If Jesus promised us rest why are so many Christians restless and frustrated? Could it be that we do not follow his simple instructions and try to get what God planned for us through worldly methods and means?
If the kingdom of God is peace then why do so many believers never have peace?
Are we missing something or do we have to re-align our thinking with the mind of Christ?
In problem solving we are taught to trace our way back to where we lost the plot in the first place. Let us see if we can do this and break through into the rest of faith – our Promised Land!Breaking into Rest!
Apostle Andre Pelser
04/02/01

I woke up this morning with my spirit singing an old hymn:
?There is a place of peace and rest
Near to the heart of God
A place where sin can not molest
Near to the heart of God?
That is the key to finding rest for your troubled soul: to be near to the heart of God and to stay there!

Rest is a permanent tranquil abode ? a place of rest within. Faith must be tried otherwise it is not faith. Some believers want a soft-pillowed ease and comfort on the way to eternity and mistakenly see trails of their faith and persecution as a sign of God?s displeasure instead of opportunities to exercise their faith until they enter into a state of permanent rest and trust in God.

In this restless and wicked world there are few people who can offer you rest! Only Jesus Christ had rest in his arsenal of spiritual gifts!
When God created the earth He took six days to labour and rested on the seventh day.
Faith is not merely a spiritual tool to help you get every material benefit you can possibly desire ? it is a key to entering into the rest of God. While you are still worried and concerned about something you have not yet entered the rest of faith. Once you truly believe you will no longer labour to believe. There is a difference: the one is based on works and the other on trust.
When pilots broke through the sound barrier planes were not made to fly at that speed and altitude and as a result some of those brave men died to pioneer the way for the jets we have today. There had to be some adjustments made to the planes before they could cross that line again.
Trusting God is not a place of total inactivity ? it is not for the faint-hearted. It takes guts to continually trust in an invisible God.
People who have never heard the Gospel trust in witch doctors and in medicine men and some bow before man-made statues of wood and stone in order to exercise their faith. Some trust in money and power and some in violence and dictatorship in order to ?get what they want.?
All motivational courses are based on greed: ?Get more than you thought you could get!? or, ?How to be number one!? The problem is that there will always be another number one who has probably done the same motivational course you have! It is not possible to stay number one for ever! So after you have achieved your goal through motivation ? what then? What will be your passion then? What will be the driving force of your life?
There is a place of peace and rest that the world knows little of?
Jesus offered it to his disciples. He knew where that place was ? near to the heart of God. What is more He could lead you there. His Holy Spirit has been sent to lead you to that place of peace and rest where sin can not molest!

Oh Jesus blest Redeemer
Sent from the heart of God
Hols us who wait before Thee
Near to the heart of God

There is a place where sorrows cease
Where burdens flee and joy increase

There is a place of comfort sweet
A place where we our Saviour meet

There is a place of full release
A place where all is joy and peace

There is a place of solace rare
Where souls are lifted up in prayer

Marilyn Munroe said, Fame can only keep you happy for a while it cannot satisfy you. When she died at the age of 36 she spent most of her life as an unhappy, unsatisfied woman.

What does it benefit you if you win the whole world but you loose your soul? Or what shall a man or woman give in exchange for their soul?

Noah means rest. The ark rested on Mt. Ararat.
Genesis 5:28, 29

Manoah was the father of Samson (Sunshine)
Judges 13:1, 2

Out of rest comes strength!

Genesis 2:2, 3 Shabbath
Exodus 16:30

Exodus 23:12

Rest has the idea of a quiet home, a place where you settle down. It also indicates that you have desisted from exertion. Another base root of the word is to celebrate. The final idea that comes out of the Hebrew concept of rest is copious supply! Now who would not want that kind of rest ? where you increase while you are resting!

Matthew 11:28 anapano
Repose, refresh, colonize, abide, be exempt

Anapousis ? to refresh, to ease up
Learning from Jesus brings rest for the soul. His yoke is easy!

Hebrews 3:11

Hebrews 3: 18

Isaiah 30:15

In returning and rest you shall be saved and in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.

Proverbs 1:33

Obedience brings quietness in the soul. When you have obeyed as far as you know that it is possible you will find rest for your soul. Humility brings obedience. Jesus encouraged his disciples to learn humility from Him so that they can learn to obey and find rest for their souls. Sometimes children are not disobedient their minds are too busy with their own imaginations. They need to be taught how to listen and how to focus on what is being said.

Isaiah 32:17
The effect of righteousness is quietness. By receiving the gift of righteousness you will find quietness in your soul.

The whole world is geared to make you feel uncomfortable with rest and quietness. There is always a lot of noise where the spirit of the world is in charge! WWF RAW ? all the noise and all the show ? and the fans go wild and more is never enough! The glaring lights of the entertainment world ? the sensuround sounds of the cinemas ? the wild discos ? the loud parties ? the constant jabbering of radio disc jockeys and news readers – everybody talking on cell phones ? thumping music in cars ? traffic jams everywhere ? there is no peace for the wicked!

Demons find no rest in waterless places so they look for human bodies that they can disturb!
Luke 11:24
Revelation 14:11 ? in hell there is no rest day or night?

Sin takes away your rest and leads you back into captivity to become the devil?s slave!

The Presence of the Lord brings rest

Exodus 33:14
My presence will go with you and bring you rest

Psalm 23:2
He leads you beside still waters ? He does not build you a bridge over troubled waters!

What are the enemies of spiritual rest?

Stubbornness removes rest from your life ? you trouble your own soul!
Isaiah 28:12 ? but you would not! (precept upon precept, line upon line?)

Hebrews 4:1

Rest is appropriated by faith ? diligence

Hebrews 4:3
Israel after being slaves for 400 years found it hard to believe in Canaan! They could not enter their rest because of unbelief! Do you find it hard to believe that you can find rest for your soul in Christ? Does you situation look inescapable? Does your problem look insurmountable? Do you have a mountain of problems you cannot tunnel through? Is your river of sorrow so wide that you cannot cross over to the other side?

Today Jesus offers you rest ? He says