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Hebrews 3:15-19
Scripture says, "If you hear God speak today, don't be stubborn. Don't be stubborn like those who rebelled." Who heard God and rebelled? All those whom Moses led out of Egypt rebelled.
He was angry with those who sinned and they died in the desert. Who did God swear would never enter his place of rest? He was talking about those who wouldn’t obey him. So we see that they couldn't enter his place of rest because they didn't believe.

One of the most obvious traits of mankind's relationship with God is that of unbelief. When we are in dire need, we call out to God and are willing to do anything He may ask of us. God is faithful to deliver us however when the going either gets too easy or too rough we quickly forget what and when we
heard from God. When life is good and struggles are at a minimum humanity tends to believe we did it all on our own.

When life gets rough because of following the voice of God we tend to murmur and complain and desire to go backward rather than forward. Either way unbelief is the bottom line. Struggles continue to mount up until there is no real peace that brings rest to the soul. Disobedience is like that.

If you hear God speak today, don't be stubborn--don't rebel--listen and follow--you will get to a place of rest only as you are obedient to the voice of the Lord God.

Hebrews 4:9
"Therefore, a time of rest and worship exists for God's people" Reading this verse it is easy to come to the conclusion the writer is talking about resting and worship on Sunday Mornings. Could it be something deeper than just a day of rest for the weary? I think so! God created the world and everything in it in six days, looked it all over, knew it was good, then rested. Perhaps our mistake is spending an entire lifetime trying to improve on something already perfect. God says, "It is good" --man says "I can make it better" and sets out to prove it. In the process he forgets who is in charge and the rules of the "good" world in which he lives.

Forget about the natural resources mankind has exploited in his determination to make his personal world far better than needed. Think of human lives ruined through abuse, exploitation, envy, jealousy, and disregard. As stated earlier, only God can see inside the heart but you and I can see the results of the
ungodly actions. It is completely beyond my comprehension what one human being will do to another just to raise their worldly standard.

With that said, there is rest only for those who recognize the fact God is in control of this world and everyone and everything must answer to Him in the final analysis. He has spoken to us through the prophets in early times and in these last days Jesus has spoken to us and continues to do so through His
Holy Spirit. This tells me one day of rest a week is not the answer. Anyone can cease work on Sunday. Anyone can go to a place of worship on Sunday. Real rest comes to those who can hear the voice of God and have the fortitude and determination to obey the Voice. Outside of that there is no rest. Man will continue to labor for the elusive non-existent, personal, perfect world---he wants.

Hebrews 5:11-14
The writer of Hebrews sends quite a harsh message to the church. If it was true then, how much more is true today.

It seems the Christian community relies more on an individual to tell them how to live than it does to learn for their self through experience, coupled with the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. This is a tragedy. Too often that individual will fail the test too. It was only Jesus who completed His
assignment while on earth without flaw. He was the perfect man. No one else can honestly make that claim no matter how they are esteemed among their peers or followers. Check out the recent headlines.

With than thought in mind why do men and women constantly go to someone else to get information on how to live their personal lives? Of course it is wise to get counsel. But to hang on every word and try to practice what others say is absurd. Learn for yourself, and then help others see truths that will bring rest for them.

For me it is much more important to teach others how to hear from the Holy Spirit and to apply the Word of God to daily living than it is to tell them what they should be doing. How can a child ever become mature if the parent is always telling them what to do in every situation? Actually the child will never mature as long as the parent continues to intervene in their life. This holds true for Christians as well. Sooner or later, hopefully sooner, each person must find his/her own salvation and that takes work. It is not for the lazy or the pretender.

One will only mature in Christ as he/she seeks answers for their personal life from Christ and the Holy Spirit, simply because they are the only ones who have the real answers to your questions.

Hebrews 6
One of the saddest happenings I have experienced in the realm of religion is to see a group of people who once had God's light, (vs 4) experienced the heavenly gift and shared in the Holy Spirit, then return to the old ways of legalism.

I cannot fathom why after experiencing the power of God--living, moving, and evidenced in many ways and after seeing and living in the Kingdom of God will Christians return to the kingdom of man. Why will man turn back to the same ways that have failed time after time and century after century in church after church.
The Holy Spirit of God will instruct, direct, increase and protect His church when allowed. Man cannot do any of those things for any given length of time. That has been proven over and over by time. Yet instance after instance after instance we experience, we read, or we hear of it being tried again only to fail again for the ten thousand times ten thousandth time.

We must get to the place where our complete dependence for Kingdom building is left to the direction of the Holy Spirit and not some agenda that may or may not have been successful in the past or even in the present in some other location. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to listen for and follow the leadership of the Spirit in now-situations (right now, right here). This is true for the individual as well as for a church body. Remember the Spirit gives life; law takes away life in the Spirit.