Praise the Lord, Grace & Peace great people of our “Great God”…JESUS.

As I thought about how God brought us out of a world dominated by Satan, I began to think about how God brought Israel out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand. But even as God brought Israel out, like us; we seem to be apprehensive concerning the journey it entails to receive the promise! So for this Golden Nugget I would like to provoke your thinking concerning “JESUS brought us OUT to bring us IN….that we may know what real REST is”  My premise scriptures to provoke further gospel provocation are as follows:

Deu 6:17-23  Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.  And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.  And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:  And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.

In life, there are some crisis’s that a Saint of God may experience, that sometimes can put them in a low, destitute, or carnal state of mind; but yet with the help of the Holy Spirit they still have the desire to strive for a full life in God. Some Saints are not cognizant that there will be such crisis’s. Many think that from the day of their conversion that they can continue to grow without God proving and testing their faith in Him. Hence, as we yield to the guiding of the Holy Spirit our experience in our crisis elevates us to receive the inherent qualities of Jesus Christ! I have no objections to the committed child of God that strives to mature in Christ, who learns that as long as they yield to the power and leading of the Holy Spirit, and not to the beckoning of our finite flesh,  it can render perpetual growth in Jesus Christ on this road to Glory!

But let me address the Saint whose life since conversion has been one of many spiritual failures, and know it is because they have not yielded to the Holy Spirit, and therefore have not embraced their privileges. Let me express for their encouragement, that by taking one serious step, you can walk in and fulfill a life of rest, victory, and fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ; and start to receive again what was promised to you.

As I even reflect upon the Prodigal Son concerning the parable rendered in the gospel of Luke, I wonder how much sooner it would have taken him to get out of that state of blindness and bondage if he only understood his role of Sonship, by truly believing in his father’s love. This would of allowed him to experience sooner the favor and happiness that existed in his father’s home.

God’s word renders of a figurative type of the Saint’s entrance into a new and better life by the example given by Israel’s entrance into the land of Canaan. If you notice in our premise scripture  we have these words: “God brought us out from thence (Egypt), that He might bring us in” into Canaan. Please notice my brothers and sisters that there are two steps: one was bringing them out; and the other was bringing them in. So by default we know in the life of the Saint, there are two steps that are separate from each other; the bringing us out of sin and the world; and the bringing us into a state of complete rest (JESUS) afterward. It was the intention of God that Israel should enter the land of Canaan from Kadesh-Barnea, immediately after He had made His covenant with them at Sinai. But they were not ready to enter at once, on account of their sin and unbelief, and disobedience. They had to wander after that for forty years in the wilderness. Now, look how God led the people. In Egypt, there was a great crisis, where they first had to pass through the Red Sea, which is a figure of baptism; and when they went into Canaan, there was, as it were 40 years later, a second conversion in passing through the Jordan. Please notice that at our conversion, we get into liberty, and out of the bondage of Egypt; but, when we fail to use our liberty because of unbelief and disobedience, we wander in the wilderness for a longer or shorter period before we enter into the Canaan of victory, rest, and abundance. Therefore God does for Israel two things: He brings them out of Egypt; and He lead them into Canaan.

Saints I ask this questions,  Since you know you are converted and God has brought you out of Egypt, have you yet come into the land of Canaan? If not, are you willing that He bring you into the fuller liberty and rest that He has provided for His people? He brought Israel out of Egypt by a mighty hand, as He brought us out of the bondage of sin with the same mighty hand. He brought his ancient people into rest and by that hand, too, He can bring us into our true rest. The same God, who forgave our sin and regenerated us through the power of His Holy Spirit, is waiting to perfect His love in us, if we continue to trust Him. I see and hear many people saying with their lifestyles; “I believe that God brought me out of bondage twenty, or thirty, or forty years ago; but right now! I cannot say that I have been brought into the happy land of rest and victory”

How glorious was the rest of Canaan after all the wanderings in the wilderness! And so is it with us my brothers and sisters who reach for the promised Canaan of rest. This most definitely happens when we leave all our cares with Jesus, i.e. all our anxieties and worries every day and hour to help  give us the victory over every enemy and situation!

Are you ready to leave the wilderness before your appointed time? You know the mark of Israel’s life in the wilderness, and the cause of all their troubles in their wilderness state was unbelief. They did not believe that God could take them into the Promised Land, and because of not trusting God we see what followed this, many sins and failures; i.e., lusting, idolatry, murmuring, etc. Has this been your life  my beloved brothers and sisters? Do you find it hard just to believe that God will fulfill His word? Please understand that if this continues to be arduous, it will bring the possibility of broken fellowship with God, which leads to disobedience and exemplifies not the life of a child of God! All this happens because one does not believe that God can give victory over sin. GOLDEN NUGGET!

Are you willing now to leave that wilderness life? Sometimes you are, perhaps, enjoying fellowship with God, and sometimes you are separated from Him; sometimes you are near to Him and at other times there is great distance from Him…note my reiteration of the word SOMETIMES; sometimes you have a willingness to walk closely with Him, but sometimes there is unwillingness. When are you going to give up your whole life to Him? When are you going to approach Him and say, “My God, it is my desire not to do anything that will be displeasing to you; I want you to keep me from all worldliness, that may cause a breach in our relationship; I want you JESUS, to help me to live like Peter after Pentecost, that great day of empowerment when he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and not like carnal Peter prior to Pentecost.”

My brothers and sisters we must believe that such a life in the land of Canaan is a possible life. Yes, many will say, “Ah! What would I give to get out of the wilderness life! But I cannot believe that it is possible to live in constant communion with God. You don’t know my difficulties, my business cares and perplexities; I have all sorts of people to associate with; I have gone out in the morning braced up by communion with God in prayer, but the pressure of business and cares of this world before the day is over has driven out of my heart all that warmth of love that I had.” But please remember what it was that kept Israel out of Canaan. When Caleb and Joshua said, “We are able to overcome the enemy,” the ten spies, and the six hundred thousand men answered, “We cannot do it; they are too strong for us.” Please remain cognizant my brothers and sisters that we do not repeat their sin, and provoke God as those unbelievers did. God said, He will bring us into the land of rest and peace; and I believe it because He said so, hence our responsibility is to trust Him. Your temper may be horrific; your pride may have bound you a hundred times; your temptations may “compass you about like bees,” but there is victory for you if you will perpetually trust in what God has promised you!

If we take a snap shot of Peter’s life we can see that he had failed again and again, and went from bad to worse until he came to denying Christ with oaths. But what a change came over him! Just study the first epistle of Peter, and you will see that the very life of Christ had entered into him. He shows the spirit of true humility, so different from his former self-confidence; and glorying in God’s will instead of in his own. He had made a full surrender to Christ, and was trusting entirely in Him. Wow, we can even say to God today, “Lord if you could change selfish, proud Peter; I know you can change me likewise.” Yes, God is able to bring you into Canaan, the land of promise. If you read the first half of the 8th chapter of Romans, you will notice the expression, “The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death “My brothers and sisters the process is… to walk after the spirit; to be after the spirit; to be in the Spirit; to have the Spirit dwelling in us. For it is through us yielding to the Holy Spirit that we are able to mortify the deeds of this mortal flesh; to be led by the Spirit; and to be spiritually minded. These are all blessings which come when we commit ourselves wholly to walk in the Holy Spirit.  If we live in the Spirit, we shall be led by Him every day and every moment. Only then can we be brought into a land to receive rest, and stay in. For notice what Isaiah said in 28:11-12 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. (12) To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

Saints remember that the Jordan at the time of harvest overflowed its banks. Hundreds of thousands of Israel were on the side of the river Jordan over from Canaan. They were told that tomorrow, God would do wonderful things for them. The trumpet would sound, and the priests would take up the ark, the symbol of God’s presence, and pass over before the people. But before them was a swollen river still. If there were still unbelieving people, they would of said, “What fools would attempt to cross now! This is not the right time to attempt to cross the river, for it is now twenty feet or more deep.” But the believing people gathered together behind the priests with the ark. They obeyed the command of Joshua to advance; even if they did not fully understand what God was going to do! The priests walked right into the water, and the hearts of some began to tremble. They would perhaps ask, “Where is that great rod that Moses had?” But, as the priests walked straight forward and stepped into the water, the waters rose up on the upper side in to a high wall, and flowed away on the other side, and a clear passage was made for the whole camp. Now, it was God that did this for the people; and it was because Joshua and the people believed and obeyed God. The same God will do it today, if we believe and trust Him. Always remember  Saints that Moses brought Israel out of Egypt, Joshua brought them into Canaan, but only JESUS could give US all REST! My brothers and sisters,  Jesus did not bring us out to leave us out, but “JESUS brought us OUT to bring us IN”…that we may know what real REST is. It will always be contingent upon our faith in Him, regardless of the crisis in our life. God bless you, and have a “JESUS DAY”