Living or Walking?

Gen 5:7 - And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years...
Gen 5:10 - And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years...
Gen 5:13 - And Cainan lived after he begat Mahaleel eight hundred and forty years...
Gen 5:16 - And Mahaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years...
Gen 5:19 - And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years...
Gen 5:22 - And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years...

I posted a while back about how I was amazed that Enoch was faithful to walk with God for 300 years. But now I want to contrast what the Bible says about Enoch vs. the rest of his forefathers.
First of all, we notice that they all "lived." That's profound. They had breath; they walked around; they related with other people. They lived. We don't know much about their lives other than they procreated. However, Enoch did not just "live." Enoch did more than that; he "walked with God." His life was not wasted, but rather was spent in communion with God. What a great example.

Second, we notice the lengths of their lives. 807, 815, 840, 830, 800... that's how many years Enoch's forefathers "lived." Now, when we get to Enoch, we find that after he begat Methuselah, he only was around for 300 years. Why would God take him at such a young age? (I mean really, 365 years old is not that old!?) It reminds me of a quote from Jim Elliot (who, coincidentally, died on this date in 1956 (thanks Pastor Curran for the reminder), written in his journal:

God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus. (1948)

Are we willing to give up just "living" and actually spend our days on earth faithfully "walking with God"? And if that requires that God takes us earlier... are we ok with that? Jim Elliot recognized that the length of life was not as important as the quality of the walk with God. Enoch knew it too. Let's learn it.

Just a thought...

Hard to Catch Up

Last week my family and I took a vacation down to Atlanta, GA to visit my brothers and our parents before they headed back to Guatemala. It was fantastic trip and time of fellowship. However, the sad part about it was that I had to come back!

Have you ever been away from your work for a week, and when you return there is twice as much stuff as normal waiting for you, and you spend most of your time trying to catch up and never get anywhere? It seems to me that life would be easier if we just worked through the vacation so that it isn't overwhelming when we come back? It seems impossible for me right now to catch up!

Well, as I was thinking of a thought (huh?!), I thought about those times in our lives where we, regretfully, take a spiritual vacation. You know what I'm talking about, those times when we Christians act as though we were the owner of our lives. I find that it is a lot harder to catch up to where I was spiritually before going on "vacation." It seems to me that the Christian life would just be easier if we were to stay faithful, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, and then having to catch up again... and again... and again...

Just a thought...

Enoch

Genesis 5:21-24
(21) And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:
(22) And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
(23) And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:
(24) And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

There are only a few verses about Enoch in the Bible. You have these ones here, and then Jude mentions him in passing as being a prophet and the seventh from Adam, and Hebrews lists him as being a man of faith, a man that walked by faith.

God "took" Enoch it says in Genesis 5. Hebrews 11 says that Enoch was "translated." I think all spiritually minded Christians would love the idea of being so close to God that He decides to do something miraculous to us, so that, instead of dying, we are just taken up to be with Him!

How then can we be like Enoch? What was it about Enoch and his faith that made him walk with God, a walk which was quite different than the normal walk with God?

Well, one verse jumped out to me with what I think contains the answer: Genesis 5:22 "And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:" Don't read that too fast. Take out the prepositional phrase about when the walking was (that is, take out "after he begat Methuselah"), and you get: "Enoch walked with God three hundred years."

300 years? Are you kidding me? I get all excited when I go for a whole week "walking with God." Enoch walked with God for 300 years. Now, you will argue, they lived longer then - the average lifespan was 900 years or so. That is true, but that does not mean that the time went faster for them. Their days were still 24 hours long. Their years were still 365 days or so on the average.

For 300 years, Enoch walked with God. It does not say nor imply that he was perfect. But it does say (I refer to Hebrews) and imply that he was faithful. Every day, every week, every month, every year for 300 years, Enoch walked with God.

That's a long time. What a good example of Faith.

Just a thought...

Jesus Is Coming Back in 24 Hours

(This was supposed to have been posted this morning - I don't know what happened! Forgive me for being late!)

Ok... If I'm right in my title, everyone left behind will have a good time reading this blog!

My real point of this title is this question: If Jesus Christ showed Himself to you right now, and told you that He is going to return in exactly 24 hours (and you couldn't tell anyone about your conversation), what would you do in that time?

...after thinking about it for a few seconds...

Now, look at your schedule for the next 24 hours. Is it different than what your answer was to my question?

...after thinking about that for a few seconds...

How come? I am proposing that our lives are to be lived doing always the things that God would most want us to do.

That's it. Just a thought...

Filled with all His Fulness

Ephesians 3:19 is one of my memory verses today, and it says, "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." The context is that Paul gets on his knees before God for a few purposes, some of them: to know the love of Christ, and that they would be "filled with all the fulness of God."

There are a couple of phrases in the Bible that kind of make me cringe a little. That is, I read them, I believe them to be true, but the implications are mind-boggling. A couple of examples:

• 1 Thessalonians 2:12: Paul exhorted them: "That ye would walk worthy of God..."
• 1 Peter 1:4: Christians can be: "Partakers of the divine nature."

Not to get into those ones today, but I think Ephesians 3:19 might be up there.

To be filled - If you're full of something, you don't have room for anything else. With all the fulness of God - All that He is, His fulness, is what we are to be filled with. What God is made of: Righteousness, Holiness, Love, Mercy, Longsuffering, Patience, Justice, Compassion... All of those things we are to be filled with.

But also, we are a habitation of God. God inhabits His children, through His Spirit (Eph. 2:22). We are to be filled with all of Him. Filled with His Spirit, walking in It/Him... Without any room for anything else.

To be filled with all the fulness of God. I thought about another thought that I was thinking about, but was just too overwhelmed with this verse that I had to change it.

Just a thought...

In Jesus Name I... Do Everything!

(Colossians 3:17) And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

This verse was in my Bible reading this week. I have read in many times before, and would probably have been able to quote it to you before I read it this morning. But it jumped out at me because it contained that phrase, "in the name of the Lord Jesus." I still haven't quite figured out why, but people keep searching on Google for the phrase - "In Jesus name we pray" or other close searches like "what is it to pray in Jesus name," and other very similar phrases. I actually looked and for the past 10 weeks, I have had at least one search come to my blog that was looking for that phrase, with as many as up to 4 a week! To me, that's amazing. Original Post here.

So, as I was reading this week, and I came across this verse, I realized that it says, "And whatosever ye do in word or deed..." We are not only supposed to pray in Jesus' name, but we are supposed to DO everything in Jesus name. Well, at least whatever I do in word or deed. That is, whatever I say or do, ought to be said in Jesus' name or done in Jesus' name.

We go back and ask the question: What is it to "do" something in the name of Jesus? Well, in my previous post about praying in Jesus name, I said how it means we do it with the authority of Jesus. As in, "Stop, in the name of the law" - we are claiming the authority of the law when we tell that person to stop. We do things with the authority of, and in the place of, somebody else, when we do something in their name.

To "DO" everything in the name of Jesus means that we only do what Jesus Approves of. When we sin, we cannot claim to be doing that in the name of Jesus. That would pretty much be blaspheming His name, I think... We are supposed to DO only those things which Jesus would approve of us doing, those things which we can honestly assume that Jesus would do - I mean, we are the body of Christ, we are supposed to manifest His life in our bodies (2 Corinthians 4:10).

Here's one to ponder. In Jesus name, means in His stead. As if Jesus were doing it. I should be able to say, I am doing in Jesus' stead. I am writing this post right now, in Jesus' stead - I am doing it for Him. I am at work today in the place of Jesus, so that I can provide substance for my family. I go to church in Jesus' stead - He did it when He was alive on the earth. I guess it goes along with the concept of WWJD - What Would Jesus Do? That is truly what we are supposed to do.

So, for every action today can you say, "I Do This in Jesus' Name?" Think about that the next time you sit down to watch something on TV - the next time you are considering saying something about somebody else - the next time you are talking with your spouse...

Just a thought...

Hurry up!

I have written on my blog that I think we often are too busy with things in our lives - good things: ministry related, church activities, etc. that we often overlook God and end up working in the flesh. I by no means am retracting those ideas in this post.

However, at the same time, the Bible says that we are to "run" our Christian race, not just walk it. I could go to Isaiah 40:31 where they that wait upon the Lord (that supports my previous posts and opening paragraph here) shall renew their strength, and they shall run and not be weary. 1 Corinthians 9:24 talks about running a race. Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us how to run our race.

We ought to not just sit back and take it easy in our Christian lives. We shouldn't say, "Oh, I will grow in this area next year. I just want to take it one at a time..." We need to run the race - without losing focus of the waiting on the Lord part. Hebrews 12:1 says we need to run it with patience. That doesn't mean run it slowly and pacing yourself, but rather like Jesus did, we need to run through all the obstacles that come up in our race. For Jesus, that meant things like, the Cross.

The reason this thought came to me today was because last night, while Sarah was driving home from having coffee with some friends, she got pulled over by a policeman. No... she wasn't speeding. She actually got pulled over for going 7 miles under the speed limit: 33 mph in a 40 mph zone!

Just a thought...

Abiding... Without Ceasing... Continually...

Those are some Bible phrases referring to what our communion ought to be with God. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Our lives ought to continually be in a state of prayer / communication and of communion with God. Acknowleding Him in all of our paths, abiding in Christ, praying without ceasing, alway and for ever.

We ought not get distracted away from God by the cares of this life. I need to work on my computer stuff with a conscience towards God. I need to be doing what I do in order to bring God glory. When I am constantly performing my daily practices with that mentality, then I have succeeded in doing all to the glory of God. When I am talking with God, and passing every single aspect of my life through Him first, then I am praying without ceasing. I would find myself abiding in Christ.

Our prayer requests brought before God in the morning ought to be on our minds throughout the day... as we are expecting Him to answer them, right? We ought to be looking to see how God is dealing with the things that we brought before Him. If we aren't interested in the outcome of the issue that we brought to God, then why did we really pray about it? Maybe that's a thought for a different day...

Unfortunately, I have not yet mastered this. I am working on it though. So, the question is - have you done everything you've done this morning, with a conscience towards God? Have you had God on your mind through every step of your day so far?

However, an even more important question: Will you have God on your mind through every step of the rest of your afternoon?

Just a thought...

Walk at Liberty

Psalm 119:44-45: "So shall I keep thy law continually, for ever and ever. And I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts."

While thinking on that phrase "I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts." I was imaginging what life would be like, if in every step, continually, for ever and ever, all I ever did was seek God's precepts. If my life's purpose was to follow what God wants for me without regard to other people around me. I came to the realization from this verse that the result would be that I would "walk at liberty."

I would walk at liberty from sin and the guilt associated with it - by hiding God's word in my heart. I would walk at liberty from care about the criticism of others - fearing God only, not man. I would walk at liberty from worry about straying from the right way - His word is a lamp unto my feet.

Freedom from so much, and all that I have to do: Seek God's precepts. Just a thought...

What are you walking according to?

What are you walking according to? Forgive the bad English: "According to what are you walking?" just didn't sound as good to me for a title...

(Eph 2:1) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
(Eph 2:2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
(Eph 2:3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

This is part of the passage that I am working on memorizing right now, and when thinking on these verses some things have made me think.

1. First of all, I think of the greatness of God for His grace in making me alive, in quickening me as I was dead in trespasses and sins, and had no hope apart from Christ (vs. 12)


2. "In time past" is when a Christian was supposed to walk according to the course of this world. It should not be said of us, that we presently walk according to the course of this world. When someone comes face to face with the Almighty God, there will be a change in that person's life.


3. That phrase in bold was the most powerful one to me. When I walk according to the flesh and not the Spirit, and my life demonstrates the works of the flesh, then it could be said of me that I am walking according to the prince of the power of the air - that's Satan. When I am not walking in the Spirit of God, then I am walking according to Satan. I am acting just like my arch-enemy that is trying to kill me. I want to be different from the children of disobedience and the children of wrath. I want the Holy Spirit of God to be so real and so protruding from my life that there would never be any similarities between my walk, and the walk that is according to the spirit working in the children of disobedience.

So, what are you walking according to today? Just a thought...

How are you doing?

Are you doing good today? No, that's not bad English... If I said, "Are you doing well today?" I would be asking about your health, etc. But I asked if you're doing "good" today. James 4:17 says to him that knows to do good, but doesn't do it, that it is sin for him.

I've misused that verse before a little bit. For example, it is good for a person to go to Russia to be a missionary. Everybody agree? Well, then if you don't go to Russia to be a missionary then it is a sin, right? Because you know it's good and you don't do it...

I think the verse is more asking the question: What are you doing? Are you doing good, or are you failing to do good? There is a time and season for everything: reading Bible, evangelizing, fellowshiping, etc. and so there has to be balance when doing those things (you don't sit around and read your Bible all day, you have to evangelize too), but the question is: Is what you're doing good? Do you know that you're supposed to do things that are good (and not just vain!)?

If you know you're supposed to do good, and you don't do it - it's sin.

So, How are you doing?