Katie
Hebrews 4:1-2 “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. 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”. The Word of God is to profit us, to gain spiritual depth, but those without faith didn’t profit. We can hear it, but gain nothing for our souls, for we must mix faith with the hearing. In this combination, faith hears, and brings life into the Word. We can have faith and encourage others, and in faith we find the Word is living and powerful.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 “…when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth…” We don’t find life in the words of men, but the Word sent by God is inspired. Paul had proved the power of the Word in his own and [saw it in] others’ lives.
Hebrews 4:1-2 “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” – this is a healthy kind of fear. ‘FOMO’ [an abbreviation used in text messaging] means ‘Fear Of Missing Out’, and this is a good thing in our relationship with God, of living truth and the living Word. Rest is necessary for the body and mind; when we don’t get rest, things don’t go as they should. We need rest for our souls and hearts, for the devil does all he can to keep us from it. Soul rest goes on into eternity. We don’t want to come short of the promises of God, but need to have a healthy fear. This relationship is individual- no one else can give us faith or love – they come from within, and we have to work them out for ourselves. We can’t ride on others’ coat-tails, but need to work these out for ourselves. Continue to prove the power in His Word.
Rachel
That hymn [362 ‘Longings’] is like a prayer: “I long to keep more closely at Thy side…”. Peter and Paul both had experiences for the Gospel’s sake. Acts 12 – James had been killed by Herod, and Peter was imprisoned; the church prayed for him – they did what they could do. Peter was bound, and there seemed to be no way out. When the angel came, Peter’s chains fell and He was to follow the angel out into the city. When he came to those who had been praying for him, they were in disbelief, but Peter now knew the Lord in a much deeper way. The Lord was watching out for His people, and answered their prayers. Man had put on bonds, but God wanted Peter to be where the bondage was not. God opened a way where there seemed to be no way. God sets free from bondage to a way of liberty of spirit. With the ark and then at the Red Sea, God opened a way when there was no way. Human nature can hold us back, but God’s Word can undo the bonds. Job 42:5 Job said, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee” – ‘Now I know for myself’.
The members of the body: Peter was where he didn’t deserve to be, but the others were doing what they could. Herod was not under the control of God, but prayer settled those who did what they could. We can’t analyse how God works; He knows the heart of each person. Jesus was longing to be closer to His Father, and looked past the suffering which He had to endure. It is good to look at what is in our heart; what are we longing for?
Truth Archive 