Walking With God

“Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” ESV Genesis 5:24

For the past several days I’ve been dwelling on a sermon I heard just over two years ago. I even downloaded it from the internet and listened to it again this week. It was titled “Four Essentials of Finishing Well” and was presented by an elderly gentleman named Jerry Bridges who I’ve come to respect immensely.

Now well into his seventies, Mr. Bridges is a very unassuming and humble character. He walks with a slight stoop, but his gait is quick and his mind is sharp. His ministry is not pastoral, but what is termed “lay” ministry. He has toiled and persevered in that same ministry for over 50 years with an organization called The Navigators.

As the title indicates, Mr. Bridges’ speech pointed out four essentials to living a Christian life faithfully to the very end. Now think with me for a moment. Here’s a guy, highly revered in Christian circles, well into his seventies who has been in ministry at the same place for over 50 years. He’s working every day at an age when most have entered retirement and now he’s about to speak to me about what it takes to “finish well;” he had my attention.

The first essential to finishing well is to have daily, focused communion with God. Mr. Bridges alluded to the fact that there is indeed a difference between communing with God and simply skimming a section of His word. I wonder how often I’ve let the noise of the day crowd out time alone with God? Far more than I would care to admit I am sure.

The second essential to finishing well is to have a daily appropriation of the gospel. Mr. Bridges noted specifically that the gospel of Jesus Christ was not just for lost people; believers need the gospel too! He pointed to the life of the Apostle Paul for whom the gospel was not just a past event, but a present reality. Daily recognition of God’s loving gift of his Son as a substitute sacrifice for me should produce humility in my soul.

The third essential Mr. Bridges articulated was that we must make a daily commitment to God as a living sacrifice. He appropriately noted that if we look at each day as a day as God’s servant, the noise of the day is less tiresome.

His final point was that to finish well, we need a firm belief in God’s sovereignty. Living each day with the knowledge that God is all knowing, all powerful and perfect in every way keeps us from becoming bitter at the events that unfold in our lives.

Enoch walked with God. I have no doubt that Mr. Bridges strives daily to walk with God. It should be the desire of each of us to do the same so that when we come to rest it can be said of us: ________ walked with God.

Continual Praise

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” ESV Psalm 34:1

It is so very easy to be thankful to God when things are going your way; when life is rocking along according to plans. But it can be terribly difficult to have thanksgiving in your heart when times are difficult or when the best plans go amiss or simply when our expectations are not met.

This past week I spent some time visiting with a missionary family in India. Anybody who’s been on a trip like that knows that it pays to be flexible. Ironically, anybody who knows me well knows that flexibility isn’t one of my strong points. But that’s beside the point. The point is that with international travel life is less stressful when you are flexible.

While I was gone I happened upon Psalm 34 and as I studied this first verse I began to wonder how less stressful life would be if I could live out this verse in every circumstance. How much less stress would each day hold if I offered continual praise to God? How much less stress would each day hold if I praised the Lord at all times?

It is a long, long way to India so I was truly thankful when the nice lady at Royal Dutch Airlines placed me in excellent seats for the two long portions of my flight over. But I confess that I did not have praise in my heart when I was asked to give up one of those seats so that a traveling couple would not be separated. Now I didn’t quibble over the request for even a moment, but I was not immediately thankful for the opportunity to accommodate a fellow traveler either.

On the return flight, my seats were even better and I was truly thankful to have an aisle seat the whole way home. But I was less thankful for the company of the person sitting in the window seat that was undoubtedly battling a common travel ailment; she must have gotten up once per hour. But in hindsight, I needed to stretch my tired legs about that often anyway.

At this point you might legitimately ask, “How trivial is an airplane flight in the big scheme of things?” I’d have to confess that it is very trivial in the big scheme of things. But remember, the smallest packages sometimes contain the nicest gifts and it is in the smallest details that our faith is polished and refined.

In the parable of the minas in Luke 19, the nobleman rewards faithful servants exponentially; cities in exchange for minas. In similar fashion, I think our lives speak loudest in the simplest things. Does your life and attitude betray a heart full of continual praise?

Lord, enable us to be faithful in the smallest details of life. Enable us to continually give praise to you in all situations so that your name might be glorified by our lifestyle.

When You Come

“When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.” ESV 2Timothy 4:13

In the course of just a few verses, Paul urges Timothy twice to waste no time in coming to him. He tells him first “come to me soon” and later to “come before winter.” You see, many of Paul’s friends and ministry companions had left him and he no doubt longed to see a long-time friend and ministry partner.

But Paul didn’t just need Timothy as a Christian companion and co-laborer in the ministry. Paul also had some very practical needs. Winter would be upon him soon but his cloak was in Troas. He needed some books for study and “above all the parchments;” all very practical, everyday items that could easily be taken for granted in America today. It’s noteworthy I suppose to mention that Paul was most likely in prison and no doubt in harsh conditions when his letter to was written, but Paul did some of his best ministry work in harsh conditions.

I’d venture to guess that most Christian ministry, on a global scale, takes place in what we would consider harsh conditions and without what we would consider proper tools. Think about it for a moment.When’s the last time you worshipped on a dirt floor in a barn? Do you see people gathering under lantern light to worship often? How often have you gathered in someone’s house under the cloak of darkness for fear of persecution because of your faith? These things are reality for much of the world.

Recently I corresponded with a missionary couple living in Asia. In one exchange I asked if they had any current needs that would help them in their ministry. Their reply was very simple, very practical, and very much like Paul’s appeal to Timothy. They wrote: “We are happy that you'll be coming here in October. Regarding our needs…we still [a] need laptop computer and guitar and a Bible (New KJV) medium in size.”

Here’s how I interpret their needs. We need a computer that will be portable and useful for studying, writing and basic communications and for presentations. We need a guitar; a portable stringed instrument to use in worship. Finally, and most importantly, we need a new Bible that is the proper size and printed in a version that is familiar in our region. Just basic, practical stuff when you think about it.

By the grace of God, as this article goes to print, I am either making final preparations to go or am already in the midst of a trip to try and meet these very practical ministry needs. My local church (www.tharptown.com) has helped fund the travel costs and given generously to provide for the items needed. Desiring God Ministries (www.desiringgod.org) has donated a suitcase full of educational material and I would not be going at all were it not for the ministry work of HeartCry Missionary Society (www.hcmissions.org). I want to publically thank these folks for their generous heart and ask each of you to pray for a safe and fruitful trip. God bless.