Living In The Sabbath Rest "Today" Are we living in the sabbath?  Are we living in the 'seventh' day? Do we see the completed work of Christ?  Why would we as the church choose to believe that we are living in a day of incompleted work when in fact we have been invited into His rest?  Why would we believe there is more to be done?  Why would we choose to believe there is a limitation to our access to God, one with restrictions?  As the church are we still in a place of needing protection from the wrath of God?  If we do need this protection does this mean that we are still in the wilderness, wandering about in ways contrary to God and proclaiming His name as ours while our hearts are far from him?  Why would we not instead lay hold of God's promise that we can enter His rest?  Do we not remember that God has created the 'sabbath for man and not man for the sabbath?' (Jesus speaking in Mark 2:27).  As I read through Hebrews 3 and 4 I am stricken with my own need for the sabbath rest of God.  Not the sabbath recognition introduced through Moses but the sabbath rest given by God and practiced by Jesus.  That is not to say what Moses introduced to the Israelites was wrong. By no means, it was what God had commanded on the mountain.  Moses was faithful in all that he did however Moses was working on a copy of what he had seen.  Jesus, in contrast, is the one through whom the word came.   Jesus, is the one who is the builder of the house, that is His people.  Moses served the people by bringing the word of God, the commandment, relative to the sabbath to the people.  The downfall came to the people of God in Moses' time not in the commandment itself but in the heart attitude.  The sabbath day of recognition was instituted to recognize God's mighty works by resting from their own efforts so they could see His hand and it would lead them to obedience. Unfortunately we see over the period of fourty years the people continually test the mercy of God.  It wasn't the law of not working on the sabbath which provoked God.  It was instead their disobedience to His ways that held them back, preventing the people from entering into His promised rest.  Is "Today" any different?  Just like the Israelites in the desert I fall short of the glory of God and His rest. My heart wanders from His truth. I am disobedient to His commands.  Even as I proclaim my love for Him I stray in my actions.  My heart knows what is right and yet, I fall short as I do not do what I know is right.  As I fall short I have no peace, no rest, just the expectation of wrath because everytime I knowingly do what I should not my heart becomes hardened by the deceitfulness of sin which resides there.  I am not talking here about sin which is 'unknown' at the time rather I am talking about repetitive, cyclical sin, where I know what I am to do and I choose not to do it.  It is therefore incumbent upon me that as I hear, as I recognize His direction, His ways, that I respond in obedience.  If I do not do this I will fall in the wilderness.  If after having been rescued by the mercy of God out of Egypt, a place of works, self effort, and of separation from God I find myself in the wilderness and I am disobedient, living in perpetual sin I will have no excuse.  I will die in the desert never having reached the promised land.  I will encounter the rock of Christ in the desert and this rock will either cause me to stumble because of my disobedience or the rock will provide me with living water to sustain me in my obedience.  I am not without hope if I do what is right.  I can throw myself upon the rock and allow Him to guide me for He knows my weaknesses and can sympathize with them and can guide me past the stumbling blocks of my life.  As I am obedient to carrying out the will of God, laying down my own will, I am able to enter into His rest.  The scripture tells me that "Today" I may enter His rest if I hear Him and do not harden my heart; if I am obedient to him.  This is the sabbath rest.  If the word of God has penetrated my heart and I choose to respond in obedience accordingly I may enter into His rest.  If the word of God has penetrated my mind and my thoughts are transformed I may enter into His rest.  If the word of God has penetrated my body and my actions are transformed I may enter His rest.  Jesus has been given as the living sacrifice for this day that I might be able to do this provided, of course, that I do not harden my heart.  For if I look upon the sacrifice of Jesus, His life, and His ways, which he modelled for me and follow Him patterning myself after Him, I may rest from all of my own struggles and efforts.  If however, I look upon the sacrifice of Jesus, His life and His ways which are the very essence of God and the exact representation of the nature of God and I choose to respond to my own thoughts and opinions I cannot enter into the sabbath rest.  I have "Today" to do this.  This is the seventh day.  "Today" is the day of my choosing.  This is the day of rest if I choose to enter in.  I must choose "Today" whom I will serve.  Will I serve God or will I serve myself?  By continuing in my own way I serve myself.  By choosing to model my self after Christ I am praising God and I serve God.  Through choosing to walk as Jesus walked I can gain His strength and His Spirit.  Choosing to walk as Jesus walked I can lay down my own hurts and offences.  By choosing to walk as Jesus walked I will be guided into righteousness and into peace.  For I am told in Hebrews 7:2-13 that Jesus is the 'king of righteousness and the king of peace' who holds with Him the power of an indestructible life.  This is the only way out of the desert of sin.  This is the only way to enter His rest.  Today.  It must be done "Today".  For there is another day which is coming, this is the day of the Lord, a day of fire and of judgement. It is a day which I will not want to see if I have not chosen right by claiming the sacrifice, and walking out the life, of Christ. The choice is mine I can choose to believe that "Today" is the day to enter His rest.  I can choose "Today" to unite myself with Christ and in all my ways acknowledge Him.  I can choose "Today" for the "sabbath has been made for man and not man for the sabbath".  I can choose "Today" to enter the Sabbath rest.  (Hebrews 4:3-11) Prayer: Lord, Thank you for "Today".  I ask that your Word would be such a part of me, that it would penetrate me so deeply, that I cannot help but to choose you.  I pray that I would be obedient to all that you do and say to me.  I pray that my heart would not be hardened but that through your Spirit you would give me a heart of flesh with your word imprinted upon it.  I pray that in all my ways I would acknowledge you and that you would make my path straight.  I pray that you would lead me in the way to eternal life. I thank you Lord that you have given me such a great High Priest, Jesus Christ your son, who knows my weakness but who can guide me into your kingdom.  I thank you it is through Him that I can come before your throne to seek your mercy and to seek your strength when I am weak. Amen. Scripture: Genesis 2:1-3  Deuteronomy 5:12-15 Mark 2:23 - 3:5 Hebrews 3 and 4 2:28 PM 02/04/2006 - Deborah Ritz