Rest

By Janet McCall

The longing for rest is a persistent theme in contemporary global culture. This book presents no cut-and-dried teaching, but rather, it explores rest together with the reader. Intended for Christians, anyone interested in the subject is welcome to come along!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 7, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973665465

Janet McCall

Janet taught French first in Hull and then at a Methodist Mission School in up-country Sierra Leone where she and her husband got to know each other. They were married in the UK in 1970. Malcolm became a Methodist Minister and a Chaplain RN. They have two daughters. Since retiring from paid ministry they have been working in ‘short bursts’ in Nigeria, Uganda and between 2015 and 2017 in the Kenya Methodist University.

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Copyright © 2019 Janet McCall.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-6547-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6546-5 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 6/26/2019

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB),

Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,

1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Scripture quotations marked (AMP) are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (AV) taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked (RSV) taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scriptures and additional materials marked (GNB) are from the Good News Bible © 1994 published by the Bible Societies/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd UK, Good News Bible© American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992. Used with permission.

Scripture quotations marked (The Message) are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Publication Details of Bible Translations Quoted in This Book

Introduction

First Bible Study: Isaiah 30: 15 – 23

Second Bible Study: Matthew 11. 28 - 30

Third Bible Study: Hebrews 4: 1 – 16

So What is Rest?

Where is Rest?

God’s Defences for Us

Dead to Self – Alive to Christ

Sharing in Jesus’ Suffering

Rest Through Us to Others

Physical Resurrection – Spiritual Resurrection

Sabbath-Rest in This Life or Only in Heaven?

Where Does Death Come In?

Sabbath-Rest Time and Place: Why Doesn’t Everyone Enter?

Rest: the Place of Trust

Recap

Postscript

Acknowledgements

I want to thank God for everything He has given. I used to think the brighter times in life were from God and the harder ones were not. Now I believe He allows the harder ones to make us stronger. A certain dress of mine was of varied colours, but quite a lot of black; the black actually enhanced the vivid parts. We can give the hard times to God and He will blend them into His pattern for our life … or we can hang onto them in sorrow and bitterness – it’s a choice. But He has promised not to allow us to be tested beyond our strength.

Next, I want to thank my amazing husband Malcolm for the way God has used him to ‘unlock’ my life and set me free in Him. He has shown care and prayer throughout our married life. The fact that he has typed up the whole manuscript of this book is just a token of all his help and encouragement. Even when he was ill, he has continued to work on the book when he was able. Maybe it seems ironic to thank him for toiling away (as he has) on a book called ‘Rest.’ He has been so involved in its production that he feels it to be his book too … and I would not disagree. Without his support and practical input it would not have been possible. I thank him also for his share in the creation and life of our daughters Joy and Danielle. We sometimes forget that Danielle’s husband David is not in fact our baby too! So we call him our Son-in-Grace (not Son-in-Law). We thank God for them, and for three amazing grandchildren through their marriage. (Malcolm feels that this book is for them in a special way; for it represents our legacy to them.)

Lastly, I want to thank God in expressing gratitude to all those who have played a part in the experiences of my life. How can I name even some of them? If our lives have met and we have shared fellowship together in Jesus, please know that I am thanking God for YOU!

Publication Details of Bible Translations Quoted in This Book

The two ‘default,’ most-used Bible translations in this book are the New International Version and the New Living Bible. Details of the precise copies of these translations, as used in this book are as follows:

The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible,

1990, The B. B. Kirkbridge Bible Company Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Quotations within the book’s text are identified by the initials (NIV).

Holy Bible, New Living Translation,

2007, Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois, USA

Quotations within the book’s text are identified by the initials (NLT). However, on occasion, the initials NLT are followed by the date 2000: (NLT, 2000). This refers specifically to the following edition:

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, British Text,

2000.

Other translations frequently quoted in this book include the New American Standard Bible, the Amplified Bible and the King James (Authorised) Version. All these translations are to be found in:

The Comparative Study Bible, A Parallel Bible,

1984, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.

Quotations within the text are identified by the initials and abbreviation:

(NASB) = New American Standard Bible;

(Amp) = The Amplified Bible;

(AV) = The King James (Authorised) Version.

Several other translations feature in this book, reflecting the author’s attempt to penetrate some of the richness and depth of the Scriptures as the Word of God:

J. B. Phillips, The New Testament in Modern English,

1972, HarperCollinsPublishers, London, UK

Quotations within the text are identified by the designation (Phillips).

The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version, Reference Edition,

1959, Thomas Nelson and Sons, Ltd, London, UK

Quotations within the text are identified by the initials (RSV).

Good News Bible, Today’s English Version

1979, Bible Society, London, UK

Quotations within the text are identified by the intials (GNB).

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language, Eugene Peterson

2004, NavPress Publishing Group, Colorado Springs, USA

Qoutations within the text are identified by the designation (The Message).

Introduction

"You have made us for Yourself,

and we are restless until we find our rest in You"

(St. Augustine)

You are maybe hoping, as you open this book, to receive a cut-and-dried formula for rest. Alas, I have to admit that my writings are those of a hypocrite. Family and friends would probably agree that I am the last person qualified to write on this subject. In fact, I recently over-heard my husband explaining to a very dear friend who had been asking to speak to me on the telephone, ‘Sorry, I have just managed to persuade Janet to take a break: she is exhausted as she is writing a book on REST!’ I can only plead that as a beggar might eagerly lead others to a source of food (as in 2 Kings 7: 8 – 9) … . so my aim is to share the good news about what I have found, and trust that you and I may be sitting together at the feet of Jesus, like Lazarus’ sister Mary (Luke 10: 39), going on learning more and more.

When our younger daughter was at secondary school, she had a French exchange student to stay. I casually asked the girl if she knew where our daughter had got to. We were somewhat taken aback