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. —Hebrews 11:5, NAS

That which set Enoch apart from the rest of his generation was his sudden disappearance, and yet there was something that lay behind that disappearance in which his real secret is to be found: Enoch “walked with God.” Yet surely this man Enoch was not the man who would be voted by his contemporaries as the man “most likely to be remembered in history!”

Are you aware that the writer to the Hebrews passed by another Enoch as he referred to the Book of Genesis for source material? There was Enoch before our own Enoch in this chapter, and this other Enoch was a contemporary of our Enoch. The other Enoch was a son of Cain (Gen. 4:17), and without doubt Enoch the son of Cain was the more spectacular by contemporary standards. The first city mentioned in the Bible was named after Enoch the son of Cain. How many of us have had a city built in our name?

Consider the people you hear so much about at the present time, such as those you see on television. Consider the movie stars, the best-selling authors, the noisy politicians. The question is, will posterity even recall them? Even twenty years from now? It is quite likely that Enoch the city, not the Enoch who walked with God, was the talk of that generation.

Enoch was not a spectacular man, but he walked with God. The writer to the Hebrews adds that Enoch “pleased God.” We are not told that Enoch pleased his friends or his family, for that is sometimes hard to do. We are told that he pleased God, and that is something any of us can do—by faith.

Excerpted from Believing God (MorningStar Publications & Ministries, 1997).

Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever.” —Genesis 6:3

When we are strongly tempted, we immediately start rationalizing to justify any decision we make. We all do this. Perhaps you’ve said, “I’ve been depressed, and this has helped me through my depression.”

For some, immediate gratification is more important than the salvation of their souls. Jesus asked a question. It’s one of those questions you can’t answer: “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36, emphasis added). We are talking about where we spend eternity. Am I to believe that some, in order to satisfy a habit, are ready to give in to temptation and lose their souls? Some have been brought up in a Christian home and have turned their backs on the gospel. Some have heard the gospel preached and kept rationalizing, always thinking there would be another opportunity. But the Bible says that there will come a day when they will not hear the gospel that once stirred them.

If the Holy Spirit is dealing with you, while there’s a little tug in your heart, respond to Him!

You see, this is the way the devil works. Jacob had the stew ready. He didn’t have to say to Esau, “Now that you’ve sworn the birthright is mine, I’ll go and prepare it for you.” It was ready. The devil will already have someone there to drink with you, to have sex with, or to give you easy money.

Esau wanted to do something to change everything, but he had passed the point of no return. The Bible tells us that he couldn’t reverse it, though he tried with tears (Gen. 27:38).

Now is the time to weep. Weep for your sins. Be sorry, and thank God that He is coming to you again. Look to His Son and trust Him. If you hear His voice, are you willing to do that today? Jesus says, “Come to me” (Matt. 11:28).

Excerpted from All’s Well That Ends Well (Authentic Media, 2005).

If someone is caught in sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. —Galatians 6:1

Stubbornness means being unteachable, inflexible, holding firmly to your own opinion and not giving in. A stubborn person is incorrigible. They never improve, and they don’t seem to learn. They will not admit to a fault, and nothing seems to change their mind. Have I described you? Do people who know you best think this about you? The chances are, if two or more people have thought it, there may well be something to it.

However, there are two kinds of stubbornness: there’s the stubbornness that can flow from the Holy Spirit, and there’s the stubbornness that flows from the flesh. In other words, there’s the good kind of stubbornness and the bad kind. The good kind is where you have been persuaded of something by the Holy Spirit and stick to your guns.

I am talking, however, about stubbornness in the flesh. What are we like when left to ourselves? We find we are proud; we have big egos that don’t want to admit to a wrong. But pride has another side—insecurity. The person who has the biggest ego is equally the most insecure person there is.

What do you do if you have to cope with a person who is stubborn? First, you have to remember this verse. That means that you recognize that you also are vulnerable. Next, you have to get the person to face the facts. Then you must answer their questions honestly.

Yet, at the end of the day, only God can change a person. Sometimes the only way a stubborn person is dealt with is where God Himself brings them to the place where they are backed into a corner and there is only one way out. That is God’s gracious way of dealing with them. I know what it is to have God box me into a corner, leaving me with no choice. It is painful at the time, and yet I know it is God’s way of getting my attention.

Excerpted from All’s Well That Ends Well (Authentic Media, 2005).

Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” … Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. —Genesis 25:29-33

We are told that Jacob manipulated Esau into surrendering his birthright. Esau was the elder, and that meant he would inherit double what Jacob would receive. We are all like Jacob. You say, “Not me.” Yet, we are all manipulators. There are two kinds: there’s the “top dog” or the passive manipulator, the person who’s very quiet and achieves his aim by pouting or by just saying a word here and there to get their own way. If a person manipulates you into doing something, you really only have yourself to blame, because nobody can be manipulated unless they acquiesce. So if you manipulate me, it’s because I have allowed you to do it.

There is an exception to the manipulating person: Jesus Christ never manipulates us to achieve His end or purpose. He never treats us as if we are mere objects. He always treats us with dignity, as people. Perhaps people have pushed you around and have taken advantage of you over the years to such an extent that it is impossible for you to conceive what it would be like to be treated with dignity.

The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, is always a gentleman. The Holy Spirit will never manipulate; what He does is to apply the Word as it is in the Bible. When we hear His voice, suddenly it dawns on us, and we begin to see that God is making sense in our lives. We would be fools to reject Him.

When Jesus died on the cross, He died for all the manipulators of the world. Perhaps you are reading this as one who has given in to manipulation, and you are so ashamed. Maybe you have manipulated someone else. Jesus took the guilt of your sins on the cross and promises a new beginning. The blood of Jesus will wash away all your sins. God promises you a home in heaven; your past is forgotten. This God will treat you with dignity. He will not manipulate you.

Excerpted from All’s Well That Ends Well (Authentic Media, 2005).

“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Heb. 11:8, NASB).

We may refer to God’s revealing Himself to Abraham as Abraham’s “calling.” Our verse says, “By faith Abraham, when he was called … ” All greatness may be traced to one’s calling, and so with Abraham.

One interesting thing about the call to Abraham was the promise of greatness. God said to Abraham, “I’m going to make you a great name.” (See Genesis 12:2.) And yet the very thing that made God angry with regard to the Tower of Babel was that people were going to make a name for themselves. Is there a contradiction?

God is not against greatness—as long as He is the architect of it. He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Pet. 5:5). But if we are thinking of making ourselves great and building a name for ourselves, we will be fighting against God. One of the most common temptations for a Christian, especially if he is involved in Christian service, is to think he must build up a certain image—or build up his name, as one would do in show business.

The parallel between show business people and some Christians in the Lord’s work is one of the most ominous signs of 21-century Christianity. God promised to make Abraham a great name, but not before Abraham was ready. Indeed, Abraham had much to go through before he was ready.

As you read these lines, God may be calling you to greatness. You may think you are the most insignificant person on earth. But God delights in making men great—provided that He is the One doing it. He created all things “out of nothing” and continues to make men great who hold no promise whatsoever.

Excerpted from Believing God (MorningStar Publications & Ministries, 1997).

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” —Jeremiah 29:11

Prophecy is where God speaks through a person that which He wants spoken at a particular moment. It could be something to do with the present, so you could say that a preacher who expounds God’s Word and applies it directly to his congregation is prophesying. Sometimes we want a sensational word about the future, but what we need is knowing what to do now, and God speaks through the preaching of His Word. Yet there is such a thing as predictive prophecy, when we predict and God fulfills what is said. Isaac and Rebekah prayed, then a prophetic word came to Rebekah: “The Lord said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger'” (Gen. 25:23). Prophecy is God’s idea. He not only determines things in advance, but sometimes He also reveals things in advance.

It is no accident you were born when and where you were. There was a reason. You may say that your parents didn’t want you, that you’re an “accident,” but you are wrong. God wanted you to be born, and He chose the womb from which you should enter this world. I understand if you have a low view of yourself because you feel you were never wanted. You’ve grown up with a feeling of rejection. But consider this: God wanted you. You are here on purpose. God determines where and when a person should be born. He alone gives life, and those who are born to us aren’t ours, but His.

Equally important, God also determines our new birth. Jesus said to a man by the name of Nicodemus, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). The phrase born again has been abused, and people laugh at it. But the truth is, you can be born of the Spirit and come in touch with the true God. He put you here, and there is a plan for your life.

Excerpted from All’s Well That Ends Well (Authentic Media, 2005).

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. —Psalm 29:2, KJV

Worship that is pleasing to God has several characteristics, the first of which is insight: the awareness of God that precipitates and inspires the worship. Next there is integrity: the ability of the worshiper to come before God in truth, with his whole being and nothing held back. Then there is indebtedness: the sense of our debt to God. Fourth, there is a sense of inadequacy: our inability to express the depth of our feelings toward God. Charles Wesley could only say:

O for a thousand tongues to sing My great Redeemer’s praise. —Charles Wesley, “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” public domain

This quality of worship is possible only through the Holy Spirit. You cannot worship beyond the level of your insight. And you get that insight by the Holy Spirit. A feeling of indebtedness is proof that you realize that your insight is from God. A sense of inadequacy will also determine the quantity, or length of time, of your worship. You feel you must keep on trying to express your love and need of God. And this will continue throughout eternity. For we will always be unable to express our debt to God because we are in heaven and not hell.

True worship exposes our imperfection. It matters to God that we should see how imperfect we are. One of the most painful, as well as, usually, one of the last things we discover about ourselves is that we are self-righteous.

Our greatest joy and pleasure is to be found in God alone. So much of what is pleasurable in this life has to be shared with somebody else in order to be fully enjoyed. Even if we had tea with the queen, much of the joy would be in sharing what we had experienced. But the joy of being in the presence of God alone is the greatest joy there is, and it does not need to be shared.

Excerpted from Worshipping God (Hodder & Stoughton, 2004).

Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. —Genesis 25:21

It began with Rebekah, the wife of Isaac, who had a barren womb. She had no children, and it looked as though she never would have. In ancient times this was considered as a kind of curse, but it turned out that God was signaling great blessing to come. Barrenness was sometimes a symbol of promise in disguise.

Maybe you feel that you are in a similar situation, and you want something to happen. Perhaps it is to have a baby, to know a particular success, or to have a prayer answered, but you have come to a dead end. You ask, “Why?” Yet, maybe that which looks so bleak is God’s way of saying, “Just wait a little while longer, and you will see all that I have done. I do everything with a particular strategy in mind.”

Isaac prayed. One of the greatest mysteries that I know is the sovereignty of God in prayer. I know that God can do anything and doesn’t have to answer to anybody, yet the same God tells us to pray. It amazes me. Perhaps you feel negative about the sovereignty of God, believing that there’s no chance He’ll give you mercy. Yet that’s the point: God doesn’t owe us anything. If we come to understand that, it might just put us in our place and lead us to pray.

Maybe the dead-end road you are on is God’s way of trying to get your attention. When was the last time you prayed? How often do you pray? What is God doing to bring you to the place of prayer? Unanswered prayer is often God’s way of getting our attention. You see, when we don’t get what we want, we are more teachable; whereas when we are blessed, we can become more unteachable. God has a way of bringing you to such a place that you’ll wait on Him.

Excerpted from All’s Well That Ends Well (Authentic Media, 2005).

Behold, I make all things new. —Revelation 21:5, KJV

My worship and knowledge of God are not a means to an end, but an end in itself. For that is the way I will spend eternity: worshiping God for God’s own sake and knowing that this brings Him pleasure. That is what will make heaven, heaven.

What will there be in heaven? First, restoration. Have you noticed that little phrase in Acts 3:21 (KJV): “until the times of restitution of all things”? This means the restoration of what was lost in the Fall. What was lost in Eden will be restored, never to be threatened again.

In heaven we will worship as Adam did before the Fall, with one big difference—we will  worship with hearts overflowing with gratitude, for we will worship with the knowledge that we are redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus.

There will be fellowship— “a great multitude, which no man could number” (Rev. 7:9, KJV). So in heaven there will be restoration of friendships.

There will be righteousness in heaven. That means transparent holiness and perfect justice. There will be no miscarriage of justice in heaven. There will be no discrimination, no racial prejudice, no conspiracies, but total fairness. God looks forward to that. Do you think God doesn’t care when somebody is kidnapped, mugged, or slandered? But He sees the end from the beginning. He never panics. He can wait for His name to be cleared.

What will heaven be like? It will be revelation. The truth will be equally clear to all then. And best of all, Jesus will be fully revealed. “Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12). We are all going to see Him. My Lord and my God. The one I love.

There will be rejoicing in heaven. Rejoicing that will never end.

I don’t know all we will be doing in heaven, but I do know we will worship spontaneously, by the Holy Spirit, without any limitation or hindrance whatever.

Excerpted from Worshipping God (Hodder & Stoughton, 2004).

Anne Graham Lotz speaks about the story of Abraham and how it has influenced her life. Watch to find out what she left behind and why. What is God calling you to give up so you can serve and follow Him in a life of faith?

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