REST FROM YOUR ENEMIES – THE CHARACTER OF ABBA

…And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed. Josh 23:14-15 NKJV

Of all the religions of the world, the God of the Bible is the only God who says, “I promise you; prove Me, test Me by My promises.” The Muslims say their god is so wonderful, but he does not make any promises, because if he did, he would be exposed for the fraud that he is. They say, “Inshallah” meaning, whatever happens – good or bad, triumph or disaster – it is the will of allah – no promises of blessings, no answers to prayer, no assurance of anything. This is nothing more than the philosophy of fatalism – ‘whatever will be, will be.’ It’s easy to be allah, because he does not obligate himself to do anything. Our God says, “You pray, you believe and you will receive. I will fulfill My word.”

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Rom 12:2 NKJV

To prove is to test, like a goldsmith would test the purity of gold. They never say that gold is absolutely pure but rather that it has .99999% purity. But you test ABBA’s promises and they are 100% pure, 100% faithful and 100% true. When you are born again, you have all the Holy Spirit you will ever receive, you have all the authority, you have all the promises of God laid out before you. But you and I must grow up into that fullness of authority, of standing, of blessing. At every level of spiritual growth ABBA reveals more of Himself to you, and your faith grows out of understanding. You must know ABBA, you must seek to understand Him and His ways from His Word and by His Spirit, and in that understanding faith will blossom like a rose, and you will walk into the fullness of His promises.

Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, 13 That You may give him rest from the days of adversity… Ps 94:12-13 NKJV

The subject of ‘rest from your enemies’ is a huge one in the Word. In just a cursory study of the Word I found over forty references to ‘rest’ including rest from war and rest from your enemies. Jesus taught that we have human enemies and that we are to love and bless them. Vengeance or retribution belongs to Him, not us. He taught that we are not to be overcome with evil, but to overcome evil with good. This is the way of rest!

What about a formless enemy like poverty or financial insufficiency? Is sickness an enemy? What about fear, loneliness, or marital strife? Are those enemies? Hopelessness? Despair? Mental and emotional instability? Are we to live with these enemies, or will the Lord give us rest from them?

Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. Jer 6:16 NKJV

ABBA promises rest for your souls. The Lord told us at one point that our battle would no longer be with finances but with time. He was giving us rest from that enemy, and indeed He has. As we gain the mastery over time and priorities even that enemy is being overcome. What we must understand is that the authority Adam had in the Garden has been restored to us as the Church. What Adam lost has come full circle back to us in Ephesians.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Gen 1:26-27 NKJV

…and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,  21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Eph 1:19-23 NKJV

You must understand – in that authority, and the assertion of that authority is the rest. The authority we have as the Church is greater than the authority Adam had, because Adam’s authority was just over the earth, but our authority includes earth but also all the evil spirit realm in the heavenlies. If we decree by the gift of faith there will be no war, there will be no war. We are not helpless bystanders waiting – INSHALLAH – to see what happens, but we are active participants with our God to bring His will to pass.

In understanding and applying Ephesians truth, we enter the rest of the finished work of Christ.

There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Heb 4:9-10 NKJV

Look at this great record regarding rest.

For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, 12 To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear. Isa 28:11-12 NKJV

I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all…

20 Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature. 21 In the law it is written: “With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,” says the Lord. 22 Therefore tongues are for a sign… 1 Cor 14:18-22 NKJV

I have given my life and ministry freely to help people to be filled and transformed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. The great opposition to tongues comes not from the outside, but from those who have prayed in tongues but then never practice it, or practice it like Paul says, “I pray in tongues more than you all!” Why does the devil hate tongues, and fight so hard against it? Have you ever considered what tongues is a sign of? The resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is why he hates tongues!

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 NKJV

What is the power that would come at Pentecost to make the apostles witnesses unto Jesus? They had already done miracles, signs and wonders in their training under Jesus’ ministry. What was the power that could not be duplicated by the enemy that would come at Pentecost and make them witnesses of their resurrected lord? The power to speak in languages that they have not been taught; not only to speak, but to preach, praise and glorify God in those languages they have not been taught. You must understand – the devil can counterfeit all the other gifts of the Spirit, but he cannot counterfeit tongues, and he cannot interfere when you seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit!

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13 NKJV

Unsaved people cannot speak in tongues, even if they try. But you, because you have believed on your risen Lord, can speak by the Spirit of God freely once He has enabled you. This reality, like Moses’ leprous hand and his staff that became a snake, is an indisputable sign and testimony of the Resurrection. This is why the devil hates tongues and fights so hard to have believers ‘go to sleep’ on this great gift. But if you pray much in tongues, ABBA will give you rest and refreshing!

Walking into the place of rest from your enemies seems to be a prerequisite to doing a great work for the Lord…

Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.” 

3 Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” 

4 But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?'”‘ 8 Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. 10 Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, 11 since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house. 12 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 2 Sam 7:1-14 NKJV

Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days. 10 He shall build a house for My name… 1 Chron 22:9-10 NKJV

David wanted to build a house for the Lord, but first the Lord had to give him victory over all his enemies. Those battles took up the greater part of David’s lifetime, so that his son, a man of peace, would have to be the one to build the house of the Lord, the Temple. First you must gain victory over your enemies, then you are ready to do greater things for the Lord. This is why sons and daughters build upon their father’s works, both physical and spiritual sons and daughters. If you try to do great things, but still have your enemies, then they will be a distraction to you, and keep you from the success you seek.  

Through the Spirit and the Word we enter the rest of God, seeing Him give us rest from all our enemies, through the finished work of Christ, and our action and stand on that reality. The God of the Bible is the faithful God, the honest and true God, who challenges us to test Him and prove His truth which He has declared. Not one word of His has failed, nor will it ever. In that we can rejoice and proclaim that He has given us rest from our enemies, because that is the character of ABBA. Love you!

Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…