Enoch

Pleasing God

Ken

“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5 KJV). Some would say Enoch was raptured or caught up to God. “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up [Greek, harpazō] together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1Thessalonians 4:17). Without speculating whether Professed Christianity is following the pattern of Enoch, his testimony of pleasing God is walking with Jesus. “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). And, nothing short of continual, heartfelt pisteuō commitment to Jesus can be acceptable to God. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). 

Can God sustain His people in a continual state of pleasing Himself? Yes, even in the OT, God’s people were kept by God in a continual state of peace, when they were trusting Him. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee” (Isaiah 26:3). Examine God’s interactions with us, even now. Look for His provisions for sustaining us. “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22). Pleasing God cannot be any inherent quality about us, i.e., physical, social, racial, economic, political, but must be entirely moral and volitional. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him” (2Chronicles 16:9). 

Should we think it too much not to descend into the pit of despondency being overcome by passion for impatience, anger, fear, bewilderment, attractions of the flesh, desires of the eyes, or the pride of life? Jesus set our example. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps” (1Peter 2:21). It would be unwise to estimate our capacity to please God by measuring others’ success or failure in doing so. “Comparing themselves among themselves, [they] are not wise” (2Corinthians 10:12). Wouldn’t it be strange, if the Creator could not design a system in which His people could not please Himself without their retreating to a Heavenly circumstance? 

Do our NT circumstances give us better opportunity to please God? Yes. And, “unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” (Luke 12:48). The promised Holy Spirit is the inspiration for our obedience, not the mechanical trigger to force it. “And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). Since the Spirit is “given to them that obey Him” (Acts 5:32), any predisposition to repent, believe, and obey cannot be separated from our necessity to do so. “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13). Believing gives us the Spirit, who in turn, gives us the inspiration to obey. “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). 

Ours is to keep our eyes on Jesus. 

What is the most important thing? 

Focus squarely on Jesus. He is at the intersection of our doing everything we are supposed to be doing (on one hand), while not being concerned about what anyone else thinks we should or should not be doing (on the other hand). “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

On one hand, the Pharisees made keeping the law their objective. It is true that we need to walk in obedience to God, but we should not attribute our obedience to our goodness. “1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to His disciples, 2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: 3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:1-12).

On the other hand, the antinomians — the other extreme, which rejected the restrictions of the law — attempted to emphasize their lack of necessity of keeping the law as a goal; but instead, to concentrate on being happy. “Let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die” (Isaiah 22:13). It is also true that we are not under the law. “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). But, Paul anticipated the natural tendency of disregarding the law, which is to sin and continue in it. “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid” (6:15). If we are truly in Jesus, how can we live in sin? 

As we get closer to the end, we shall see a paradox of more signs of God’s people understanding what is going on — “them that look for Him” (Hebrews 9:28) — while we shall also see signs of Professed Christians entirely without a clue about truly focusing on Jesus. “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). 

Father, we desire to be like Jesus and Enoch, that we would please You. Guide us by Your Spirit how not to walk in the flesh, for “they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). Help us not to become prideful as the Pharisees in our conforming to your Law of Love. Teach us not to be like the antinomians, and more like the Thessalonians, “how [we] ought to walk and to please God, so [we] would abound more and more” (1Thessalonians 4:1). Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Your name, we pray. Amen. 

Dealing With the Rapture (Part 3)

Ken

The Rapture is possibly the most controversial and studiously ignored issue of the Church at present, “in the fulness of the time”(Galatians 4:4 KJV), simply because it represents the culmination of our Master’s End Times strategy to tie together all the disparate issues of the Church, as well as, addressing all the clear and present circumstances of the Almighty’s Unseen Realm. Consider that the LORD’s supernatural enemy has been preparing for the departure event of the my Rapture from ancient times, especially since Enoch and Elijah (Genesis 5:24; 2Kings 2:11) were translated, to the enemy’s horror, and to their inability to explain away the Almighty’s ability to control the narrative. 

The necessity of the enemy explaining the disappearance of even a large minority of earth’s population involves carefully Articulating What the Crowd Already Believes:

First, justice from the supernatural. The suggestion of a Nephilim hybrid of angels with human females — “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown” (Genesis 6:4 ESV) — is rejected by most respectable, scholarly, biblical interpreters, yet most all historical human cultures have mythical traditions of such supernatural interaction with humanity, down to Hollywood’s incarnation of superheroes. What modern moviegoer doesn’t want to believe in justice finally from the supernatural? 

Second, fascination with the supernatural. Christian theology typically explains demon possession as simply bad actor fallen angels spiritually and physically molesting us. What if we more precisely defined demons as the disembodied spirits of the multitudes of Nephilim destroyed in a worldwide flood of Noah (Genesis 6-8)? “So the devils besought Him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine” (Matthew 8:31 KJV). Much of the modern fascination with witchcraft, the demonic, poltergeists, etc. is based upon what the world believes is true, or is afraid to think is true. 

Third, making things right through the supernatural. The fabric of the adversary’s explanation for the Rapture will unavoidably delve into the realm of UFO’s, since the Antichrist [a Nephilim] will supernaturally accomplish peace for Israel sufficient to allow for the building of a Third Jewish Temple, a presently unthinkable event. “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2Thessalonians 2:3-4). Just as humanity senses a need for world justice, what human wouldn’t object to reaching out to the divinity in us all? 

Summary of the Enemy’s Response to the Rapture. Lie. What’s the most direct strategy for the enemy to deal with the Rapture? Lie. The devil “is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). His Nephilim protégé, the Antichrist, Is also a liar. “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (2Thessalonians 2:9). Those “lying wonders” of Antichrist will include resurrecting from the dead. “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast” (Revelation 13:3). But, the Big Lie — for which Antichrist will kill the Christians — will cause their refusal to worship him as God, seated in the Temple at the middle of the Tribulation Week (2Thessalonians 2:3-4).

When you consider that Bible prophecy is so diligently avoided by much of the respectable Christian ministry, is it any wonder the Church is so ill equipped to defend the actions of our Lord in Rapturing His Church?

LORD, may Your people awaken to the challenge of giving “an answer to every man that asketh [them] a reason of the hope that is in [then] with meekness and fear” (1Peter 3:15). May we be ready for Your appearing. May we hasten Your appearing. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Come quickly and rapture Your Church. Amen. 

Gospel in the OT Genealogy of Genesis 5

Ken

To illustrate God’s good intentions towards humanity, even when most all were adamantly against Him, look at what God was saying through the Hebrew meanings of the genealogical names of the godly in Genesis 5. The following is an insight from Bible teacher, Chuck Missler (The Book of Genesis Handbook, Koinonia House, Inc., 2020, p. 153).  

“Adam” signifies “Man (is)” 

“Seth” signifies “Appointed” 

“Enoch” signifies “Mortal” 

“Kenan” signifies “Sorrow; (but)” 

“Mahalalel” signifies “The Blessed God” 

“Jared” signifies “shall come down” 

“Enoch” signifies “Teaching (that)” 

“Methuselah” signifies “His death shall bring” 

“Lamech” signifies “The Despairing” 

“Noah” signifies “Comfort, Rest”  

Translated as a whole, the genealogy reads: 

“Man is appointed mortal sorrow; but the blessed God shall come down teaching that His death shall bring the despairing comfort and rest.”  

Isn’t that the Gospel?  And, didn’t that ultimately result through Yahweh’s actions from the cataclysmic Flood judgment? 

“Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34 KJV).

Excerpt From:

Understanding Spiritual Warfare

Kenneth Fall

https://books.apple.com/us/book/understanding-spiritual-warfare/id6472605817

This material may be protected by copyright.

My Two Witnesses (Revelation 11:3)

Ken

More power than Moses and Aaron over Egypt, the LORD’s “two witnesses” (Revelation 11:3 KJV) will prophesy 42 months or 1,260 days, the second half of the Tribulation Week. Who are they? Neither Enoch nor Elijah died, since both were personally raptured Home. Perhaps it will be them. Fire will proceed out of their mouths to devour their enemies (11:5). They will have unprecedented power. “These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will” (11:6). The Almighty, not the wicked one, controls the narrative for the story to conclude as prophesied. Both will be martyred like many true witnesses, will lie dead three days in the streets of Jerusalem, but will be resurrected for all the world to see, when a Great Voice from heaven calls out, “Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them” (11:12). All of this transpires as the Seventh Trumpet sounds (11:15). LORD, You control the narrative. You determine the fulness of time for all things. May our awe of You far surpass our apprehension about the enemy. May our understanding of You transcend our understanding of not just man’s power but all the supernatural power of wickedness in high places. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. 

Protect Your Relationship With God

Ken

Your riches are what you value the most. Riches are kept where thieves do not break through and steal. “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20 KJV), but how and with what? A disciple listening to the voice of God in their thoughts, the “fear of the LORD is his treasure” (Isaiah 33:6). Like Enoch walking with God, he was continually laying up the treasure of the fear of the LORD until “he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). Your relationship with God is your communion with Him in your thoughts. Protect it, for Satan desires to separate you from the source of your strength and riches, as he separated Samson from his hair. Keep the conversation with God going. Think on these things. 

Walking With God

Ken

Man has a history of walking with God. Adam and Eve “heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8 KJV). The Voice was the Pre-Incarnate Christ, the Son of God, the Eternal Logos who was made flesh, walking in the garden with our parents. God seems to enjoy walking with man, too, for Enoch “walked with God” (5:22), until he apparently walked Home, “for God took him” (5:24). Some describe the Rapture as an Enoch Walk. Noah “walked with God” (6:9) and was chosen to rescue the world from the plague of the Nephilim. Abraham walked with the LORD, whom he trusted. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3 KJV). Moses walked with I AM and gave us understanding of how to live, “for the law was given by Moses” (John 1:17 KJV). The apostles walked with the Lord Jesus Christ. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1John 1:1-3 KJV). May we be counted among those who walk with God!