Getting Dirty

“Likewise, these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority.” Jude 8

If God isn’t God and Jesus didn’t die for our sins, what is the logical next step? If there is no God, then there is no permanent divine law. There are no Ten Commandants. There is no consistent guide to human behavior. We can all do what we want to do when we want to do it, almost. Mankind has created laws of their own, but they change at the caprice of human opinion or pressure from any group with a political or immoral agenda.

These men who had crept in unawares had brought that philosophy with them. They wanted to live without restraint, without old fashioned ideas of morality, without anything that would impede them in the pursuit of their own moral values. If that sounds like today, well it is, but it is also what the false teachers introduced as the true line of thinking that would threaten the true Gospel message. The date on the calendar has changed, but not the methods or aims of the false Christian teachers. As Jude said, “Beware”.

Father, You have set the rules for all time; strengthen us to keep them. Amen

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A Necessary Reminder

“I want to remind you,” Jude 5

For the next three verses, Jude is going to tell us who the ancestors of these God deniers are. He will point out that they had the great expectation of going to heaven for one reason or another, but that in the end, they did not find themselves there. The warning is simple, “Everybody talking about heaven ain’t going there.” There were thousands of them who were taken out of Egypt in the Exodus but didn’t end up in heaven. There were prophets. There were large and wealthy cities. There were even angels who started out in heaven but got kicked out forever.

These are the people who altered God’s message about who God is or who Jesus Christ is. They claimed privilege of birth, experience, position, and wealth. They affirm the God must want them because of what He did for them or who they are. The Bible says the God sends the rain on the just and the unjust. But by denying God and Christ, they are lost, now and forever.

Father, Keep our hearts fixed on our only hope, Jesus Christ Your Son. Amen

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Deny Christ?

“Who deny our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 4

God deniers are everywhere, and sadly they are in many of our pulpits. They often try to skip around the issue by not speaking of it or changing the subject. Every pastor in every church needs to be clear on who God is. The same goes for who Jesus Christ is.

Who is Jesus? Yes, even the primary department can tell us who Jesus is. He’s the baby at Christmas and is God’s Son. Sadly, there are many preachers who don’t know that either. They say that He was just a man, a good teacher, a radical teacher but not God. Or they will say the we can’t believe the biblical account because it is just stories people made up about Jesus.

But Jesus is more than just stories. He is the living Son of God who died on the cross to save mankind from the penalty of sin. He is the ONLY Son of God and the only Savior for all people everywhere. That’s who Jesus is, and every pastor had better be able to give that answer.

Father, we thank You that You did send Your only Son to die for us. Amen

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Deny God?

“Who deny the only Lord God.” Jude 4

Who is God? That would seem to be an easy question. Any primary student should know the answer. The ancient confession, The Apostles’ Creed, has answered that question clearly for over a thousand years. Various earlier creeds declared the same thing going all the way back to the earliest documents of post-apostolic times. So, who is God?

“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.” That is as simple and clear and true as you can get. But wait a minute. What if we don’t believe in the creation story? What if we believe that we are the product of evolution? Then we don’t believe that God is our creator. Then we deny the first principle of Scripture that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Who are the ones who have crept in unawares who Jude says are already marked out for destruction? Those who deny the simplest and easiest statement of Scripture. Who is God? He is our Creator.

Than You, Heavenly Father, for making us and loving Your creation. Amen

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The Highest Power

“Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil about the body of Moses, dared not to bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you’.” Jude 9

In modern Christianity we often take Satan too lightly. That is to our harm. Even Michael realized who Satan was in the order of creation. Lucifer was the highest archangel in heaven He was so persuasive that he led thousands of angels in rebellion to God. In order of creation he was higher in status than Michael. Michael recognized this and called for a higher power to forestall Satan’s desires. Only one power can quell Satan and that is God Himself, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

When Satan attacks us today, our only hope and strength is in God. He alone can support us against this powerful angelic foe. God’s word is given to us as a weapon against Satan’s designs on our life and soul. Not in our own strength, but through prayer and God’s Word can we oppose our foe and prevail in doing the will of God.

Father, Keep us alert to our enemy and protect us from him. Amen

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

 

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Dreaming Up Bad Ideas

“Likewise, these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority.” Jude 8

If God isn’t God and Jesus didn’t die for our sins, what is the logical next step? If there is no God, then there is no permanent divine law. There are no Ten Commandants. There is no consistent guide to human behavior. We can all do what we want to do when we want to do it, almost. Mankind has created laws of their own, but they change at the caprice of human opinion or pressure from any group with a political or immoral agenda.

These men who had crept in unawares had brought that philosophy with them. They wanted to live without restraint, without old fashioned ideas of morality, without anything that would impede them in the pursuit of their own moral values. If that sounds like today, well it is, but it is also what the false teachers introduced as the true line of thinking that would threaten the true Gospel message. The date on the calendar has changed, but not the methods or aims of the false Christian teachers. As Jude said, “Beware”.

Father, You have set the rules for all time; strengthen us to keep them. Amen

For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books visit www.davidccraig.net

An Important Reminder from Our Creator

“I want to remind you,” Jude 5

For the next three verses, Jude is going to tell us who the ancestors of these God deniers are. He will point out that they had the great expectation of going to heaven for one reason or another, but that in the end, they did not find themselves there. The warning is simple, “Everybody talking about heaven ain’t going there.” There were thousands of them who were taken out of Egypt in the Exodus but didn’t end up in heaven. There were prophets. There were large and wealthy cities. There were even angels who started out in heaven but got kicked out forever.

These are the people who altered God’s message about who God is or who Jesus Christ is. They claimed privilege of birth, experience, position, and wealth. They affirm the God must want them because of what He did for them or who they are. The Bible says the God sends the rain on the just and the unjust. But by denying God and Christ, they are lost, now and forever.

Father, Keep our hearts fixed on our only hope, Jesus Christ Your Son. Amen

For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books visit www.davidccraig.net

They Had Better Know

“Who deny our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 4

God deniers are everywhere, and sadly they are in many of our pulpits. They often try to skip around the issue by not speaking of it or changing the subject. Every pastor in every church needs to be clear on who God is. The same goes for who Jesus Christ is.

Who is Jesus? Yes, even the primary department can tell us who Jesus is. He’s the baby at Christmas and is God’s Son. Sadly, there are many preachers who don’t know that either. They say that He was just a man, a good teacher, a radical teacher but not God. Or they will say the we can’t believe the biblical account because it is just stories people made up about Jesus.

But Jesus is more than just stories. He is the living Son of God who died on the cross to save mankind from the penalty of sin. He is the ONLY Son of God and the only Savior for all people everywhere. That’s who Jesus is, and every pastor had better be able to give that answer.

Father, we thank You that You did send Your only Son to die for us. Amen

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An Easy Question

“Who deny the only Lord God.” Jude 4

Who is God? That would seem to be an easy question. Any primary student should know the answer. The ancient confession, The Apostles’ Creed, has answered that question clearly for over a thousand years. Various earlier creeds declared the same thing going all the way back to the earliest documents of post-apostolic times. So, who is God?

“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.” That is as simple and clear and true as you can get. But wait a minute. What if we don’t believe in the creation story? What if we believe that we are the product of evolution? Then we don’t believe that God is our creator. Then we deny the first principle of Scripture that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Who are the ones who have crept in unawares who Jude says are already marked out for destruction? Those who deny the simplest and easiest statement of Scripture. Who is God? He is our Creator.

Than You, Heavenly Father, for making us and loving Your creation. Amen

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Condemned or Safe?

“Who were long ago marked out for condemnation, ungodly men,” Jude 4

Condemnation is such a nasty word, especially in today’s religious economy. No one is really condemned anymore. We’re all going to heaven, by whatever means we get there. That is today’s religious opinion. That is false teaching from false teachers who have been let into our midst to the destruction of our souls.

False prophets opposed the true prophets of God throughout the Old Testament. They preached a message contrary to what God’s prophets were preaching. Jeremiah fought against these men daily. Unfortunately, the message of the false prophets was less demanding and less critical than what Jeremiah preached. People ignored Jeremiah and ended up being overthrown by the Babylonians. The city of Jerusalem was destroyed. Tens of thousands of the Jews were mercilessly slain. Among them were the false prophets who had preached peace and plenty and not sin and repentance. God’s judgment is still against all such false prophets today and the message of these prophets hasn’t chained, but neither has the true message from God’s word.

Dear Father, Help us to cling to truth that us honestly laid before us in Your perfect Word. Amen

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

 

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Creepers

“For certain men have crept in unawares.” Jude 4

Is your house safe against burglars? Do you have a watchdog to discourage unwanted intruders? Has anyone in your neighborhood been burgled? If so, why aren’t you prepared?

False teachers have been creeping into the church since the time of the apostles. They have taught other means of salvation, They have taught other means of Christian behavior. They have taught and still teach all the lies of Satan, and they do it in the church. How can this be?

It is because we aren’t prepared. First, we haven’t been diligent in studying the word. Second, we have sought the approval of men instead of the approval of God. Third, we have left our first love, Christ, for our greater love, ourselves. We have let the false teachers creep and fallen into disrespect before God and placed ourselves in danger of losing or souls. It is time that we take stock of what is being preached in our churches compared to God’s Word. If the teaching doesn’t measure up, we must take action or become anathema to God.

Dear Father, Help us be vigilant against false teachers in our midst. Amen

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Unchanging

“Which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude 3

I get mail all the time that warns me that “This is the final offer”. But, of course, it’s not. I wish it were but to no avail. The company will come up with some new and exciting offer that I just can’t refuse, or so they say. They will urge me to take up this new thing, which will be the last thing, until an offer comes along with another new thing. Maddening. But that is the way of the world. There is always a new offer.

But our faith was delivered to us once for all. That means that the Bible, which teaches us our faith, is unchanging. That means that Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith, is unchanging. Many have tried to alter the faith to present something “New”. But we are still condemned sinners and Christ is still God’s only means of pardon. The Bible that teaches us about this is still current and up to date. It has been once for all delivered to us!

Dear Father, Thank You that what you have said is for all time what You mean. Amen

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Contenders

“Exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith.” Jude 3

The Red Sox should be a real contender for winning the World Series this year. (Or so I’ve heard.) What does it mean to be a contender? It means that we are equipped and prepared to win. We have put in the necessary practice to get the job done. We are in position to win the prize. Are the slothful contenders? No. Are the idle contenders? No. Are the fearful contenders? No. Those who are confident in their team, their diligence, and their leader are the ones who are contenders.

We are to contend for our faith. We are not to be silent about it. We are not to be fearful of expressing it. We are not to lack the necessary preparation to succeed in doing it. Faith in Christ is the only means for any person to be saved. Faith in His word and preparing through His word are necessary to be ready to tell about our Savior. Faith in Christ as our constant companion who will support us in defense of His word are necessary for contending. Are we prepared in all three areas? We should see for our work as more important than a temporary worldly prize.

Dear Father, Let us see clearly the work of contending you would have us do. Amen.

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Compelled

“I found it necessary to write to you, exhorting you .” Jude 3

     What do you feel compelled to do? Oh, yes, our boss compels us to get our work done. Why? Because that is how his business survives. Yes, our teachers compel us to get our work done. Why? Because that is how we get to move on to graduation and a decent job. In other words, there is a good reason for being compelled to do something. We all face it in our lives in this world.

     Being compelled is also a need in our Christian walk. We need to understand that in Christ we are compelled to live as He lived. That is our call as believers – live like Christ. Unfortunately, we don’t see it as visibly as that compulsion by our boss or teacher. We don’t see Christ breathing down or neck to get the job done. But His absence from our mortal sight is not an excuse for seeing Him in control of our lives if we have believed in Him and called upon Him to be our Savior.

     Dear Father, Open our eyes to see Christ and set our hearts on living like Him. Amen

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Just What We Need

“Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.” Jude 2

     What do we all need? We need mercy because we sin against both God and man. We seek mercy when we are caught speeding. “Just a warning this time, please. I won’t do it again,” we say to the officer. “Please God, forget this horrible sin I have committed. Give me another chance.” We want mercy because we need mercy.

     Peace is another great need for all of us. We find ourselves in despair over finances, family issues, social relationships. We want peace of mind and peace between us and others. Bur more importantly we need peace with God who we offend every day.

     Love, that’s all we need. Right? We love all kinds of things. Money, sports, glittering idols of the world. Be we find no satisfaction in them because they can’t love us back. Only God can do that, and He has in Jesus Christ. In fact, our only hope of Mercy, Peace, and Love is found in Jesus Christ and we truly need it multiplied to us each day.

     Dear Father, Help us realize your multiplied blessings to us in Jesus our Savior. Amen

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

 

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All Diligence

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write to you,” Jude 3

     What are we diligent about? Are we diligent about the practice of our faith? Do we faithfully make it to church each week? Do we faithfully read our Bibles and pray each day? Do we faithfully give of our time, talents, and money to get the work of Christ done? Are we more diligent to these things than we are to sports, entertainment, seeking pleasure, or seeking idleness? Our bosses certainly want us to be diligent to our jobs.

     Jesus is our boss, the highest boss we have. When He told Jude to write this letter, Jude was diligent to do it. He didn’t put it off until a more convenient time when he had nothing else to entertain his mind or body. He got to it. As a parent we sometimes tell our children, “snap to it”. We want them to be diligent. Christ wants us to be diligent as well. He has things for us to do, and like Jude, we need to be diligently doing them.

     Dear Father, Help me maintain the right focus in my rightful diligence to You. Amen

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A Happy Marriage

“Beloved,” Jude 2

     I am a happily married man. This month we will celebrate our 43^rd anniversary. Solomon said in the Song of Solomon, “I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine”. That is how I feel about my beloved wife. We are one, the right biblical perspective on marriage, and we are happy. If we both always wanted to do our own thing, we would not always be happy. We would often be in strife and disconnected from each other’s life. That is not the way God intended marriage to be, and we are married to Jesus Christ.

     That means that we are His beloved and He is our beloved. We live our lives in harmony by living them together. In our relationship with Him, He is the definite leader and we are the loving companions. When we set out to do our own thing, we become separated from the joy of being married to Christ. To be in harmony and peace and joy with Jesus Christ, we live according to His leadership in our marriage. That harmony with Him will keep rejoicing in this world.

     Dear Father, Help me to stay in harmony with Jesus, Amen

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A Faithful Servant

“Jude, the bondservant of Christ to them who are called.” Jude 1

Called to do what? First, we need to see the call to what. We have been called to Christ. He called us to come to Him, we didn’t make that choice on our own. The Father sent the Son to call men to Himself. The old hymn, “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,” makes clear that the invitation comes from above.

Since we have been called to Christ we are called to serve Christ. He has saved us from the condemnation of sin and eternal separation from God. That is a truth worth remembering every day. “There is another hymn, newer than the other. It goes, “I will serve Him, because I love Him, He has given life to me.” Without Christ we are dead. In Christ we are alive and called to serve Him in this world until we meet Him in the next.

How do we do this? How would we serve any master? We would obey their directions and do as we are asked to do. It’s that simple and that profound.

Dear Father, Let us find ourselves each day as servants of Christ. Amen

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A Faithful Savior

“Jude, the bondservant of Jesus Christ to them who are preserved in Jesus Christ” Jude 1

     Just in case you are wondering about how many lessons can come from Jude, well, I wrote a long book Jude, Apostle for Our Time, forty years ago. There were three chapters on verse 1. We are actually moving right along.

     Preserved and called, two ideas that preachers can take a series of Sundays to preach on each one. Christ keeps His own. In preserves us in heaven when Satan brings an accusation against us. Jesus pleads His shed blood for those who have put their faith in Him. Satan is our accuser and Christ is our Savior. He will not only preserve us from the accusations of Satan in this life, He will also preserve us into our heavenly home forever.

     When Satan tries to undo us, we need to remember that Christ is at work preserving us. With that assurance of Christ’s perpetual care for His own, we need not despair when Satan attacks our hearts and minds. We must remember Christ crucified for us and press on for Him.

Dear Father, Thank You for preserving us through Your Son, Amen

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Saints?

     “Jude, to them that are sanctified by God the Father.” Jude 1

     Sanctified means made pure by God, made into a saint. Are you a saint? If you have believed in Jesus Christ as your Savior, the answer is “yes”. Are you saintly? Well, I don’t know. I do know about myself and it doesn’t seem that I am what others would call a saint. I am flawed. I still sin (a lot). I don’t have a halo and I don’t live a quiet and separated and contemplative life. Aren’t saints supposed to be or do all those things? NO! They are not.

     Saints are flawed sinners. Saints get angry when they shouldn’t. Saints get frustrated when they should be trusting God. Saints are people who know and love Christ. Sometimes we will find them doing remarkable things, but not always. The only perfect person ever was Jesus Christ. The rest of us are supposed to daily seek to follow Him and remember that He is there to forgive our sins when we fail. We should strive, however, to magnify Christ in our lives.

     Dear Father, Help me to be a representative saint for Jesus. Amen  

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

 

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A Most Important Meeting

    “After that He was seem of James and all the apostles.” I Corinthians 15:7

      James and Jude are back in Galilee at some point between the resurrection and ascension of Christ. Jesus has already met the twelve, so this is not James the disciple. This is James the brother of Christ. And at the same time, He met Jude. Picture the brothers sitting down to eat when there is a knock on the door of their house. James answers the door and falls to His knees. Jesus is standing at the door. The Jesus whom they had mocked, denied, and crucified. But Jesus wasn’t there to punish them. He was there to draw them to Himself.

     We have many relatives who are not believers. It saddens all of us. It also saddens our Savior. He came back one more time to save His brothers. We must not lose hope as we witness to loved ones who continually spurn our message. Jesus loves them too and wants us to persist in our witness. We see that for sure two of four brothers finally believed who He was.

Dear Father, Help us to be faithful witnesses to friends and loved ones. Amen.

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Bad Decisions

     “Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James.” Jude 1

     Yes, again the same verse. An entire book could be written on this one verse so three short devotions will hardly cover it. Now who were Jude and James? Turn in your Bibles to Matthew 13 and we’ll see. Note two names that stand out in verse 55. His brothers are James, Joses, Simon and Judas. The first and last names are the James and Jude who wrote the books of James and Jude. Now note in John 7:5 what it says about these guys. “For neither did His brethren believe in Him.” Now check out Mark 3:21and 31.

     But wait, there’s more! It was required of all the Jews to gather in Jerusalem at the Passover. That includes James and Jude. What did that crowd demand of Pilate on Good Friday? “Crucify Him,” they cried. Yep, James and Jude are there with them. They could finally get rid of the one who was making their family a laughing stock. What changed from Good Friday for James and Jude? What changed for us? We met Jesus and so did they.

     Dear Father, Thank You for letting us meet Jesus. Amen.

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There's More to It

“Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ,” Jude 1

     Hey, wait a minute, that was yesterday’s text. Yes, it was. But there is much more to it. Who was Jude? How does he pop up here? Did Peter or Paul ever speak of him? No. Did John or James ever speak of him? No. So what’s the big deal (and who is he anyway)? Now this part gets really interesting. He’s the brother of James. So, what, and by the way, James also calls himself a slave of Christ. The big deal is that these two guys hated Christ and mocked Him.

    This isn’t that uncommon a thing in the New Testament. Paul hated and mocked Christ and killed His followers. Paul then met Christ face to face and became a changed man. He went from hater and mocker to disciple and apostle. These guys are just like the rest of us. At one point we were apart from God in our sins. Then we believe and become His children. The story of these men is really our story, too.

    Dear Father, Thank You for changing me from death to life through Christ. Amen.

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