1. True rest of soul and spirit is found only in God's presence. Ex. 33:14 - "And He said, 'My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.'"

2. Rest cannot be found in escape from your troubles. Ps. 55:6 - "And I said, 'Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.'"

3. Spiritual rest is impossible to those who will not believe. Is. 30:15 - "For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength.' But you were not willing."

4. Rest for the soul is found when we believe God. Heb. 4:1,3a - "Therefore, lwt us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it...For we who have believed enter that rest..."

5. Jesus Christ invites the world to find rest in Him. Matt. 11:28,29 - "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls."

6. The rest God gives is eternal in nature. Rev. 14:12,13 - "Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith is Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, 'Write, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!" 'Yes,' says the Spirit, 'that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.'"

7. For those who reject Christ, there is eternal unrest of soul. Rev. 14:11 - "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night..."

Jo. 3:36 - "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life (the good news), but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him (the bad news)."

Jo. 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish (bad news) but have eternal life (good news)."

Where will you spend eternity?

-- citizen of heaven (bygrace@thru.faith), July 18, 2000

Answers

So whats it like being a citizen of heaven?

-- Dan Newsome (BOONSTAR1@webtv.net), July 18, 2000.

>> So whats it like being a citizen of heaven? <<

Think of Pasadena during the Taft administration. Or Salt Lake City in 1955, with God in place of Ike Eisenhower. Very similar, I hear.

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), July 18, 2000.

Al-d, I am not yet a citizen of Heaven, too busy doing earthly things. I have to ask you, what prison have you visited, what "poor in spirit" have you visited? Ever consider your local Nursing Home? They are "poor in spirit". I have seen them, no matter they had sufficient funds to maintain a physical life of comfort. Do you know the word "posey?". In a Nursing home, that word means the nursing staff is only required to get an old person out of bed, put them into a wheelchair, the body bound to hold upright, and they are placed in the hallway. That is the regulation. I had a chance to visit a person "poseyed". I thought he was comfortable with his plot. After we asked him about his plight, he said he was miserable (79, and awaiting death, why was it so long?). We sought to bring a smile upon his face, not to brag about us, but to ask others to do the same. I was nothing when I arrived, and I am nothing when I leave. But if God will lead me to bring a smile, a computer email, for God's Sake, these old folks don't know about email. That was before their time. I am led to bring computer skills (as far as email function), other than that, I don't possess skills beyoud. I truly think, emails to those sent, will bring encouragment to those who came, before us. I ask those who have puter skills, to join.

-- Al-d (wh@tprisonerdidyou.visit), July 18, 2000.

Do citizens of heaven have a vote?

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), July 18, 2000.

I'm not al-d, but I did visit a nursing home, but haven't been in a few monthes. I'll go back this weekend, God willing. One memorable time I stopped in a lady's room, Pearl - about 97 or so. We talked (I shouted)for a while, then she took my hand and started praying for me. As soon as I left a guy that works there stopped to ask me questions about salvation. I believe it was an answer to her prayer. Thanks for your post.

-- (bygrace@thru.faith), July 18, 2000.

just read something that made me think of Pearl....Pro. 13:7 - "One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth."

-- (bygrace@thru.faith), July 18, 2000.

Let me get this straight.Pearl, in the nursing home, prayed that someone working there would ask you Questions about salvation?That was what Pearl prayed for?

-- Dan Newsome (BOONSTAR1@webtv.net), July 19, 2000.

Dear,grace-by-faith!your wasting your time -here. don,t waste your pearl,s!!

-- al-d. (dogs@zianet.com), July 19, 2000.

You can't make a silk purse out of a sows Ear.OINK

-- Dan Newsome (BOONSTAR1@webtv.net), July 19, 2000.

HEY-DAN, what turned you OFF, to GOD!!I MEAN NO-ONE IS BORN AN ATHIEST!!at what point did you YOU DECIDE there is no-GOD?? we,re your folk,s athiest?do you believe =''the big-bang theory?? are there any more BANG,S coming??will thing,s be better??

-- al-d. (dogs@zianet.com), July 19, 2000.

Al-D-You do not get it. Dan is not turned off to God-he knows that I AM God as well as himself. You are to. Happy creation day, Al.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), July 19, 2000.

A Little Joke

The pope dies and goes to heaven. At the pearly gates, St. Peter welcomes him and asks if he's ready to enter heaven for all eternity. The pope replies, "Yes, but before I go in, I would really like to see what hell is like."

St. Peter thinks a moment and then responds, "I suppose it would be okay if you went down there for a half hour or so."

With that, the pope finds himself in hell, where, to his amazement, the inhabitants are having a huge party. They have the best of the best spread out: French champagne, Italian food, and music of all sorts, from Lawrence Welk to Jimi Hendrix. As the pope watches everyone eating, drinking and being merry, he starts to become very hungry and cannot wait to go back to heaven.

When the pope returns, St. Peter asks him, "How was hell?"

The pope replies, "Well, they were having such a big feast, I became famished watching them."

St. Peter then asks if the pope is ready to enter heaven, to which the pope replies, "Oh yes, I'm very excited. If the people in hell are having such a good time, I cannot imagine how great heaven will be!"

With that, St. Peter leads the pope into a small white room with a small white table and white chairs, and instructs the pope to have a seat. The pope looks a little puzzled but abides his host.

After a few minutes, Jesus enters the room carrying a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of milk, and takes a seat.

A moment later, St. Peter enters bearing two peanut butter sandwiches and glasses of milk. He hands a peanut butter sandwich and glass of milk to the pope, and sits down and starts to eat.

As they silently sit eating, the pope becomes more and more agitated, until St. Peter finally asks him why he is not eating.

"Well," the pope responds, "down in hell they are having a big bash, with all the finest food, drink, music and dancing. I imagined heaven would top even that!"

"Why," St. Peter queries, raising his eyebrows, "you don't expect us to do all that for just the three of us, do you?"

-- Debra (thisis@it.com), July 19, 2000.

"HEY-DAN, what turned you OFF, to GOD!!I MEAN NO-ONE IS BORN AN ATHIEST!!"

Actually, everyone is born an atheist. It is only through having religion and dogma pounded into their heads that some people become theists.

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), July 19, 2000.

'Only a fool will say IN HIS HEART: "There is no God".'

-- Connie (hive@gte.net), July 21, 2000.

"But whosoever shall say, 'thou fool', shall be in danger of hell fire," Matthew 5:22.

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), July 21, 2000.