Intimate Fellowship With Our Creator

Like believers in Bible times, all Christians are called to walk in obedience, truth, and godliness. Of course, everything in society fights that effort. Secular culture is only getting worse, and the church, in many cases, has grown weak and shallow. The temptation to compromise and sin is immense and relentless. But as in the days of Enoch and Noah, God is watching for those who will faithfully walk with Him. As 2 Chronicles 16:9 reminds us, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him." The actions of godly men and women are not determined by peer pressure or popular opinion. Rather, they arise from deep personal character and conviction---the kind forged over years of walking with the Lord in fellowship, truth, and obedience.----Twelve Unlikely Heroes, John MacArthur




Enoch a man that was, and was taken. Enoch walked with God, he loved God, and he was righteous. He was so close to God that he didn't experience death. Wow! How awesome would it be to be taken directly into the presence of our Holy God without having to face the sting of death? 

He walked with God. What does that mean to walk with Him? Let's look back to Genesis 3:8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. God walked on this earth with Adam and Eve. They experienced intimate, close, fellowship with the Holy One. Can we like Enoch, Adam, and Eve walk with God? I believe, yes, we can. 

Before Jesus left the earth while He was eating with the disciples, He explained to them that He must go away, but He would send the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit was left to be our Comforter, Encourager, and Advocate. John 14:16 Explains: "That the world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him." It goes on to say, "But you now Him. for He lives with you and will be in you." Verses 18-27 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them." Then Judas said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world? Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." 

This sounds very intimate to me. We are inhabited by the Holy Spirit which is the third person of the trinity. He teaches us, exhorts us, reminds us. He reminds us of the teaching of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Himself said if we love Him we will keep His commands. In John 15 Jesus teaches about the Vine and the Branches. He says if we remain in Him, we will bear fruit. He goes on to say apart from Him we can do nothing. Our fruit is the proof to ourselves and others that we are abiding and remaining in intimate fellowship with the Vine. What is the fruit we will produce? Let's see what Jesus says: "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than than this: to lay down one's life for ones' friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit------fruit that will last------and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: LOVE each other. John 15:12-17 It goes back to obedience to the word of God, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and the love we have for each other. 

All of us that are chosen by God to be His sons are equipped with the Holy Spirit, and through Him have the power to obey His Holy word. We must when confronted with His word, obey. The second part to this is our love. This takes us back to what Jesus said was the greatest commandments, "Love the Lord your God with all you heart and your neighbor as yourself." If we are truly abiding in Jesus we will obey and we will love. Loving each other is the premises of our faith. We must be willing to be long-suffering, forbearing, and patient with one another just as He is with us. 

I write this post to my Christian brother's and sister's. Please extend grace to your fellow believers. We are all being sanctified and changed daily by our Father. I believe if we are going to show our intimacy with God we MUST display His love through our love for each other. "Christian's" have made a mess, and will continue to make a mess of our faith with their ignorant disputes with each other. We have to be different in our words and deeds, but please don't think for one minute that your "deeds" will portray His love. You can preform all the works and externals you want, but if your cup is dirty inside you're dead. You're dead to yourself and to others. 

Father, I pray as we walk this walk of faith, as we travel this narrow road, that we would love you more, sit with you more, seek your face in all things, love like you do. Open our eyes to our haughty spirit and humble our hearts. I am not above reproach and I stand in awe of the mercy you extend to me daily. Please Lord help me to extend your grace to my Christian family. Allow us to change this world like Enoch, Noah, Moses, Martin Luther, Paul, and many others. Help us to bridle our fleshly desires and passions and share your truth in love. Revive us Lord, use us to shine forth who You REALLY are. In Jesus name...Amen

We will leave a legacy. Will you be a white washed tomb with dead men's bones, or will you be a Enoch that leaves a legacy of righteousness and intimacy with God?