Topic: Natural and Spiritual Creation. The Cycle of Rest. The Unsearchable Mysteries Series> Category: Power> Truth>
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Following on from last week’s message [Unsearchable Mysteries – Man and Woman Ruling and Reigning] today we will conclude our journey through The Unsearchable Mysteries Series.
This is the true story of the creative work of the Eternal One. The sequence of events are this. At the beginning of time itself, the Eternal One through His Eternal Voice, by His Eternal Spirit, created the heavens and the earth. In the first time span He created light which burst forth out of the darkness. During the second time span He separated the waters on the earth to create the sky above and the seas below. Then in the third time span dry ground emerged and seed bearing vegetation sprung up. All three time spans were spectacular, beautiful and good.
In the fourth time span, three timespans after light was created, the Eternal One through His Eternal Voice, by His Eternal Spirit, placed the lights in the heavens. Likewise three timespans after the sky and seas were created the birds of the air and the fish of the seas were created. In the sixth time span, three time spans after the seed bearing vegetation and dry ground was formed, all the animals including humanity was created. Humanity was the crowing glory, created in the image of the Eternal One.
As the ultimate climax to the sequence of events, on the seventh time span, the Eternal One looked over all that He had done and declared through His Eternal Voice that it was very good.
rhythms and cycle of rest and work
In the rhythms and cycle of work, the seventh time span was set aside for a special purpose. God blessed the seventh time span and declared it holy. For it was a special time to cease from labour and celebrate and delight in all that He had done.
All of creation together in perfect harmony with their Creator was in the cycle of rest. All that the Eternal One created was a true witness of His glory. A diverse and colourful expression of unconditional love and a perfect reflection of Himself. For everything was created with such care and consideration, thoughtfulness and tenderness. The Eternal One’s creation was filled with His peace and joy, beauty and splendour. It was indeed very good.
The seventh time span was the completion of the creation process. Seven represents wholeness and perfection. So the Eternal One’s work was perfected with rest. For on the 7th time span the Eternal One rested from His work and celebrated together with His creation, all that He had done.
As it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual, as the Eternal One created all things.
In the spiritual, the Eternal Voice and the Eternal Spirit reveal the unsearchable mysteries of the Eternal One. Once again the Eternal Voice uses His natural creation to reveal a deep spiritual truth. For He set apart the special time to celebrate all He had done. He blessed it and declared it holy.
He personally chose true witness of who He is and all that He had done. Yet in His great love everyone has free choice to enter into His cycle of rest and celebrate together with the Eternal One who he is and what He has done.
true witness of the eternal one
Throughout history there are those who chose to receive and believe in the Eternal One. Set apart as true witnesses of Him. Even when others around have chosen to reject the Eternal One and all He has given, they stand strong and testify of HIm.
So let’s go back in time to one such moment. When the Eternal One had delivered the Ancient Israelites from slavery to the world super power of the time. The Eternal One had shown His power and faithfulness to them. He parted the sea and the Ancient Israelites walked right through it as if dry land.
You had experienced His power and deliverance. He was with you wherever you journeyed. The Eternal One made Himself visible to all through a cloud by day and fire by night. He spoke intimately and personally to you. Through your tribal leader the Eternal One promised He would give you and all your people a special land. A land to possess and find peace and rest in amongst the violence of this world.
false witnesses of the eternal one
Now is the time when everyone of your tribe is gathered together at the foot of this big mountain. You hear someone whisper, ‘We were better off back in slavery, at least we knew what would happen each day.’
These words shock you and cause you to be unsettled. Your thoughts go back to how as a people group, everyone cried out to the Eternal One for deliverance. Saying with their mouth how they desired to be set free from the bondage of slavery to their oppressor.
Someone else’s voice breaks into your thoughts. ‘Yes even slavery was better than being camped out here in the wilderness, not knowing what is going to happen.’
Another says, ‘Slavery was our life for many years. That is what we were born into and that is where we should stay.’ Another agrees, ‘Yes slavery is what we know and change is a bad thing. We should go back now.’ Another agreed, and another, and yet another.
These words are a shock. You stand and listen to everyone complaining. Their words cut deep and cause a disturbance within you and rebellion against the Eternal One amongst your people. But you remember how hard it was being a slave. How day after day you were oppressed and cried out to the Eternal One. How He heard everyone’s cries and in His mercy stepped down into the darkness and delivered us from our oppressor. Surely it is a time of celebration with the Eternal One, for He has freed us from slavery forever!
Your memory is true. You realise that not only did the Eternal One deliver us from slavery, but each day He provided a miracle to feed us. Not only that but He even gave us water out of a rock!
living in the cycle of rest
But most of all He is with us wherever we go. You remember how the Eternal One revealed Himself to you and travelled through the wilderness, never leaving you nor forsaking you. The Eternal One had provided everything that we needed before it was needed.
Your thoughts now turn to the now. It is time. We have everything we need to enter into His promised land.
Breaking through your thoughts, you hear everyone complaining even louder.
Our leader came to us in amongst the chaos and said, ‘It is time for us to go into the hill country and possess the land. The Eternal One through His Eternal Voice has said to all of us, ‘I give you this land, just as I promised your ancestors. Choose a leader from each tribe and send them out to explore the land that I am giving you.’
Our leader did just as the Eternal Voice had said. He chose one leader from each tribe to go up and spy out the land. You were chosen as the one from your tribe to go. Immediately, together with the other 11, go out to explore the land that the Eternal one has given you.
You climb over the hill and see this magnificent land filled with giant fruit! It is spectacular. Together with the others, as proof of the Eternal One’s provision, you cut off a bunch of fruit. They are so big, you have to string across a pole and carry back between two of you. It is now time to return to your camp. With this giant fruit you have lots to report. You are so excited.
2 out of 12 enter into the cycle of rest
One by one 10 of the 12 give their report. To your amazement each of the 10 said, ‘It is a land of giants and we are like little insects to them! We are very afraid. This is not a good land and we must not go in.’
As these words are in your head you look around and see that everyone is believing them! Fear has overtaken your people. Now it is your turn to speak.
‘I too saw the land and it is very good. The Eternal One has said through His Eternal Voice, that He would give us the land. So when He speaks it is so. We just have to receive it and possess it! Look at the size of this fruit. It is a land of plenty, a place of rest. The Eternal One is with us. He promised it to us, so let’s go and possess the land!’
Then another of the 12 stands up with you and testifies of the Eternal One. Together with you a true witness of Him.
But you are only 2 out of the 12. Testifying of who He is and all the great things He has done. Will the people believe the Eternal One or choose to believe the lies and fear of this world opposed to Him.
You look around and sadly everyone was very afraid. They had made their choice and refused to enter into the promise land.
The Eternal One in His great love gives free choice. Through His Eternal Voice He speaks. ‘Because the people chose to reject Me and believe in humanity’s word and ways, they will not enter into the promised land. They will not enter My cycle of rest and celebrate with Me.’
set apart
The Eternal Voice declares to you, ‘Because you have received Me and believed in Me, you together with those who receive Me will enter into My cycle of rest. You have been set apart as My true witness of Me. By receiving Me you testify of who I am, all that I have done, am doing and will do. I have placed My Eternal Spirit in you and He testifies of My Eternal Voice and Me.’
History tells us that the two who were true witnesses of the Eternal One, 45 years later possessed the promised land. During those 45 years they lived in the spiritual cycle of rest of the Eternal One. He kept them youthful and strong as they journeyed through the wilderness with the others who never entered in. In their 80s the two true witnesses were healthy and strong enough to enjoy the promise land. They celebrated together with the Eternal One who He is and all He had done. Living each day in peace and harmony, intimacy and love, joy and delight in the Eternal One.
For us today the Eternal Voice chose to take on the form of a slave and in Jesus subjected Himself to the full human condition. He did it all for us so we could receive and believe the Eternal Ones free gift of salvation and eternal rest for our souls.
That is the cycle of rest for the centre of everything of entire being, both spirit and mind. That includes our thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, breath of life and physical well being.
eternal rest – mind, body, spirit and emotions
The Eternal Voice declares, ‘In coming to Me, receiving Me, learning from Me, knowing Me, you find eternal rest for every part of yourself. Mind, body, spirit and emotions. No more listening to the lies or religious striving. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.’
Unlike the burdens of religious striving and spiritual anxiety, The Eternal Voice who became human in Jesus is kind and gracious. It is the daily journey surrendering self will to that of the Eternal Father’s will. In surrender receiving freely from the Eternal Father through the Eternal Voice and Eternal Spirit being transformed by Him. Where each day we live in the freedom and victory of surrender, continually immersed in the unforced rhythm of God’s unending love and amazing grace. In my cycle of rest, celebrating together who He is, all He has done, is doing and will do.
Being one with Jesus is easy, pleasant and the Eternal One’ good pleasure. He did it all for us and continues to walk with us, leading us to a place of refreshing and the cycle of rest. The Eternal One delights in us and desires for us to be truly free. Free from the bondage of religious striving, the chains of selfish desires and the destructive forces of evil.
There is only way to enter into this eternal rest and assurance of salvation, free from the bondages of this life and the next and His name is Jesus. Jesus, the Eternal Voice reveals the hidden treasures of wisdom in knowledge of the Eternal Father. His Eternal Spirit reveals the jewels of His kingdom in us in Jesus.
living in the reality of the cycle of rest
Having received Jesus we are joined with Him. Each day is a new day to know Him more and be transformed by Him. Living in the reality of who He is, what He has done for us, is doing and will do is a work of the Eternal Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Where by His Spirit, the desires of the Eternal One become our desires. His servant heart becomes our servant heart. Where His delight in seeing people set free with the truth becomes our desires. All to the glory of our Father.
Living in the reality of His cycle of rest, testifying of Him and celebrating together who He is, what he has done and will do. At rest in the unsearchable mysteries.
SERMON CATEGORIES
unsearchable mysteries> son of man> love of God> hope and healing> know God> truth> power> end times> experience God> life> success in life> kingdom> the miracles of the wilderness journey>
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