Jude 1:3-4, “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. 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.”

…And much of the time the fight is against those that are closest to us!

The theme of the book of Jude is exortation to constancy. By definition, constancy is the quality of being faithful and dependable.

Jude’s goal was to warn the church against immoral teachers an alarming heresies which were endangering the faith of believers.

Judes speaks of:

– Common salvation – free to all

– Earnestly contend for the faith – to be a continuing struggle. Why? Because the enemy snuck in the church without being detected. An enemy that has already been condemned. Who? Ungodly men who has turned (or tries to turn) the grace of God into lasciviousness (by definition is filled with or showing sexual desire; lewd, lustful).

The Fight Begins…

Earnestly is to be with sincere and intense conviction. Contend is to struggle to surmont. We are to fight for this faith! The bible we are all dealt a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). Our goal is to cultivate and grow our faith in the midest of forces, all around us, whose goal is to attack our faith. To render our faith ineffective.

But we must know what the word says. We must believe it and stand upon it. The word of God is our only weapon. It is strong enough to defeat the enemy. We have the shield of our faith as the focal point of our armour. It is mobile, it can move where is it needed to block ALL the firey arrows of the enemy’s attacks. See Ephesians 6:11-18.

The word of God and our faith must work together. Our faith grows by hearing the word. Our faith is made strong when it is exercised. The more we stand upon the word of God by faith, we are exercising our faith. The more our faith is used, the stronger it gets. We grow from faith to faith. We start with little faith, but we are instructed to exercise it so it becomes great faith.

However, those agents of our enemy, who have infiltrated the church, have become experts in deceiving the believer. If we are not careful, we can become a casualty in this war. They sow just enough truth to their lies, that if we are not careful, we can fall victim to them. This is seen all the time in various way. Have you ever hear someone tell you it is “okay” to do the very thing you know is against God’s law? Or it is okay to find yourself in places that are sources of temptations for you? Or it is okay to taste a little of this or do a little of that – when you know that they only serve to make you spiritually weak?

It is a constant battle. A fight that we must win.

We have to guard ourself against these attacks. Jude warned and encouraged us to constancy. To be faithful and dependable. We must be a student of the word of God, to get an understanding of this common salvation. We must know the word for ourselves so we can separate the lies from the truth. It is an ongoing battle. But it is also a battle we are built to win.

We have to fight on every side. We have to fight loved ones, family, friends, even society. Because, at times, they are all bombarding us with halftruths and outright lies. Not all are malicious, but they are lies just the same. Sometimes those closest to us are being used by the enemy just to attack our faith. So we must fight by faith and with our faith.

Ephesians 6:12 tells us who we are fighting. Not flesh and blood, but the spirit that are influencing them. So our fight is not with the person, but that spirit. Our fight is not a physical one. It is a spiritual battle that is won in prayer, praise and worship. We must rebuke the enemy, we must bind the spirit and loose God’s anointing and will (Matthew 18:18).

So I encourage to continue to fight the good fight of faith (1Timothy 6:12). You may fall down, but dont stay there. Get back up and dust yourself off. Then get back into the fight. You will be victorious.

Have a blessed night.

Happy Friday!

By definition, choice is an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities.

The opportunity to think for yourself and make choices is a blessing from God. In return, God expects us to make good decision that will ultimately bring glory and honor to his name.

Take time this morning to ask God to guide your footsteps, and help you make wise decisions.

If you doubt your ability to make wise decisions, the Bible says to ask God for wisdom. James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

Lamentations 3^{:22-23, “} It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

God woke us up this morning and provide us all with new mercies to carry us through the day. Yesterday is over and gone. Todays is a new day. Let go of yesterday’s failures and embrace the new opportunities of today. Make great and wise decisions

So, trust God and have a great day. He loved you and gave himself for you. Take this opportunity to make your father proud.

Have a blessed day!

It is good remember just how much God loves and values us. His children.

We serve a God who took the time to create us in his own image. While we were yet in our own sins, with a mind that was thinking evil, and a body doing whatever we wanted, not even considering him – he died for us. He gave himself for us.

That is love!

Jesus did not hesitate on his journey to Calvary’s cross, to die for a people who cried out “crucify him.”

He did it…

His life saved my life. His amazing grace looked beyond all my faults and saw my need. I (we) needed a savior. He gave himself for me, and washed away my sins in his blood!! Hallelujah!!

Today, I wanted to talk about what God has done. To appreciate his awesome sacrifice. Because there are times when life is so busy and hectic. We have so many things going on that we can lose sight of the goodness of God. We must push ourselves to remember just what he has done for us.

Mindfulness is a buzz word we hear all the time now. It is about living in the moment – really being present, and appreciating God. I want to take a moment to be mindfully aware of what God did! To recognize the extent and implications of His great gift. To truly appreciate Him. And simply say thank you!

So, please join me in thanking the God who know us individually. A God who knows our sins and faults, and loves us regardless, But his love is life-changing. His love strengthens us to come out of our sins, and be a better version of ourselves. To be the person he has ordered.

His love will not allow us to remain comfortable in our sins. The light of his love shines on us and calls us out of them. It is a blessing to know he has set us free. We are free indeed!!

He has wasted us in his blood!

He did it…and that is love!