Thursday, September 12, 2013

Psalm 114 Our God never changes!  He brought Israel out of Egypt then, and He brings people out of slavery and oppression, now.  He made Judah His sanctuary then, and He makes our hearts His sanctuary, His dwelling place, now.  He made Israel His dominion , and He makes believers His kingdom.  He made the sea and the Jordan turn and flee.  He makes barriers turn back and run away. He made mountains skip like rams.   He makes mountains fall and the earth to tremble. He brought water out of the rock.  He provides all that is ever needed.
  I bow before You, King of Heaven and earth..  You are the One True King.  Oh may I tremble before You in true reverence and humility.

Jude
Jude writes his letter to appeal to the believers to "contend earnestly for the faith".  There is always a struggle going on, a war against the faith, led by the ungodly.  The source is the devil, but sometimes the vessel used is right in the middle of the congregation of believers.  Jude says that they "crept in unnoticed".  Yet they are "marked out" for condemnation.
Disobedient, rebellious angels were removed from heaven.
Israelites released miraculously from Egypt were later destroyed in the wilderness for unbelief.
The revelers in Sodom and Gomorrah were wiped out completely.
Judgement of the ungodly is certain. Punishment is eternal.
Jude makes clear the marks of the evil ones:
They turn grace into licentiousness. (v4) immorality of all kinds
They " deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (v4)
They "defile the flesh and reject authority and revile angelic majesties." v 8
They revile the things "they do not understand" v10
They have gone the way of Cain, Balaam, and Korah.  (v11)
They blemish the fellowship of believers.  They care only for themselves. ( v12)
They are grumblers, fault finders, they follow their own lusts, they are arrogant, they flatter others to gain advantage. (v16)
They cause divisions.  They are worldly minded.  They are devoid of the Spirit. (v19)

In contrast, "those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ" (v1)
are those who:
Build ourselves up on our "most holy faith" (v20)
Pray in the Holy Spirit. (v20)
Keep ourselves in the love of God. (v21)
Wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. (21z0
 Have mercy on the doubting, preach salvation to the lost, and "have mercy with fear" for those polluted by sin. (v22-23)
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen" (v24-25)
Father in Heaven, Keep me in Your Hands.  You are the "Strong Tower", may I be ever within You.
Amen

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