Rest

Rest
In the book of exodus we read,
“Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.” Exodus 20:9,10.
With this scripture we as Christians could get into a debate about if we should rest on Saturday or Sunday. We could get very legalistic and debate what constitutes work on the Sabbath.
Critics of Jesus in his day criticised him and his disciples for picking and eating grain as they walked through a grain field. Matthew’s gospel noting,
“At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.  
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath." Matthew 12:1,2.
The Pharisees seen Jesus and his disciples as harvesting the grain. Work, an unlawful act on the Sabbath.
The way I see things here is we shouldn’t get legalistic. Does it really matter when we take a day of rest as long as we take a day of rest. I worked for years in an industry where I had to work on Friday, Saturday and even Sunday afternoons. While I attended church Sunday morning my day of rest was usually Monday.
On Monday people knew not to bother me. It was a day for me to rest and revitalize myself.
I think that’s what God intended by setting aside one day to rest.
In our 24/7 culture where quite often the work is brought home and even taken on vacations. We need to heed God and take twenty-four hours for ourselves every week to rest and relax. It certainly can’t do any harm and will probably do us a world of Good.
Please think about it.

Rest

Rest
Jesus said,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
We live in a fast paced world a world that can be cold. It is easy for people to be lost in the crowd. With all western society offers many people are still not satisfied. Suicide rates are on the rise. The result of many seeing no hope in our society.
Sadly as I wrote in a previous blog many churches are failing to present the hope to those around them that Christ offers.
That being said the hope that Christ offers is still there for anyone who is truly looking.
Jesus made it clear that if you believe in him. “You will find rest for your soul.” In Psalm 23 we read,

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

 he leads me beside quiet waters, 

he restores my soul. 

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil, 

for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, 

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” 

                                                                      Psalm 23.

I think any true Christian will tell you that by making the Lord the Shepherd of their soul they have found rest for their soul despite going through hardships and personal loss.
The thing is you must be willing to believe there is a God who loves you. Who sent Jesus to pay the ultimate price for your soul. You must be willing to put your trust in Christ. Put your trust in God. Something that is hard for many individuals to do.
Still C. S. Lewis said,

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future

 to a known God.” 

                              C. S. Lewis.

One of my favourite quotes from Blaise Pascal is,
“Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.” Blaise Pascal.
Please think about it.

Rest

Rest
Jesus said,

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 

and I will give you rest.”  

                                   Matthew 11:28.

Are you at peace? Are you at rest?
In our fast paced society here in North America I find quite often people do not have peace and rest seems elusive. We live in a twenty-four/seven society. That offers little in the way of rest.
We live in a materialistic society that tells us we have to have the latest greatest gadget. The latest designer clothing. Many in our society seem to think that if we don’t have the latest greatest “things” we are in someway missing out.
Many people strive for the so called “American dream” only to find it is an empty hollow shell of a promise.
The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. 
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:10,11.
Material things may make life easier and there is nothing wrong with having nice things. They however don’t necessarily make your life fulfilling. In the end materialism with all its seeming perks often leaves a person empty.
Ultimately the writer of Ecclesiastes after a long examination of the things around him concludes by saying,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes12:13,14.
Jesus said,
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21.
Jesus also said,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
Thomas Aquinas wrote,
“If, then, you are looking for the way by which you should go, take Christ, because He Himself is the way.” Thomas Aquinas.
For me personally I have indeed found a deep peace in Jesus Christ that I have never found in this world.
That being said each individual must decide what they want out of life. The temporary satisfaction that comes from the materialism of this world. OR the eternal rest, peace and eternal life that comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Please think about it.

Rest for your Soul

Rest for your soul
Jesus said,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
The other day my wife and I attended an event near to where we live. We’d attended the same event a year earlier. This time however security was much higher. The result no doubt of events thousands of miles from where we were, the Manchester, and London attacks. Where misguided individuals murdered innocent men women and children.
The two incidents as tragic as they were are a symbol of our times and not limited to terrorism.
If statistics are correct more people died because of gun violence in the United States in the first part of this year 2017 than because of all violent crimes in all of the United Kingdom in the previous two years. Including terrorism. According to Gun Violence Archives. Org. 6,453 people have died in the United States because of gun violence between January and June of this year 2017.
While the United states can arguably be said to be the most violent of all western nations it is not alone. Violent crime, murders, robberies, sexual assaults and other vicious crimes are everyday occurrences in every country.
The people who commit such crimes have little or no fear of reprisal. Jail terms, even the death penalty means nothing to them.
And while I firmly believe Christianity has the answer to the problem. I believe many calling themselves Christians have become of no effect. They have become “religious”. That is to say, they know what to say and how to act in church and around other Christians. But they are really just a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
Jesus said,
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” Matthew 5:13.
Many claiming to be Christian have lost their saltiness. They have turned the truths Jesus and the apostles taught into religious do’s and don’t. Even worse they do not put into effect the teachings of Jesus and the apostles in their lives.
In many cases those claiming to be Christians are religious copies of the world and people want nothing to do with it. People especially young people are looking for more.
Billy Graham the great American evangelist said,
“Those outside the church expect followers of Christ to live differently, yet today many in church are chasing after the world - not to win them, but to be like them.”Billy Graham
In 1958 John B. Harrington wrote a book called "Essentials in Christian Faith" it could have been written yesterday. 
It opens with this quote from Paul Gallico in Esquire Magazine in 1948. It states,
"A writer in a popular magazine has written the following words; 'We are all, if you will pardon the expression, Headed for Hell in a handbarrow. If, ever the people of the world stood in need of a spiritual revival, it is now. We are beginning to poison the face of the earth with our miserable presence. The brakes are off. The cart of the world is sliding down the way greased with hatred, ambition, lies, self-seeking and avarice toward the pit.’"
Harrington notes that Gallico makes no pretense of being "a religious man" noting that "...for him it is precisely religion in its organized forms which has in part caused the situation he deplores. He is careful to state that it is not "religion" for which he is looking. For in his opinion, religion throughout the history of our culture has advanced its control over human beings by the investment of bigotry and persecution. 
Yet, out of despair over the current human situation he says; ‘The voice for which my heavy spirit is yearning must reach us all... For if it is not heard, we are lost. Something beyond our material enrichment and lust for power and position, some rewards founded on good will, selflessness, and the innate dignity of the human spirit...honour, humility, decency and courage."
  The people who join terrorist groups, and inner city gangs are looking for meaning in life. They are longing to belong. They are longing for love and acceptance of others. For purpose in life.
Sadly most of the time they are not finding it in the one spot they should be finding it, the Gospel of Christ.
They are not finding it because those calling themselves Christians are not living a Christian life and lifestyle.
 Those in the world are looking at many calling themselves Christians and saying to themselves “I live a better life morally and ethically than they do. Why should I become a Christian?”
As Christians we need to be looking carefully at our life and lifestyle. Francis of Assisi wrote,

“The deeds you do

 may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

 Francis of Assisi

Francis also reminds us,

“We have been called to heal wounds,

 to unite what has fallen apart,

 and to bring home those who have lost their way.” 

Francis of Assisi

At the start of this article I quoted Jesus as saying,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
I know I, and other followers of Christ like me have found those words to be true. However those seeking rest for their soul will never find it if those calling themselves Christians are not living it.
Please think about it.