Take a Long Walk with God

“Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”
– Genesis 5:24

After starring in several blockbusters including Jurassic World, Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers Endgame, Chris Pratt has become one of the most popular actors in Hollywood. But here’s something that’s far more remarkable: he is a Christian who is very vocal about his faith. After high school, Chris experimented with drugs and alcohol and was going nowhere fast.

But one day he was at a grocery store doing some shopping before heading to a party where he hoped to get drunk and hook up with a cute girl. But at that grocery store a man came up to him and said, “Jesus told me to talk to you.” In Chris Pratt’s own words: “At that moment I was like: I think I have to go with this guy. He took me to church. Over the next few days I surprised my friends by declaring that I was going to change my life.”

Hollywood isn’t exactly a hotbed for Jesus-loving Christians, but isn’t it encouraging to know that there are followers of Christ who stand out in the crowd and openly share their faith in Tinseltown? And isn’t it encouraging to know that the Bible spotlights dozens of men and women of faith who loved and served God faithfully in their own generations? One of the Bible’s lesser-known faith heroes is Enoch.

Enoch’s life is nicely summarized in Genesis 5:18-24. In a nutshell, Enoch was seven generations removed from Adam, and he was the great grandfather of Noah. Genesis chapter 5 records the 10-generation genealogy between Adam and Noah. And if you were to read the entire chapter, you would see that Enoch stands out in three inspiring ways:

#1: Enoch didn’t just live; he walked with God. If you read through Genesis 5, you’ll notice a repetition of words and phrases in the genealogy. For example: Each man was born, lived a certain number of years, had a son of his own, and then “lived” a certain number of years afterward, having more sons and daughters. We find this pattern repeated in verses 4, 7, 10, 13, 16 and 19.

But this pattern is interrupted with Enoch. Verses 22-23 read: “When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuseleh. And after he became the father of Methuseleh, Enoch…walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.” Did you catch the difference? With Enoch, the phrase “walked with God” replaces the word “lived.” Well, that’s nice…but what’s the point? Here’s the point: God’s word is telling us that there is a difference between WALKING with God and merely LIVING. Any fool can simply exist. Anybody can merely live. But those whose lives glorify God and fulfill His purpose in their generation are those who don’t merely believe in God or talk about God. Like Enoch, they WALK with God.

#2: Enoch’s years here on earth were FEWER but so much FULLER than those of every one of his ancestors. If you look at the lifespans called out in Genesis 5, they’re pretty remarkable. Most of the men lived over 900 years. But Enoch just lived on earth for 365 years—or as some call it: A year of years. Enoch only lived here on earth for about one-third as long as his dad and granddads. But a longer life does not necessary produce a more impactful life. Does it?

Alexander the Great died at the age of 33. Amadeus Mozart clocked out at 35. Vincent van Gogh--just 37. Martin Luther King Jr. died at 39, and Joan of Arc was just 19. Like most of you, I hope to live a long life. But what is much more important than the number of years that I live is how much I put into those years for the glory of God. When you consider your own life, are you more focused on the number of your years or on the fullness of your years? No matter how many years God gives you, make sure every one of them counts for the glory of God.

#3: Unlike all of his ancestors, Enoch didn’t die. Instead, God took him away. If you were to look at the brief descriptions of Enoch’s dad and granddads in verse 5-20, you would see another pattern in the way the end of their lives is described. They lived a certain number of years, and then they died. But not Enoch. “Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (vs. 23-24).

Enoch never died. God simply…took him away. And in a sense, committed Christians don’t really die either. God simply takes them away.  Even if our heart stops beating and our lungs stop pumping and our brain waves stop firing, we don’t die. God simply takes us away. We live every day that God has called us to live, walking by faith, obeying God’s commands and fulfilling His purpose in our own generation. And after we have done all that God has called us to do, He simply takes us away.

A little girl learned about Enoch one day at church, and when she got home she told her mom the story of Enoch. She said, “Enoch used to take long walks with God. One day he walked so far God said, ‘It’s too far to go back; come on home with Me.’ That’s what happened to Enoch.”

Wow! I don’t know about you, but I want to take long walks with God. I’m going to keep walking by faith and fulfilling His purpose in my generation until He calls me home. How about you?

Dane Davis is the Pastor of Impact Christian Church. Join us for our Worship Service Sundays at 10 a.m. at the new Dr. Ralph Baker School in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

A Nickname You’ll Never Forget

“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.”  – Genesis 32:28

I enjoy a good nickname. My first car was an emerald green 1973 Super Beetle. It went from 0 to 60 MPH…eventually. I nicknamed her La Maquina Verde, which translates: The Green Machine. In more recent years, my wife and I have used different nicknames for each other: Pookie, Sweetheart and Honey. We’ve nicknamed our four kids Kicker, Jet, Kid and Care Bear. And our dog has the strangest nicknames of all: Fuzzy Lips and Snout Head. Yes, I really enjoy a good nickname.

And in Genesis 32, God gives Abraham’s grandson Jacob a nickname for the ages. It’s actually much more than a nickname; it’s a brand new name that he and his descendents would bear for all time to come. After a long night of wrestling, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel.

It had been a nerve-racking few days for Jacob. He had learned that his older brother Esau was on his way to meet him, and that fact had Jacob worried. You see, years earlier Jacob had tricked his brother out of his birthright and stolen his brother’s firstborn blessing. In other words, he had cheated his brother out of what was rightfully his. And as a result, Esau had threatened to kill Jacob. So, Jacob ran for his life.

Fast forward about fifteen years, and these two estranged brothers were just hours away from a hair-raising rendezvous. The night before the anticipated meeting, Jacob was alone on the side of a stream. He cried out to God for protection, and in response, God sent an angel to wrestle with Jacob until sunrise. Scripture seems to indicate that it was no ordinary angel but was God Himself in the form of a man. As sunrise approached, the wrestling match ended in a draw. But as the Lord was about to leave Jacob, Jacob refused to let him go. He exclaimed, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

In response, God did just that: He blessed Jacob. But before blessing him, He gave Jacob a new name: Israel. It was a powerful name that would commemorate for all time the fact that Jacob has successfully wrestled with God. Consider this: Jacob’s given name means “he grasps the heel.” But Jacob’s name figuratively means “deceiver.” And it turns out that Jacob’s name was an apt description of his character later in life. At one time or another, he had deceived his brother, his father, his uncle and even his own wife. Jacob was not a very upstanding guy. He was a philanderer, a deceiver, a real snake in the grass.

Jacob had spent years living up to his name: Deceiver. But in one brief moment at the closing ceremonies of the strangest wrestling match of all time, God told Jacob bluntly, “Your name will no longer be Jacob.” God basically said, “You will no longer be known as a deceiver. From now on you will be known as a struggler with God.” That’s what the name Israel means—struggler or wrestler with God.

And as Jacob’s twelve sons gave rise to twelve tribes, they would not be known as the twelve tribes of Jacob. They would be called the twelve tribes of Israel. The nation comprised of Jacob’s descendents would not be a nation of deceivers; they would be a nation of God-strugglers. And the Jewish people still bear that illustrious name today. It’s amazing to realize that God transformed the life of a sneaky, conniving deceiver in just a few moments. Jacob began the night as a heel-grabbing deceiver but finished the night with a badge of honor. Jacob had wrestled with God and had walked away with God’s great blessing—a blessing that would be passed on from generation to generation for all time.

Recently, I shared Jacob’s story with our congregation. After doing so, I encouraged them to answer a couple questions based on this amazing chapter (Genesis 32). QUESTION #1: DO YOU FEEL ALONE? As Jacob sat on the side of a stream by himself, he felt scared, worried and helpless. Yet by the end of the night he had come to realize that he was never alone. God was with him and had blessed him. My friend, you are not alone either. If you are humbly following Jesus Christ and obeying His word, God is with you and will bless you too.

QUESTION #2: WHAT’S YOUR NEW GOD-GIVEN NAME THAT IS SHAPING YOUR LEGACY? Before I was born, my mom chose to name me Dane, which means “brook” or “from Denmark.” For years I’ve teased her, claiming that she got my name off of a semi truck’s mud flap: “Great Dane.” But honestly, she just liked the sound of my name.

And now I wonder: If God desired to give me a new name, what would my new name be? I would love for God to call me Faithful or Compassionate or Christlike. But honestly, I’m not sure what God’s name for me is. Perhaps you could join me in asking Him, “Lord, have you given me a new name? If so, what is it?” Like Israel, your new God-given name could help shape your destiny. It could reveal what God sees in you and what He has called you to become.

     Dane Davis is the Pastor of First Christian Church in Victorville. For more information,

visit www.YourVictorvilleChurch.com  and join us for our worship service Sundays at 10 a.m.

Be Strong and Courageous

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

- Joshua 1:9

I’ll never forget the day I first became a father. After a couple of trips to the hospital and several hours of difficult labor, the doctor broke the news: The baby would have to be delivered by C-section. And after we welcomed our first baby girl into the world, my wife Christine spent some time in recovery while I waited with our girl. At last mama and baby were settled into her room … and I was getting really hungry. So, with Christine’s permission, I made a quick trip to the drive-through and picked up a burger to celebrate. Half an hour later, I was back at the hospital with my wife and new daughter, enjoying my tasty meal.

Fast-forward two and a half years. Once again, we were in the O.R., having our second baby delivered by C-section. And after our new little girl was all cleaned up and placed in the nursery, Christine was still in recovery. But now I was an experienced dad – I knew the way things worked, and I knew I had at least 30 to 45 minutes before my wife would be out of recovery. Plenty of time to grab that burger … right? But when I returned with my fast-food bag in hand, Christine was waiting alone in her room. My heart dropped. She’d been sure I wouldn’t leave her and the baby. She gave me an earful, and I deserved it. It was a defining moment in my marriage, and suffice it to say I didn’t make the same mistake with daughters #3 and #4.

Yes, over the years I’ve had my fair share of foibles as a husband and as a father. This makes me so very grateful for the godly examples of husbands and fathers in Scripture—men like Joshua. Clearly, the LORD had special plans for Joshua. And as the Israelites reached the promised land, his faith was put to the test. Of the twelve spies Moses sent ahead to check out their new home, Joshua and Caleb were the only two who had faith in God. As a result, they were the only two who didn’t die of a plague that God sent on the other ten spies. And they were the only middle-aged men who were allowed to enter the promised land. Every other man who was at least twenty years old when the Exodus from Egypt began died in the desert. Joshua understood a lesson we all should remember: There is no need to fear men when the LORD is with us. So walk by faith, not by sight.

Then, after forty years of faithfully serving as Moses’ right-hand man, Joshua was assigned to embark on a mission that would have completely intimidated most men. Moses died at the ripe old age of 120, and God chose Joshua to be Israel’s next leader. His first task? To lead the Israelites in the conquest of the promised land. The walls around the enemy cities were tall and thick. The residents of the cities were big and intimidating—after all, Goliath’s ancestors lived there. But when push came to shove, the only thing that really mattered was the truth that God revealed to Joshua: “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5). So, with that truth settled, the only thing left for Joshua to do was to courageously obey. When we are in the center of God’s will, there is no room for fear. There is only room for strength and courageous obedience.

Joshua did all that God commanded him to do. Over the next fifty years or so, Joshua courageously led the Israelites in conquest of the promised land. They took possession of the land flowing with milk and honey. And at the ripe old age of 110, Joshua’s life was about to end. So, he called the tribal leaders together for one last pep talk. Joshua knew that the people of Israel would continue to be tempted to turn their backs on God. So, as this group of influential men gathered to listen to their wise old leader, this is what Joshua said to them: “Now fear the LORD and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

Throughout his entire adult life, Joshua had faithfully served the Lord. But he understood something that many other men in Scripture didn’t understand. It’s not just about ME serving the Lord faithfully. I must do my very best to lead my FAMILY to serve the Lord faithfully. Many Christian dads wonder: Should I require my family to pray and read the Bible together? The answer is…YES. Should I make my kids go to church with me, even if they’re teenagers? If they live under your roof, then YES. Should I restrict my teens from watching movies, visiting websites and listening to music that is filled with profanity and mocks God? ABSOLUTELY!

You see, we only have a short time to shape our kids’ character before they move out and begin lives of their own. So, like Joshua we should say, we MUST say, “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Taking this stand could be your next defining moment.

Dane Davis is the Pastor of First Christian Church in Victorville. For more information, visit www.YourVictorvilleChurch.com  and join us for worship Sundays at 10 a.m.