Post by billbo1970 on Sept 19, 2003 8:29:33 GMT -5
When was the last time any of you has read the little book of Jude? Many of us don't even know where it is. It is a little 1 chapter book immediately before the book of Revelation. If your pages are sticking together, you may have never noticed this book before ;D
My pastor is doing a series of sermons on this powerful little book. It looks to be excellent, and I will be posting my own little expository on this amazing little book as he preaches His word to me on it. Let's start off with just the first 4 verses. Only 4 little verses, but they hold a WEALTH of knowledge:
Jude 1
1 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:
2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
3 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.
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who wrote Jude? Why, it was Jesus' 1/2 brother Judas (not Judas Iscariot). In his opening remarks, he refers to himself as a servant of Jesus Christ, and the brother of James. In Mark 6:3 we have a description of some of Jesus' siblings:
Mark 6:3
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
Who knows you best but your family? If you came home & announced that it had been revealed to you that you were the long awaited Messiah, how would your family react to this? The fact that Jesus was able to convince his brothers speaks volumes!
Who was this book written for? It was written for the 'called'... those God has called into the flock. It was written to those 'sanctified by God'...Those made holy by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who are greatly loved by God. It was written for those 'preserved in Jesus Christ'...those who are guarded & kept safe in their salvation. He also delivers God's choicest blessings to the recipients of this letter:
Mercy.. God sparing us from what we deserve, and instead pouring out His love, grace, and mercy over us.
Peace.. How the world struggles to have peace, a gift that our Father FREELY gives to us!
Love.. which is to be multiplied in & through us.
The divine inspiration of this letter is evident throughout the little book of Jude. He writes that his first impulse was to write 'of the common salvation', meaning that he intended to write a positive & uplifting & encouraging message to the brethren. But, he felt the constraint of the Holy Spirit.. it was 'needful' to write to 'exhort' us that we should 'earnestly contend for the faith.' He warns of 'apostates' (false christians who introduce false teachings into the body) having crept in. This is the most dangerous of all. Wolves in sheep's clothing. When we KNOW someone is not of God, we are on the defense & wary of the message. When we speak w/a brother or sister in Christ we may be inclined to take that persons word for something. NO! We are to 'test all things' that we may not be swayed in our belief by these false witness'!
Apostacy on the inside is a greater danger to America & all christians than all the enemies on the outside. I believe the Book of Jude may be the most relevant book in the bible for OUR time in history. Apostates HAVE crept in... homosexuals get elected into positions of authority, and all kinds of false teachings are being introduced to 'the church'. We must be on guard for this! The department of homeland security will not be able to keep 'the church' pure, that is up to US!
More to come, after I receive my next re-fueling this Sunday!
PIC,
Bill[/color]
My pastor is doing a series of sermons on this powerful little book. It looks to be excellent, and I will be posting my own little expository on this amazing little book as he preaches His word to me on it. Let's start off with just the first 4 verses. Only 4 little verses, but they hold a WEALTH of knowledge:
Jude 1
1 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:
2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
3 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.
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who wrote Jude? Why, it was Jesus' 1/2 brother Judas (not Judas Iscariot). In his opening remarks, he refers to himself as a servant of Jesus Christ, and the brother of James. In Mark 6:3 we have a description of some of Jesus' siblings:
Mark 6:3
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
Who knows you best but your family? If you came home & announced that it had been revealed to you that you were the long awaited Messiah, how would your family react to this? The fact that Jesus was able to convince his brothers speaks volumes!
Who was this book written for? It was written for the 'called'... those God has called into the flock. It was written to those 'sanctified by God'...Those made holy by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who are greatly loved by God. It was written for those 'preserved in Jesus Christ'...those who are guarded & kept safe in their salvation. He also delivers God's choicest blessings to the recipients of this letter:
Mercy.. God sparing us from what we deserve, and instead pouring out His love, grace, and mercy over us.
Peace.. How the world struggles to have peace, a gift that our Father FREELY gives to us!
Love.. which is to be multiplied in & through us.
The divine inspiration of this letter is evident throughout the little book of Jude. He writes that his first impulse was to write 'of the common salvation', meaning that he intended to write a positive & uplifting & encouraging message to the brethren. But, he felt the constraint of the Holy Spirit.. it was 'needful' to write to 'exhort' us that we should 'earnestly contend for the faith.' He warns of 'apostates' (false christians who introduce false teachings into the body) having crept in. This is the most dangerous of all. Wolves in sheep's clothing. When we KNOW someone is not of God, we are on the defense & wary of the message. When we speak w/a brother or sister in Christ we may be inclined to take that persons word for something. NO! We are to 'test all things' that we may not be swayed in our belief by these false witness'!
Apostacy on the inside is a greater danger to America & all christians than all the enemies on the outside. I believe the Book of Jude may be the most relevant book in the bible for OUR time in history. Apostates HAVE crept in... homosexuals get elected into positions of authority, and all kinds of false teachings are being introduced to 'the church'. We must be on guard for this! The department of homeland security will not be able to keep 'the church' pure, that is up to US!
More to come, after I receive my next re-fueling this Sunday!
PIC,
Bill[/color]
