Union with Christ - Enoch Walked With God

 

Enoch walked with God. This was the testimony that Enoch exhibited before God and his neighbors. Enoch also instructed his family in the ways of God, even his great grandchildren.

Scholars tell us that Enoch saw great visions from the Lord about heaven, Satan’s rebellion, worldly nations throughout the ages, as well as the consequences of wickedness and the rewards of the just.

Jude tells us that Enoch was the seventh generation from Adam, and that he prophesied about the Lord returning with His Saints and executing judgment on the ungodly for their unbelief (Jude 1:14-15).

Enoch walked in the ways of the Lord and all went well with him and his descendants (Deuteronomy 5:33). He lived to around the age of 365. He saw a vision of the great flood and told his children about it.

Noah lived by his great grandfather’s example, and walked with God as well (Genesis 6:9). The more Enoch knew God, the more he loved Him, and his love for the world dwindled (1 John 2:15).

Enoch was a man of integrity and a pure heart. He saw righteousness flowing like water, and mercy scattered like dew over the whole earth. In a wicked and perverse world, Enoch longed to dwell with the righteous.

He realized that the Lord strengthens the spirit of the righteous for the sake of His own righteousness, and that many actually see Heaven without tasting the sleep of death.

Therefore, rather than allowing Enoch to enter heaven through the path of the grave, God translated Him to Heaven and he did not see death (Ephesians 5:10; Hebrews 11:5).

Prayer:

Father God, we want to walk with You, commune with You, listen to Your wisdom and direction, and walk by Your Spirit moment by moment throughout the day. Reveal Yourself to us in Your secret places, and teach us to walk in Your ways (Palm 91:1). Your mercy is great as is Your patience with us.

All of your powerful works are wondrous for us to behold. You reveal all things to Your Saints, to Your elect. You write all of our deeds in Your books, and nothing we do escapes Your sight. Let us walk in justice and righteousness for Your name’s sake now and forever. If our ways please You, translate us to Heaven as well.

Thought for the Day:

If Enoch can walk with God in this devoted intimacy, we can too.

Union with Christ – The Testimony of Enoch

 

Enoch is my favorite character in the Bible. He walked with God; and "he was not, for God took him." I would love to have this intimacy with Christ (Genesis 5:22-24).

Enoch was the father of Methuselah, the oldest man who ever lived; and the great grandfather of Noah. He prophesied the flood and helped his great grandson to prepare for this terrible day of judgement.

Scholars tell us that many of Enoch’s writings had the poetry of the Psalms and the wisdom of Proverbs. Enoch was honorable, he loved mercy and He walked humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).

His claim to Biblical fame is that after his son was born, he “walked with God” for about three hundred years. His life with God paints us a panorama of two intimate friends unhindered by the lusts of the flesh and the world around them; and totally immersed in one another’s fellowship (Amos 3:3).

Police statistics estimate that one person disappears per minute around the world. How many of those who disappear, like Enoch, walked with God and God translated them home?

Enoch foresaw the destruction of the wicked and the peaceful dwelling place of the righteous. With his will totally submitted to his Lord, Enoch learned from God.

As a man of faith, Enoch knew it was impossible to please God without trusting Him. So, he pleased God in his thoughts, words and deeds (Hebrews 11:5).

In His foreknowledge, God prepared both a destiny and a destination for the soul of every person before He ever brought us to the earth (Ephesians 2:10). His call for us is to walk in it with Him.

Prayer:

Father God, like Enoch, Adam and Eve enjoyed the cool of the day in the garden walking with You (Genesis 3:8). You also revealed yourself to Moses; and the face of this hesitant deliverer of Your people shone with Your glory after His mountain top experience with You (Exodus 34:35).

Abraham also walked with You (Genesis 24:40). Jesus walked with You and embodied You in person (John 14:7-9). Remind us that You love to walk with all of Your Saints. We are Your Temple and You commune with us every moment of the day by Your indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Thought for the Day:

Enoch saw Christ as the light of the nations, the hope of troubled hearts, the name by which we are saved, and the one that the righteous lean upon without falling; we too can enjoy this intimacy with Jesus through His Holy Spirit abiding in us.

Viva la Technolongy

 

Technology improves our human existence in many ways. Among other things, it controls pollution, it keeps us connected all over the world, it controls a car and flies an airplane, it registers the weather and helps us to prepare for it, it gives reviews on information we are interested in, it enhances a surgeon’s ability in the operating room and photographs the inside of our body for medical information, it checks our spelling and it can even research the Bible in an instant.

However, technology can also be an idol in our life. Have you ever noticed that people can no longer sit still? We have electronic devices such as the TV, radio, iPad, iPod, laptops, tablets, smart phones, and the list goes on into infinity. They are always “ON”. We rarely take the time to sit quietly to think or pray. Flashing pictures, text messages and sound waves constantly distract our attention. We have televisions in the kitchen, in the garage and now they are even showing up in the bathroom.

We have several Biblical examples of people who actually walked with God. Enoch walked with God and God took Him home to His house (Genesis 5:22-24). Noah walked with God (Gen 6:9). God walked with the Israelite nation (Exodus 33:14; Leviticus 26:12). The biggest blessing is that God and His Christ make their abode within the heart of anyone who keeps His Word (John 14:23). As we keep His commandments, we dwell in Him, and He dwells in us by His Spirit whom He gives us (1 John 3:24).

I love silence. I spend much of the Night Watch (Psalm 119:148) in silence, listening to the voice of God as He teaches, comforts and inspires me. He pours His love over me like a waterfall and fills my soul with His peace. If I chose to sit in front of the TV or Internet instead, I would miss this wondrous intimacy with my Heavenly Daddy. I can even take this intimacy with me wherever I go, every moment of any day of the week and into any situation. You can too.

Prayer:

Father God, You motivate us to stay in constant fellowship with You and to stand against the temptation to have any idol rule our life. Your presence motivates us and gives us rest. We find favor in Your sight and we are Your people. You distinguish us from all other people, because we belong to You (Exodus 33:14-17; Leviticus 26:12). Thank You for allowing us to be one with You and Your Christ in perfect unity in Your love (John 17:23).

Thought for the Day:

Rejoice, be at peace, be comforted and complete, for the God of love and peace dwells in you. – 2 Corinthians 13:11

Enoch Walked with God

"And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." - Genesis 5:22-24

Police statistics estimate that one person disappears per minute in the UK and USA. In Australia one person every 18 minutes is reported missing. It is the same around the world. Then there are those who disappear and are never reported as a statistic. Many are kidnapped, or die unnoticed and undiscovered. How many of those who disappear, like Enoch, walked with God and God translated them home? In His foreknowledge, God prepared a destiny and a destination for the soul of every person before He ever created the earth.

Enoch was the father of Methuselah, the oldest man who ever lived; and the great grandfather of Noah. His claim to Biblical fame is that after his son was born, he “walked with God” for about three hundred years. This paints a portrait for us of two intimate friends unhindered by the lusts of the flesh and the world around them and totally immersed in one another’s fellowship (Amos 3:3). Scholars tell us that many of Enoch’s writings had the poetry of the Psalms and the wisdom of Proverbs.

Enoch was honorable, he loved mercy and He walked humbly with our God. (Micah 6:8). With his will totally submitted to his Lord, Enoch learned from God. As a man of faith, Enoch knew it was impossible to please God without trusting in Him. He also pleased God in his thoughts, words and deeds (Hebrews 11:5). This was the testimony he exhibited before God and his neighbors. He saw great visions from the Lord about heaven, Satan’s rebellion, worldly nations throughout the ages, as well as the consequences of wickedness and the rewards of the just. Enoch instructed his family in the ways of God.

Jude tells us that Enoch was the seventh generation from Adam and that he prophesied about the Lord returning with His Saints and executing judgment on the ungodly for their unbelief (Jude 1:14-15). Enoch walked in the ways of the Lord and all went well with him and his descendents (Deuteronomy 5:33). He lived to the age of 365. He saw a vision of the great flood and told his children about it. Noah lived by his great grandfather’s example, and walked with God as well (Genesis 6:9). The more Enoch knew God, the more he loved Him, and his love for the world dwindled (1 John 2:15).

Enoch was a man of integrity and a pure heart. He saw righteousness flowing like water, and mercy scattered like dew over the whole earth. He longed to dwell with the righteous. He realized that the Lord strengthens the spirit of the righteous for the sake of His own righteousness, and that many see Heaven without tasting the sleep of death. He saw Christ as the light of the nations, the hope of troubled hearts, the name by which we are saved and the one, which the righteous lean upon without falling. He foresaw the destruction of the wicked and the peaceful dwelling place of the righteous.

Therefore, rather than allowing Enoch to enter heaven through the gates of endless sleep, God translated Him to Heaven and he did not see death (Ephesians 5:10; Hebrews 11:5). Like Enoch, Adam and Eve enjoyed the cool of the day in the garden walking with God (Genesis 3:8). God revealed Himself to Moses and the face of the deliverer of God’s people shone with the glory of the Lord (Exodus 34:35). Abraham walked with God (Genesis 24:40). Jesus walked with God and embodied God personified (John 14:7-9). God loves to walk with all of His Saints. We are His Temple and He communes with us every moment of the day by His indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Prayer:

Father God, we want to walk with You, commune with You, listen to Your wisdom and direction, and walk by Your Spirit moment by moment throughout the day. Reveal Yourself to us in Your secret places, and teach us to walk in Your ways (Palm 91:1). Your mercy is great as is Your patience with us. All of your powerful works are wondrous for us to behold. You reveal all things to Your Saints, to Your elect. You write all of our deeds in Your journals and nothing we do escapes Your sight. Let us walk in justice and righteousness for Your name’s sake now and forever, and if our ways please You, translate us to Heaven as well.

Thought for the Day:

If Enoch can walk with God in this devoted intimacy, we can too.

 

 

 

Thank you, Stephanie Bentley, for the use of your photo.

Fully Human, Full Divine

The human nature of Christ is not overcome by His divine nature (called Eutychianism), nor are the two natures merged into a new single nature (called Monophysitism). His two separate, tangible natures work together as the whole person of Jesus Christ (called Hypostatic Union).

The Holy Spirit gave Jesus life in His mortal body. The Son is the exact representation of God’s glory (Hebrews 1:3; John 17:5). As a man, Jesus grew in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52); yet, as God, He knew all things (John 21:17). 

Though He was perfectly God, He also learned obedience through the things, which He suffered (Hebrews 5:8). As Christians, we limit our ability to further the Kingdom of God in the earth when we fail to fully realize the divine nature of Christ in us.

We are still fully human, but Christ in us is fully divine (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3). Therefore, Christ in us has the same supernatural ability that Christ had when He lived on the earth.

Jesus said that we would do greater things than He did. This occurs, not because we are better than He is; but because He, in His divine nature, dwells within us (John 14:12). God gives us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that we may better know and obey Him (Ephesians 1:17).

When we come to the point of exasperation and hopelessness of ever accomplishing anything by our self-efforts, when we finally realize that life is beyond the realm of our control, then we enter a life of full surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

This surrendered life yields to the will of God. The surrendered life seeks and accomplishes only the will of God in and through his/her life, knowing that God always provides all of our needs according to His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19; Matthew 6:33).

This submitted life experiences freedom in the divinity of Christ within us, which knows no natural limits. Jesus is the Word. He is God and He was with God before He was born in human flesh (John 1:1,14). 

Enoch walked in intimate union with God. One day, God took Him home to Heaven, and Enoch disappeared from the earth (Genesis 5:24). If he can do it, we can too!

Prayer:

Father God, there is no true freedom from the cares of this world without the total surrender of our life to the pursuit of a deeper walk with You. When we do, we enter a place of quietness of spirit that lifts us up above the plane of mortality, even though we continue to live in this world.

We realize that Christ lives within us and He wants to use our body, soul and spirit to fulfill Your purpose in the earth. He lives His life through our body. He meets our quotas, makes the sales, motivates our employees, plans our meals, does our laundry and cares for our children through us. Remind us to decrease so that Christ may increase within us (John 3:30).

Thought for the Day:

We put on a new identity, fashioned to be like God in pure morality and Godliness. - Ephesians 4:24