The epistle of Jude contains so much, in such a compact book. With only one chapter this is one of the shortest books in the Bible, but it contains so many good things. Let's look at a few things that stick out to me tonight as I read the book of Jude:
-First Jude let's us know that there is one common salvation.
There is no such thing as a Jew body of believers, and a Gentile body of believers. There is one body, and one way into the body. We must go through the door, we must be born again of water (Jesus name baptism) and spirit (Holy Ghost infilling).
-Then Jude writes that they must contend for the faith.
No matter what we must know that we must fight for the right, stand for truth.
-After which he gives us warning of corrupt teachers and false heresies.
He said that certain men had crept in unawares. We cannot allow the devil and his liars to creep into our lives without us taking heed. For these false teachers turned the grace of God into something it is not. Grace is not a license to sin, but rather God's influence on our heart to lead us in the right direction. His grace gave us opportunity, to hear the word and obey the word!
-Then he states there is coming a time that those that do not believe will be destroyed.
These folks Jude talks of had already came out of Egypt, then they fell into unbelief. Lord help us not to come out of this world and sin, just to fall into unbelief.
-We don't want to be a wandering star, we don't want to be twice dead.
That's why we must fight to the end, that's why he already told us to contend for if we don't we are in trouble.
-He lets us know that there are going to be mockers, and those walking sensually.
We must yet contend for the faith, by...
- Praying in the Holy Ghost, hence building up our selves.
Prayer works, always has and always will. So does fasting, but we must build up our faith. The devil wants to destroy our faith, but we can be victors.
-Then we keep ourselves in the love of God
What a safe place to be, nothing can separate us from him. Only sin can separate us, and that's only if we allow it. But his love casts away all fear, and we know that a loving God is for us. So we know we have nothing to fear. Keep yourselves alive in him.
-And then we reach those that are outside the safety of Christ and pull them in.
We pull them from the fire, whatever it takes! For we know such where we without the grace of God.
-And to do so we must hate even the garment spotted by the flesh.
We hate must lies, we must abhor sin. We must love truth. Buy it and do not sell it for anything.
-Only one God and he is able to keep you!
There is but one God, and he is our answer and our only hope. Our saviour.
Jude is such a great book. One chapter tells us what the church needs to hear today. Contend for the faith, and don't compromise for anything, that's how we will make a difference and see souls saved!
-Bro. C
Acts 2:38, obey it!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Love, Forgive, and Rejoice in Truth!
Luke 6:32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
It is easy to love those that love us. It is easy to forgive those that forgive us. But it seems to be a more difficult task to love those that count us as an enemy. Nevertheless, we must love others even when they do us wrong. Even when we are in the right, and they in the wrong. We must be willing to forgive, not only is the right thing to do, but it's what we must do in order to be forgiven ourselves.
Now don't get me wrong, love does not compromise what is right. But rather it rejoices in the truth. Never would I want God to hold me accountable for the wrongs I have put under the blood, so neither should I hold a grudge against others for how they have wronged me.
Our world today has the definition of love all mixed up. What is the Bible's definition of love?
1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity (love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity (love) envieth not; charity (love) vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1 Corinthians 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1 Corinthians 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1 Corinthians 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1 Corinthians 13:8 Charity (love) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Now the world today leaves at a great majority of this portion scripture in their perception of love, they tend to like the kindness and the total success of love. But tend to leave out the seeketh not her own, and rejoiceth not in iniquity. We do not love our family when we do not tell the truth, love is not to compromise truth just to make a relative feel better about him or her self. Love is to tell the truth even when it is not convenient.
But we must love at all times, even when we are not loved. It's our job! We must forgive at all times, even when others hold a grudge against us. We cannot change some people and their perception of us, but we can make sure we are in the right. And to be in the right, we must forgive and we must love.
Just think how much Christ loved us, let this mind be in you that was in him. The Bible says he esteemed others better than himself.
Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Mark 11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Jesus went as far as to say for us to pray for our enemies and for us to do good to them that despitfully use us. Well there is nothing greater you can do for your enemy than pray for them, and try to show them truth. So do just that, it will be pleasing unto God. What would we be without him?
-Bro. C
Acts 2:38, obey it!
1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
It is easy to love those that love us. It is easy to forgive those that forgive us. But it seems to be a more difficult task to love those that count us as an enemy. Nevertheless, we must love others even when they do us wrong. Even when we are in the right, and they in the wrong. We must be willing to forgive, not only is the right thing to do, but it's what we must do in order to be forgiven ourselves.
Now don't get me wrong, love does not compromise what is right. But rather it rejoices in the truth. Never would I want God to hold me accountable for the wrongs I have put under the blood, so neither should I hold a grudge against others for how they have wronged me.
Our world today has the definition of love all mixed up. What is the Bible's definition of love?
1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity (love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity (love) envieth not; charity (love) vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1 Corinthians 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1 Corinthians 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1 Corinthians 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1 Corinthians 13:8 Charity (love) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Now the world today leaves at a great majority of this portion scripture in their perception of love, they tend to like the kindness and the total success of love. But tend to leave out the seeketh not her own, and rejoiceth not in iniquity. We do not love our family when we do not tell the truth, love is not to compromise truth just to make a relative feel better about him or her self. Love is to tell the truth even when it is not convenient.
But we must love at all times, even when we are not loved. It's our job! We must forgive at all times, even when others hold a grudge against us. We cannot change some people and their perception of us, but we can make sure we are in the right. And to be in the right, we must forgive and we must love.
Just think how much Christ loved us, let this mind be in you that was in him. The Bible says he esteemed others better than himself.
Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Mark 11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Jesus went as far as to say for us to pray for our enemies and for us to do good to them that despitfully use us. Well there is nothing greater you can do for your enemy than pray for them, and try to show them truth. So do just that, it will be pleasing unto God. What would we be without him?
-Bro. C
Acts 2:38, obey it!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Looking Forward
Imagine driving down the interstate never looking forward, only looking the rear-view mirror....sounds crazy huh? That's a major accident looking to happen, a huge mess. Well that's just what happens spiritual when we look backward and take our eyes off of the highway, it makes a mess of us.
Php 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Sometimes going forward for God requires us to "press". Its not always easy to "press," but it will be well worth it. But in order to move forward we must get our eyes off if the rear view mirror and must focus on the direction we are going. The Psalmist wrote that "surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life", notice the word follow. God's goodness and mercy got us through yesterday's trial, test, and circumstance; so surely it can get us though tomorrow. So those things that are buried under the blood, those things that God's goodness and mercy got us through should be forgotten! In time past our goals may have been different, our attitude may have been sour, our outlook may have been bleak. But NOW is what matters most.
1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1Co 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
See yesterday is over, today is all that matters! If we get caught looking in the rear-view mirror, we will begin to condemn ourselves. If we get stuck in yesterday we will begin to lose our direction and our desire to move forward. You see...
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Php 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Sometimes going forward for God requires us to "press". Its not always easy to "press," but it will be well worth it. But in order to move forward we must get our eyes off if the rear view mirror and must focus on the direction we are going. The Psalmist wrote that "surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life", notice the word follow. God's goodness and mercy got us through yesterday's trial, test, and circumstance; so surely it can get us though tomorrow. So those things that are buried under the blood, those things that God's goodness and mercy got us through should be forgotten! In time past our goals may have been different, our attitude may have been sour, our outlook may have been bleak. But NOW is what matters most.
1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1Co 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
See yesterday is over, today is all that matters! If we get caught looking in the rear-view mirror, we will begin to condemn ourselves. If we get stuck in yesterday we will begin to lose our direction and our desire to move forward. You see...
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
This is why we should be so excited because where we are now, not concerned with where we have been. We shouldn't be proud of the sins we committed in times past, we shouldn't share them with the generation coming up. We should be excited about where God has brought us to, and every time we hear someone preach against the very sins we may have once been entrapped with we should get excited that someone is warning the next generation not to take the road we took. If we can no longer be condemned by the sins of yesterday, then why would we try to justify them? If God forgave us, lets forgive ourselves, and be the first to stand beside the preacher when he preaches against the sins that once controlled our lives.
The Church preaches against:
Divorce
Homosexuality
Fornication
Murder
Stealing
Lying, and the list goes on and on
Some of these very things have been committed in times past, before Christ, in some people's lives that are now apart of the church. These things the church preaches against aren't preached against to condemn anyone or anybody, only to warn the generation to come and teach them how to be pleasing to God. Why would we that once committed some of these wrongs have any issue against them being preached against in the church? Only when we look in the rear-view mirror! But if we would just accept that we are a new creature and accept that God doesn't condemn nor does his ministers, we would be the first to say, AMEN!!
1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
See we show should forth praise to God for bringing us out, there's no greater way to show your thanks than through warning the generation to come not to take the same path. Sure it may take us swallowing our pride, but that's not hard when we don't look in the rear-view mirror and realize we are new creatures in Christ!
Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Let's move forward, looking forward! Because it's hard to drive looking in the rear-view mirror!
Look Forward!! Forgetting those things behind!
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
-Bro. C
Acts 2:38, obey it!
Friday, February 3, 2012
"Lord of What's Left"- Rev. Jeff Arnold
Watch/Listen and enjoy!
"Lord of What's Left"
Rev. Jeff Arnold
Some thoughts for today!
Want to be saved? Then obey:
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
You will be a believer when you obey! (Luke 13:3, John 3:3 and 5, John 7:37-39, Acts 5:32, Mark 16:16 believers are baptized, Romans 6:4, and Romans 8:9, 2 Corinthians 13:5) Just a few scriptures that let us know we must repent, be baptized in Jesus name, and Holy Ghost filled to be saved! Just be a good person doesn't save us, Read Acts 10 and 11! Praise God!
God's love! We should love like he loves! Dont love sin, love people! Sin detorys people, so abhor it!
Jeremiah 3:1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD...God is full of mercy and love, Love is long suffering...what a God! There will come a time of judgement, but God is not willing that any should perish..if we could emulate such love in our lives we would have many less problems....gives a even deeper meaning to Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
You will be a believer when you obey! (Luke 13:3, John 3:3 and 5, John 7:37-39, Acts 5:32, Mark 16:16 believers are baptized, Romans 6:4, and Romans 8:9, 2 Corinthians 13:5) Just a few scriptures that let us know we must repent, be baptized in Jesus name, and Holy Ghost filled to be saved! Just be a good person doesn't save us, Read Acts 10 and 11! Praise God!
God's love! We should love like he loves! Dont love sin, love people! Sin detorys people, so abhor it!
Jeremiah 3:1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD...God is full of mercy and love, Love is long suffering...what a God! There will come a time of judgement, but God is not willing that any should perish..if we could emulate such love in our lives we would have many less problems....gives a even deeper meaning to Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
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