Materialism and Rest. Thoughts.

I've been reading but not really participating in great detail on the lengthy thread over at Banned by HWA on an estate fight going on over a late minister's estate.

I'm not going to get into it here. I'm not one to cast judgement, because I was not there, I don't know the details, it's all hearsay to me. But from the little I do know about what I am seeing, can I just say that I'm disgusted by the whole thing? Well, I am. Materialism is here today, and is gone tomorrow. And yet, what is consuming the attention of two supposed religious entities at this point? Materialism. Back and forth. He said, she said. Over what? Over property. Over money. Disputes. It's sad to watch this mess.

During the course of one or the other discussions over there at Banned, a subject came up regarding the Rest that Christians enter into. I'll just copy how the conversation started.

The original poster was a "c f ben yochanan":

yeah, afraid ur right: once they see the ancient writings of the Word of God fulfilled, particularly Luke 13:25 Spoken by Jesus, whom, ironically, the writers of this blog like to accuse the cogers of rejecting, then they will understand that they will simply not be entering into His Rest, and will go the way of every doubter and scoffer in the bible that has preceded them...

woe unto them, there will be wailing and weeping at missed opportunity to merely stay the course of the simplicity that is in Christ and receive Praise from the Son of David, son of judah...

c f ben yochanan  

Here, CF clearly states that the "writers of this blog", obviously including myself, "will simply not be entering into His Rest" - and then, in judgement, blasts them as doubters and scoffers, who will be weeping and wailing because of rejecting "the simplicity that is in Christ".

Pretty crazy stuff right there.

This commentator seems to know for a fact the spiritual condition and salvation status of each of the writers at the Banned Site. More than this, he has already judged that "they will simply not be entering into His Rest". In other words, he has judged me as a non-Christian. Pretty bold stuff, there, isn't it? Quite a convincing, judgemental statement, isn't it? I know for an absolute fact that such a judgement is absolutely incorrect - categorically incorrect. I know this because Jesus Himself saved my life, and Jesus Himself has guided and led my path. I know this because I acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior. This, and for a thousand other reasons I'm not going to get into here. Suffice it to say, YES, Jesus is Lord, YES, I obey and serve Him to the best of my abilities. NO, I am not perfect. But for someone to come on a blog, to a complete stranger, and state to them the judgement they have cast? Only believable in a religion such as Armstrongism.

Anyway, I digress. I responded in this manner;

Christians have already entered into His Rest. The opportunity is not missed. It's here. Christians do not have to wait for a future event to experience Christ. Sorry to say it, your words and predictions are empty and without authority. Jesus is alive and well within His people. 

I thought it was short, and to the point. I did not feel the need to go on and on about it. Armstrong followers have their minds closed, shut, locked and sealed. I don't want to waste my time or get my anxiety all up in an knot over this. It's not worth it for my health, it's not worth it - well, simply, period.  But then, I get THIS response from an anonymous commentator:

"Christians have already entered into His Rest."


you can't be serious, have you looked around you lately? have you not noticed the condition of the world???

the only rest Christians have right now is the Sabbath each week (Heb.4)

What?  Really? You have GOT to be kidding ME.

What were the words of Jesus? What did Jesus say? Any Christian should know the phrase and scripture by heart. Jesus said, "Come to ME, all you who are weary and heavy [burdened], and I will give YOU REST." And this writer really comes on and says that the only rest Christians have right now is the Sabbath each week? Really? Seriously?

Have I not noticed the condition of the world? Sure I have! I responded in this manner;

Did I say I was talking about the world? Did I say every liar, stealer, assaulter, and abuser is a Christian? Did I say that those who are on the "will not inherit the Kingdom" list are Christians? Did I allude to anything about that? What then is your definition of a Christian?

a Christian is one who has the Holy Spirit, Christ in them, and is known by the fruits they exhibit. The fruits they exhibit are directly correlated with Christ's Rest.

The rest is not physical. The rest is spiritual. It's emotional. It's relationship. All those with the Spirit of God, Christ in You, are inheritors of the Promise. They are confident in their future because they have been sealed by the Spirit. What you are doing is confusing Christianity as a corporate, which it isn't. Christianity is personal. It is a relationship. Those who have Christ exhibit Christ and exhibit through their fruits the evidence of His Rest.

Why is this so hard for Armstrong followers to understand?

It's just inconceivable that a Christian would possibly say that the only rest a Christian has is the Sabbath Day. This is exactly the evidence of what I was talking about when I say how Armstrong followers deny what Jesus Christ accomplishes and freely gives to those who seek Him, and receive His Holy Spirit. This is the evidence of why I have often called Armstrongism non-Christian. Because so many of them wholly deny that Jesus Christ gives Christians rest through the Spirit of God within them! And through that Rest, by Christ, one exhibits righteousness. One exhibits peace. One exhibits joy. Patience. Lovingkindness. Gentleness. Mercy. Self Control. And of course, LOVE. These are the fruits of a spiritually rested person. These are the fruits of a Christian. "Come to ME, all you who are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you REST".

Sure, people can take a day of rest on the Sabbath Day. It certainly doesn't mean they're RESTING. It certainly doesn't eliminate the attitudes and carnality so freely evident even on the Sabbath in so many Armstrong related movements. Just because one is working without pay certainly doesn't mean they're RESTING! God is Spirit, and His worshippers worship in Spirit. It should go without saying that His followers also rest in Spirit.

You can keep the Sabbath. You can keep the Holy Days. You can tithe. You can serve the Church. You can be a pillar in the Church, and still not be in His Rest. This is evidenced by the fruits of a non-spiritually rested person. And we all know in Armstrongism there is an abundance of this out there, carnality and wickedness in all of it's ugly nature, whether it's on the Sabbath or not on the Sabbath. Whether it's on the Job or at the Feast. Keeping a day or a festival does not change the heart and soul anymore than wearing a suit cleans you up if you haven't been able to shower for a long time. You're still dirty. And if Jesus has not changed your heart and your mind, no matter how often you keep a DAY of rest, you still have not entered into HIS Rest.

There are many, many Armstrong believers out there who hold to the belief that because they keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days, that that's the sign they are Christians. Jesus had something different to say. Jesus said:

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (NIV)

I can just hear Armstrongites say just as easily, "Lord, did we not keep your Sabbath? Did we not keep the Feast of Tabernacles and did we not tithe and follow Herbert Armstrong"? If Jesus was so strong about people who actually prophesied in the name of Jesus, or people who literally drove out demons in the name of Jesus - or even performed many miracles in the name of Jesus - what about those who believe they know Jesus just because of the days they keep or the festivals they keep? What makes them even greater than those who did not know Jesus who were able to use His power and His name? Their hearts were not in the right place. Their fruits were not evident. They were not in his REST. They did not have a relationship with Jesus. Jesus never KNEW them. And he even called those who used his name and his power evildoers - because they did not know the one who was the Source of that power.  

Earlier in the chapter Jesus said: 

 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

For those who easily like to judge others who think a little differently then them - especially those who are Christian - this would be certainly some advice that might be worth a little bit of extra thought. 

It is Jesus - Christ in You - the Spirit of God - that gives you rest - as you yield yourself to Him. As you turn from the things that are not of the Spirit - the things of wickedness and sinfulness at heart - like idolatry, greed, covetousness, immorality, abuse, heavy-handedness, sordid gain, and the love of money - things disrespectful to God and to others - things not done out of love but out of power and greed and lust - you enter into that Rest and peace through obedience, and by following the will of the Father - to LOVE God, and to LOVE your neighbor. When you love God, your neighbor, and do right - that's a peace and rest beyond all understanding. And that - in this crazy, selfish world - is a virtuous, and treasured gift to be valued and held dear.