In the last days there will be a revival in the Christian churches. Christian enterprises, schools, hospitals, television and radio stations, books, tapes, will abound to an extent that will stagger even the most optimistic Christian denomination.

During all of this spiritual activity Satan will seek to steer the believers away from the one essential aspect of the Divine redemption—crucifixion and resurrection in and with Christ.

God will have a warlike remnant of saints who have entered the power of Christ's resurrection and the sharing of His sufferings. The great majority of Christian believers will remain as they are today. They will continue to enjoy the Christian culture, supposing they all will be carried up to Paradise in a "rapture."

Only those who take up their cross and follow Jesus will be able to discern between the activities of the churches and the beckoning of the Lord Jesus. God will open their eyes because they have guarded the word of Christ's patience. The remainder of the believers will remain blind.

Rest in God's perfect will.

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. (Hebrews 4:1)

The Book of Hebrews is a lengthy exhortation to press on to perfection, to the "rest" of God. The rest of God is the condition in which we have ceased from our own works and are resting in the finished work of the Lord.

For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:10)

The rest of God is associated with God's ceasing from His works on the seventh day, and with Canaan, the inheritance, the land of promise.

For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. (Hebrews 4:4)

For if Jesus [Joshua] had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. (Hebrews 4:8)

God finished all His works in six days. The history of the world, from the creation of light to the setting up of the new Jerusalem on the new earth, was finished at that time. Then God rested.

Our goal is to enter God's rest. The same enemies that seek to prevent our entering the fullness of Christ strive also to keep us creating our own Heaven and earth, our own destiny.

The most joyous condition possible to the human being is perfect rest in God's will. How miserable we make ourselves as we attempt to force people and circumstances to conform to our lusts, ambitions, or fears! Much of our discipleship is occupied with bringing these idols under our feet.

The ambitions, fears, and lusts that drive us are often spirits. The spirits use us to exercise their natures but we suffer the consequences. We are driven by unclean spirits, and by our own pride and treachery, to injure other people in order to obtain our desires.

The objective of the true saint is to enter God's perfect will and to rest in it while the fire of his passions burns itself out under the supervision of the Holy Spirit.

To be continued.