Jesus Invites Us to a Life of Rest — Annie Poonen

As we have come to the coming to the end of the year and as that old English hymn says time like a ever rolling stream bears all its sons away and all its children away. One year rolls over to the next year and very often some verses come to my mind and I want to share with you those two of those beautiful verses.

God’s Care Through the Hills and Valleys of the Coming Year

If you can turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter 11. I'm sure all of us would have heard that sometime or other in our life. Deuteronomy chapter 11 verses 11 and 12. I'll just read it out. The land you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys which drinks water by the rain from heaven.

A land the Lord your God cares for. The eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. Now we are coming come to the end of the year. I'm going over to the beginning of another year.

Thank God for the this verse as a promise we can keep and take on the Lord. The Lord our God cares for us. It's when we think of the land I thought it's we can put our name instead. And the year that we are going ahead of the Lord is going to be with us and he cares for us.

And there says it's a land full of with the hills and valleys. I thought of the hills which are ahead of us which we may have to face. We definitely have faced many mountaintop experiences in the past and in the coming years God willing the coming year also the Lord may lead us to some mountaintop experiences.

Experiences when we can hear from his word. Like the sermon on the mount when Jesus sat on the at the mountaintop and there were people around him and he taught wonderful things practical things from his word.

And may the Lord in this coming year teach us also wonderful things from his word and remind of us of things which we already know. I think of the mount of transfiguration where Jesus was transfigured and the disciples saw him brief briefly his glory and we are going to see that more in a wonderful way when we meet the Lord face to face.

When the disciples had a glimpse of that glory on that mount of transfiguration and then may the Lord give us also glimpses of his glory. Give us those mountaintop experiences when we are alone with him and we can see him transfigured and not as he really is the Lord of creation the Lord Jesus who died for us.

The Lord who underwent all sorrows for us so that he can bring us also to the place be close to him. And then also the mountain of many many times Jesus went to the mountains to pray. And may we also like that have that experience this coming year of a life of time to pray and a life of prayer when we can learn more how to talk to him and how cast our cares upon him.

Not to depend on human beings but to depend on him and talk to the father. The disciples told Jesus Lord teach us to pray and that's what we also want to ask the Lord. Lord in this coming year teach us to pray.

Pray for our needs. Pray for our families our children who are growing up. Our loved ones some of them don't know the Lord and people around us who have various needs and we don't know how we can talk to them but we can pray for them at least.

So those experiences of prayer may the Lord give us mountaintop experiences of prayer. And last but most precious of all when the mountain of Calvary where Jesus died on the cross for us. Lord help me to appreciate the fact that you came to earth and your goal was finally to die for our sins.

Not just to show us the path where we should walk but to die for our sins so that all our sins can be forgiven and blotted out and we can be justified. And we don't want to take that for granted the immense suffering and sacrifice and the depth of suffering which Jesus went through.

And may this coming year help us also to come to that point when we understand more and more of his suffering. Recently I was thinking of the picture in my mind of the Lord Jesus Christ wearing a crown of thorns and standing before Pilate and being later led to be crucified.

And as he was standing before Pilate I thought of this when Jesus was wearing the cross on his head and the blood streaming down on his face and his neck and all in his hands he's putting out a thorn for us.

He said look he says to us look my child I'm wearing this cross this thorny crown but I'm going to give you one day a crown of glory, a crown of life, a crown where I'm going to honor you before the others and he puts out that crown for us.

Oh what a wonderful savior we have that he took that crown of thorns and pain for us so that we can have a crown of glory. And this year I want to appreciate more of that sacrifice and that love that Jesus has for us where we think of whatever we go through is nothing will not be a burden for us when we think of that supreme love and he bore that crown of thorns and he hands over to us then he's going to place on us undeserving people as we are the crown of glory on our heads.

And I want us all I want I want to be faithful till the end and make this coming year use every opportunity this year to show my love and my gratitude to the lord who did so much for us. So that's that's a little bit of the crown of the mountain of Calvary then there are valleys this is the land of hills and valleys.

God’s Presence in Valleys of Suffering

There'll be valleys we have to go through in this coming year in Psalm 23 verse 4 says even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death I will fear no evil because you are with me your rod and staff are with me your rod to discipline me and your staff on which I can be supported I can hold on to.

You are like that to me lord you can discipline me and I want to cling on to you and hold on to that rod. But even though even when you lead me through the valley of shadow of death we don't know what the future holds for us life and death are in God's hands but if and when we go through that valley maybe some loved one has is going to pass away or we ourselves may be called to be with the lord but you are with me and in Psalm 84 there's 84.

Psalm 84 verse 6 there's another beautiful verse even when I go through the valley of Baka valley of weeping it says you are with me there'll be springs of water when I go through that valley. I praise and thank God instead of tears falling from our eyes when we go through valleys of weeping there'll be springs of fresh water for us will be refreshing where we can wash our face wash away all those tears and there'll be freshness and comfort the lord will comfort us when we go through valleys of Baka.

We all have different areas we go through where there's been weeping and there will be and some loved one has gone or some sickness loss of some jobs or some trial because of our children and the temptations and struggles they feel face and which we cannot tell other people.

But all those things may be valleys of Baka for us but there'll be springs of water to wash our face and to be comforted praise God. And there also it says in this verse in Deuteronomy 11 there's a land where there'll be water from the rain of heaven.

There'll be constantly a freshness. Rain from heaven will come and be refresh us always when we go enter that land and be rid of the water of life. In Revelation 22 verse 1 it says there'll be from the throne of God in the new new Jerusalem.

From the throne of God there'll be a river where there's be waters of life flowing through from the throne of God and it'll bring there'll be freshness in that water. Praise God. We can begin to have that freshness in our life even on earth because the lord says I'm going to bring you to that land where there'll be freshness.

There'll be water from heaven to keep you always fresh. In John chapter 4 Jesus told the Samaritan woman the water I give you is living water. You'll never thirst again. You don't have to go to the world for freshness or comfort or to people.

I'll give you that living water to comfort and to comfort you and the law. And then it says again the lord cares for a land where the lord cares for the lord delights. Lord delights in us. Can you imagine what a comfort it is.

The lord almighty delights in us and he cares for us. And the eyes of the lord are always upon us upon it from the beginning of the year to the end. Praise God. Lord's eyes are upon us from the beginning to the end end to beginning.

And the lord wants to bless us. What a loving God we have. He wants to bless us. All that we he wants from us is to surrender ourselves to you and say lord I give myself over to you. Your love is so great.

I don't deserve it. But I want to give myself over to you again in the end of this year and the beginning of the new year. God willing God created us with a great purpose. God created man. It is created Adam and man in his image.

Becoming Like Christ Through Surrender

God wanted human being to be in his image to be like Jesus. But because of sin that image was marred and more and more and people have drifted away from God. We see how much that image has been marred.

And he wants us to to restore that image which we lost which became because of sin. And if we cooperate we can get some of that image. He's not going to force us. He's not going to drag us and say look take up a cross die to self.

You have to do this. He lovingly says if you want to here's my I offer this to you. This is my plan. If you want to accept it you will get my image. You will partake of my nature. You will become like me more and more.

It's not like an instant thing like today when I wake up tomorrow I'm going to look like Jesus. It's not like that but little by little he changes however much we surrender to him and we cooperate. That's our.

The choice is ours. The decision is he has given us everything. It's up to us to accept it. If you want just a teaspoon of it and say lord that's enough for me. It's too bitter too strong. You say okay that's enough for you.

But you say lord I want a cup. I want more. I want rivers of living water to flow through me. And say you know it is I'm here to give you that freshness and that glory that glorious life Christ life like life I want to give you.

So may the lord help us to enter that land of rest. In Hebrews 4 he says enter that land of rest. In Hebrews 4 11 says strive to enter that land of rest it so it's like a paradox. It's a land of rest where you can rest but you have to strive to enter in it.

It's like it's like it's hard but it's easy. It's a life of rest where you can relax but at the same time you have to work hard to get it. But it's not that we have to work hard. The lord will give us the strength to to enter into that land of rest.

But that's God's plan when we you know everything in the old testament in first Corinthians 11 it says everything in the first is a is an example given as an example for us. So all that the children of Israel went through was an example to us.

Like about our Christian life like for instance bondage they were in in Egypt. It's the picture of us before we come to the know the lord life of bondage to sin where we are bound. And we can't set free be set free.

And then the lord sends a deliverance. He says and and keep take you out of this bondage. But there's one thing you have to do. You have to put the blood on the door blood. You have to kill a lamb and put the blood on the door post.

And all those who are inside that will be saved. That's a picture of the blood of Jesus shed for us. And when we come to him and surrender our life to him his blood shed for us will deliver us from our sinful life.

And crossing the red sea is a picture of baptism water baptism that's the next step. And going through the cloud is the baptism of the holy spirit. We've heard all that in our meetings before and then going through the wilderness is our earthly life after that.

But the living in the wilderness is not God's plan for us. God's plan is which he promised to Abraham. And I'll lead you to a land which I have promised and promise you this land and and through you I make you into a nation a great nation through Abraham.

And through that nation I'll use that nation to send my son the messiah. And through this messiah my lord Jesus Christ there'll be salvation to the whole world. That was God's plan for the children of Israel not just to bless them as a nation and make them prosperous and make them multiply and be a great nation.

He wanted to send a redeemer through them. He wanted to give the gift of salvation through them to all people in the world including us we who are outside the territory of Israel even we can get that benefit of salvation.

That was God's plan. And he said I'll bring you to that land. And that land is a picture of a different kind of life for the children of Israel it was a land of Israel. But for us it's a picture of a land of rest which the lord wants to give us now when they entered the land of when they were given a chance to look at the land they sent the spies and said go survey the land and tell us what it is.

And they came back and 10 of them said it's very difficult. There are giants there and it's very difficult. And only two people had the faith we God has promised and with with God's help we can get. And I mentioned one time about um one of my sons who said about the giants I want to show you this picture.

You some of you have seen that. Okay. It's a hideous it's a hideous picture. I'll take it away. I won't show it to you for so long. It's a hideous picture and it looks so gruesome and scary. And some of the children said it looks like a demon or looks like a dragon or whatever.

But that was a zoomed up picture of this. That was the zoomed up picture of an ant. And the children of Israel saw this ant like a giant as I showed you. Or much more hideous and so scary. But the lord said look at it even in your eyes.

In my eyes it's insignificant. You can just do this and it'll go away. You can just brush it off. It's just a mere ant. Why are you scared of it. I'm with you. You don't have to be afraid of these giants.

They may look scary to you but don't you believe in me that I can take care of you. I promised this land to you. I said I'll give you this land. And you're looking at the land. And you're looking at the giants and you're so scared.

They're just like grasshoppers. You can stamp them you can crush them you can eat them as bread. But they didn't have faith. And the majority prevailed. Even now the majority prevails. Most people say it's impossible to live a life of victory.

You all talk great things. It's all in your mind. Victory is not possible. You can. But two people had faith and said we can overcome. But because the majority prevailed and they all wanted to stone Moses and kill him.

The lord said God told them enough. I'm not going to put up with you. And we know what happened to them. They had to wander in the desert in the wilderness for another 40 years. But those 40 years were not wasted.

God still had some plan even though many years of our lives are wasted because of unbelief hardness of heart as the lord told about the children of Israel. Hardness of heart unbelief disobedience idol idolatry murmuring and gambling all those things the children of Israel were doing.

But even in spite of that those 40 years God used those 40 years to teach them many things. He taught them about them. He gave them different laws. He taught them about the tabernacle and how to make the tabernacle and about the priests and so many things and all those things.

For what does it mean to us. We read Deuteronomy and Leviticus and all we think. It's all for the children of Israel. But everything there is a symbol for us the sacrifices we know. I don't want to go too much into detail.

But if you have a Bible study and you take the book which my husband has written through the Bible and you look at go through Leviticus and Deuteronomy you'll see that everything has a meaning. The sacrifice is about the Lord Jesus Christ who sacrificed who was made a sacrifice for us.

The day of atonement this one one of the goats led as a scapegoat in the into the wilderness picture of Jesus the priest Jesus our priest. And even the robes of the priest. God gave them a design. It said you have to have a design.

You have to embroider pomegranates and bells even that has a significance. Pomegranates and we read there is a symbol of the the fruit of the Holy Spirit. And the bells picture the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Everything has a meaning. And the Lord gave the children of Israel the shadow the symbol of all these things. What a wonderful God he was preparing the way for Jesus to come to this earth. But he gave a little bit a veiled picture of it to the children of Israel.

You make the tamarack like this you do this. And these are the rules you must do for this matter. And if and this matter if you if something happens in the home or if there's some sickness if there's leprosy you should do this.

Everything is a picture of sin of what of the future. Leprosy is a picture of sin how a person has been has been put away and then wait for God to cleanse many things. I don't want to go to the details but I want to create a hunger in our hearts to study God's word and see Lord whatever you promised in the you spoke about in the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New Testament in the life of Jesus.

I want to understand that in my not just in my mind but in my heart and apply it in my heart and obey it. So all the God used those 40 years to teach the children all those things. And then they they were asked to they said that old generation died and then a new generation came up and then they and Moses had to tell them again.

That's why it's all repeated in Deuteronomy again. Moses told them obey this is obey the commandments. If you obey this will happen. If you don't obey you these are the consequences. These are the curses which will happen because there was a new generation and Moses repeated that to them.

Victory Over Sin and the Enemies Within

And now I just want to talk a little bit. That's the main thing I want to talk about is this land which the Lord wants us to enter and the spiritual application to us for us in our daily life. The pro the land which the Lord promises us is life of victory over sin and we can live a victorious life on earth.

We can have Christ likeness in our life. All the these giants which I showed you all those things are a picture. The giants which were in the land of Canaan are a picture of the things which are in our flesh which we have to struggle against.

Now there are two or three types of enemies we face. One is the biggest enemy Satan. He has been defeated by Christ by Jesus when he died on the cross. When Jesus shed his blood and defeated Satan on the cross we don't have to worry about him because Jesus defeated him on the cross and we just have to live in that victory.

He is like a paralyzed giant where all his ammunition has all been taken away and he's just so helpless but he looks so frightening and scary. But he's he has no power because Jesus has defeated him. And we can claim the victory and live in that victory.

But he can get power over him. If we go into his territory we've given to our lust given to our anger and continue to live in sin hating people and not forgiving people and having bitterness towards people.

Then we are going into his territory and we get into his grip. But Jesus defeated Satan and other enemies are people around us. They are not enemies. Jesus said they are not the enemies. We have to love our enemies and do good to them.

But the real enemies we have to face battle with are the things in our own selves. The battlefield is not outside for the children of Israel it was in a new country. But for us the battlefield is within us.

Our anger our temper unforgiving spirit jealousy wanting more and more of these earthly things covetousness comparing ourselves with others name it all the things not able to put up with our children and impatience.

All those things are the enemies in our flesh. And they've ruled us for so many years. I find that the enemies which have ruled for many many years are the hardest to overcome. But this can still be overcome and it will take time.

But with the lord's help we can overcome. It's not impossible. And and we have to cooperate and say lord i want to surrender my will to you and i want to obey you and take do what it takes to conquer these ones.

And the captain in the in the children of israel's case the captain was joshua. We have a captain too and that is our lord. And he is our lord jesus christ a wonderful captain who has gone ahead of us gone through this same path that we he asked us to follow.

He says follow me. It says in him in hebrews 12 one let us run the race looking unto jesus the author and finisher of our salvation. And he teaches he helps us to overcome. And he teaches us this is the way to overcome.

And the ammunition that he gives us is not the earthly ammunition. In second corinthians chapter 10 verse 4 he says our weapons are not fleshly. And in hebrews 6 i mean ephesians 6 we know the favorite things which you have taught our children the armor of god.

In hebrews 6 13 to 18 it says we know put on where paul says put on the whole armor of god the shield of faith the sword of the spirit the helmet of salvation prayer the breastplate of righteousness. And the shoes footwear where we are eager to spread the gospel of peace put on.

Without that armor we cannot overcome daily. We need that armor. Can't say that lord. One day long ago 20 years ago i gave my heart to you. So everything is okay. Then if we rely on our past that we have lost our armor and will be defeated.

But every day we need we need to come in with prayer diligent prayer prayer without ceasing and say lord i need you. I need that armor every day. I need to have that sword of the spirit the word of god in my hand in my heart.

I want to keep hide your word in my heart. Otherwise i'll be defeated. And the and our captain shows us how we can overcome all these. We use all this ammunition use all these weapons. But how can we overcome.

Christ’s Yoke and the Rest of Humility

It says in matthew 11 28 and 21 jesus puts out his hand to us his nail pierce hands and he says come to be. Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden none of me. And i will give you rest. Come to me only you who labor and are heavy laden i'll give you a rest.

How. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. For i am gentle and lowly in heart. And you'll find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy. My burden is light. This christian life this battle is not a fierce battle.

It's a battle the opposite of how the world thinks how we should fight in the world. We think we should speak up. We should fight for our rights unless we speak unless we defend ourselves unless we give them peace of mind our mind.

We won't be able to overcome unless we show them what type of people we really are. But the lord says that's not my way. The key is humility. Here's my key. For on this victory. If you want you take that key keep that key always in your hand.

Learn of me. If you open that door you'll find the answer. Learn of me. It's a easy. In my work you have burdens which are so heavy. But this path which i'm going to lead you is an easy path. You'll find rest.

I was speaking about the land of rest. You'll find rest for your souls because my yoke is easy and my burden is light. We are all of us have heavy burdens we are bearing. And the lord says just give me that burden.

I'll carry that. I've carried heavier burdens the whole world i created. I can take care of your burden but just take my yoke. Be my disciple. Say you're my disciple and follow me. And my yoke is easy.

You find it. You may think it's hard. It's hard to be a disciple of jesus christ and it's hard. I have to obey this. I can't do this. I can't party. I can't enjoy life. That's a wrong thing which people tell us and the world and the devil tells us.

But my yoke is easy. You follow this path. It's such a happy joyful path. My yoke is easy and you find more and more rest in your life. It won't be hard at all. We just hand over your life to me and i'll take care of it.

And the result is instead of anger we have peace. Instead of that disturbance and bitterness there's joy in our heart. He fills us with that joy. We can't describe it to other people. People who hear about the lord about the lord and coming to the lord they think it's oh i have to give up this.

I can't do this. I can't do that. But the lord says it's not like that. It's an easy life. But it won't be like overnight. You'll become like me. As much as we surrender ourselves that much we'll become like jesus if we don't want to surrender everything it's our loss.

But we surrender everything to the lord and say lord kill my whole life and my whole heart. I place myself on the altar and i want to take up the cross and follow you and want to deny myself. The more we experience the joy which jesus gives him in our hearts and more christ-like will become.

It's not that we will be. Make ourselves christ christ. You become like christ. Jesus will transform us. And he uh he gives us that reward of uh which he's waiting to give us. What is that reward for overcomers.

He says i'll give. If you look at revelation 3 verses 6 and 12 and 21 there are some things which the lord says i'll give to overcomers. I'll make you a pillar in the house of god. I'll make i'll give you a crown.

There are so many things which the lord gives to overcomers. And there's also a sad thing which we can have which can happen. Those who didn't want to overcome and kept on giving their lives over to satan and becoming more and more defeated.

There's a possibility of our name being rubbed out blotted out from the book of life. Our name which was once written there could be rubbed out. It's hard to believe that. But in revelation 3 there's a warning for us and the law.

God’s Pruning and the Call to Endurance

It's not just a battle the lord. There are other things which the lord says which the lord wants us to go through. Um um not just taking up the cross. The lord allows circumstances in our lives. And i read a beautiful poem i love i love poetry but i won't read that old poem but i condensed it so we can easily because it's in the old english where it says can stand dow.

And all that is written by somebody called ad jenkins and i'll just read it out. It's a short poem. Dear child of mine upon earth's rugged pathway longing for my fullness more each day to share in the days that i must deal with thee.

Can thy heart endure. It is can't die hard endure. But can thy heart endure. Endure. What can your heart endure. Melting molding to a rare vessel. Can you endure that. God the lord will melt us and mold us.

But he make us into a rare beautiful vessel. Can your heart endure it when flowers are uprooted which you thought were fair and seemingly and the seeming beauty of that stripped. And those flowers you thought were beautiful are uprooted when i break those idols in the temple of your heart which should have been my father's house which should have been my father's house of prayer.

Can your heart bear when i lead you through lonely paths. Why to speak sweet words of comfort can you bear. Can your hands be strong and your feet too strong to tread with me this untried pathway. All my promises never failing are yours for sure.

If you give your body soul and spirit surrendered you will endure through faith in my almighty keeping power. The lord one has great things for us. We think our life which we have is beautiful and we don't want to surrender that.

But the flowers which we think are beautiful we'll approve that and plant more beautiful flowers divine beautiful. And the idols which we had in our heart. And we don't want to surrender. He's mad. We allow him to smash it and he'll take his rightful place in our heart on the throne.

So praise god that he has wonderful things for us and it's up to us to surrender. I always want to remind myself of that which i just said earlier. He wore a crown of thorns so that we can wear a crown of glory on our heads.

And he wore the pain painful crown and for us it's a joyful crown. This life which we go through is so short not enough to do all that we can do to show our gratitude to the lord who suffered so much for us.

Avoiding Pharisaic Religion and Unbelief

Some people take it wrongly. Even in those days when jesus came to to this earth jesus came to reveal his wonderful plan of salvation to his people the children of israel. But people through all these years which had gone by people took it wrongly.

There were pharisees who took these symbols and majored on these symbols. They said the most important thing is these outward things. The type of clothes you wear the long clothes and the washings and the rituals and all the things which the pharisees did.

They took it. They understood the whole thing which god was showing the children of israel and revealed to moses. They just took the symbols and majored on that. We too can take the outward things and major on that and think oh these are the most important things we should observe this.

We should do this. We shouldn't do this. A christian should do be like this be like that. That's wrong for us to major on those things the lord says come back. That's not the real thing which i want to teach.

It's a inward thing which i want to show. It's a inward cleansing. The sacrifices are not these outward things. Sacrifices are a broken and contrite spirit. That's what we need. That's what i want you to have.

I want you to have humility not look down on others and think your righteousness is more than the others and you're better than these other people. And you keep the law and the sabbath and all that. That's not the inward.

I'm looking at the heart. Out of the heart is coming all these dirty things of the flesh when anger and all these things put away those things jesus was trying to show them. But the pharisees their eyes were so blinded they thought ah outward things.

I'm okay. This publican look at him. He's bowing his head and ashamed to look up. I can put up my head because i have done this. I've done that. And this is said wrong. That's the wrong way you've taken.

And jesus tried to show even for us. Now in these days jesus shows us don't become a pharisee. Don't major on these rules and regulations and laws and even bible study. Don't major on that. When you read the bible don't look at it like an academic book.

Look at the spirit of it. I want to speak to you in your heart. I want to teach you to obey him. And there are other people who took it wrongly. The sadducees in jesus days they took on they couldn't believe it.

They said oh there's no resurrection. There's no such thing. Even now we see people who read part of the bible and say oh i don't think there was such a thing that happened like jonah being swallowed by a fish and being alive.

And how is this happening. How did that happen. This is not true. That is not. And they put unbelief in our heart. And our children go to the schools and they hear that and they think yeah yeah that's a doctrine.

That's the truth. That's the doctrine of the sadducees. And jesus said beware don't let your children be polluted by the doctrine of the sadducees which unbelief and doubting and these modern ideas and these modern things that oh you can be like this and you can disobey god and have these new theories and still be a child of god.

You have to accommodate all these things also into god's kingdom. They are god's children. And our children think lord oh this what my mom and dad day is it correct or what my what i hear with my friends and in the social media and all should i take that.