Enoch’s Obituary

Genesis 5 is the genealogy of Adam. The first interesting thing to me is that Cain and Abel are not listed, even though they were the first born.   I guess it’s because Abel was murdered and Cain ran off, even though he had sons and daughters.  So Adam’s lineage begins with Seth.  The pattern of the next 20 or so verses is the same.

“FATHER” lived “X” years and begot “SON”. After “SON”, “FATHER” lived “Y” years and had sons and daughters. So all the days of “FATHER” were “X+Y” and he died.

Adam begot Seth. (v3-5)
Seth begot Enosh. (v6-8)
Enosh begot Cainan. (v9-11)
Cainan begot Mahalalel. (v12-14)
Mahalalel begot Jared. (v15-17)
Jared begot Encoh. (v18-20)

Then something changes. Enoch’s “obituary” reads different.

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

987 Years after God created Adam, he took Enoch and Enoch did not die, because Enoch walked with God and pleased him.

Hebrews 11:5 speaks of Enoch:
5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

He took him well short of his natural life span for those days.  Adam lived 930 years; Seth lived 815 years; Enosh lived 905 years; Cainan lived 910 years; Mahalalel lived 895 years; Jared lived 962 years; Jared was taken at 365 years.

I bring it up because Enoch’s son, Methuselah, was old enough to see his ancestors living to be very old men and to see his dad taken by God – because he walked with God – and yet Methuselah’s life reads exactly the same as his anscestors. He begat Lamech, had sons and daugthers and died after 969 years.

How quickly a generation forgets the godliness and impact of the preceding ones. This is all the Scripture records about Methuselah.

Or maybe, how lasting an impact the previous generations have on our children, thus the more we have give our children to Him and parent them as He leads us.  I don’t know.

For me, today, I want to be more like Enoch.  I want my impact to go beyond the next generation of my children, but to impact my children’s children’s children for the Lord, and not away from Him.

What does it look like to “walk with God” like Enoch did?  What was the result of those men in the Scriptures who did?  This would be an interesting word study.

How Do I Prove That I Believe

Sunday in church one of the songs during worship was “Healer.” Below are some of the lyrics.

I believe You’re my Healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You’re my Portion
I believe You’re more than enough for me
Jesus You’re all I need

What stuck out to me, or really just sunk in was the word “believe.” If the song said, “Jesus, You’re my healer”, the meaning would be different to me. The way it is written really points out that you must believe those words. As I was thinking about this James 2 came to my mind. James 2:14: ”What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?” Verse 17 says, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” So I was thinking, what does action look like in that context? How do my actions show that I believe Jesus is my healer, that I believe He is my portion and all I need? Do I not work myself up trying to solve situations that only Papa can heal? Is it an increased amount of time in the word? I don’t have the answer to this…yet. I’m just curious. Has this thought ever occured to anyone else?

Through His Eyes…

James 2:1-13 (NLT)

For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, 4 doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? (James 2:2-4 NLT)

How often have I stopped at an intersection because of a red light and seen a panhandler working the intersection looking for “donations” to his/her cause and gone into “lockdown” mode – locking the car doors and looking straight ahead daring NOT to look them in the eyes? It has happened often. Yet as I read this passage today, that’s the first picture I got. The second picture I got – immediately behind the first – is the same intersection but Firemen working the intersection looking for a donation to his/her cause. In this scenario, I react totally opposite. If I have loose change, I give it to them. I always smile and wave at the fireman, even if I don’t have anything to give.

Why? Exactly this verse. I am judging the person by their exterior. Yes, our culture today and often the intersections have something to do with how “safe” I feel for me and my family, but if I’m honest, it is no different than James 2:2-4.

It’s not just with such drastic differences either. I know myself. It is just as easy for me to show favoritism (a really nice way of saying ‘being prejudice’ or judging) to those ‘of significance.’ For example, given the opportunity to meet Stephen Curtis Chapman or the dude on the 3rd row of the 2nd service at church, guess where my attention is going to be?

Is the fireman any different than the beggar in the eyes of God? Is Stephen Curtis Chapman any better than the guy at church in the eyes of God? Am I any different or any better than any of them in the eyes of God?

Nope. Actually, the answer is a resounding ‘NO!’

It goes on an on. It could just as easily relate to those with whom we have a common interest versus those we don’t; those who are easy to get along with versus those it is a struggle to have conversation with; those who are obnoxious versus those who are fun; boring versus exciting; pretty versus ugly; it really doesn’t matter in God’s eyes.

His eyes – His vision – His perspective is the only one that counts. It’s the only thing that matters. James 2:5-14 go on to make that exact point. We are all sinners. We have all broken His law. We have all fallen short of His glory (Romans 3:23).

James 2:14-26

Originally, I thought this was unrelated, but it is not. My actions (my deeds) define my faith. If I have no deeds, I have no faith because it is dead. A dead faith is not a faith at all. Faith – true, living, vibrant faith in God – produces actions/deeds that are driven by my faith. I don’t choose the action, I just choose to be obedient to God’s directive. This is the example of Abraham placing Issac on the altar. God directed his actions and because of his faith, he obeyed.

I know people who let their actions drive their faith. It a natural extension of their ‘religion’. Actions do not create faith. Faith isn’t motivated by actions. Faith isn’t driven or created by actions / deeds / “do and don’t” commands. This kind of faith is a Works-Based faith, which the Lord clearly speaks about in Romans 4:1-5 (The Message):

So how do we fit what we know of Abraham, our first father in the faith, into this new way of looking at things? If Abraham, by what he did for God, got God to approve him, he could certainly have taken credit for it. But the story we’re given is a God-story, not an Abraham-story. What we read in Scripture is, “Abraham entered into what God was doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own. If you’re a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don’t call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it’s something only God can do, and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift.

The deception in that kind of thinking – that kind of ‘religion’ – is that instead of actions being directed BY God, they are directed AT God. Minor words… MAJOR difference!

How I view others is just one “deed” that needs to change.

Dad, today let me see others through Your eyes, Your perspective today. Destroy the preconceived ideas I have about people that color my vision and skew my attitudes towards them. Replace them with your perfect love today. In that perfect love, drive my actions to those things that bring you Glory. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

My measure of faith…

Romans 12:3 (ESV) For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

It’s interesting to read this verse. For several months, the Lord has been swatting me like I swat my dog with a newspaper. He get’s my attention every time I say something derogatory or “down” on anyone – particularly those that SOME might call “idiots” or “in-bred morons” – as my earthly father likes to say. Any time I have a thought about the stupidity or aloofness of someone else, Papa get’s my attention and asks me a very serious question. “Do you think you’re any better?“

In stupidity, I used to answer “Well.. yeah… blah blah blah!”  Where I would wax poetics about all the stuff I do for Him – like He doesn’t see or hear or know already.  I’d tell him about how much I love and serve Him, my wife, my family, blah, blah, blah.  But thankfully, He didn’t just zap me and put me out of my misery, instead he reminds me of Isaiah 64:6 “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…“  It’s a pretty effective tool to be reminded that Papa is SO HOLY that no matter what awesome things I do, I’m bringing soiled feminine products to Him as a gift.

This all started with the reading of a book that totally changed the way I think and outside of the Holy Bible, has impacted me more than any other book I’ve ever read. Humility by Andrew Murray is that book. That book has forced me to reconsider who I am and who He is. In the light of Him – which, by the way, is the only true measurement – I am nothing and I am no better than anyone else. Jesus loves everyone else just as much as He loves me. Every one of us are His favorite.

This verse is a great reminder of that truth, that I need to remember. I love the way Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message.

I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. (Romans 12:3, The Message)

It’s all about Him. It ain’t about me. The part I don’t understand is the last sentence of the ESV version. “…but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” What is that about? How I view myself – how soberly I judge myself – is somehow connected or related to how much faith I have been given? Wow. That’s an interesting thought.

If I’ve been apportioned faith, does that apportionment ever increase or decrease? If so, how? Interesting study this will be…

Faith like a child

Romans 4: 18-22 (NLT) 18 Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” 19 And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. 20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.

I don’t think I really, really understand faith.  I am convinced that “faith like a child” that Jesus spoke of is much simpler than I make it out to be, in all my maturity and wisdom. (sarcasm implied)

My son Jake understands faith.  I think he has faith like Abraham.  If God said it, that’s enough for him.  There are no questions and no doubts.  Just faith.  By the way, he’s 10 years old.

No, I think I’ve spent my whole life trying to squelch exactly what God puts in us as children.  I so wanted to be “grown up” and a “big boy” that, somehow, I’ve let my faith be tempered by reason, understanding, and feasibility.  OK… I just scared myself writing that down.  Check out what Jesus said on this very topic.

Matt 19:14 ESV 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

Luke 10:21 NLT 21 At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.”

How foolish of me to think this way.  How prideful of me to think this way.  Do I really think God only works and can work in the confines of what I understand?  Do I really want a God that is limited by my own imagination? Not me.   Sometimes, I think Papa just sits up on his throne and says about me “Bless his cotton-pickin’ heart. He has NO IDEA what I am capable of.”

Lord, I repent of my sin… my idiotic pride that has led me down a limiting and narrow view of You.  I pray for faith.  Help me exercise my faith this week Lord.  I cast off all the preconceived ideas and pre-built boxes I’ve put you in being “religious” and “pious.”  Forgive me.  Fill me anew with your Holy Spirit and renew a right spirit within me.  Reignite the faith of a child within me.  Thank you for examples of faith such as Abraham. Help me be fully convinced as he was.  Thank you for a living example of faith in my son.  Help me be more like him.  If You said it… that’s enough.  In Jesus name I pray.  Amen.

How do I get here?

Today I read Acts 16.  SUMMARY.–Paul at Troas. The Call to Macedonia in a Vision. The Journey to Philippi. The Conversion of Lydia and Her Household. The Damsel with the Spirit of Divination Healed. The Rage of Her Masters. Paul and Silas Seized, Scourged, Placed in Prison in the Stocks. The Events at Midnight. The Jailer and Household Baptized. An Appeal to Rights of Romans.

OK so what jumped out was twice in that chapter not only did two people get saved but as did their families.  That was just a different thing back then.  Paul and Silas get out of jail start preaching to the guard who asks how he himself can get saved, they go on to tell him and let him know not only will you be saved but your whole family, and they were.  Same with the woman down by the river.  Not only did she get saved right then and there but her family and friends immediately got saved that same day.  Do I expect that when I lead others to God that their whole family will be saved?  How about this one, there are people in probably all of our families that are lost, why?  Do we not chase them down like we should or present it in a way that they have to have it?  Or maybe because its just not the same now as it was then, the culture, the times, the way we preach the gospel of salvation.  Maybe we just don’t believe God is big enough or still does that like He did then.  Does God really want little ‘ole me to be a conduit of salvation to the rest of my family?  There is something to Paul and Silas’ faith that allowed them to see differently then I do.  They knew that after one person in the family got saved so would everyone else.  I don’t believe that…..right now. 

That wasn’t even really what God showed me through this passage.  As I was reading I thought of myself doing like Paul and Silas.  They get out of the jail cell, the guard asks how to be saved and Paul and Silas go and preach to his whole family.  I get uncomfortable speaking to one person about Jesus most of the time and yet these guys were going into peoples houses and speaking to everyone even though they didn’t ask.  That when Holy Spirit began to confront me.  I have been talking about wanting to do things differently than I ever have.  And I say that to get something different then I ever have I must do things differently than I have before.  I want to see what those men saw.  I want to have the faith to preach to whole families or households knowing that God will overtake them and save them.  I want to see the things those men saw i.e. the miracles, and healing, and salvation, and deliverance’s, and the grace in prisons.  Really I want to know Dad like they did.  I don’t know what any of this means right now.  I will need to dig into this and ask Holy Spirit to reveal what He is trying to speak to this slow man.  I just know that these men were confident that not only the woman at the river and the guard who was watching them in prison would get saved but their families as well and I am not that sure.  I know these men lived extraordinary lives like I want to, but I am not……right now.  I want what they had……right now!

Eternal Life

OK.  I’m still not very far in Romans, but in Romans 2:6-7 I was looking up all the meanings of the various words and for kicks I happened to look up “eternal.”

I’ve been a Christian a long time and thought I knew the word… Eternal Life and all, but its entirely possible that I’ve been missing something.  Read carefully the definition in Strongs for the word translated as “eternal.”  The word is aionios.

1 without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be. 2 without beginning. 3 without end, never to cease, everlasting.

Did you catch something new?  “Without beginning,” really hit me between the eyes.  Is it possible (prepare for a synapse or two to be overloaded here) that when we step into eternal life, we will will be “without beginning?”  Just typing this out blows my mind, but this word is used 70 or so times in the New Testament and clearly refer to our eternal state.  My finite mind can’t wrap its arms around that infinite thought because I was born on a fall day in 1966.

It’s possible that I’m way out in left field on this one.  However, Father has shown me today what He needs me to see and that it is a very applicable lesson.  How does that apply to me today?

I cannot possibly understand the ways of God. In one sense, it scares me to not be able to think my way through this.  In another, it’s very reassuring to know that my God is so much bigger than I am and I can trust Him, even if I can’t wrap my head around Him.

Don’t stop seeking. Verse 7 in the ESV uses the word “seek” which means to “to seek [in order to find out] by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to inquire into.”  We are to seek out those things – think on, meditate, reason, inquire – that bring glory, honor and immortality (those things that are pure and incorruptible) by patiently doing, but God himself will give us eternal life – that which we will never be able to reason out.

Father,  Thank you that you are bigger than my mind.  I praise the fact that I cannot understand you; I cannot figure you out; that you are SO much bigger than I could ever imagine.  Help me walk today in that security and faith to do things bigger than myself in your name today.  Bless your name.  Amen.

Acts 12

Acts Chapter 12 is just as exciting as the rest so far.  Here is what I got.  The Jews, who were Gods chosen people, enjoyed and reveled in the fact that other people were dying because they were not preaching the same thing they were.  Do I do that as a Christian?  Do I kill, maybe not physically, but do I count them out or cast them off or find enjoyment in others suffering when I think they are wrong and they get proved of that?  Do I treat others like that because they are not preaching or believing the same thing as me?  That’s just crazy to me.  I mean Gods chosen people are thrilled with the death of Christians.  Peter getting let loose is pretty cool.  The fact that a lot of people are still praying.  Oh man my lack of faith.  That looks hopeless to me.  Peter is locked up literally sleeping between 2 guards with chains on, behind a cell with 2 more guards out front, then past 2 other guards, then in a compound with some kind of big door that keeps them out from the street, and its locked.  They were still praying that God do something and release him or help him, who knows.  I would be praying God don’t let him be miserable, my lack of faith.  Its pathetic.  I think I am seeing this theme lately.  God showed me again what do you believe and why?  Am I believing things that might not be true and discounting others beliefs?  Obviously some just don’t line up, but you know what I mean.  Also just my lack of belief in God.  I am just not sure I would be praying like that when everything was pretty much done but the actual hanging.  Even if he was hung its still not done though huh?  Well OK. 

Dad let me believe in you.  Let me believe that nothing is impossible even though it looks impossible.  Thank you for not killing me off yet, even though you deserve to.  I love you and need your grace over me.  Help me to find You, not someone preaching or teaching You but You.

I made this short for you guys because I know how y’all feel about reading. 

Faith in Action

2 Chronicles 13 has Abijah standing in battle array against Jeroboam.  Abijah is outnumbered two to one.  So what does he do?  He grabs a megaphone and begins to yell at Jeroboam.

Hey Jerry, you defied God.  You went against Rehoboam, he was part of David’s lineage.  He had a covenant with God.  And then you made these cow gods.  And, all of the really bad people stayed with you.  You’re toast, Jerry. I trust God and I have the Levites and the sons of Aaron with me.

Outnumbered two to one ad you taunt the other guy?  Why?  Because you understand your place in God’s plan compared to the other guy.  While hollering, Jerry sent a bunch of his men to Abijah’s rear.  Now he is surrounded.  But, instead of panicking, they cry out to God, the priests toot their horns, the men of Judah shout and God shows up and shows off.

The question is do I have this kind of faith to stand up to those who oppose me today?  Let me put it in my language.  God births a business.  He tells me that this is where he wants me.  People come to work for me and their lives are changed.  God tells Christian men and women that work for me that he doesn’t want them to leave, yet.  He has them where they are supposed to be.  God is moving.  Now DFW Airport stands before me in ful battle array.  A poor economy is sneaking up my backside.  Do I have the faith to understand my place in God’s plan and to stand up to my enemy?  Tell them go ahead and try.  If I don’t I need to.

Father, what is your plan?  Are we protected?  Will you see us through and fulfill your promises?  The answer is yes.

Thank you, Papa, for all that you do.  Thank you for divine protection.  Thank you for blessing The Airport Valet, our employees, and our customers.  ontinue to place your angels guard over and around your business.  Give me wisdom to steward well the resources you have put under me.

Faith

OK.  You know we sleep to the New Testament playing on my MP3 player 24×7.  Every day, I wake up to a new passage.  Today I woke up to the MP3 player playing Mark 11 and it captured me this morning.  So, that’s what I studied.  IT IS RICH…  Here is just SOME of the greatness of this chapter.

Mark 11:12-14

Jesus curses a fig tree because there is no fruit on it; and rightfully so.  Did you catch the end of verse 13 where it says “… for it was not the season for figs.“  Clue #1: This isn’t about a Jesus taking it out on a fig tree because he was hungry.  The end of verse 14 provides Clue #2 where it says, “… and the disciples heard it.“   OK.  I think Jesus was setting them up for a lesson, which comes “later”, when we get to verses 20-26.

Mark 11:20-26

The next morning the fig tree is dried up from the roots (Clue #3: OK… even Roundup doesn’t kill a fig tree overnight - something supernatural is going on here).  When Peter notices (Yeah Peter!) Jesus lays it on them.


22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

OK.  Quick Greek lesson.  Faith (v22) = pistis, which means to “believe to a complete trust.”  Doubt (v23 “does not doubt”) = diakrinomai, which means “judge, or to judge there is a difference.”  Heart (v23) = kardia, which means “inner self, including: the volition, the mind, the desires, etc., though the facility of the intellect may be slightly more emphasized.” Believe (v23) = pisteuo, which is “faith, believe to the extent of complete trust.” Says (v23) = laleō , which implies a literal breaking of the sound waves, to speak aloud.  Received (v24) = lambano, “to take hold of, grasp, grab, acquire.”

I’m not advocating a “name it and claim it” mentality, because the Scripture is also clear that the Lord will give us the desire of our hearts – meaning when we are close to him, in intimate fellowship with Him, our desires will be planted in us by Him.  This means we won’t be asking for a new Lexus, or a million dollars, or any self-centered, self-pleasuring thing.  We will want what He wants and our prayers will come into agreement with His heart.

What I do think this passage, and what Jesus was trying to teach the disciples, is this.  Our mind is the key to our belief and ultimately our faith.   Clearly, “doubt” in this passage is the antithesis of “faith” – in this passage.   When I unpacked “doubt,” it is very clearly dealing with the mind – “to judge”, or “to judge there is a difference.”  That says to me that my mind is evaluating what’s coming out of my mouth (aka, my prayer) with what it believes and measuring up any discrepancy, or difference.

The second key for me, comes in verses 25-26.  An odd place, at the surface, to throw in a seemingly unrelated statement.  But Jesus does not throw down random thoughts.  These are very related.  For the sake of brevity, unforgiveness affects our prayers.  Its related to the previous thoughts.  If I haven’t forgiven someone, then when I pray to Father,  my mind (my “heart”) is constantly evaluating the truth of it all.  If I haven’t or can’t forgive someone, then the truth of God forgiving me is something my heart can’t receive, and if God hasn’t forgiven me, then how can I pisteuo that He will hear – much less answer – my prayers?   This is when my heart diakrinomai (doubts).

What then is the significance of “says” in verse 23?  Again, for brevity, and I may write another blog later on this, it has to be audible.  I know I am way too guilty of praying silently, quietly, and in my Spirit – not always with my tongue, aloud, audibly.  I believe there is significance to the implications of the word laleo.  Jesus cursed the fig tree (which remember was NOT in season) aloud (the disciples heard it) because there is power in our words and in our audible prayers.  This is going to require some more digging into…

I’m sorry for the length, but breakfast with Papa was GOOOOD this morning!

Daddy, you are SO good.  Thank you for your Word.  Thank you for time with me this morning.  May the truth of your Word and the truth of your examples sink deeply into my heart today, so that I will not doubt in my heart, so that I will not judge there to be a difference in what I say and what I know about You.