Walking by Faith - Protestant Caucus/Devotional

"By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God" (Heb 11:5). When you walk by faith, you enjoy intimacy with God.

Our second hero of faith is Enoch. Genesis 5:21-24 records that "Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him."

What a wonderful epitaph: "Enoch walked with God." His life exemplifies the walk of faith. Adam and Eve had walked with God in the Garden of Eden, but their sin separated them from such intimacy. Enoch experienced the fellowship with God they had forfeited.

Enoch's faithful walk pleased God greatly. And after more than three hundred years on earth, Enoch was translated to heaven without ever experiencing death. It's as if God simply said, "Enoch, I enjoy your company so much, I want you to join me up here right now."

Like Enoch, there is coming a generation of Christians who will never see death. Someday—perhaps soon—Jesus will return for His church, "then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up . . . in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:17). Enoch is a beautiful picture of that great future event, which we call the rapture of the church.

As you walk with God, He delights in you. You're His child and your praises and fellowship bring Him joy. Psalm 116:15 says, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones." Even death itself simply ushers you into His presence for all eternity.

Let the joy of intimacy with God, and the anticipation of seeing Christ face to face—either by rapture or by death— motivate you to please Him more and more each day of your life.

Not related, but came across a saying today from “the enduring word” which says

“We should be just as bold to the world about Jesus as the world is bold to us about sin.”

Pray and ask God to open doors and to make us aware of those open doors and not miss them. God sent Phillip to the Ethiopian because he had prepared the heart of the Ethiopian and opened the door for him to be saved. All Phillip had to do was go there. The great thing was that Phillip didn’t have to get into a long theological debate because as mentioned God had a,ready prepared the official’s heart by having him read about the crucifixion and sacrifice of Christ- and the man really wanted to know what it all meant.

Also Phillip didn’t need to guess at why he was sent there because he heard the man reading aloud (which was common in that society) from the word of God. Phillip knew right away why he was sent there- it was crystal clear. No long drawn out conversations not knowing if the person was ready or not, no,arguments, no trying to “sell the person on the idea of Christianity”- Phillip just answered the man’s questions and the ho.y spirit worked in the man’s heart

Pray for such opportunities.

Let the joy of intimacy with God, and the anticipation of seeing Christ face to face—either by rapture or by death— motivate you to please Him more and more each day of your life.
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Amen.

For Intimacy With God And A Fruitful Christian Life

Dear Heavenly Father, You are the King of kings and Lord of lords and my eternal rock of Salvation. You alone are worthy to be praised and worshipped. You alone are worthy to receive all honour and glory for You alone are God almighty, the Alpha and Omega.

I thank You, Lord, with my whole being that You found a sinner such as me and rescued me from the slavery of the world in which I was embroiled. You lifted me up out of my pit of despair, forgave my sins and clothed me in the pure righteousness of Christ Jesus my Lord and Saviour, to Whom be all honour and glory, world without end.

Lord, You have told us the secret of fruitfulness is to abide in You and to remain in You, and to let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly. Lord, I pray that I would abide in You and grow in grace and mature in the faith, by coming to know the Lord Jesus more and more intimately. I pray that by the power of Your Holy Spirit working within the temple of my body, I may live a fruitful life that is honouring to the Father.

Lord, in You grace and kindness, draw me closer to You. Give me a willing heart, a teachable spirit, listening ears and a watching heart, so that I may come to know and love You more and more with each passing day. Open my eyes to see those areas in my life that are hindering Your good work in me, and lead me on I pray, into ever deepening fellowship with Yourself. In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen.

Source: https://prayer.knowing-jesus.com/prayer/for-intimacy-with-god-and-a-fruitful-christian-life-650

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