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Jude

                       For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. (Jude 1:4)                 Not long ago, we explored some of what Paul wrote about false teachers. Today, let’s look at what Jude wrote. As a reminder, Jude was one of Jesus’ half-brothers, like James. In this letter, he wanted to write something about what he and his audience had in common: their salvation, but something had happened or been said that took the letter in a different direction. This is a common theme in the New Testament, so while we may be tempted to ignore it, we need to pay attention.              ...
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Two Sparrows

                     For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)                 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. (Matthew 10:29) When I consider how my light is spent, Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide, And that one Talent which is death to hide Lodged with me useless, though my Soul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and present My true account, lest He returning chide; "Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?" I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need Either man's work or His own gifts; who best B...

On Wings Like Eagles

                       Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives  strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.   Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:27-31)                 Feel free to sing the last couple of sentences. Then, let’s begin with the Lord, the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not grow tired or weary. Youths grow tired and weary. Though it doesn’t say it, old folks grow tired and weary. In fact, the point is that old folks look at youths an...

Harm

                 The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121:7-8) Harm: physical or mental damage : injury ( HARM Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster ) The Lord will keep you from all harm. I’ve no doubt there are people who consider that statement proof that God is a liar or doesn’t exist. After all people, even Christians, are harmed every day. Probably every second. If God is going to keep us from all harm, doesn’t that mean no splinters, no bumps, scrapes, bruises, common colds, addictions, cancers, disappointed romances, unplanned pregnancies, lost jobs, less than perfect evaluations, etc.? Who gets to decide what constitutes harm? If preventing the harm of bruised knees or embarrassment requires that a child be prevented from trying to learn to walk, then not doing a small harm does a greater harm. The same is...

Instead

                   You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,   persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.    But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,    and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (I...

False Teachers

                 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—    having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, the...

Flee Evil Desires

                 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.    And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. (II Timothy 2:22-26) I looked in a couple of commentaries, and “evil desires of youth” seems to refer to things like impulsiveness, pride, envy, anger, and a desire for recognition, all things that can be found in a person of any ae, but particularly in younger folks. Take a look at society in just about any age, and you...