Day Dreaming

657.  "Day Dreaming     December 10, 2012
Jude 8-Part 7
Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. KJV

LET IT GLOW

Day dreaming. When bored with lecturing teachers, I would let my mind wonder somewhere else. We must be careful about what our mind dwells on, what thoughts we let wonder in. Before we know it, we can be in La-la land entertaining impure thoughts-places we would never go in the physical realm.

Jude is warning about dreamers, these apostates, false teachers, false prophets.
The Thayer's Lexicon defines dreamers as to be beguiled with sensual images and carried away to an impious course of conduct. Webster's Dictionary defines impious as lacking reverence for God; profane.

So these kind of dreamers were those which Jude compared to in previous verses, with the unbelieving Israelites, fallen angels, and homosexuals of Sodom.

These dreamers:

• defiled the flesh-polluted their own bodies;
• despised dominion-rejected authority
• spoke evil of dignities-slandered celestial beings.

(phrases were from the New International Version of the Bible)

Clarke's Commentary on the Bible says:

He (Jude) means to say that these false teachers and their followers were as unbelieving and disobedient as the Israelites in the wilderness, as rebellious against the authority of God as the fallen angels, and as impure and unholy as the Sodomites; and that consequently they must expect similar punishment.
 

I need to guard my thoughts and not daydream. The devil can throw me some curve balls and tempt me to strike when I normally would not do so.

LET IT GROW

Luke 6:45 says, The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

Philippians 4:8 tells us to think on the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, excellent, and praiseworthy.

Proverbs 23:7 says, For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.

Am I protecting my heart? Is it washed with the Blood of the Lamb?
I want to be a good person who brings good things out of the good stored up in my heart. Also, my mouth speaks from the overflow of my heart. Therefore, if my heart is filled with the love of Jesus, then it will be shown in my actions and my words.

LET IT GO

Turn away impure thoughts.

Rebuke the devil.

Think on pure thoughts, on things above, not on the earth.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

Den of Sin

656.  "Den of Sin"       December 7, 2012
Jude 7-Part 6
In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.  NIV

LET IT GLOW

When someone says my name after I have died, I want my life to be a good example of following Jesus. Also, I want my church and town to be known as a place where Jesus dwelled, not a den of sin.
Jude uses two cities as examples of a den of sin. What were they?

The destruction of these cities ar the southeast corner of the Dead Sea is used over twenty times in Scripture as an illustration of God's judgment during the days of Abraham and Lot. Their apostasy occured about 450 years after the flood and only 100 years after Noah's death. People would have known about the message of righteousness and judgment from God which Noah preached, and which they rejected. (MacArthur Bible Commentary)

The terrible sin of these cities is homosexuality, for which God destroyed the whole area. The point in this passage is that the people of God were lured away from the true worship of God by the homosexual cities (Gen. 18-19) and they were therefore destroyed. In the Bible, the most serious sins are those which draw others away from the true worship of God or hinder others from believing in Christ (Deut. 13:1-11, Mark 9:42).  (Liberty Bible Commentary)

I think the warning from Jude is for us to not give ourselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. Teach our children what God says are the right and pure ways to live, then be the example ourselves.

LET IT GROW

The latter part of verse 7 tells me to allow S & G to be an example of God's fire of earthly judgment, which was a preview of fire that can't be quenched in eternal hell.

Other Scriptures to read on this include: Matt. 3:12, 18:8, 25:41; Mark 9:43-44, 46-48; Luke 3:17; Rev. 19:20, 20:14-15, 21:8.

Resource: MacArthur Bible Commentary 

Other commentaries call homosexuality a detestable and unnatural sin, to which I agree.

Am I standing up for the Bible and earnestly contending for the faith? Or am I passive and not speaking out against this sin?

LET IT GO

Stay committed to Jesus and His teachings of purity.

Warn others of judgment for homosexuals.

Help my town and church to have a good reputation (Christianity)for future generations.

Angels

655.  "Angels"        December 6, 2012
Jude 6-Part 5
And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home-these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. NIV

LET IT GLOW

As I think about angels, there were several active around Jesus' birth-Mary before conception, Joseph in a dream, Zacharias before John was born. Angels are messengers of God. Our key verse mentions angels, but not in a good way. Let's look further.

In this verse, we read of the second example of apostasy to which Jude refers. It is  the apostasy of fallen angels that is described in Genesis 6:1-3.
These angels broke rank and stepped lustfully beyond their prescribed abode to cohabit with human women. (Swindoll)

2 Peter 2:4 says, For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.

The false teachers who are exploiting Peter's Christian readers will certainly be punished in the day of judgment by our Righteous God. (Falwell)

God punished me who sinned and angels who, before defecting, once sang His praises.

If I am not careful, I can be deep in sin within a moment.


LET IT GROW

What is verse 6 warning me?

• First, I should stand firm, keeping my position next to Christ.
• Fight this spiritual battle with God's armor found in Ephesians 6-helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, shoes of peace, sword of the Word, shield of faith, all of which are provided by Him.
• Don't abandon my home. Stay where God put me and leave only whenever He directs. Stay in the church, in the family, in the neighborhood where He wants His light to shine through me.
• Continue in the light of Jesus.
• Be free from the chain of sin by confessing.

LET IT GO

Beware of false teachings and teachers.

Stay in the Word of God.

Remain where God has put me. Be His light shining wherever I go.

Thank Jesus for coming into the world, suffering so much, in order to provide my salvation.

Sing His praises!

A Modern Miracle

654.  "A Modern Miracle"    December 5, 2012
Jude 5-Part 4
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. KJV

LET IT GLOW

Are there any miracles that God has done in your life? There is one in particular for me. On December 21, 2001, after surgery, I stopped breathing, turning blue. My husband saw this and called for help. My doctors happened to still be close and gave me the right medicine to override the morphene. I say that I am living my extended life that God has given me. So I will celebrate 11 years of life soon. How grateful I am for a second chance to serve Him!
Jude wants his readers to remember an occurance back in Old Testament times. What was it?

God delivered His people the Israelites out of 400 years of slavery in Egypt. Through His servant Moses, God showed miraculous signs as He brought on the ten plagues upon Egypt. I think the day they walked toward the wilderness was a day of singing praises to God. Such joyful hearts! No more being a slave to the Egyptians. No more hard work. Freedom. The Red Sea crossing was an experience they never stopped talking about. Or did they?

Do I remember the miracles God has done in my life?

• He created me. (My brother is 7 years older than I, so I was unexpected.)
• He saved me.
• He delivered me out of my bondage to sin.
• He gave me breath again and extended my life.
• He provides all I need.

It is always good to remember. How about you? Any miracles in your life?

LET IT GROW

They Hebrews traveled across the desert. When they came to the borders of the Promised Land.
Then 12 men were sent to spy it out. Only two (Caleb and Joshua) had faith that they could conquer it, bringing back a good report. After seeing all the lucious fruit, and experiencing miracles, the ten men focused on the giants instead of how powerful  God is and what He could do. They did not look with excitement to see Him take the land for them. What happened? The people sided with the ten instead of the two. As a result, those 20 years and older all died in the the wilderness, except those two.
The wilderness was a graveyard that Paul (1 Cor. 10:5-11) and the writer of Hebrews (3:18-4:2) and Jude (verse 5) wrote about. It was the unbelief that displeased God (Heb. 3:19).

Luke 1:37 says, For with God nothing shall be impossible.

It was impossible for man, but not impossible for God-immpregnate a virgin by the Holy Spirit (Mary) and an old woman (Elisabeth) beyond childbearing years. By faith I believe this happened and history records John the Baptist and Jesus were real human beings.

How strong is my faith? When I face giants, do I believe and trust God to eliminate them? Do they keep me from experiencing the Promised Land that God wants me to live in now? Will I let Jesus conquer my fears and doubts? How about you?

LET IT GO

Remember all that God has done for me.

Thank Him daily for creating me, saving me, and extending my life.

Trust God for more miracles.

Pretzels

653.  "Pretzels"     December 4, 2012
Jude 4-Part 3
For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.  (NAS)

LET IT GLOW

I like to eat pretzels. I eat them instead of chips with my sandwich, as a crunchy snack, whenever I want something salty. I don't like the stick ones, but the 3 clover ones. You know, the twisted ones.
In this verse, Jude is warning of ungodly people who twist the grace of God.

Who are the people that have crept into the church unnoticed? They were false teachers, the apostates, who opposed the mainstream teaching of the Christian faith. They didn't harbor doubts in their minds but full-sailed defiance in their hearts. Everywhere these defiant men went, division and dissension followed. Their effect was lethal, striking at the very core of Christian truth.

Jude describes these ungodly persons:

1. They turn the grace of our God into licentiousness.
2. They deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

These people twisted and turned the grace of God into an opportunity to satisfy their own sensual appetities. Turn means to transpose or change the place of. It is used to describe the altering of a concllusion, or the changing of a person's name, mind, or loyaltes. (Swindoll's New Testament Postcard)

They are godless men, who change the grace of God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. (NIV)

Like a pretzel is twisted into shape, these false teachers were twisting God's grace. No wonder Jude was writing to warn his readers.

I sure don't want to be guilty of twisting God's Words, nor using it to justify immorality.

LET IT GROW

Here we have a reason to "contend earnestly for the faith."
Apostasy is a falling-away from the faith. In Greek literature it was used of rebels who defect from a cause. It was also used in the phrase "bill of divorce," where the word divorce is a translation of the Greek word apostasia.

Contend means to fight or to struggle intensely.

Am I always aware of false teachings or teachers? I must learn the Word in order to be able to spot them.
Do I fight for the truth? I must know the difference between false and true doctrine and words.

LET IT GO

Stand up for my faith in Jesus and His Word.

Recognize the difference between false and true teachings.

Beware of twisted words.

Do we Have Anything in Common?

652.  "Do we Have Anything in Common? "
December 3, 2012
Jude 3
Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. NAS

LET IT GLOW

I was a stranger is a strange land.
My mission trip to the Dominican Republic  made such a lasting impression on my life. Did I have anything in common with these people? Our language, lifestyle, and worship were very different. Even though I could only understand a few Spanish words, I felt like I had a lot in common with the Christians in the churches where we attended worship services and fellowships. It was the love of our Savior and the Holy spirit that bound us together as brothers and sisters in the faith. Perhaps Jude felt the same way.

What did Jude and his readers have in common?

• salvation
• faith
• sainthood as believers in Jesus Christ.

Do I allow the love of Jesus to be a common bond with others? Do you and I have anything in common?

LET IT GROW

What is Jude wanting his readers to do?
He wants them to (earnestly in KJV) contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

What does that long sentence mean?
In his study guide, New Testament Postcards, Charles Swindoll says:

The theme of this letter is found in the admonition to "contend earnestly for the faith." The Greek word for "contend" is epagonizesthai. It means "to fight" or "to struggle" intensely. We get our word agonize from it. the picture is one of a wrestling match with a formidable opponent in an ancient gymnasium, thick and humid with the smell of sweat.
 

Furthermore, Swindoll says for us to not let someone take away the nucleus of our faith without a struggle. It's worth fighting for, so don't be afraid to get on the canvas and wrestle for it.
If my focus is on comfortable pews and thermostat settings, am I really going to want to break into a sweat and "contend earnestly for the faith?"

"The faith" is the body of truth contained in the Scriptures, which effects our lifestyle. It is firmly structured around the good news delivered once at the cross-and for all. The faith is not delivered to a privileged few on God's list, but is given to the "saints."

Jude wrote this urgent imperative for Christians to wage war against error in all forms and to fight strenuously for the truth, like a soldier who has been entrusted with a sacred task of guarding a holy treasure. Scripture is complete, sufficient, and finished; therefore it is fixed for all time. Nothing is to be added to the body of the inspired Word because nothing else is needed.  (MacArthur Bible Commentary)

 The word all jumped out at me today. Earlier, my attention was brought to 2 Corinthians 9:8, And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (NIV)

What word is used four times in that one verse? All is used.
God's grace is all grace for me, in all things, at all times, so I have all that I need to share with others.

Now, that's the kind of grace I want. How about you? Am I contending, fighting for the faith?

LET IT GO

Let love, faith, and salvation be a common bond with fellow Christians.

Allow God's grace to be all-sufficient for me.

Stand up for Jesus.

I'm Back!

Hello dear friends,
I have missed ya'll very much. November was such a busy and exciting month for me. First, I spent a week on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. We know of 22 that were saved, not counting any high school students to whom we witnessed.

We were home on Friday and flew out Tuesday, just enough time to change summer clothes into winter ones. We spent a week with our daughter and her family, celebrating her birthday and Thanksgiving together, plus spoiling the grandchildren. Then my husband and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary.

I caught a bug somewhere and have been sick the rest of the week, so I am sorry for not posting earlier. God's grace is good and I am back. Please join me Monday in the book of Jude.

I'll be sharing some experiences where this country road led me as I served God.

Have a great weekend, friends, and see ya Monday.
Linda