Monday, March 31, 2025

         Jude is a short, single-chapter letter found near the end of the Bible.  In fact, only Revelation follows Jude.  This brief letter was written by Jude who identified himself as “a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James” (Jude 1).  He wrote to offer a warning about false teachers and the distorted, disturbing message they brought to believers.  He wrote about his motivation in Jude 3, “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.”  This verse is a simple, yet impassioned, plea to hold to truth and to remain steadfast in faith.  The false teachers about whom Jude had issued warnings were subtle and sinister.  Subtle in the slight ways that they might change or reframe a message.  Sinister in the results or consequences that come from such changes and misunderstandings.
            We learn a lesson in steadfastness and perseverance when we read the twenty-five verses that make up Jude.  Being off a few centimeters might not seem like much at first thought.  But over a great distance, these centimeters can add up and change both your trajectory and destination.  Spiritual apathy and laziness can lead to disastrous results both now and in generations to follow.  Indifference to Bible reading, prayer and worship can poison a family tree well-beyond the present days.  It can be difficult to halt and reverse our course when we begin to wander away from the Lord.  This wandering rarely happens all at once.  Rather, it is a slow deterioration over time that can often be so small as to be easily explained or even undetected. 
            Jude 12-13 shows us some wonderful comparisons for what becomes of those who are deceived and led astray by subtle and sinister false teachings that water down faith and truth.  He wrote, “These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.”  We can become disruptive to the fellowship of believers.  We become concerned only with and about ourselves.  Like a cloud that produces no rain, we become dry and barren.  Like an autumn tree, there is neither fruit nor growth to be seen and celebrated.  We live rudderless and directionless like wild waves and wandering stars. 
            I suspect most of you reading these words would prefer not to live in such a way.  You desire a greater characterization of who and what you are.  Stay in God’s Word.  Build connections with other believers who can help you grow and remain anchored in the trust of Christ.  Worship faithfully.  Practice generosity and gratitude.  Jude 20-21 gives us an encouragement worth remembering and practicing, “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.”  As we find ourselves 25% of the way through 2025, how is your faith?  Today is an opportunity for a checkup.  Are you reading the Bible, praying, worshipping and growing in faith?  Or have you allowed small and hard-to-see cracks to begin to form in your foundation?  The legendary hall of fame basketball player Bill Russell once observed that his prowess and success as a defensive wizard was not necessarily shutting down his opponent but simply making his opponent uncomfortable.  Russell would try to push his opponent into shooting the ball a little further away than ordinarily comfortable.  And made shots became misses that came up a little short.  Today, Satan may not hit you with a full-on spiritual assault but he very well may move or push you into uncomfortable places where bad habits begin to form.  Stay alert!  Stay strong!  Build your faith!  Have a great Monday!  Remember you can share our worship any time at YouTube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.