117-Rest is the Guidance of the Holy Spirit#
117-Rest is the Guidance of the Holy Spirit
(JP Text Group - Happy Angel Compilation)
Genesis 2:1-3:
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you. At this time, we offer our worship to you. When we seek you, you will grant us rest. You want us to strive to enter into that rest, to receive your power to work in that rest. Lord, bless this time especially! Bless every brother and sister who comes to seek you. You know what each person's heart needs; you are the God who supplies food in due season. At this time, may the Holy Spirit guide our hearts, comfort us, and lead us. Thank you and praise you. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus! Amen!
The topic of sharing is: Rest is the Guidance of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit will never guide you to panic, to feel afraid, or to feel like you are about to die; that is certainly not from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not want you to say all day long, "I am so busy, I am so busy... I am so angry, I am so worried... I am so troubled..." This is definitely not the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides you into His rest, always reminding you that Jesus has accomplished everything for you. Do not worry; God is with you. This is the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
When we enter into God's rest, everything you do is no longer the same. You see the world is not as bad as it used to be; otherwise, with all the pollution, there is nothing to eat or touch. But in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you do not fear all of this, because God is with you, and He will lead you to victory.
The first point of sharing: God Leads Us into Rest
Remember, it is easy for us to seek rest on our own, but God wants the Holy Spirit to continually lead you into rest. You cannot maintain rest on your own; the Holy Spirit must continually lead you into rest. Look at the scripture in Genesis: The heavens and the earth were completed, and by the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. This day is called the Sabbath.
Why did God stop His work? Why did He enter into rest? It is not because God was tired; unlike us, who need to rest after working for a month, or some who work one day and rest for two days, we cannot go on without rest. Because we are too tired, if we go on for a long time, our bodies will collapse. Our bodies need to rest and constantly replenish energy, but God's entering into rest is not because He is tired; it is because He has completed His work. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, because everything is completed, the work of creation is finished, God said, "I will enter into rest." Did God lack anything in this work? Everything that should be there is there. Unlike us who build a house and find that it still needs furniture, electricity, and water, adding things step by step, He finished everything and then entered into rest.
From Genesis, we see that God did not enter rest by Himself; at the end, He created Adam to lead Adam into rest together. Amen! God's will is for us to enter into His rest because God has created everything. You just need to enter into His rest and enjoy everything He has created. This is God's intention. Amen!
The Holy Spirit guides us to see what Jesus has accomplished for us, and then leads us into the blessings of redemption that Jesus has completed for us, enjoying what Jesus has accomplished for us. This is the same as in Genesis; God did not say to Adam, "I still have some work to finish; you need to complete the rest yourself." He created everything and brought Adam into rest together. This is the purpose of God creating Adam: to let Adam enjoy everything He has created.
Later, God said to Adam: "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden." Everything was already prepared. But today, we need to manage the fruit on the trees; if we let the apple tree and peach tree grow by themselves, they will hardly bear fruit. They must be pruned to bear fruit, and they must be fertilized, watered, and weeded; all of this must be done. But back then, it was different; God created everything to automatically bear fruit. Adam's job was to enjoy everything that God had created. At that time, there was no law; God's rest was two thousand years earlier than the law. God wants us to live in His rest. Amen!
Not only that, but He also designated this day as a holy day. Do not read it wrong; God did not say to designate this day as the Sabbath. That would be terrible, as it would mean we only have one day of rest in a week, and the rest of the time we are working hard. God designated the seventh day as a holy day. What is a holy day? It is a day that God has set apart.
God set this day apart to tell you: I have completed everything; come and enjoy what I have done with me. God said this is not a day for you to work but a day for you to rest and enjoy blessings. Among the people of Israel, God designated this day as the Sabbath, and on the Sabbath, no work should be done; you should enter into rest, enjoy God's word, and enjoy God's provision. Amen!
Exodus 31 introduces the Sabbath, which is particularly important!
Verses 16-17:
16 Therefore the Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.
The last word is "refreshed," meaning: this covenant is a covenant God made with the people of Israel. Brothers and sisters, you must remember; God did not make this covenant with us. The Sabbath is a covenant God made with the people of Israel. On that day, God told the people of Israel: "In six days I have completed everything; on the seventh day I enter into rest because I am refreshed." So God wants the people of Israel to have a pleasant mood on the Sabbath. Amen! Later, I will tell the brothers and sisters that we are not in the Sabbath, but on another day, the Lord's Day. The content is the same.
God wants you to enjoy His rest, not to make you more miserable, not to make you more afraid, but for you to be refreshed. Amen! This means that during the six days, no matter what kind of pain or suffering you experience, or if you feel oppressed in your heart, when you come here and listen to God's word, God wants you to enjoy His rest and be refreshed. If you were originally in a good mood but became depressed after listening to a sermon, that is not a day of rest; that is a day of suffering.
Brothers and sisters, you must ensure that the word you hear brings you rest and refreshment; this is the work of the Holy Spirit. Because God is the Creator, and we are the created, since the Creator has already said: "On this day, I will rest and be refreshed," we, as the created, should also rest and be refreshed. We must understand that this is the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 58:13-14: Let's see what God's teaching about the Sabbath is:
13 If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, 14 then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob. The mouth of the Lord has spoken.
The people of Israel indeed enjoyed the blessings that God's word brought them. They still observe the Sabbath today. On the Sabbath, the people of Israel do not work; all shops are closed, and they go to the temple to worship God. The blessing God gives them is: If you respect this day and do not do your own business, it is for God's matters, not to say that nothing is done on this day, just sleeping.
Not doing personal business means: you should do things for God. For example, can Jesus save people on the Sabbath? Can He help others? Yes, but it is not personal business; do not do as you please: live according to God's will on the Sabbath, and do not speak idle words. During the six days, we may talk about our personal matters, this and that are not good, but when we come to the temple, we should not discuss trivial matters but speak God's word. Amen! If on this day we do not talk about our own matters or speak our own idle words, but center on God's word, what will be the outcome and blessing? It is to find joy in the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, do you see it? When you do not live according to your own will and do not do your own business, you are "finding joy in the Lord." The Lord our God will lift you up, and He will nourish you with the inheritance of Jacob, the blessing of their ancestor Jacob will be upon you. This is in the Old Testament. If the people of Israel learn not to do their own business and not to speak their own words, they will have joy upon them. Thank the Lord!
We should have God's joy on the Sabbath. Amen! Later, when we talk about the Lord's Day, you will understand that the blessings of the Sabbath are such that our day today receives more blessings than those received on the Sabbath.
Is the Sabbath the same day as the Lord's Day? Why do we not observe the Sabbath but say it is the Lord's Day? The Sabbath is not the Lord's Day. As we just saw, "The Lord created the heavens and the earth in six days," which means that on the sixth day, that day is the Sabbath. According to our calendar today, the Sabbath is on Saturday; the Jews observe the Sabbath on Saturday. So why do we not observe it on Saturday?
There is an extreme group called the Seventh-day Adventists, some call them heretics. I do not want to label people as heretics because they only bring people under the law. This organization claims that the Sabbath must be observed, and they hold services on Saturday. They say Sunday does not conform to the Bible. What day are we actually observing? Or why do we worship God on Sunday? This is extremely important for us.
Hebrews 4:7-10:
7 Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it "Today." This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.
Here it tells us that there are actually two Sabbaths: one is the Sabbath mentioned by God in the past, the Sabbath that Joshua led them into. After many years, another Sabbath is mentioned, "This is reserved for the people of God." We are not in the Sabbath of the people of Israel but in another Sabbath. If we were in the past Sabbath, we would all be under the law. Amen! Jesus brought us out from under the law and into another day of rest, which is the Lord's Day, the day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28 tells us: On the day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the first verse: After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
On which day was Jesus crucified? Friday, the day before the Sabbath. Jesus was crucified on the day before the Sabbath and died in the afternoon, then entered into the day of rest. The Bible can find the verses. On the night after Jesus died, He entered into the Sabbath, and on the third day, it became the first day of the week. That day is what we call the Lord's Day. Amen!
The Sabbath and the Lord's Day are not the same day. After the Sabbath ends, the first day of the week appears. In the New Testament, the first day of the week is mentioned many times.
Paul also mentioned the first day of the week when preaching; he no longer used the term Sabbath. The first day of the week represents the day we worship Jesus Christ, the day of victory, the day of resurrection, which is what we call the Lord's Day, the day of our Lord Jesus. Amen! What is special about this day? On such a day, everything is turned upside down. We are not in the Sabbath of the law but in the day of God's victory, the day of Jesus Christ, when everything becomes different.
Colossians 2:13-17:
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
We do not live in the shadow but in the reality. What is the relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament? The Old Testament is the shadow, the New Testament is the reality. The Old Testament is the process and the cause; the New Testament is the result. Amen! Just like you have a photo of your child; that is the shadow. When the child comes back from college, that is the reality. Do you understand?
So the Old Testament is a shadow, speaking of a person, but all in the form of a type. For example, as mentioned earlier, do not let anyone judge you by what you eat. What can remind you of Jesus? In the Old Testament, it was certainly the Passover lamb. Every time there was a festival, they had to eat the lamb's meat. Why eat this? Because it represents a shadow; the reality is Jesus.
The people of Israel have three very important festivals, each of which points to Jesus Christ. Are they shadows? The reality is Jesus Christ. Amen! The New Moon: what to do on the first day, what to do on the fifteenth, the Bible records all of this. What is the purpose of these rituals? To let you know that these are just shadows, just types. The reality is our Jesus Christ. Thank the Lord!
The Sabbath is the same; God created everything, the work of creation is complete, and then brought Adam into the rest that God created. Let Adam enjoy His rest. Who is our rest? Jesus Christ. Amen!
Matthew 11:28 mentions: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
This proves that Jesus Himself is rest. Amen! Jesus mentioned in the four Gospels: "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath," meaning do not let me return to the Sabbath because I am the Sabbath. Do you understand? Brothers and sisters, these Sabbaths in the Old Testament are all types. When the type becomes the reality, it becomes a person. His name is Jesus Christ. Thank the Lord!
What is the difference? Why are we not in the Sabbath but in the Lord's Day? We are not observing a certain day; we are enjoying God's rest because everything has turned upside down. Under the Old Testament law, you had to work hard for six days and then enter into rest on the seventh day; you had to labor first and then enter into rest.
In the New Testament, Jesus has already done everything; you and I enter into rest together and then go to work. This is the reason for one being at the end and the other at the beginning. Under the Old Testament law, you had to labor first; only after laboring could you have rest. This is the characteristic of the Old Testament law. You must work hard; only then will you have blessings.
But in the New Testament, on the day of rest, another Sabbath, the Lord's Day, everything is different. The Lord's Day is the first day of the week. On the first day, God tells you, "I have prepared everything; I have accomplished everything. Now you must first enter into my rest, and then you can work with my power." Do you see the difference?
Before, you relied on your own ability to work to enjoy rest. People often cannot enjoy rest; those who do not believe in Jesus work hard to gain rest, to gain peace of mind, to gain that so-called happiness, but they cannot achieve it. But you are already in this, and then with this ability, with this joy, with this peace, you go to work. You have what they have always wanted to have. Amen!
They hope both sides can earn money to make life a little better, so they can love each other. But God tells you, you are already in love; you are in my love. What they have always wanted, God has already freely given to you. You are working with God's ability. On the Lord's Day, we are in the rest that the Lord Jesus has already completed, going to work the next day with the rest of the Lord Jesus, no longer relying on yourself but on the power of Jesus Christ. Amen!
Under grace, Jesus is the Lord of all festivals, food, New Moons, and Sabbaths. Do not let people judge you by what you eat, what you should eat, what you should not eat, which day can be observed, which day cannot be observed, which must observe the Sabbath, and which should not observe the Sabbath. Do not be judged; tell others that these are just shadows, and the reality is our Jesus Christ.
You should tell people that the reality has come; you just need to live in the reality. Amen! It is like saying your child went to college in Beijing, and as a mother, you miss him very much. Every day you take out the photo to look at, and the more you look, the happier you feel. Your son is really amazing. One day, when he is on vacation, he stands in front of you, and you still take out the photo to look at, saying, "My son is so handsome." The reality has come; do not live in the shadow anymore. You should talk to him in front of the reality. Amen!
The Old Testament Sabbath is a shadow; it cannot bring you anything. It can only tell you that if you do this, God will lift you up to enjoy His blessings, but this is just a rule. In the New Testament, the Lord of the Sabbath has come; His name is Jesus. You can communicate with Him, you can talk to Him. This is a living person. Amen! One is a photo, and the other is the reality. You can communicate and talk with your child, you can eat together and go for walks together. This is a very wonderful thing. So today, you do not live under the law; you do not live in the shadow but in the reality of Jesus Christ. Amen! Thank the Lord!
When we rest, when we are at rest, it is because God has already done everything for you, and you believe that God has already done everything for you. Many people do business and are reluctant to close the store on Sunday to gather. On Sundays, there are many people, and others are resting; we should earn a lot of money. But God tells you that if you can believe that I have already prepared everything for you, I will make you enjoy the blessings of Jacob, I will lift you up, and I will pour all blessings upon you.
If you believe that Jesus has already prepared everything for me, on the first day of the week, first enter into His rest, then God will surely bless me in the six days. Believe this, and it proves that you are entrusting everything into God's hands. If you cannot learn this, still relying on yourself, you may not have a good outcome. We think that time will definitely bring wealth, but not necessarily. Many people can surpass others' business in half a day's time. Why is that? This is God's blessing upon you!
On the Lord's Day, we are in God's rest. This is something the Holy Spirit has always wanted to guide you in. You must believe that God is willing for His people to be at rest. When you are at rest, everything you have is received. Jesus said: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest!" When you enjoy His rest in Jesus, Jesus says: "I have given you my salvation, I have given you my eternal life, and I have also given you my health." All of this is freely given to you, simply because you are in His rest.
Brothers and sisters, we are completely different from the past. We are in the Lord's Day, in the rest of Jesus Christ. Our blessings are received from God. Every day, no matter what we do, we are receiving God's blessings. Blessings come from Jesus Christ because He has already accomplished everything you need on the cross. At the beginning of this week, we are all looking up to Him, receiving the blessings He is about to pour down. This is grace.
You believe what the Bible says: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." We are sheep, and Jesus is the shepherd. As a sheep, you do not need to worry too much. What you need to do is believe what the shepherd says, and you will surely eat well. Do not worry that the shepherd tells you to eat here today; there is grass and water. You say, "What if the grass is poisonous? What if the water is poisonous? What should I do?" If you worry like this, you will lose many blessings. As a sheep, you must believe the shepherd.
The responsibility of taking care of the flock is the shepherd's because the shepherd must ensure that the flock does not lack anything. We should listen to the shepherd's words like sheep because we fully believe that the shepherd will surely lead us to still waters and green pastures. You believe that this week God will surely lead you to still waters and green pastures.
What are green pastures? Perhaps you are economically lacking; God will lead you to a place of abundance. That is your green pasture! If you have health issues, God will lead you to abundant health. That is your green pasture. If you are always anxious, God wants to bring you into His rest, leading you to still waters. Believe that Jesus has accomplished everything for us, and then come before God: "Lord, we thank you. I am in your rest. This is the guidance of the Holy Spirit."
We can learn this from children. Jesus said: "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!" One characteristic of children is that they completely trust their parents' words. Another is that children do not worry about tomorrow; they can play wherever you put them.
Recently, my sister's child came over. He can play wherever you put him, even at church, and he can quickly play with unfamiliar friends. But we adults do not quickly become familiar with strangers. Because we have worries. I do not know this person; what if he has ill intentions towards me? We worry too much. Why is this guy approaching me? He walks over with a smile... This person must have a problem. Do you see? Because we have worries.
But children do not worry about such things. When they come to church, they can play with unfamiliar friends. They eat together and play games together. Because they are children, they do not worry about tomorrow. Their hearts are not burdened with worries; they completely trust their parents. They believe that being placed here is safe! If you live like this every day, it will eliminate many worries. You believe that God will surely take responsibility for you this week, so you do not worry and can enjoy His rest. Amen! Thank the Lord.
From another perspective, if you can learn to be in God's rest often, you will see God's provision in your life. If you can enjoy God's rest more, you will see divine health, heavenly wisdom, and heavenly health often manifest in your life. This is something we need to learn. The Bible says, "The only thing we should fear is to strive to enter into rest." Thank and praise the Lord; we need to enter into God's rest. God is willing to lead us into His rest.
The second point of sharing: Obeying the Guidance of the Holy Spirit
Since rest is the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we must obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will never lead you to the edge of a cliff and tell you to jump down. That is certainly not the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will not tell you: "This world is too terrible; just jump off the building; everything will be over." Always remember: this is not the guidance of the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit always wants to give you life, always wants to bring you peace and joy, and always wants to give you hope. Amen!
Many people do not understand what the guidance of the Holy Spirit is. They say there are many spirits in the Bible: the spirit of Jesus, the spirit of Christ, the spirit of God, my spirit, and the spirit of man. With so many spirits, how can we distinguish which one is the guidance of the Holy Spirit? Actually, it is very simple. The spirit of Jesus, the spirit of Christ, the spirit of God, and your spirit are the same spirit.
We shared last time that there are only two kinds of spirits in the world: one is the Holy Spirit, and the other is the evil spirit. Do not let some so-called theologians or religious people confuse you with a bunch of spirits. You say, "I feel a prompting in my heart; where does it come from? Is it from the spirit of Christ? Is it from the spirit of Jehovah? Is it from the spirit of Jesus? Or is it from my spirit?" Why complicate things? Look at the results. The results brought by the Holy Spirit are always positive; they always bring you closer to God. They make you believe in God. The results brought by the evil spirit will definitely get worse and worse, giving you a sense of despair. This is definitely from the evil spirit, and it is easy to distinguish. Do not complicate things too much.
Let me share simply with the brothers and sisters two characteristics to clearly know whether it is the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
First: The guidance of the Holy Spirit must conform to the teachings of Jesus Christ!
If it contradicts the teachings of Jesus, it is certainly not from the Holy Spirit. Amen! There is a very large faction called the Charismatic movement. They are a bit mystical. They particularly emphasize gifts but are relatively weak in the word, rarely read the Bible, and often pray before God, which is very good. They often pray, often fast, and often seek God's will. The most important thing is to obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Some people even wake up in the morning and say, "God, which piece of clothing should I wear today?" If God does not give you an answer, do you not wear clothes? Some even say, "Lord, should I eat today?"
Brothers and sisters, should you seek the Holy Spirit's prompting for this? For this matter, do not seek the prompting of the Holy Spirit. If you want to eat, then eat. If you want to wear a certain piece of clothing, you can wear it. Amen! Do not spiritualize this too much. It makes people feel like we are not even earthly beings. Some teachings even say: When you are about to do something, if you feel peace, then go ahead. Today I want to tell the brothers and sisters that if we judge a matter and feel peace and then do it, it is very easy to make mistakes. Because if you really want to do it, you cannot distinguish which thoughts are from the Holy Spirit and which are your own!
But Jesus said: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid!" Amen! Jesus' peace should be long-lasting in us! If you say you feel peace when doing this matter, that is very normal! Why seek peace? Then just do it, unless you lose peace; then do not do it! Do not get this reversed. If there is peace, I will do it; if there is no peace, I will not do it. This makes it very troublesome to discern every day whether I have peace or not. This is a very bad thing!
We already have the Holy Spirit inside us! Amen! The Holy Spirit already dwells within us! You should be filled with God's peace all the time! If one day you are about to do something and feel very anxious, then do not do it! This may be the Holy Spirit telling you that it is not good for you, so do not do it. This is the part you need to be cautious about!
The teaching we mentioned earlier is very dangerous because it is hard to distinguish whether it is peace or not! Sometimes it is your own desires; you really want to do this thing, and as a result, you feel uneasy, but you say, "It's okay; it will definitely work out!" How can you distinguish? This is what I just said: it must conform to the teachings of Jesus Christ! This is definitely the guidance of the Holy Spirit!
The second: There are witnesses.
If what others tell you coincides with what you think in your heart, and both can prove the same thing, this is certainly from the Holy Spirit!
Romans 7:6: But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
This new way refers to the Holy Spirit! The parentheses tell us the new way of the Holy Spirit. Now the law cannot bind us; we all know that the law cannot bind us! Now we are in God's grace! We have died to the law that bound us! Today we have been released from the law! The wages of sin is death! Under the law, we are sinners!
We have died to be free from the law. After dying, we belong to Jesus. We are under the grace of Jesus. All who believe in Jesus are not under the law; we are all in Jesus Christ. Do not live with the mindset of the law anymore; live according to the pattern of Christ! Live according to the pattern of the Holy Spirit! Amen!
Under the Old Testament law, you had to strive to please God, and only with good behavior could God bless you. But in Jesus, everything has already been prepared; you just come and receive! Brothers and sisters, do not live according to the old pattern anymore; live according to the new pattern. Thank the Lord! Jesus Christ said: We should live according to the new guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is particularly important for us! Because we have become new creations! New creations must have the pattern of new creations! Thank the Lord!
Here I want to share with the brothers and sisters what the new pattern of new creations looks like.
As I mentioned earlier, the first point is: The Holy Spirit's guidance today is normal. The Holy Spirit will often guide you! You say, "I do not know," but you must know this! We are not guided by the law; the Holy Spirit is guiding us! The guidance of the Holy Spirit has two principles: the first must conform to the word of Jesus Christ! The second has witnesses!
Let’s talk about a matter. If one day someone tells you, "Oh, I did not feel prompted; the Holy Spirit did not prompt me to go to the gathering," is this the guidance of the Holy Spirit? It certainly is not! Because it contradicts the Bible! The Bible tells us not to stop gathering! Amen! This is the word of the Holy Spirit! If you say, "I did not feel prompted to go to church," remember this is certainly not the guidance of the Holy Spirit! This is certainly not the prompting of the Holy Spirit! Amen!
In such matters, we need to discern! Some people misuse God's word and misuse the name of the Holy Spirit. Wow, today the Holy Spirit prompted me to say something to you... Today the Holy Spirit prompted me to do something! Remember to look at what the results are.
For example, some time ago, a sister told me a problem; she met her current husband in her original church. Previously, she was in the church's youth fellowship, where there were often singles gatherings. One day, her current husband told her, "Oh, God told me; the Holy Spirit prompted me to marry you." The sister said, "I need to be cautious and ask God." She started to pray: "Lord, should I marry this brother? I do not like him right now." But this brother kept saying, "God prompted me that you should marry me." The sister said, "Lord, I want a sign; let me dream about him tonight." As a result, she dreamed of someone but did not see clearly who it was.
Then the sister said, "That person probably is him. Although I did not see his face clearly, he looked like him, so I will marry him." As a result, after a year of marriage, they started fighting and are now in the process of divorce. If it was the prompting of the Holy Spirit, there would not be this problem! In this matter, you must be cautious. When someone tells you, "Wow, this is the prompting of the Holy Spirit," you must be cautious!
Based on these two principles! The first look at whether what he says conforms to the Bible! Is it the teaching of Jesus Christ! Jesus never taught to give away property to Him! He never said that! The first can be denied! The second do you have a witness? Do you have a prompting? If not, you can say, "Sorry, the Holy Spirit did not prompt me! You go and prompt others!" It is very simple!
So we Christians must have this discernment! Do not let others casually say the Holy Spirit prompted me... When the Holy Spirit guides me to do something... and we just believe it. We must have the ability to discern! The true prompting from the Holy Spirit will also have such a prompting in your heart!
A sister shared a testimony; when her family was doing business, she was particularly willing to help the brothers and sisters in the church. This was a testimony of giving. She saw that a brother or sister in the church was in trouble and particularly wanted to help. One day, the Holy Spirit particularly prompted her to take out 100,000 yuan to give to a certain brother in the church. She said, "Why should I give it to him? I do not know him." But the Holy Spirit told her to give it to that brother. The brother cried and said, "His partner borrowed high-interest loans and could not pay them back, and there was a big problem. The family was about to go bankrupt. This 100,000 yuan is just enough to pay off the family debt." Is this the prompting of the Holy Spirit? She was willing to give, and the other side happened to be in need! This is the prompting of the Holy Spirit! There is a witness in it!
After this matter, she did not feel regret; she believed that God would provide for her! Later, they went to Beijing to study theology. One day, her mother suddenly got heart disease. Medical treatment in Beijing is quite expensive! What would they do without income? At that time, she prayed to God: "Lord, I believe you will surely prepare for me!" In her heart, the Holy Spirit said to her: "Do not be afraid, do not worry; I will surely provide for you!"
You see, the environment is like this, but there is a voice in your heart telling you not to look at this environment; I will provide for you! This is the comfort of the Holy Spirit! On the way to the hospital with her mother, a local boss in Beijing, not knowing where he got her number, called her and said: "Sister, I do not know why, but I particularly want to give you some money," and gave her 300,000 yuan, which was just enough for her mother's surgery! She said, "At that time, I did not know what to say about this matter. The person gave it, not lent it!"
When she shared this testimony, others said, "Wow, you are so blessed... Oh God, let such things happen to me too!" Did you all think the same in your hearts just now?
Brothers and sisters, what does this mean? This is the prompting of the Holy Spirit! When the Holy Spirit prompted her to give to others, she did not feel regret. She did not say, "I cannot do this; if I give, I will have less..." She did not! Because this is the prompting of the Holy Spirit! She was willing to give and did not extinguish the prompting of the Holy Spirit! She really did it! When she needed it later, God gave her more! She did not say, "Lord, I have given you so much; look, now I need it, give me more!" Those who say this do not believe in God!
When she prayed to God in this environment, saying, "Lord, I have encountered such a problem; I believe you are the God of provision!" As a result, God really provided for her! This is the prompting of the Holy Spirit! So do not casually use God's word, God told me... God told me... You must have the ability to discern!
If the Holy Spirit guides you to say you do not need to go to the gathering, just listen to the sermon at home! You must be cautious! If that is possible, Jesus would have written it in the Bible long ago. In 2015 and later, the economy became particularly developed, everyone had a computer, and broadband became cheap. In the future, you can just worship God at home! I can see that. Does God not have the ability to see today? But the Bible still says: Do not stop gathering; if you know that day is approaching, you should encourage one another even more! Amen!
What day is that? The day of the coming of Jesus Christ! We know that Jesus Christ is coming soon! We should encourage one another even more! Many people have erroneous promptings and end up falling behind! We should save them. Let them stand up again! And receive God's rest together with us! Amen! Thank the Lord! This is a very important matter! Let us understand that the guidance and prompting the Holy Spirit gives us must conform to the Bible!
John 5:6-9 mentions that Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath.
When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
This is a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. Jesus suddenly went to find him and said to him, "Take your mat home." Brothers and sisters, this is a type! The people of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 38 years. During those 38 years, they often relied on themselves, and under the law, they were disciplined time and again but still would not stand up and believe God's word. When Jesus went to find this man, his reaction was:
Jesus said, "Do you want to get well?" Actually, this person could just answer "yes" or "no." If you really want to get well, you would say, "I want to!" Jesus would then say, "Then you are healed!" It is a very simple matter! But he did not believe! The provision was so simple! He said, "You do not understand, sir. When the water is stirred, I want to get in, but I cannot. I am a paralytic, and others always get in before me. So I wait for the next one, but someone always gets in before me, so I have been lying here for thirty-eight years..."
Why say so much nonsense? Just directly answer Jesus' question: Do you want to get well? If you say you want to, it is done. Jesus gives it to you. Jesus said, "Then take your mat home."
Brothers and sisters, we see that on the Sabbath, Jesus spoke these words to the man. Why did Jesus heal this man on the Sabbath and not on other days? Because this is the guidance of the Holy Spirit! It lets us understand that for those under the law, even if they have the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is still difficult for them to discover the guidance of the Holy Spirit! When you are in Jesus Christ, you are not living under the guidance of the law but under the guidance of the Holy Spirit! You will have a keen awareness of the Holy Spirit! Thank the Lord!
In this matter, God wanted Jesus to work on the Sabbath, and after working, the man was healed! When Jesus obeyed the guidance of the Holy Spirit, this person saw the rest he had never received before! Today, we obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit wants you to enter into rest! The Holy Spirit will not guide you to feel afraid or panicked. This is certainly not the guidance of the Holy Spirit! So brothers and sisters, do not let food, festivals, what can be done, what cannot be done, and these rules bind you!
You understand that we are under the New Testament, in the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the prompting the Holy Spirit gives you is particularly simple! You do not know why, but you obey and do it, and you will see unexpected results!
Some time ago, brothers and sisters knew my situation. Due to severe smog, I coughed for about forty days. Every time I preached, I would cough, which was very painful! I went to see a doctor who kept saying it was a cold, so I treated it as a cold, but it could not be cured! One day, I prayed before God: "God, let me see a food; Luo Han Guo!" I shared this testimony while preaching. God said, "Luo Han Guo." At that time, I said, "What is that? I do not know what it is." I searched online and found that it has some effect on treating coughs. So I bought a few.
At that time, I spent ten yuan to buy twelve. I went home and boiled one each day, and after three days, I was well. I spent a few yuan to cure a disease that cost hundreds to treat. This is the guidance of the Holy Spirit! You do not know why, but the Holy Spirit tells you that this is the thing! After I shared this testimony, many people with similar situations, even some who were in worse situations than mine, said, "Look, Teacher Ren used Luo Han Guo to cure his throat inflammation; I will buy it too." Some people spent dozens of yuan to buy a lot but found no effect. Brothers and sisters, you know it is not that this fruit has any power, but it is the guidance of the Holy Spirit! When you obey, you see this blessing upon you! Amen!
I want you to learn to obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit! Maybe it is not Luo Han Guo; maybe it is just an apple, and it has the same effect! So do not care about these things. A few days ago, when my mother came over, she shared a testimony: She was very sick for a while, vomiting and having diarrhea, unable to eat anything. Finally, the doctor said, "You can go home; I cannot cure your illness..." My mom said, "Oh, maybe I am going to die." But that time she went to church, and after the gathering, she particularly wanted to eat cold skin. My dad bought cold skin back, and after eating one bowl after another, she got better. Can cold skin cure illness? I tell you, when you obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit, sometimes a huge problem in life has such a simple solution! Amen! You are often in rest! This is the guidance of the Holy Spirit! We know we are not under the rules of the law! We are under the guidance of the Holy Spirit! In the rest of Jesus Christ! Amen!
When Jesus healed a blind man on the Sabbath, He spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva, applying it to the blind man's eyes. Why did He have to do this? Previously, when a person came to Jesus on a non-Sabbath day, Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "I want to see!" Jesus said, "Then see!" That person immediately saw!
But on the Sabbath, why did Jesus make mud and apply it to the blind man's eyes? Because many Pharisees at that time said: "You cannot work on the Sabbath." They believed that spitting was working! Mixing saliva with mud was working! They were under the law! You must jump out of these rules! Listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit! Amen!
When you obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you will find that many things become very simple! Just like your salvation! Your health, healing, and even many difficult problems can be solved instantly! Amen!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you! Today we know that rest is the guidance you give us through the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit wants us to live in His rest! Today, the Holy Spirit dwells within me, and the Holy Spirit in me is greater than the one in the world! Although there may be some problems in this world, and even some tribulations may arise, the Holy Spirit will guide me into rest! He will remind me that Jesus has prepared everything for me! All healing has been prepared by Jesus! All blessings have been prepared by Jesus! All abundant life has been prepared by Jesus!
So I do not fear the road ahead! I know the Holy Spirit will continually remind me that I am in the rest of Jesus Christ! Just as God guided Adam and Eve, God created everything and brought them into His rest! Let them enjoy everything God has created!
Today, we are also in the work that Jesus Christ has completed! A new week has begun, and I am living in the work that Jesus Christ has completed for me! There are abundant blessings in it! There is His rich wisdom! There are His heavenly blessings! Every day, whether in my company, family, or in front of my clients, I draw wisdom and power from Jesus Christ!
I am also continually enjoying His rest before Jesus Christ! I want to see the rest of Jesus Christ upon me! No matter what I encounter, I know God will surely make a way for me! I also believe that God's great blessings will follow me every day! Because I am already in His rest! Thank you and praise you! I pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!