Ephesians 2:19
Fellow citizens with the saints.
What is meant by our being citizens in heaven? It means that we are under heaven's government. Christ the king of heaven reigns in our hearts; our daily prayer is, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." The proclamations issued from the throne of glory are freely received by us: the decrees of the Great King we cheerfully obey. Then as citizens of the New Jerusalem, we share heaven's honours. The glory which belongs to beatified saints belongs to us, for we are already sons of God, already princes of the blood imperial; already we wear the spotless robe of Jesu's righteousness; already we have angels for our servitors, saints for our companions, Christ for our Brother, God for our Father, and a crown of immortality for our reward. We share the honours of citizenship, for we have come to the general assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven. As citizens, we have common rights to all the property of heaven. Ours are its gates of pearl and walls of chrysolite; ours the azure light of the city that needs no candle nor light of the sun; ours the river of the water of life, and the twelve manner of fruits which grow on the trees planted on the banks thereof; there is nought in heaven that belongeth not to us. "Things present, or things to come," all are ours. Also as citizens of heaven we enjoy its delights. Do they there rejoice over sinners that repent-prodigals that have returned? So do we. Do they chant the glories of triumphant grace? We do the same. Do they cast their crowns at Jesu's feet? Such honours as we have we cast there too. Are they charmed with His smile? It is not less sweet to us who dwell below. Do they look forward, waiting for His second advent? We also look and long for His appearing. If, then, we are thus citizens of heaven, let our walk and actions be consistent with our high dignity.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Calling Good Evil and Evil Good
Calling Good Evil & Evil Good
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20
People can become so warped in their thinking that they don’t know the difference between right and wrong.
I was listening to the radio one morning, and they were talking about what scientists want to do with the tissue of aborted babies. They said that some women are thinking about having babies, aborting them, then selling the tissue for research. The scientific community is promoting this propaganda because of the good they say the research will have on the whole of humanity! But what about the whole of humanity that begins in the womb?
People today will play enough tricks on their minds that they will literally approve evil with a good conscience.
Where do you stand on this issue? What is right and what is wrong?
Take some time this morning to read Psalm 139 and ask God to show you His truth.
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20
People can become so warped in their thinking that they don’t know the difference between right and wrong.
I was listening to the radio one morning, and they were talking about what scientists want to do with the tissue of aborted babies. They said that some women are thinking about having babies, aborting them, then selling the tissue for research. The scientific community is promoting this propaganda because of the good they say the research will have on the whole of humanity! But what about the whole of humanity that begins in the womb?
People today will play enough tricks on their minds that they will literally approve evil with a good conscience.
Where do you stand on this issue? What is right and what is wrong?
Take some time this morning to read Psalm 139 and ask God to show you His truth.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Prayer
I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
-Nehemiah 1:4
Faithful, everyday prayer is absolutely critical for Christians. It’s our communication with the one and only God that helps us learn His will for us. Unfortunately, though, prayer is a last resort, even for many believers!
Prayer is not a magic trick. It’s communication with God that should go hand in hand with our actions to honor Him. Prayer is not a substitute for work but a preparation for work!
Prayer focuses our attention and demands our discipline. Prayers do not need to be great public spectacles because it’s our personal and private prayers that truly move God and make a difference.
Prayer is surrender to the Lord’s will. It’s not trying to pull God into our plans, but rather it’s putting our plans in line with His will.
It’s in prayer that we experience God and are exposed to His greatness. It’s in prayer that we make ourselves available to God.
I challenge you today to spend some time alone with God…making yourself available to Him!
PRAYER FOCUSES OUR ATTENTION AND IT DEMANDS OUR DISCIPLINE.
-Nehemiah 1:4
Faithful, everyday prayer is absolutely critical for Christians. It’s our communication with the one and only God that helps us learn His will for us. Unfortunately, though, prayer is a last resort, even for many believers!
Prayer is not a magic trick. It’s communication with God that should go hand in hand with our actions to honor Him. Prayer is not a substitute for work but a preparation for work!
Prayer focuses our attention and demands our discipline. Prayers do not need to be great public spectacles because it’s our personal and private prayers that truly move God and make a difference.
Prayer is surrender to the Lord’s will. It’s not trying to pull God into our plans, but rather it’s putting our plans in line with His will.
It’s in prayer that we experience God and are exposed to His greatness. It’s in prayer that we make ourselves available to God.
I challenge you today to spend some time alone with God…making yourself available to Him!
PRAYER FOCUSES OUR ATTENTION AND IT DEMANDS OUR DISCIPLINE.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Extraction
I will ask you to count how many good teeth you have.
So you now know how many good teeth you have.
Did you notice something?
For the vast majority, the number of good teeth FAR outnumbers
the bad.
You have far more good teeth but it's the bad teeth that get all
of the attention. One bad tooth can cause us so much pain that
we forget about all of the good.
So it is with life.
One bad relationship and we think all men/women are bad.
One bad experience with a member of a different race. religion
or culture and we think all who are different from us are bad.
A company can have a thousand employees and we can have one bad
experience with an obnoxious employee and we think the whole
company is bad.
One bad apple doesn't spoil the whole bunch but it will
eventually spoil the whole bunch if you don't remove the bad
apple. Infection spreads.
Some things you have to extract to keep it from spoiling the
whole bunch.
My friend had to get his two front teeth extracted to prevent
further pain and to even prevent the spread of infection to the
rest of his body.
Extraction of things in our lives is often necessary but seldom
pleasant.
He had to be sedated, strapped down, and numbed.
He still hollered.
Eagles fly high but have you ever noticed eagles don't have a
lot of stuff strapped on their backs.
Some of us haven't reached the heights that we are destined to
reach because we haven't extracted some things.
It's too much on our backs and in our spirits.
You know what things they are.
As plain as I am writing this and as clear as you can see these
letters, you know what things in your life need extracting.
We all have them.
Extraction hurts but the continuing pain of decay hurts even
worse and for much longer.
I counsel quite a few people.
More often than not, they will have major problems by the time
they schedule counseling. As I listen to their situation I can
often see things or a different perspective on the thing that
they cannot. Many are helped through counsel.
Even though I can often see things that they cannot, most of the
stuff that they need to change, THEY ALREADY KNOW!
"I know I need to do this"
"I know I need to change that"
"I know this is wrong"
"I know I shouldn't feel this way"
"I know I should leave this relationship"
"I know this is not good"
"I know I should. . . "
Many already know the things in their life that need to be
extracted.
So do you.
The problem is not the knowledge in many instances.
It's the pain of extraction.
Pulling anything with deep roots is a problem.
The closer anyone is to the child and the further they are from
maturity, the more sedation, straps and numbing they will need.
A child will even endure the pain for months or years until the
tooth eventually falls out from the decay.
Often we endure the pain far longer than necessary until it
falls out and has nearly knocked us out.
Learn the lesson of extraction.
For though we may have far more good teeth,
This is a lesson we all need to know.
MountainWings.com is about helping lift you over the mountains
of life.
Sometimes what you need is not really a lift.
You just need to remove some things.
Just as a hot air balloon is mired to the ground with sandbags
often so are we.
It's not that we don't have the wind to fly,
we've just got too many sandbags.
Some need to be extracted and then we can fly.
So you now know how many good teeth you have.
Did you notice something?
For the vast majority, the number of good teeth FAR outnumbers
the bad.
You have far more good teeth but it's the bad teeth that get all
of the attention. One bad tooth can cause us so much pain that
we forget about all of the good.
So it is with life.
One bad relationship and we think all men/women are bad.
One bad experience with a member of a different race. religion
or culture and we think all who are different from us are bad.
A company can have a thousand employees and we can have one bad
experience with an obnoxious employee and we think the whole
company is bad.
One bad apple doesn't spoil the whole bunch but it will
eventually spoil the whole bunch if you don't remove the bad
apple. Infection spreads.
Some things you have to extract to keep it from spoiling the
whole bunch.
My friend had to get his two front teeth extracted to prevent
further pain and to even prevent the spread of infection to the
rest of his body.
Extraction of things in our lives is often necessary but seldom
pleasant.
He had to be sedated, strapped down, and numbed.
He still hollered.
Eagles fly high but have you ever noticed eagles don't have a
lot of stuff strapped on their backs.
Some of us haven't reached the heights that we are destined to
reach because we haven't extracted some things.
It's too much on our backs and in our spirits.
You know what things they are.
As plain as I am writing this and as clear as you can see these
letters, you know what things in your life need extracting.
We all have them.
Extraction hurts but the continuing pain of decay hurts even
worse and for much longer.
I counsel quite a few people.
More often than not, they will have major problems by the time
they schedule counseling. As I listen to their situation I can
often see things or a different perspective on the thing that
they cannot. Many are helped through counsel.
Even though I can often see things that they cannot, most of the
stuff that they need to change, THEY ALREADY KNOW!
"I know I need to do this"
"I know I need to change that"
"I know this is wrong"
"I know I shouldn't feel this way"
"I know I should leave this relationship"
"I know this is not good"
"I know I should. . . "
Many already know the things in their life that need to be
extracted.
So do you.
The problem is not the knowledge in many instances.
It's the pain of extraction.
Pulling anything with deep roots is a problem.
The closer anyone is to the child and the further they are from
maturity, the more sedation, straps and numbing they will need.
A child will even endure the pain for months or years until the
tooth eventually falls out from the decay.
Often we endure the pain far longer than necessary until it
falls out and has nearly knocked us out.
Learn the lesson of extraction.
For though we may have far more good teeth,
This is a lesson we all need to know.
MountainWings.com is about helping lift you over the mountains
of life.
Sometimes what you need is not really a lift.
You just need to remove some things.
Just as a hot air balloon is mired to the ground with sandbags
often so are we.
It's not that we don't have the wind to fly,
we've just got too many sandbags.
Some need to be extracted and then we can fly.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Thye power to Choose
The Power to Choose”
“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice.”
What choices in my life have affected my future?
“It might be the devil or it might be the Lord, but you’ve got to serve somebody.”
INSPIRATION
“Wilt thou leave they sins and go to heaven, or wilt thou have thy sins and go to hell?”
As we studied, we came to recognize our God is a God of order. He is a God who is truthful. He is a God who is pure. He is a God who heals us and makes us whole. And above all, He is a Holy God.
It was important for us to look at these qualities of God because they help us understand Him better. What’s more, by studying these divine characteristics, and yearning for their presence in our own lives as God’s children, we can become more like God, our Father, as we focus our vision on Him.
It is this longing for godliness we are going to study about as we look at a very unusual story contained in Leviticus 24.
The Bible begins with these words:
“Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites…. The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the name of the Lord with a curse; so they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite. They put him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to them.” (Leviticus 24: 10-12 N.I.V.).
As we reflect on this story, we are going to look at “choices” made by individuals. Choices which made the difference between a life of good and a life of evil. Interestingly enough, although this incident took place thousands of years ago, the lessons God had for His children at that time apply directly to our time.
I want to share with you what noted psychologist Erich Fromm said about our human choices. “Our capacity to choose changes constantly with our practice of life. The longer we continue to make the wrong decisions, the more our heart hardens; the more often we make the right decisions, the more our heart softens for better, comes alive.”
This week, we will look at decisions and choices that were made and the consequences that resulted.
Tomorrow we’ll look at a mother’s choice, an Israelite woman who chose to marry an Egyptian man. Then we’ll look at a son’s choice to blaspheme and curse the name of God. We’ll also look at the choice the Israelites made – and believe me, it is a critical one. And finally, we are going to identify the consequences of making wrong choices – because there are consequences to our behavior, whether we think so or not.
As we will find out, the words expressed by Pastor W. E. Sangster ring loudly with truth. “Every day the choice between good and evil is presented to us in simple ways.” This is exactly what we see played out in the lives of a family which did not choose to recognize the holiness of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
I love this beautiful prayer of Thomas a Kempis as he asks God to help him choose to have a heart directed toward his Father in heaven:
“Write thy blessed name, O Lord, upon my heart, there to remain so indelibly engraved, that no prosperity, no adversity shall ever move me from thy love. Be thou to me a strong tower of defence, a comforter in tribulation, a deliverer in distress, a very present help in trouble, and a guide to heaven through the many temptations and dangers of this life.”
“The decision we all face is this: whether to consciously lock God out of our lives or open the door of our heart and invite Jesus Christ to come in.”
AFFIRMATION
“Give me, O Lord, a steadfast heart which no unworthy thought can drag downwards; an unconquered heart which no tribulation can wear out: an upright heart which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside. Bestow upon me also, O Lord my God, understanding to know thee, diligence to seek thee, wisdom to find thee, and a faithfulness that may finally embrace thee; through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.”
“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice.”
What choices in my life have affected my future?
“It might be the devil or it might be the Lord, but you’ve got to serve somebody.”
INSPIRATION
“Wilt thou leave they sins and go to heaven, or wilt thou have thy sins and go to hell?”
As we studied, we came to recognize our God is a God of order. He is a God who is truthful. He is a God who is pure. He is a God who heals us and makes us whole. And above all, He is a Holy God.
It was important for us to look at these qualities of God because they help us understand Him better. What’s more, by studying these divine characteristics, and yearning for their presence in our own lives as God’s children, we can become more like God, our Father, as we focus our vision on Him.
It is this longing for godliness we are going to study about as we look at a very unusual story contained in Leviticus 24.
The Bible begins with these words:
“Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites…. The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the name of the Lord with a curse; so they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite. They put him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to them.” (Leviticus 24: 10-12 N.I.V.).
As we reflect on this story, we are going to look at “choices” made by individuals. Choices which made the difference between a life of good and a life of evil. Interestingly enough, although this incident took place thousands of years ago, the lessons God had for His children at that time apply directly to our time.
I want to share with you what noted psychologist Erich Fromm said about our human choices. “Our capacity to choose changes constantly with our practice of life. The longer we continue to make the wrong decisions, the more our heart hardens; the more often we make the right decisions, the more our heart softens for better, comes alive.”
This week, we will look at decisions and choices that were made and the consequences that resulted.
Tomorrow we’ll look at a mother’s choice, an Israelite woman who chose to marry an Egyptian man. Then we’ll look at a son’s choice to blaspheme and curse the name of God. We’ll also look at the choice the Israelites made – and believe me, it is a critical one. And finally, we are going to identify the consequences of making wrong choices – because there are consequences to our behavior, whether we think so or not.
As we will find out, the words expressed by Pastor W. E. Sangster ring loudly with truth. “Every day the choice between good and evil is presented to us in simple ways.” This is exactly what we see played out in the lives of a family which did not choose to recognize the holiness of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
I love this beautiful prayer of Thomas a Kempis as he asks God to help him choose to have a heart directed toward his Father in heaven:
“Write thy blessed name, O Lord, upon my heart, there to remain so indelibly engraved, that no prosperity, no adversity shall ever move me from thy love. Be thou to me a strong tower of defence, a comforter in tribulation, a deliverer in distress, a very present help in trouble, and a guide to heaven through the many temptations and dangers of this life.”
“The decision we all face is this: whether to consciously lock God out of our lives or open the door of our heart and invite Jesus Christ to come in.”
AFFIRMATION
“Give me, O Lord, a steadfast heart which no unworthy thought can drag downwards; an unconquered heart which no tribulation can wear out: an upright heart which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside. Bestow upon me also, O Lord my God, understanding to know thee, diligence to seek thee, wisdom to find thee, and a faithfulness that may finally embrace thee; through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.”
Monday, January 19, 2009
Closet space
CLOSET SPACE
==========
Is your closet too crowded?
Perhaps the single greatest indicator of the overload that we
have in life are closets.
They are packed.
It doesn't matter how big our closets are.
Sooner or later we fill them up.
Why?
There is a closet rule of life that states:
1. Clothes expand to fill all available closet space
2. Sooner or later if you keep getting more clothes
you either have to:
A. Get more closet space
B. Get rid of some clothes
2B is what we hate to do.
But if we are TO BE what we are TO BE,
we need to learn the rule of 2B and get rid of some clothes.
Time is like closet space. We have a limited amount of it.
We keep putting more and more things in until our time is
cluttered.
The more cluttered it gets, the more things are out of place.
The time that we should be sleeping, we've got something else in
that space.
The time that we should be spending with family, we've got
something else in that space.
The time that we should have to ourselves to do whatever we do
to help our spirit, we've got something else in that space.
Even as our closet hinges strain to keep from bursting, we still
try to put more stuff in.
Take a look around your closet of time right now.
How much has accumulated
that you should have gotten rid of long ago.
They still may be good clothes, but your closet is just too full.
We have habits that we formed in our teenage years
that should have long ago been removed from our closets.
Some even have friends that should have long ago been removed,
for they no longer fit our style or destination.
As you change and grow, you should change what's in your closet.
Maybe we don't need more stuff in the closet.
Maybe we don't need a bigger closet.
Maybe we just need to clean out some stuff
and not with the purpose to make room for more stuff.
We may just need some space,
In a lot of areas,
For a lot of reasons.
There is a spiritual saying
that tells you to go into your closet to pray.
For many of us, there's simply no room.
Go look at your bedroom closet right now.
Chances are, it will reflect your closet of time.
==========
Is your closet too crowded?
Perhaps the single greatest indicator of the overload that we
have in life are closets.
They are packed.
It doesn't matter how big our closets are.
Sooner or later we fill them up.
Why?
There is a closet rule of life that states:
1. Clothes expand to fill all available closet space
2. Sooner or later if you keep getting more clothes
you either have to:
A. Get more closet space
B. Get rid of some clothes
2B is what we hate to do.
But if we are TO BE what we are TO BE,
we need to learn the rule of 2B and get rid of some clothes.
Time is like closet space. We have a limited amount of it.
We keep putting more and more things in until our time is
cluttered.
The more cluttered it gets, the more things are out of place.
The time that we should be sleeping, we've got something else in
that space.
The time that we should be spending with family, we've got
something else in that space.
The time that we should have to ourselves to do whatever we do
to help our spirit, we've got something else in that space.
Even as our closet hinges strain to keep from bursting, we still
try to put more stuff in.
Take a look around your closet of time right now.
How much has accumulated
that you should have gotten rid of long ago.
They still may be good clothes, but your closet is just too full.
We have habits that we formed in our teenage years
that should have long ago been removed from our closets.
Some even have friends that should have long ago been removed,
for they no longer fit our style or destination.
As you change and grow, you should change what's in your closet.
Maybe we don't need more stuff in the closet.
Maybe we don't need a bigger closet.
Maybe we just need to clean out some stuff
and not with the purpose to make room for more stuff.
We may just need some space,
In a lot of areas,
For a lot of reasons.
There is a spiritual saying
that tells you to go into your closet to pray.
For many of us, there's simply no room.
Go look at your bedroom closet right now.
Chances are, it will reflect your closet of time.
Alone with God
ALONE WITH GOD
Read 1 Kings 17:20--22
Now wait a minute. What is going on here? Up to this point in Scripture, there has been no account of anyone ever being raised from the dead. The closest to that would be Enoch, but he was not resurrected or resuscitated, because he didn't die. God simply took him to glory. "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him"
(Genesis 5:24).
So what is Elijah thinking here? How does he dare ask God to do such an unprecedented thing?
Elijah could not go back through the record like some spiritual attorney and try to find another case he could point to and say, "Ah! Precedence recorded in the Scriptures---there's a case like mine. God did it there. He will do it here.” But God never claimed to provide a written record of absolutely everything He has ever done. And I believe He has left the record incomplete, so to speak, so that we will not trust in the past but in the God who is fresh and alive and creative and real, able to meet today's need today.
Elijah had no this-is-how-God-always-does-it manual to follow. Instead, he relied solely on one thing: faith. He had only his faith in the living God.
Don't you wish at times that you had a book where you could look up "impatience"? Okay. "What to do when I'm impatient in the face of testing": here are steps one, two, three, four, and five. And in case of severe emergency: six, seven, and eight. You've got the answer! Or, what to do when death comes: one, two, three, four. If it is the dearest friend you've ever known: five and six.But there's no such manual. Thankfully, in His Word God does include principles to follow in most crises, but not a precise procedure in all difficult or impossible situations. God leaves us on the cutting edge of today so that we will trust in Him and the principles in His great and gracious Word. That's all we have. That's enough.
Read 1 Kings 17:20--22
Now wait a minute. What is going on here? Up to this point in Scripture, there has been no account of anyone ever being raised from the dead. The closest to that would be Enoch, but he was not resurrected or resuscitated, because he didn't die. God simply took him to glory. "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him"
(Genesis 5:24).
So what is Elijah thinking here? How does he dare ask God to do such an unprecedented thing?
Elijah could not go back through the record like some spiritual attorney and try to find another case he could point to and say, "Ah! Precedence recorded in the Scriptures---there's a case like mine. God did it there. He will do it here.” But God never claimed to provide a written record of absolutely everything He has ever done. And I believe He has left the record incomplete, so to speak, so that we will not trust in the past but in the God who is fresh and alive and creative and real, able to meet today's need today.
Elijah had no this-is-how-God-always-does-it manual to follow. Instead, he relied solely on one thing: faith. He had only his faith in the living God.
Don't you wish at times that you had a book where you could look up "impatience"? Okay. "What to do when I'm impatient in the face of testing": here are steps one, two, three, four, and five. And in case of severe emergency: six, seven, and eight. You've got the answer! Or, what to do when death comes: one, two, three, four. If it is the dearest friend you've ever known: five and six.But there's no such manual. Thankfully, in His Word God does include principles to follow in most crises, but not a precise procedure in all difficult or impossible situations. God leaves us on the cutting edge of today so that we will trust in Him and the principles in His great and gracious Word. That's all we have. That's enough.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Walk with God
Walk with God
“Enoch walked with God; and he was not; for God took him.”
—Genesis 5:24
Do you have a good testimony? Are you being an effective witness? Enoch did. Hebrews 11:5 says, “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.”
Maybe sometimes we aren’t good witnesses because we don’t walk with God. We don’t enjoy fellowship with Him. We don’t move in harmony, in tandem, with Him. God wants to change us so we will be pleasing to Him and be witnesses for Him.
What is the end result of our good testimony and witness? The Bible says, “Enoch walked with God; and he was not; for God took him.” The phrase “took him” could be translated “carried over or across.” God carried Enoch over death. The Bible says, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). In the case of Enoch, God made an exception and took him straight to heaven. He picked him off of one shore and put him on the other.
The fact of the matter is that when you walk with God on earth, you will also walk with Him in heaven. Revelation 3:4 says, “ ‘They shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.’ ” Enoch is a representative of those believers who will not die but be caught up to heaven, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians.
Let me ask you this: if the Lord were to come back today, would He take you along? He took Enoch. Why? Enoch walked with God. He was well pleasing to God. He was a witness for God.
“Enoch walked with God; and he was not; for God took him.”
—Genesis 5:24
Do you have a good testimony? Are you being an effective witness? Enoch did. Hebrews 11:5 says, “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.”
Maybe sometimes we aren’t good witnesses because we don’t walk with God. We don’t enjoy fellowship with Him. We don’t move in harmony, in tandem, with Him. God wants to change us so we will be pleasing to Him and be witnesses for Him.
What is the end result of our good testimony and witness? The Bible says, “Enoch walked with God; and he was not; for God took him.” The phrase “took him” could be translated “carried over or across.” God carried Enoch over death. The Bible says, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). In the case of Enoch, God made an exception and took him straight to heaven. He picked him off of one shore and put him on the other.
The fact of the matter is that when you walk with God on earth, you will also walk with Him in heaven. Revelation 3:4 says, “ ‘They shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.’ ” Enoch is a representative of those believers who will not die but be caught up to heaven, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians.
Let me ask you this: if the Lord were to come back today, would He take you along? He took Enoch. Why? Enoch walked with God. He was well pleasing to God. He was a witness for God.
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