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January 3rd, 2015
CityLight Church’s One Year Bible Reading Plan
Genesis 5:1-7:24
Matthew 3:7-4:11
Psalm 3:1-8
Proverbs 1:10-19
For full text click here: http://bit.ly/1hkkEpb
Commentary from Pastor Mike White:
“And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” (Gen 5:24). Enoch was one of only two men to be taken directly up into Heaven by God (the other is Elijah; see 2 Kings 2:11). Enoch bypassed death completely. He spent his entire life reaching for the things of Heaven; he reached so fervently, and pursued Heaven so passionately, that God no longer saw fit for a separation to exist between his life and Heaven itself. How fortunate would all of us be if we could be taken straight into Heaven, just as Enoch was?
The writer of Hebrews summarizes Enoch’s translation like this: “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” (Heb 11:5). Through Jesus Christ, we are pleasing to God just as Enoch was. Just as Enoch was taken up into Heaven, so too shall we be!
Pursue God passionately. Reach for the things of Heaven, and watch in awesome wonder as God reaches back. This is the confidence we have in Jesus: that when we die, we will rest with Him in Heaven!
Prayer:
Father, thank You for the promise that when I die, I will be taken into Heaven! I cannot wait. Help me to prepare during my time on this earth by getting accustomed to Heaven’s fingerprints on my life. I know that I don’t have to wait until I’m in Heaven, for the things of Heaven to come to life!
© Michael D. White, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Michael White with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.