives to obey to produce His desired results:  “still, besides, also, then, therefore, moreover, likewise, even, indeed, namely, specifically,” c) anapauo:  a ceasing of movement/activity or labor/toil through repose, rest, ease, quiet, calm, tranquility, or sleep in order to refresh us so as to recover or collect our strength. This may be in a remote/isolated place away from people as this word is used in Mark 6:31-32, d) see next paragraphs, e) mild/meek:  a ‘flavor’ of unconditional-love in Galatians 5:22, f) this is not an act or simply a mental decision but His mind/heart nature, g) anapausis:  noun of anapauo, h) psyche:  mind, emotions, will – see Identity.

 

“Take My yoke” from above:  A wooden frame or bar joining two animals (a) for pulling heavy loads (b). This image was used metaphorically to describe one individual’s ‘bound’ subjection to another – see Surrender-Control, or even ‘connected or bond of’ fellowship with another (c). Here it is used figuratively of the restrictions that a rabbiteacher would place on his disciple-followers. Also, the yoke is a common metaphor in Judaism for the strictness of the Mosaic Law (d), particularly the scrupulous observance of the oral Law in order to be a disciple-follower of a particular rabbiteacher, who had greatly expanded the “burden” of scripture placed on people to obey.  Furthermore, yoke also referred to Israel’s ‘bound’ subjection to foreign oppression:  “With a yoke on our necks we are hard driven; we are weary, we are given no rest” (e).  Israel’s return from the Egyptian captivity is described as release from the heavy yoke of servitude:  “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high” (f).  We will see that Christ’s yoke is completely different than the Law’s or its teachers, and is definitely related to being meno connected-to/abiding in koinonia fellowship with Him! See A 11-21-2021 Vision about Meno abiding. <Notes> a) oxen or horses, b) wagons, plows, c) 2 Corinthians 6:14, d) Acts 15:10; Galatians 5:1; 1 Timothy 6:1, e) Lamentations 5:5, f) Leviticus 26:13; Exodus 6:6–8.

 

“Learn of/off-from Me” from above:  As a disciple or student of Christ, we are to learn directly of/off-from Him as our “One Teacher” (a). The NT makes it clear we have absolutely in fact NO need of any other teacher, who was the Father, then the Son come to earth, and finally NOW the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth (b). No other rabbi, guru, OT scripture, or even NT writing should be our ultimate source of learning. This is an invitation to come directly to Jesus without any intermediary!  There is no chance of anything “lost in translation” when by the Holy Spirit we akouo hear-to-understand/know directly from Jesus. <Notes> a) cf. “learned Christ” Ephesians 4:20, b) Matthew 23:8 – see Teach One Another – BT10; presently/ongoingly: 1 Thessalonians 4:9; John 14:26; 1 John 2:20, 27.

 

This is not learning by hearsay what others have said Jesus said, as recorded with gramma letters formed into logos messages in NT writings or even writings from prophets throughout Church history, but directly-heard prophetic rhema words from Jesus directly-spoken TO YOU. It seems the religion of Christianity has led people to put their trusting-relying-faith in what the Church over 300 years eventually determined to be the “NEW scripture” for a New Testament book to keep up with the Jews they were always arguing with, but when Jesus said “Come-near-NOW to Me,” He said this long before there was any such writings!  This emphatic, imperative to “Come-new-Now” is very close in meaning to perserchomai or eggizo “draw near/close-beside” God Hebrew idiom for proseuche conversational-prayer and proskuneo worship.  James 4:7-8 also link hupotasso submissive-subjection/surrender-of-control to God to eggizo “draw extremely-near/close-beside Him kai and/then He will eggizo ‘draw extremely-near/close-beside’ you” and both of these are linked to “resisting-by-standing-ground the devil kai and/then he will flee from you.”  You can’t separate these linked ideas or you won’t get the desired results, and note the special ‘cumulative-force’ use of kai as mentioned above.

 

The Holy Spirit is now our direct link or interface to Christ’s Voice in our lives.  Jesus said “My sheep actually, actively, presently/ongoingly akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know My Voice, and I actually, actively, presently/ongoingly, experientially-relationally ginosko know them, and they actually, actively, presently/ongoingly follow Me” (a).  The Greek always shows so much more than our English bible – see Bible Info.  That’s what His disciples do!  By going to something or someone else to “learn from,” many of us have forgotten how to “actually, actively, presently/ongoingly akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know Christ’s Voice!”  I’ve run into plenty of Christians who study the bible, but few that know how to hear Christ’s Voice directly.  <Notes> a) John 10:16, 27.

 

My studies in early Church history showed that in the first 200 years and subsequent revivals, they had trusting-relying-faith in the Spirit-baptism’s prophetic grace-gifts instead of “authoritative, dogmatic writings” such as scripture, creeds, doctrines, and theology, to provide life-changing truth.  Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5: “For I decided to know absolutely in fact nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. . . .  and my speech and my [gospel] logos message were absolutely in fact not in plausible words of wisdom [like so many preachers today work at], but-instead in demonstrable-proofs of the Spirit and/coupled of enabling-power, so that your trusting-relying-faith might not in possibility be placed in the wisdom of men but-instead in the enabling-power of God.”

 

Throughout the NT “enabling-power of/belonging-to God” always referred to the manifested outpouring of the Holy Spirit through grace-gifts, signs, and wonders. These “demonstrable-proofs” are what Paul relied on to convince others of the gospel truth – not mere “messages of wisdom or eloquence of speech.”  Peter’s first sermon of the Church in Acts 2:17-19 on the Day of Pentecost after the Holy Spirit was poured out cites Joel 2:28-32 that from this point on “in the last days” or ‘church age’ the WAY the Spirit is “poured out on all flesh” specifically to God’s “sons and daughters” and more specifically to His “male and female servants” was through prophecy, particularly via visions and dreams.

 

It’s interesting that dreams require us to literally be ‘peacefully at rest asleep,’ usually unconscience unless you are lucid-dreaming.  Visions require us to be cognitively or consciously be ‘peacefully at rest’ in order to eido mentally ‘see’ to perceive/know by our mind’s eye what God wants to show us, using what Paul says in Ephesians 1:18 are “the eyes of our heart.”  I’ve woke up and stared into my pillow’s blackness and continued for 2 hours dreams I woke up from.  I’ve somehow been awake inside dreams and been able to ask questions, make decisions, and even direct the dream.  Many others have talked about this!  That’s what Job 33:14-18 says: “For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive/understand it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds, then He opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings, that He may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man; He keeps back his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword.”  There’s nothing in the NT about learning from a book called the “Holy Bible” that came 300 hundred years later!  There’s also nothing in the NT about studying under new “rabbi-teachers” like bishops, cardinals, popes, theologians, or even bible-school professors.  None of these people will give you peaceful-rest!  In fact, they will keep your really busy toiling and laboring under the burden of trying to accurately understand and obey the bible.  This is the exact opposite of why Jesus came!  See Coaches and Facilitators and Teach One Another pages.

 

In 1 Corinthians 14:21 Paul cites Isaiah 28:11-12 saying: “For by people of strange lips and/coupled with a foreign tongue Yahweh will speak to this people, to whom He has said, ‘This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose’; yet they would absolutely in fact not eisakouo intensely hear/listen-unto-the-result-of-understanding/knowing.”  In context, Paul refers to “these strange/foreign lips/tongues” as the Holy Spirit’s grace-gift of supernatural tongues given for the Church age from Pentecost on in order to convince the unbelieving Jews from many nations of the gospel’s logos message.  Yet, still so many Jews refused to have trusting-relying-faith, just as Isaiah prophesied.  Jesus says He is the place of rest and repose for the weary, just as we see Isaiah and Paul saying.  But instead of coming directly to Jesus for the “gospel’s logos message of the Lord” in full, many Jews went back to the OT scripture and the rabbinic teaching of it as Isaiah 28:13 says: “And the logos message of Yahweh will be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little” – many scholars have correctly seen in the Hebrew this to a gibberish, childish song of mocking those so-called ‘wise’ teachers and their methods of teaching people how to know God by bible study while mocking the prophets, even killing them – see New Covenant Ways – BT17 and – BT18.  What was the result of turning away from the person of Jesus and direct revelation from the Holy Spirit through prophesy?  Isaiah goes onto say:  “That they [these teachers] may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.”

 

Reflection:

 

As Christian musicians, the “rest” Jesus brings is the true eschatological “Sabbath rest” for which Israel has long hoped for – see Peaceful-Rest – BT1, a realization of a deep existential peace, a shalom, or sense of ultimate well-being with regard to one’s fellowship with God and His will.  Jesus’ teaching is the true fulfilled-completion of the Law, and those who come-near-now to Him will enter into a discipleship that produces rest for their souls, rest from ever striving to correct understand and then meet the burdensome requirements of the Law.  Jeremiah 6:16 also called Israel to this:  “Stand at the crossroads [of their lives] and horao observe/perceive-know/discern; inquire for the ancient, well-worn paths/roads [of life from God]; ask where the good/better way is and walk in it, and then you will find rest (a) for your souls.  But you said, ‘we will absolutely-in-fact-not walk in it.’”  Yet, this “rest” that Jesus promises us goes way beyond religion, but to intimate koinonia fellowship in which we learn directly from Christ how to live in this world.  As complicated as life may become, discipleship with Jesus is simply walking with Jesus in the real world and having Him teach us moment by moment how to live life His WAY, for Jesus said He was “The WAY, The Truth, and The Life” (b). <Notes> a) margowa: rest; hagnismos: purification, expiation, b) John 14:6.

 

Prayer:

 

 

Lord, keep us from falling into the snare and trap of the Pharisees and scribes, supposing that they could actually have an experiential, relational yada/ginosko knowledge of You “through diligently searching/studying scripture and by this they would take hold of zoe genuine-life” as Jesus criticized them for, completely missing the point of the entire Old Testament graphe scripture of gramma writings:  “But they testify-witness about Me, yet you ongoingly refuse to come-near-now to Me that you may have-to-hold zoe genuine-life” – per John 5:39-40.

 

 

 

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Categories: Peaceful Rest

Peaceful Rest – BT4

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New Testament verses on Peaceful-Rest

 

 

Please follow the BLOG Etiquette to stay on topic and pass the moderator’s check.  Bold, underlined text below = future links to the BLOG pages.

 

Don’t forget to read Peaceful-Rest – BT2 for the summary and the ‘take away’ action items.

 

Jesus “rebuked (a) the wind and/coupled spoke (b) to the sea, ‘Silence now (c)!  Become speechless now, with ongoing results!’  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”  He had told the wind and waves to “Shut your mouths now and keep them shut!” (d)!  Jesus came to “give light to those who sit in darkness . . . to guide our feet into the way of peace” (e).  Jesus promised, “In Me you might have peace, though in the world you shall indeed have tribulation, but take heart – I have overcome the world” (f).  <Notes> a) epitimao: ‘corrected to prevent wrong,’ more wrong in this case, b) imperatively, with forceful urging, c) siopao, d) Mark 4:39, e) Luke 1:79, f) John 16:33.

 

To feel this overcoming peace, you have to “leave the world behind” to be “IN Christ.”  Paul and others make this part of their standard greeting, “Unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (a). Paul gives this benediction: “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all” (b). <Notes> a) Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4; Philemon 1:3; cf. 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2; 2 John 1:3; 3 John 1:15; Jude 1:2; Revelation 1:4, b) 2 Thessalonians 3:16.

 

Paul warns “to set the mind [direction] on the flesh [to fulfill its cravings] is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit [to fulfill its cravings] is zoe genuine-life and peace” (a). “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy by the means of the Holy Spirit” (b). “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in/by/with having trusting-relying-faith, so that by the enabling-power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (c).  “Comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of unconditional-love and peace will be with you” (d). “The [singular] fruit/nature of the Spirit IS-defined-as/exists-as Unconditional-Love, and it’s ‘flavors’ are a series of adjective-nouns:] joy, peace, . . .self-control/mastery” (e). <Notes> a) Romans 8:6, b) Romans 14:17, c) Romans 15:13, d) 2 Corinthians 13:11, e) Galatians 5:22.

 

Conversational-prayer is the key: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by proseuche conversational-prayer and/coupled deesis supplication/entreaty with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all the mind’s-understanding (a), will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (b). <Notes> a) nous: “the conscious, intellectual thinking, understanding, and word-forming mind,” but also the “complete inward hidden man, including the unconscious soul of mind, emotions, will, and even the spirit of man – see Identity, b) Philippians 4:6-7, c) Matthew 11:28-29.

 

 

 

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Categories: Peaceful Rest

Peaceful Rest – BT3

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Old Testament verses on Peaceful-Rest

 

 

Please follow the BLOG Etiquette to stay on topic and pass the moderator’s check.  Bold, underlined text below = future links to the BLOG pages.

 

Don’t forget to read Peaceful-Rest – BT2 for the summary and the ‘take away’ action items.

 

In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Yahweh, make me dwell in safety (a). The Lord is the giver of peace and safety to be able to sleep well. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed/leaned/rested on you, because he trusts in You. Trust in Yahweh forever, for Yahweh is an everlasting Rock (b).  If we rest our mind on the Lord, leaning against Him as the Rock, then He keeps us in His perfect peaceful-rest. <Notes> a) Psalms 4:7-8, b) Isaiah 26:3-4.

 

The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace (a). It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread/food of painful-toil/grievously-sorrowful-labor; for He gives to His beloved sleep (b). God blesses us on the basis of our fellowship with Him, not on the basis of our flesh’s physical energy or “might and power” expended. <Notes> a) Numbers 6:25-26, b) Psalms 127:2.

 

And Yahweh said to Moses, “My presence will go with you (a), and I will give you rest” (b). The presence of God with us is what gives us rest, the “promised land.”  Remember the message that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land’ (c). The Jews had never rested for 40 years wandering in the wilderness because of their sin of unbelief in God’s promises – see Promised Spirit. <Notes> a) to Moses and the people of Israel into the promised land, b) Exodus 33:14, c) Joshua 1:13.

 

What has a man from all the toil and striving (a) of [his]  heart/mind with which he toils beneath the sun?  For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation (b). Even in the night his heart/mind does not rest (c).  This also is vanity!  There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil.  This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from Him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?  For to the one who pleases Him God has given wisdom and discerning informational knowledge (d) and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind (e). Rest of heart/mind and enjoyment of work comes only from being with God, which is what actually pleases God. <Notes> a) longing, vexation, anxiety, restlessness, b) provocation, grief, frustration, c) find quiet or peace to slumber or sleep, d) da’ath: perceptive, discerning awareness; gnosis: informational knowledge – normally ginosko experiential, relational knowledge would be in mind, but this is Solomon speaking here, who had been a great deal of gnosis informational-knowledge by God, what men from the world covet, e) Ecclesiastes 2:22-26.

 

Like livestock that go down into the valley, the Spirit of Yahweh gave them rest. So you led your people, to make for yourself a glorious name (a). The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His unconditional-love; He will exult over you with loud singing (b). Where does quiet, peaceful-rest come from? From the Spirit of God, who is unconditional-love where Peace is but one ‘flavor’ of “the Spirit’s [singular] fruit of unconditional-love” (c). <Notes> a) Isaiah 63:14, b) Zephaniah 3:17, c) Galatians 5:22.

 

Better is a handful of quietness/rest than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind (a).  Filling our day up with toil is trying to grasp wind – a little bit of quiet rest goes further! The steadfast, unconditional-love of Yahweh never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. “Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.” Yahweh is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of Yahweh (b). There is much written about patiently drawing near the Lord in still, quiet, conversational-prayer. <Notes> a) Ecclesiastes 4:6, b) Lamentations 3:22-26.

 

Delight yourself in Yahweh, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit (a) your way to Yahweh; trust in Him, and He will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before Yahweh and wait patiently for Him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices (b). Being still by itself is vanity – that’s New Age and Hindu meditation!  But being still before Yahweh and waiting patiently in conversational-prayer for Him to delight in Him changes everything! <Notes> a) roll of your back, surrender your load to Him to carry, b) Psalms 37:4-7.

 

“[I strongly urge you to] be still and/coupled [I strongly urge you to] experientially, relationally know (a) that I AM Elohim (b)” (c). “Desist from activity or cause to be still” in context is directed to God’s people who naturally are fearful when surrounded by trouble, so they naturally scurry into action. Contrary to their instincts, God is telling them to stop running around ‘like chickens with their heads cut off.’  Stop moving toward other things and people to solve their problems instead of sitting still before God in conversational-prayer and letting God ‘do the doing.’  God is saying loosen up your grip on that rope, close up shop for the day, take a mini-vacation, and stop the frantic busyness of Martha serving Jesus and the disciples, thinking that all this control and activity will get you anywhere.  Let God be the Productive One!  Yada/Ginosko knowing God by experience through fellowship is directly coupled to this being still in conversational-prayer. This is not yoga meditation! <Notes> a) yada, ginosko, b) the plural of majesty, c) Psalms 46:10.

 

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation (a) (b). Our delight we wait for in conversational-prayer isn’t the blessings of stuff but for God Himself!  For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. But you were unwilling, and you said, ‘No!  We will flee upon horses’; therefore you shall flee away; and, ‘We will ride upon swift steeds’; therefore your pursuers shall be swift” (c). The Jews wanted safety and strength from their enemies but they thought getting busy with their cavalry was the answer. Not!  Repenting/returning with quiet/still, trusting in the Lord is our rest, the Sabbath Rest – see Peaceful-Rest – BT1. <Notes> a) deliverance, restoration to wholeness, b) Psalms 62:1, c) Isaiah 30:15-16.

 

 

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Categories: Peaceful Rest

Peaceful Rest – BT2

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Summary of a 6/9/2014 study on REST updated on 12/26/2019

 

 

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I originally did this study of “rest, sleep, and quiet” on 6/9/2014 after waking up this morning after many rough nights of sleep. As I laid in bed half-awake I asked the Lord what I haven’t yet done to help correct this problem. I’ve tried several herbal formulas, stopped sugar, stopped caffeine, stopped diet soda, done lots of acupuncture, got back to exercising, but I’m still having real anxiety in my dreams that often wake me. I just can’t live like this!  It’s wearing on my health and my relationships.  I’m desperate!  As I laid there, I saw the words “Come to Me for Rest.”  It seems I’ve spent a lot of time, energy, and money ‘looking for rest in all the wrong places.’ Or maybe the Lord is the only one who has the answers for my ‘rest problem.’

 

I’m re-reading and updating this study on 12/26/2019 because I’ve felt a lot of restlessness since November 11th (a) and so few remaining students. As I’m biding my time until 12/30/2019 when I start my new job at Sprouts (b), I’ve done a lot of house/yard projects (c), ‘sandbox’ drumming, and organizing/editing of my drum learning/teaching materials/studies, but I feel bored, depressed, and restless as I seek to fill my time with one thing or another. <Notes> a) my last 28 drumming gigs since early September playing in 3 Octoberfest bands, b) the Lord told me “It’s not good for man to be alone”, c) water heater, country-rustic corral to hide my yard tools & supplies, yard trimming & cleanup, and scrubbing floors.

 

What I got from the study below is this:  Rest, repose, stillness, quietness, peace, and joy are grace-gifts of God, because they are the nature of God’s own Spirit. They come from taking a break or ‘mini-vacation’ from our busyness and toil – including work FOR or to please God – and the stress, soreness, frustration, and grief that often come from it, and instead simply “leaning against” the Lord or having trusting-relying-faith that comes from fellowship with Christ. Getting up earlier and staying up later to get more done is futile! All “this flesh profits absolutely nothing” – only “the direct-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words of Christ are Spirit and zoe genuine-life” (a). Only the directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words of God are “the bread from heaven” (b), “our daily bread” to pray for (c) that we “can zoe genuinely-live on” (d). Jesus alone is our “Sabbath Rest” (e).  <Notes> a) John 6:63, b) John 6:32-33, 41, 50-51, 58, c) Matthew 6:11; Luke 11:3, d) Matthew 4:4 citing Deuteronomy 8:3, e) Hebrews 4:9.

 

Furthermore, when we perserchomai draw near, even eggizo extremely-closely, to the Father through His Son in patiently waiting, watching, listening, still, quiet proseuche conversational-prayer – not just the incessant blabbing monologue of deesis supplication of a list of needs – then “God eggizo draws extremely close to us” (a).  With His presence comes His very nature to freely give us the very things we vainly, futilely strive so hard for to grasp, like the “futile grasping/striving for the wind” (b) – all given to us by the enabling-power of God’s Holy Spirit. <Notes> a) James 4:8, b) Ecclesiastes 1:14, 17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16, 5:16, 6:9.

 

When our delight is in the Lord, in routinely surrendering to fellowship with Him, then we also receive the blessings of His nature, and only then does our futile striving cease. The answer to anxiety and restlessness is to periodically STOP moving and/coupled come into God’s presence through perserchomai, eggizo, or proseuche conversational-prayer dialogue along with deesis prayer-supplication monologue to express our needs, especially for HIM. That’s why we are told over and over to “[I strongly urge you to] ongoingly conversationally-pray without ceasing” (a), and to be “[I strongly urge you to] be ongoingly devoted to proseuche conversational-prayer, routinely alertly watching in/by/with this with thanksgiving” (b). Peaceful rest beyond any logical understanding is God’s answer when we do (c).  <Notes> a) 1 Thessalonians 5:17, b) Colossians 4:2, c) Phillipians 4:7.

 

As we COME TO JESUS or RETURN TO JESUS – that is the definition of surrendering repentance – and “take His yoke of learning” from Him directly, then that’s when we will be given-as-a-gift “rest from ALL our works, labor, and related burdens” (a), and finally receive the grace-gift of the Holy Spirit’s (b) [singular] fruit of unconditional-love that also ‘tastes’ like joy and peace (c) that actually is “the kingdom of God coming on earth as it is in heaven” (d). <Notes> a) Matthew 11:28, b) Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13, c) Galatians 5:22, d) Matthew 6:10; Luke 11:2.

 

See the next BLOGs for more details of this study.

 

Reflection:

 

 

As Christian musicians, what is our music leading people to and why are we playing – something to keep Christians busy with, to make them feel good like a drug or comfort food, to satisfy their religious duty to get thru a worship service, for background noise as they work or drive, to satisfy the pastor’s plan for a service?  Or are we leading them into a deeper personal relationship with Jesus, helping them “Come to Him” for everything they are looking for in life, so their restlessness can finally come to rest in Jesus?  By yoking or meno connecting-to-abide in Jesus, the Vine of zoe genuine-life, then and only then can we “learn directly from Him” – and this doesn’t mean bible study, but by His prophetic rhema words that alone are Spirit and zoe genuine-life.  Everything else is religious “flesh that absolutely profits nothing.” See A 11-21-2021 Vision about Meno abiding.

 

We must learn to “akouo hear-to-understand/know His Voice to be His sheep.”  “IF we draw extremely close to the Lord, THEN He will draw extremely close to us – this is submitting or surrendering ourselves to God.  Then we can resist the devil for him to flee from us.”  Jesus could resist the devil in the wilderness because He was already eating the bread of zoe genuine-life – every prophetic rhema word from the mouth of God.”  We are called to do the same if we want the same results!

 

We must move past deesis supplicating for a laundry list of things as if God were a vending machine and instead chase after God Himself.  He already knows what we need before we ask, so why go on and on about it.  Our real needs are IN the Lord Himself and given to us as a free grace-gift by the means of the Holy Spirit.  We no longer have to spend our lives working, toiling, and straining under the burden of restlessly chasing after things like the godless heathen do, which is as “futile as chasing after the wind to catch it.”  Finally, how will we “learn from Jesus” as “sheep who akouo hear-to-understand His Voice” and “prophetic-rhema words that are alone Spirit and zoe genuine-life” if we don’t really akouo listen-to-understand?  That’s the essence of proseuche conversational-prayer – after all, what intimate relationship is 1-way communication?

 

Prayer:

 

 

Lord, we are ravishingly hungry and parched with thirst for YOU.  We are done chasing the things of this world, supposing that when we catch them, then we will have zoe genuine-life.  What a deception, lie, vanity, and endless futility that has been!  Lord, we relentlessly as a little child, ask, seek, and knock FOR the great grace-gift of the Holy Spirit, knowing that until we are “filled-to-completion with the abundant-fullness of God by the means of the Holy Spirit,” we will still be empty and restless to fill it.  Only You have the prophetic-rhema-words of everlasting zoe genuine-life.  Where else can we go?  We surrender ourselves to You, waiting to akouo hear-to-understand Your Voice so that we may genuinely live.

 

 

 

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Categories: Peaceful Rest

Peaceful Rest – BT1 – Sharing of God’s Sabbath Rest

 

Peaceful Rest – BT1 – Koinonia Sharing of God’s Sabbath Rest

BT1:  Koinonia fellowship of sharing of God’s Sabbath Rest - Spirit Music Meet-Ups

 

God’s Peaceful-Rest of Love – YouTube Playlist

 

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Video Part 1a - BT1:  Koinonia fellowship of sharing of God’s Sabbath Rest!

Part 1a

 

Video Part 1b - BT1:  Koinonia fellowship of sharing of God’s Sabbath Rest!

Part 1b Anointed Prophetic Spontaneous Drumming (APSD) application

 

See the intro page for my first revelations about peaceful-rest!  The next thing God said about rest I had never heard before, so it was New or fresh (a) by definition.  He said, “Enter My Sabbath Rest.”  That part I did remember from the book of Hebrews, but here it is in context:  “The promise of entering His rest still stands . . . but we who have had trusting-relying-faith (b) do enter that rest . . . so then there remains a Sabbath Rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works just as God did from His.  Let us therefore strive to enter that rest” (c). <Notes> a) chadash, kainos: fresh, completely different-in-kind, unprecedented, sharing nothing with its predecessors, unique, and superior, just as with the New Covenant, b) pistis: relational conviction of trusting reliance, c) Hebrews 4:1-11.

 

However, my traditional church thinking told me that meant “take Sunday off from work (a), which I’ve found is very difficult to do.  So then I thought God was just telling me to take some time off from my chores and work.  But then He said, “Remember what I shared with you before about sharing together (b) with Me in the intense joy, curiosity, adventure of exploration and discovery of drumming, and playing in that sandbox of drumming where you lose track of time?  Remember that I told you that the intense feelings you are having in your drum room are actually Me sharing Myself with you, feelings that I have when I have done those things, too?” Then I remembered! <Notes> a) or Jews to take Saturday off, b) koinonia.

 

Then God said, “Why I ask you to rest is to also share together (a) with Me in My rest, My Sabbath Rest.”  So I said, “You mean on the 7th day of creation (b), right?  Because I know Jesus said, ‘My Father is actually, presently/ongoingly working until now just as I am actually, presently/ongoingly working’ (c).”  Jesus said this because the religious Jews were accusing Him of ‘working’ miracles on the Sabbath (d). <Notes> a) this is a meaning of koinonia fellowship b) Exodus 20:10-11, c) John 5:17, d) v. 5:18.

 

But God interrupted my reasoning:  “Yes, I rested from My works for One day, but I’ve never stopped working since.  When you pause to ‘Be Still’ (a) you can enter into My rest then, and now, and that’s when you will ‘know Me.’ (a)”  I said, wait a minute!  How can I enter into your present rest now when you have never stopped working?”  He said, “Remember who I AM.  AM I not holding all things together with My Logos word  (b) while we talk together now?” (c).  “Wow,” I thought, “that’s right, He is sharing a conversation with Me while running the universe.” <Notes> a) Psalms 46:10, b) Colossians 1:17 Christ, c) The “[singular] rhema ‘directly-spoken/heard word’ of/belonging-to the [singular] dunamis supernatural-enabling-power dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of Christ” is what “routinely phero ‘brings/carries along, maintains’ ALL things” in creation per Hebrews 1:3.

 

Then God spoke more directly:  “I can rest and work at the same time.  Remember who I AM.”  That was humbling, like how Job must have felt after God clues him in at the end of the book (a) just WHO Job was misrepresenting to his friends (b). <Notes> a) Job 40:6-41:34, b) Job 42:7-9.

 

Then God invites me:  “I want you to rest so that you will also share that together with Me, so that you will know Me better in this also – just like all the other aspects of Me I have shown you.”  Wow, this restful “easy and light yoke of learning we are to take upon ourselves” Jesus spoke of in Matthew 11:29-30 comes only from connection to Jesus as the Vine (a), now as the “One Teacher” (b) of the Holy Spirit who guides us into ALL truth (c) so that we have absolutely-in-fact-NO need of any other teacher (d).  He wants to share Himself, His experiences, with us – just as any lover would!  Now that is koinonia fellowship! <Notes> a) John 15:4-8, b) Matthew 23:8 – see Teach One Another – BT10, c) John 14:26, 16:13, d) 1 John 2:20, 27.

 

 

Reflection:

 

Video Part 2a - BT1:  Koinonia fellowship of sharing of God’s Sabbath Rest!

Part 2a

 

Video Part 2b - BT1:  Koinonia fellowship of sharing of God’s Sabbath Rest!

Part 2b APSD application

 

As Christian musicians, we need to ask:  Why did God put music, His own creation, into musicians to discover?  It’s arrogant to think you created such a beautiful thing?  What about all those who came before you that you learned from?  Did they create it?  Ultimately, did the first man or woman create it?  No!  Also, music isn’t there just for you to discover for your own pleasure, fame, fortune, or other purpose, just as air or water isn’t.  If you think so, then you will approach music “in your flesh.”  Even if you are playing religious music FOR God, it is still by your “might and power,” which is part of the palaios “old, dated, ancient, antiquated, worn-out, weak, worthless, and useless” covenant that Zechariah 4:6 prophesied would be replaced by the kainos/chadash completely-different-in-kind, superior New Covenant of “by My Spirit.”

 

No, God shares His music with musicians so that they will pause when they feel those intense feelings – “REST, be still by ceasing motion and sound” long enough to genuinely, experientially relationally epiginosko know God’s very nature, Himself!  He told me once “The same is true of sunsets, sunrises, flowers, bird song, or any of My creation – if you pause long enough and really ‘see’ My Beauty, then you will know Me.”  I’m going with what God told me!

 

Part of God’s very nature, His Beauty, is Peaceful-Rest.  That’s why when we “REST, be still by ceasing motion and sound,” even our own talking, and just “watch and listen” long enough, we will share His own nature and by being in fellowship with Him we will experience His overwhelming, infinite Unconditional-Love that IS-defined-as/exists-as God per 1 John 4:8, 16.  Joy and Peaceful-Rest are only 2 of the most dominant ‘flavors’ of “the [singular] fruit of the Spirit that IS-defined-as/exists-as Unconditional-Love” per Galatians 5:22.  So if we epiginosko ‘genuinely, experience-thru-relationship‘ this overwhelming, infinite Unconditional-Love, then we genuinely epiginosko know God, the Father, Son, and Spirit, and we will soon experience the ‘flavors’ of the New Covenant Wine, the Holy Spirit of the Father and Son – see New Covenant – BT7.

 

Prayer:

 

 

Lord, today we will stop all our activity and sound to just peacefully-rest while we wait on You to reveal Yourself to us.  Like we can share any of your creation with You to experientially know You more genuinely, we will share this aspect of Your nature for the same result – filling us with Yourself so that we may fully know You.

 

 

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Categories: Peaceful Rest