Hi Mike, Thank you for your audio on the Meat (Meal) Offerings.  It has been a real blessing.  As I was listening, I thought of “rest” – so I did a search on e- sword and found this: “It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience.  Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”  

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.

There remains, then, a Sabbath- rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.  Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” (Heb 4:6-11)

It is becoming more clear now what obedience means.  It is Christ’s obedience.  It is us ceasing, resting.

Your brother in Christ,

N____

Hi N____,
It is good to hear from you. I hope you can make it up to Dallas to see us in May.
That is right, ‘rest’ means “to cease.” When we ‘cease’ from our works, Christ begins His work in us. Christ’s work is our rest from our works. Christ’s works are His Father’s works.

Joh 5:16  And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
Joh 5:17  But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Joh 5:18  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Once again we must compare spiritual ceasing with a spiritual sabbath. If we think of God’s words and compare physical works with a spiritual sabbath, or spiritual works with a physical sabbath, we will once again miss the point.

Heb 4:1  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [ us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
Heb 4:2  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [ it].
Heb 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Heb 4:4  For he spake in a certain place of the seventh [ day] on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Heb 4:5  And in this [ place] again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Heb 4:6  Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Heb 4:7  Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Heb 4:8  For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [ did] from his.
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Living our lives for God’s service and for God’s glory is ceasing from our works. “The holy spirit teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [ them], because they are spiritually discerned.

God is opening your eyes to see the things of the spirit. Stay in His Word for His words are spirit.

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike