IF JESUS Had Given Them Rest...

 ADVENT MEDITATIONS for 2014

Courtesy of pravoslavie.ru

 Scriptures courtesy of www.biblegateway.com

Isaiah 11: 10 ~  

And in that day there shall be a ROOT+ of Jesse, 

which shall stand for an ENSIGN+ of the people; 

to it shall the Gentiles seek: 

and His+ rest shall be glorious.

Hebrews 4: 6 - 8 ~

Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein,

 and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 

 Again, HE limiteth a certain day, saying in David, 

To day, after so long a time; as it is said, 

To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.

 For if JESUS had given them rest, 

then would HE not afterward 

have spoken of another day.

If JESUS had given them rest... 

All those rebellious ones ~ 

... of His+ people, in His+ Camp, in the wilderness, baptized in the waters of the RED+ Sea, eating the Manna sent from Heaven,  under the protection of the ROCK+ that followed them ...   

~ had free choice!  

I Corinthians 10:4

And did all drink the same spiritual drink:

 for they drank 

of that spiritual ROCK+ that followed them:

and that ROCK+ was CHRIST.+

They DIED in the wilderness without being allowed to enter the Promised Land. 

Our LORD has so designed man that EVERY HUMAN BEING is able ... i.e., has the power... to choose WHOM+ or what he will serve with his whole heart, as evidenced in life choices.  

Robots need not apply.  CHRIST JESUS wants no robots. Flesh and blood CANNOT ... is not able... to inherit the Kingdom of GOD; each man , woman, and child must choose it for himself. 

If JESUS would have given those rebellious ones rest, then the rebellious and disobedient forsakers of GOD would have been granted a REST without repentance ! GOD FORBID ! 

Rest WITHOUT  REPENTANCE 

is impossible with GOD. 

It is one thing that GOD will not do for us: repent. We must do this ourselves. 

Those who refuse His+ LORDSHIP ( regardless of church membership rolls ) refuse His+ REST at the same time. 

It is impossible  to enter into His+ Promised Land of peace, joy, and rest without a personal repentance.    

O LORD JESUS, Cleanser of the Repentant, Who+ was made INCARNATE to do that very thing,  lead us to Thy+ cleansing fountain once again. 

Help us to heed Thy+ Call of conviction; take away our blindness to our sin. Help us to see who we are with Thine+ Eyes, O LIGHT+ of the world, for in Thy+ Light, we shall see Light. 

O HOLY FATHER, Who sent forth Thy Only-Begotten SON+ to give the repentant rest in HIM+ Who+ knew no sin, we bless and glorify both HIM+ and THEE. 

We thank THEE+ for the Promised Land, wherein doth righteousness dwell and the souls of men made perfect through the Blood of Thy INCARNATED SON+.

Change our in-born rebellion against Thy+ Word, we humbly ask, as we yield our un-docile and self-willed spirits unto THEE+, for Thy+ great glory. 

O HOLY LIGHT+ made INCARNATE in Our LORD JESUS CHRIST for the suffering of death, fill us with Thy+ same Spirit that we may die to self ... in order for the world to see THEE+ , in Truth.  

In the Name of the Only-Begotten SON+ of GOD, the INCARNATE EMMANUEL... we pray. Amen.