Oh that the
salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back the captivity
of His people, Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad. Psalm 53:6 NKJV
Dear friends,
We’ve had such action-packed, fruitful weeks with the NW Iowa mission,
our 3 Day Gathering, and ongoing ministry here at Rehoboth. So many friends of
Come Rest are stepping forward into their callings! What a joy to watch it all
unfold! This past week was time for Kim and I to catch our breath, celebrate
her birthday, help family members and Come Rest friends with various needs, and
try to get back into our personal rhythms of prayer, scripture, Kim’s art, and
my writing. We give thanks for your participation, prayer, and financial
support for Come Rest!
Have you ever gone through your day doing the same things in the same
surroundings with the same people and suddenly noticed something in the persons
or surroundings you had not seen before? Scripture is like that; it is alive.
You can read and reread a passage many times over many years, yet there is
always something more. The Lord is always ready to reveal Himself to us any moment we give Him our undivided
attention. So it was last week as I read again the words “Let Jacob rejoice and
Israel be glad.” Suddenly from within
the Holy Spirit brought new insight and encouragement to my mind. You see,
Jacob and Israel are two names for the same person. Yet the verse is not mere
repetition; the Holy Spirit never wastes words. Jacob was a grasper from the
moment he was born, and not necessarily the most loveable guy always. His life
story up to the time of receiving the name Israel could be summed up by the
phrase “take or be taken”. He took advantage of his brother Esau’s hunger and
stupidity in acquiring his first born birthright with a bowl of soup and he
deceived his aged father Isaac into giving his blessing meant for Esau. He fell
in love with Rachel, but her father duped him into marrying her sister Leah
first and getting seven more years labor from Jacob in exchange for Rachel’s
hand. As I get older, I am more and more grateful whenever I see the name “God of
Jacob”. It means the Lord is patient and merciful with you, me, and the whole
world in our Jacobness. It means Christ died for us while we were yet sinners.
Yes, at all times, and right now as you read this, no matter what is happening
to you—you can rejoice in the Cross and rest in His blessed assurance you are
saved from hell eternally, sin’s grip in this present moment, and the Helper
Holy Spirit is in you! Let Jacob, you, me rejoice in our salvation!
What’s more, let Israel be glad. When Jacob arrived at the river Jabbok
with his wives and children in tow, he was filled with dread at the prospect of
facing the brother he had wronged all those years ago. In an anxious night
Jacob wrestled with an angel of God and encountered God face to face. True to
form Jacob grasped and asked for a blessing and received a limp and a new name.
“Israel” means one who embraces and wrestles with God. Jacob named the place
Peniel as the place where he embraced the face of God. In this intimate
encounter, God mercifully prepared Jacob/Israel for more mercy and reconciliation
with Esau. Through mercy God relieved Jacob’s fears and restored his
relationships. Through the prophet Isaiah in chapters 42 & 49, hundreds of
years later, to Jacob’s descendants in exile the Lord revealed Israel’s true
calling—to be a light to the Gentiles. Because of Jesus’ blood over your life
as a Gentile, you can be glad you too
are called to be His light to the nations. So right now, as you read this—because
of Jesus and no matter what is happening—rejoice that you are saved and be glad
that you are called. Your life has a heavenly destination. Your life has an
earthly purpose—to intimately embrace Jesus and lovingly witness for Him with
grace and truth. He knows, feels, and understands your pain, fear, and grasping
weakness. He loves you anyway Jacob. Rejoice. Be glad He picked you, even you.
Oh how He loves you. Oh what a difference you can make to others around you—embracing
Him and inviting them to do the same.
Rejoice that He died for you. Be glad you get to live for Him.
Love and blessings,
Dick Speight
COME
REST MINISTRIES’
AWAKENING
OF LOVE
FRIDAY,
may 15th 630-830pm
This will be our last one at Calvin-Sinclair Presbyterian. Come join
us as we celebrate all that God has done with Come Rest and Calvin Sinclair in
the last 3 three years. We will also gather in prayer around Pastor Will
Jackson as he and his family prepare to leave Calvin Sinclair to step into a
new ministry adventure in their lives! Very exciting!
Beautiful worship, simple truth, grateful testimonies, wholehearted
prayer.
Bring a friend!
Register
at the door; freewill offering.
*******************************
Come Rest ministries
Wednesday Personal Retreat
May 20th
9am-4pm
Rehoboth
House 2125 Bever Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA
Requirements:
Pen, bible, notebook, your copy of our book
REAL
FRUIT, and your wholehearted desire to come rest in Jesus!
Cost:
Freewill Offering plus $18 for book which
may be purchased at retreat
Space
Limited-- Lunch provided
Encourage
Christian friends and family to apply. Consider buying a $58 Retreat Gift
Certificate for them!
**********************
Come Rest ministries
thursday Personal Retreat
May 21st
9am-4pm
Rehoboth
House 2125 Bever Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA
Requirements:
Pen, bible, notebook, your copy of our book
REAL
FRUIT, and your wholehearted desire to come rest in Jesus!
Cost:
Freewill Offering plus $18 for book which
may be purchased at retreat
Space
Limited-- Lunch provided
Encourage
Christian friends and family to apply. Consider buying a $58 Retreat Gift
Certificate for them!
**********************
Upcoming this
weekend
Sunday May 17 845 Come
Up class at River of Life Room A
6 Men’s and Women’s Covenant Groups at Rehoboth
7 I58 at Rehoboth
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