"Repeat and Refresh" - 2

 "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 5 KJV)

  "So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." (James 2:17 NLT)

 Let me tell you something, all of those things Jesus spoke about regarding those bad seeds, as I was typing out the words, I was remembering times when I had bits and pieces of those experiences. Not that I stayed in those conditions, but that there were days when I didn't believe that I was saved; days when I had fallen away, feeling as if I didn't belong; days when work and pleasures were more important than serving the Lord.

 Having been through the fire, if you will, I am somewhat more confident and secure about my belief in the salvation I have been given. There still are times when I feel discouraged and unworthy; but it is in those times that pick myself up and stand up like a man. And then there are times when I fall down to my knees and beg for forgiveness! If you don't know what all that means, then you probably haven't studied the Book of Job.

 Here is the thing that believing actually means when it comes to following Christ: Just as Jesus said to His disciples, ""The most important commandment is this: 'Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."" (Mark 12:29-31 NLT)

 Basically, if you love God as you should, then you will do what He tells you to do, and you believe what He says, and you put forth the effort to listen and obey, even if you don't really want to! It sounds really simple, but it sometimes is really hard! When those times come when we are not willing or have excuses for ways out, remember that Jesus wept and begged the Father, saying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."" (Matthew 26:39 NLT)

 When I think of it that way, my choices get less important...

""Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink - even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk - it's all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David."" (Isaiah 55:1-3 NLT)  

"Repeat and Refresh"

 "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 5 KJV)

  "For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. Remember what it says, "Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled." And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn't it the people Moses led out of Egypt? And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn't it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn't it the people who disobeyed him? So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest." (Hebrews 3:14-19 NLT)

 Hopefully there will be something that really matters in this, so called mistake; but either way, I am sure that everything happens for a reason; even the stupid things we might do, God can use them, somehow for good! With that, I will try to make a better effort to define what it means to believe; mostly because the majority of those who fail and do not enter into His rest, do so because their belief is only imaginary and not based upon the whole truth.

 To explain what it means to believe, as if we don't already know, is to understand that we have been set free from sin; which, believe it or not, is the power of forgiveness, that we should: "Go, and sin no more!" Having said that, it is highly unlikely that anyone reading this has the ability to "sin no more," as if that was even possible! We are made perfect because we are in Christ and He lives in us; otherwise, we have no standing at all! 

 There is a very significant difference to the ones who believe the truth and those who do not; and even then, those who know the truth, will somehow still make mistakes! We really don't have to debate that isn't so, because the Bible is full of examples that what I said is true. The main point that we need to keep in our hearts and minds, is that God really does love us, even when we make mistakes! 

 Think of it this way, if you will. Believing in God's promises is something that makes you know that whatever He says He will do, is absolutely true. Which is basically the whole reason those who died in that wilderness didn't enter into His rest: They did not believe that He would take care of them, even after seeing with their own eyes the power and glory of their God!

 When we were first saved, we experience something that was supernatural and real; something that made us feel as though we had no worries, as if all the burdens that had us bound up and afraid were simply taken away, and a heavy load was taken off of our shoulders. This was not something that we made happen; and it surely wasn't something that we should ever forget...

""This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is God's word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God's word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest."" (Luke 8:11-15 NLT)   

"Clearing the Air"

   "So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Isreal from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful. And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment. And don't forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God's judgment." (Jude 5-7 NLT)

 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ: And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 KJV)

 Much to my chagrin, I realized this morning that I messed up placing the '5' where it didn't belong; as it was, the plan was to do 5, 6, and 7 together, leaving only 3 & 4 on their own. If that doesn't make any sense, don't bother trying to figure it out. I am over the being worried about the mistake and have made the decision that it might have actually been for a reason. 

 This portion of Scripture from 2 Corinthians is something I seriously focused on back in February 1989 to April 1990; and continued to use it, off and on, since then. The main reason was based on a simple book that was called "CounterAttack." Basically, what the book was meant for, was, "Taking Back Ground Lost to Sin." The book was written by Jay Carty, who used a character in the book as an illustration of warning, which was called, "Polar Bear Alert". 

 It might sound silly, but it does actually work! Unfortunately, like most all of us do, when we practice something that really works, we sometimes put it down because it takes away from our, so called, freedom to sin! Sad to say, but the freedom to sin is a myth! If you don't know what a myth actually means, much as it may, the Polar Bear Alert is also as co called myth; but it is used to counter the thought of thinking to sin. 

 The thing is, as simple as it might sound, we only sin because we allow the seed to be planted that will give us the speculation to sin. I you don't know what that looks like, it is putting something away, as if it might not harm you, which is actually something that you might think is good for you at a later date. 

 Paul makes at very powerful illustration of this, if you are thinking that you have freedom to sin; as if God's grace gives you that right! When we do sin, we sometimes think it is afforded to us, much like having your cake and eating it too...

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should also walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin." (Romans 6:1-7 KJV)  

"The Grace of Believing" - 2

"I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 5 KJV)

  "God's promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news - that God has prepared this rest - has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn't share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, "In my anger I took an oath: 'They will never enter my place of rest,'" even though this rest has been ready since he made the world." (Hebrews 4:1-3 NLT)

 This might be a little strange, but the no matter what it is that we are going through, if we are His pride and joy, nothing on this earth will destroy us! It isn't that hard to believe what I just said, because Jesus has shown us the way; as it was, He was brutally punished and hung on the cross: yet He lives! As we also will follow in His footsteps; no matter the devastating effect this world might try to do to us, we will come out better than we ever were, even if it involves death!  

 That is what I believe, and because it is etched in my heart, it keeps me moving forward, even though I might sometimes stumble or fall, it makes no difference to my believing that He saved me, and He will never abandon me or cast me away! That is what believing means to me! We have no standing believing in ourselves, whatsoever; but we must put all our faith in Christ and what He has done, and He will give us rest!

 About this 'rest' that we see here in Hebrews, that pretty much is the same as peace; which is what faith in Jesus Christ provides for us, in any situation or circumstance: Peace that comes from knowing that nothing in this life can take away the salvation we have in Christ; absolutely nothing! Even though we might have, shall I say, a serious breakdown, because of our circumstance; when we give whatever it is to God, His peace will absolutely absorb all of the pain and emotions we feel. Believe me, I know! 

 I have shared this before, but when I got home from the hospital, after the nurses told me to go home, I fell to the floor and wept bitterly, crying out, "Why!" Begging God to do something! I could actually feel a hand upon my shoulder, as I kept weeping and shaking, overwhelmed by the condition that my wife was in. 

 After an hour or so went by, I somehow felt a certain peace; peace enough to actually crawl into bed and get one- or two-hours of sleep. When I woke up at 4:00 I rushed back to the hospital to set beside my wife and pray for her and read Scriptures to her. Even though I was still devastated by her condition, I still had peace in the situation! Peace enough to be calm and focus upon the fact that she will be okay; even if she didn't make through, I still believed that she would be okay!

 If you are dealing with something that seems overwhelming and it's too hard to understand why God would allow it to happen, there is really only one thing you should do: Surrender to God believing that He loves you and cares for you, no matter what it is you are going through! There is always a reason that He allows certain things to happen to us; because they are always for our good...  

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God know his people in advance and chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who (or what) can ever be against us?" (Romans 8:28-31 NLT) 

"The Grace of Believing"

 "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 5 KJV)

  "The people refused to enter the pleasant land, for they wouldn't believe his promise to care for them. Instead, they grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the LORD." (PSALM 106:24-25 NLT)

 Here is the thing that makes a little more sense, however, it will also make us wonder. God's grace is all sufficient and is given to those who believe in His promise! This grace, as most people should know, is actually something that we do not deserve; it is a gift from GOD! 

 On the other hand, mercy, which is Him not giving us what we do deserve, is something that is altogether different; something that is, shall we say, the goal of our award into heaven! How else can we explain it! This life affords us no mercy; good people are suffering and dying every day; saints that have believed and done all that they could to be godly, are dealing with cancer and waiting to die. 

 What I am really trying to say, is that what is important for those of us that believe in His promise, is that we also must be willing to except any threat or hardship that is placed upon us, here on this earth. Not that God can't or won't get us through certain issues; because I absolutely know that He can and he does! 

 God's main goal for each and every one of His children, is that we will all be with Him, regardless of the stupid mistakes we might make, He knows your heart and is never going to let go of you! That is His promise, and that is what we must keep believing: No Ifs, Ands, or Buts...

"The people surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Massiah, tell us plainly?" Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father's name. But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." Once again the people picked up stones to kill him." (John 10:24-31 NLT) 

 

"The Warnings of History to the Ungodly"

   "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grave of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." (Jude 4 KJV)

  "Dear friends, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God." (3 John 11 NLT)

 Without a doubt, I am certain that there are certain people that did not agree with what I shared in yesterday's post; and I am totally fine with that, because it doesn't cause me to be offended or upset, not in the least. I believe that the Father called me to His Son that day, and it was more than any of the other times when He had called me before. And yes, there were several times before that when Jesus knocked on the door of my heart, but I refused to open my heart to him. 

 When I received that call, on the day of my new birth, it was totally different; it was as if I needed to go; even if my mind said no, my heart said it was the time for me to go! Maybe that doesn't make sense to some, but we all have our own, somewhat different, awakenings. And without a doubt, I also believe in the fact that we sometimes fall asleep, as is it; and guess what: He wakes us up again! 

 That is not meant to mean we are born again, again; because as it says, that only happens once! But we can have seasons in our lives when we fall asleep; meaning that we blend back into this world; as some will call it, "Back-Sliding." Believe it or not, we can only slide so far, and He will catch us, either by correcting us or taking us home! 

 There is where the lines are drawn, between what is in our hearts and that which is not! And yes, there is nothing we can do to take away our salvation, as if it can be taken; not if it was real! If your salvation is for sure, then you will know it, because He will always discipline those who truly are His children, whenever they fall away... 

"Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light."" (Ephesians 5:10-14 NLT)  

"Earnestly Contend for the Faith!" - Infinitely!

 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto all the saints." (Jude 3 KJV)

  "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith." (2 Corinthians 13:5 NLT)

 What is this faith all about? And why the struggle? To try and make a point for what I truly believe, I will bring the humanistic view of birth into conversation; which basically tells us that we are only born once in this world, and then we are dead! If that doesn't compute or meet with your understanding of this life, then you don't know what the Bible says about the basic human life: "For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return." (Genisis 3:19b NLT) 

 With that, I will try very hard to make this very simple and easy to understand. When we have been born again, that new birth is not temporary, as the human life; the new life we were given is eternal and is once and for all time; infinitely! This is the foundation of the faith we have in accepting Jesus Christ into our hearts; that is because Christ Jesus in alive forever and ever, and when we were given new life in Christ, we too are alive forever and ever! 

 Whatever you might think of that, the main thing is whether or not your faith is genuine and you are sure about the new life that you have been given. I hate to say it, but that is where we have the struggles and the doubts! It really doesn't need to be that way; but from time to time, even the strongest saint will have some doubts, it is only because they are still human. 

 I am bringing this point up, only because Jude has made it apparent, saying, "which was once delivered to the saints." Looking up that word, "once," it basically means, "one time," and "once for all." In other words, the new life that we have been given in Christ has no end! This makes no sense to some; I am pretty sure of that! Be that as it may, those who might possibly lose the salvation they might have been given, if it is true salvation, it was secured by His grace and not human effort; therefore, human effort is not able lose what Christ has already done! 

 With out a doubt, I know for a fact that this that I just said will not be accepted by many; which is not really all that surprising. I have seen the hate in some who have witnessed the fall of someone that was once a great minister; it is hard to imagine what that might feel like, from whatever side you are on. But I truly believe that God's word is not void, just as He has said...

""Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David. See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations."" (Isaiah 55:3-4 NLT)

"Earnestly Contend for the Faith!" - Too

"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." (Jude 3 KJV)

  "Is there a conflict, then, between God's law and God's promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God's promise of freedom only be believing in Jesus Christ." (Galatians 3:21-22 NLT)

 Maybe there was a simpler way to describe what it means to struggle; because believe it or not, in this world we are living in, everyone struggles in one way or another. How else can I explain this, except by stepping back to the term, "common salvation," which is more than likely the major portion of many churches. Basically, Jude has used the word, "common," as if it were to mean it was, unclean, defiled, or unholy. 

 In other words, it has a since of being ordinary! Please forgive me if I step out of line, but I certainly do not believe that my relationship with my Lord and Savior is ordinary! I hate to admit it, but there are times when I might treat my walk with the Lord, shall we say, as if it is ordinary and He isn't there; but those are the times when I feel free to sin, as if I am alone and can get away with it. 

 Do you know what I mean? Because we only sin when we think He isn't looking! But this relationship is something absolutely different than any other, because Jesus is living in my heart! He is there all along, wanting me to learn of Him and surrender my life to Him; which is struggle enough, without making any effort to share this extra-ordinary life to others.

 But that is the whole point of being here, in this world; whether you like it or not, we are meant to be a vessel that can be used to share about the relationship we have, in one way or another; even if we have, so called, mistakes! Call it Living Water, if you will, because that is what Jesus called it; the more we share, the more the Water flows, and the more we don't feel ordinary...    

"For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you." (Romans 8:7-11 NLT) 

"Earnestly Contend for the Faith!"

 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." (Jude 3 KJV)

  "Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me - a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jeaus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you." (2 Timothy 1:13-14 NLT)

 Please forgive me if I haven't been putting a "1" in front of the verses, as there are no more chapters in this book, than that of chapter "1"; therefore, I simply have listed the verses. Back in the day, maybe it was 25 years ago, I started a non-profit entitled, "Jude 2 Enterprises". It was meant to be a ministry that would provide venues for events; as it was, we had a Coffee Shop that had bands come out to play. It was really taking off, at least for a bit; until I got bitten! 

 As much as I could, I did everything I could to keep it together; but my personal life was totally wrecked, and I was doing all that I could just to keep it all together. Long story short, I flushed the non-profit and just focused on getting my life back on track. I needed to keep my business afloat, having to let everyone go, except my mother-in-law and Dave, my general pest guy.  

 Not that it really matters, but we live to survive in this world; and if you have someone to take care of, then you really make every effort to keep a place for them to live! Only my wife knew this about me; but I had a little red rag in my desk drawer, that every once in a while, I would stuff it into my back pocket and carry it around. Basically, what it meant was that I was wishing I could be pumping gas at a Gas Station, not struggling to keep a business afloat! 

 Anywho, "Earnestly Contend" is something that, believe it or not, means, "to struggle for". This is not just something we are easily able to do, as there are certain things that make us feel as though we are, shall we say, judgmental. The best thing we have, is the ability to judge ourselves first and foremost; making every effort to be sure of ourselves; knowing that our faith is in Christ, and that salvation is only available through Him, and Him alone! Only by the blood of Jesus are we saved...

"This is the message we have heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all our sin." (1 John 1:5-7 NLT)

"Danger!"

   "Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we share. But now I find I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God's marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." (Jude 3-4 NLT)

"But there were false teachers also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." (2 Peter 2:1 KJV) 

 I am not saying that this will be easy, because I know for a fact that there are some that cannot believe or even want to hear sound doctrine. And don't get me wrong, I truly know that everyone can get off base from time to time, as some seem to do, (me included,) but when it comes to the foundation of our faith, there is nothing that can be changed or altered! 

 That said, I believe that there are some very stern and harsh things that will be brought up; some might be too hard to believe; while others, will hopefully enlighten us to watch out and know what to look for, as there really are wolves that enter into the sheepfold...

""Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."" (Matthew 7:15 KJV) 

"The Salutation" - To

 "Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied." (Jude 2 KJV)

  "O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you. Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." (PSALM 5:1-3 NLT)

 I know it seems odd, but I do believe that there is something that opens up the point to Jude's reason for even writing this; never mind the reason that it has been placed, right where it belongs. First and foremost, there needs to be something that we never forget: that God is Holy! Without even questioning why things are what they are, we must believe that He holds everything together, and knows all things!

 I know that there are some who will doubt some of what I am saying, because it is easy for even myself to doubt, from time to time. But when I catch myself not believing what I already know is true, I have to simply ask for His forgiveness and remember He loves me! He love me more than I could ever imagine!

 That said, I truly believe that when God created the heavens and the earth, He knew before it was even made, that man would need salvation, that Satan would fall, and that this world would be destroyed. As much as it sounds, shall we say, hard to believe, there was something very special about His whole plan; which, believe it or not, was all about love!  

 Maybe there is a simple way to explain it, but the way things are is caused by our mistakes, not God's! And when I say mistakes, I am being nice; only because that is what we make them! To clarify what that means, the definition for mistake is: "an action or judgement that is misguided or wrong." Simply put, it is also what sin looks like, because we are misguided and we do wrong!

 But God already knows, and He has known it all along, that we are bound to make mistakes, (so we call them), but His plan all along was to cause us to love Him, unconditionally and thankfully, because He first loved us...

"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." (1 John 4:7-10 NLT)       

"The Salutation"

 "Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied." (Jude 2 KJV)

   "So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, "Lord, has the time come for you to free Isreal and restore our kingdom?" He replied, "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."" (Acts 1:6-8 NLT)

 Just a little bit of information, for anyone that might be thinking about learning what the different cults believe and practice: DON'T GO THERE! You really don't want to dive into their bubble, because there is really no need to know what they believe; focus on the truth that you know and make that your weapon to counter what they might try to tell you.   

 Once upon a time I worked hard to learn those things. I even still have the "Cults Reference Bible," which was written by Dr, Walter Martain. Even Dr. Chuck Missler thought that Dr. Martain had been captured in his studies; as it was, he stopped believing in a pre-tribulation rapture, which was Dr. Chuck's concern that his friend had been lost in his studies. 

 The main point I am trying to make, is that we don't need to study what is wrong and false, because we fill our heads with bad information! You should know the term, G.I.G.O., which basically means, Garbage In, Garbage Out. Focus on the truth and defend what you know; using that as your weapon to witness and teach, by sharing the Truth...

"We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NLT) 

"Jude, the Servant"

"Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:" (Jude 1 KJV)

  "After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, and Jesus' brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! You can't become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!" For even his brothers didn't believe in him." (John 7:1-5 NLT)

 History has it, that Jesus had four brothers who were, half-brothers; all four of them were born after Him, by Mary and Joseph. All though, depending on the Religion, there are some the say Joseph had these other sons before he married Mary; while others have other weird and strange ideas. It is the Roman Catholic Church that is set upon Mary having been kept a virgin, so it is said; as she is referred as, the mother of God, and prayed to, as if she too is a Deity.

 As much as there are different versions, of what is what, this little Book of Jude is one that shines the light on the reason; much like John shines the light on the spirit of the antichrist; which is very real and present in this very day. Believe it or not, there are several religions that I know for a fact are founded and continue to be growing based upon and controlled by that spirit; some of which will show their true colors if you get too serious about who Jesus really is; this much I know is certain! 

 Besides that, the Book of Revelation is used quite a bit by those false religions; mostly because of the, so called mystery of what is being said; most of which can be twisted and changed from what it is really meant to mean; even though it is clearly not what is said! 

 I know that is so, but that is something for another time and date. Having said all of this, there are some Christians that have very strange beliefs: some think that UFOs are going to be what takes us away in the rapture; there are some that think the earth is flat; and believe it or not, but there are some that truly believe that the earth is billions of years old...

"So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true - it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ." (1 John 2:24-27 NLT)       

"The Letter from Jude"

  "This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. I am writing to all who have been called of God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love." (Jude 1-2 NLT)

  "Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given onto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:16-20 KJV)

 As many of us should now, this Jude that has written this letter is a brother of Jesus; who identifies himself as the brother of James: James is the author of the Book of James. Both James and Jude identify themselves as, "Servants of Christ." There are a few scholars that identify this Jude as the Apostle Judas (not Iscariot) in Matthew 10:2-3, also called Lebbaeus or Thaddaeus (Lk. 6:16 & Acts 1:13). 

 I really don't believe that this Jude was one of Jesus' disciples; but that is coming up in a different message. What I do believe is that both James and Jude were brothers, that had the same mother, who was Mary; the virgin mother of Jesus Christ. As that is the case, I also believe that the term, "Slave, or Servant" used by both brothers is given to mean, "His Bondman"; which, if you don't mind me saying, that it means, it was their way of saying that they were very sorry for the way they treated him, before He was crucified and rose from the dead! 

 Which is precisely the reason I doubt that this Jude was one of Jesus' Apostles. However, for the sake of knowing nothing, let me make it perfectly clear: both James and Jude were brothers of Jesus! Which, for the sake making my point, before I even try to go into the Book of Revelation, I felt as though I needed to do this Book first.

 I believe that there is good reason for this Book to come before Revelation; why that is, I have yet to figure it out; but I am truly convinced that there is a good reason...

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby, know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confeesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already it is in the world." (John 4:1-3 KJV)  

"That Which Affords Joy!"

 "Grace be with you all. Amen." (Hebrews 13:25 KJV)

  "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in his glory." (Colossians 3:1-4 NLT)

 There are some things in this life that can bring us joy, regardless of whatever it is that we might be going through; just a special word from a friend, or the celebration of new life when a baby is born. These things are well and good, but that kind of joy will only last for a moment.

 The joy we are talking about here is something totally different, as it is based upon something we have for ever and ever! No matter what situation we might face on this earth, the grace that we have been given is something that overshadows even the worst thing that we might be going through; even the thought of death! 

 I know it might sound simple, just saying it; but what else can you do? There are some circumstances that you just can't change or get out of; but there is something you can always look forward to, and it can and it will change your perspective; I guarantee it!  

 Having a little difficulty choosing what is next. I am really considering Revelation; but I know that it will require more time and quite a lot of research. Whatever it is, it will be that which affords joy! Yes, that is what grace is meant to be, as it brings pleasure, happiness, peace, and everything else that is a delight! The whole meaning of grace is that of getting something you could never afford, not even in a thousand lifetimes...

"Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil - the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God." (Ephesians 2:1-8 NLT)