Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the book of Jude. I felt a great sense of urgency to publish them rather than waiting until I had the time to pretty them up. Thank you and I pray that God blesses and encourages you through this material. I’m not sure of the condition of the world at the time of this publication. But at the time of its writing, early 2009, things are looking pretty bleak with the economy and unemployment among other things. Natural disasters are happening – volcanic eruptions in Alaska and rising flood waters in North Dakota. Are these the first stages of birth pains? The last? God only knows. Stay strong. Encourage each other. Pray. Jesus is coming…
Stacey
Take a few minutes to pray and savor the book of Jude. It’s only one chapter. Then return here and ponder the thoughts, answer the questions, and be sure to leave comments about your own revelations…
This is our final week to study this crucial new testament letter. I pray you've really savored it.
18 – In the end times, some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits according to 1 Timothy 4:1. 2 Timothy 3:1 says that the end will be terrible times. 2 Peter 3:3 confirms that scoffers will come.
Evil desires = ungodly desires.
False prophets and teachers speak heresy and destroy themselves and others according to 2 Peter 2:1.
BATTLE: Abandoning the faith. Being deceived. Once you meet Jesus, hang onto Him with everything you’ve got. Pray for strength and wisdom to know Him. Memorize scripture. Test everything against the Word of God so that you are not deceived.
19 – The godless men cause division.
1 Corinthians 2:14-15 says that those who do not have the Spirit cannot understand things of God. Consider this for a moment. You can only grasp the gospel message when you have the Spirit. You must allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of the gospel to you.
BATTLE: Being divided from brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus prayed for unity among all believers in John 17. Bond with your brothers and sisters in Christ. My husband and I attended a Passover Seder at a local church. We knew none of the other 8 people at our table, but we had something in common – Jesus. What more did we need? Nothing. That one thing made us siblings.
20 – 1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us to build each other up.
Jude told us to contend for the faith in verse 3. We will experience such opposition from these godless men that we will have to fight for our faith!
Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray in the Spirit.
BATTLE: Discouragement. Opposition. Lack of perseverance. We all have moments of weakness in our walk with Jesus. The Bible says that when we are weak, He is strong. Spend time with the Lord everyday. Let Him encourage you. Let Him empower you. Let Him carry you forward when you are too weak to finish the race, yourself.
21 – How do we keep ourselves in God’s love? Practical ways include prayer, reading, meditating on and studying the Word, and obedience to God and His Word.
We are waiting for Christ’s glorious appearing according to Titus 2:13 and Hebrews 9:28. 2 Peter 3:12 says to look forward to the Day of the Lord. What can you do to help yourself look forward to judgment day?
BATTLE: Staying close to God. Busy lives can get in the way of our relationship with God. But that’s what Christianity is all about: relationship. Schedule time to spend with the Lord daily. Make this time a top priority. Get up early if you have to.
22 – We are to show mercy to those who doubt. These are those who have been deceived. Obviously, they will behave in such a way as to need mercy. I won’t speculate.
BATTLE: Offering mercy. It’s tempting to judge others and exact punishment or revenge. Isn’t it? Especially against those who have hurt us. Instead of succumbing to temptation, forgive your enemy…out loud. Memorize this verse.
23 – Save the misled. Amos 4:11 says to snatch them from the fire. This implies that they are starting to burn, but pulled from the flames before they are consumed.
Show mercy mixed with fear? Again, the behavior of these people will be such that they will need mercy. They will probably be like frightened, abused animals: ready to attack at the least provocation. Keep your guard up!
BATTLE: Staying alert. Don’t get lazy about your relationships. Be deliberate about spending time with Jesus and other Christians. If you’re like me, you may have to force yourself to do this. Spend time in the Bible everyday. Pray without ceasing. Each day is one day closer to reunion with our maker. Stand firm! Persevere!
BATTLE GEAR: Breath prayers. How can you pray without ceasing? Whenever you are mindful to do so, speak a sentence or two to the Lord. When you get called into your boss’ office, offer up a quick prayer for His will to be done. When you come out of that office with a new promotion, say, “Thank You, Father.” When the outcome is less desirable, say, “Lord, lead me to where You want me to be.”
Hate the clothing stained by corrupted flesh – even the clothing of these wicked people would be polluted. Do you imagine, like me, that these “rags” would be the best brand names in the richest, most attractive colors?
24 – Who is able to keep you from falling? Who is able to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy? There is only one! Jesus Christ.
25 – Jude glorifies the Lord eloquently, proclaiming glory, majesty, power and authority be to God through Christ Jesus. Take a few moments to glorify the Lord. Pray, sing, journal. Proclaim His glory, majesty, power and authority.
• The book of Jude teaches much about how to protect yourself and others in the battle to keep and build our faith. What have you learned about how to guard your heart or the heart of others today?
• What attributes of God do you see in this chapter?
• What verse of scripture seemed to be God speaking directly to you? What is He teaching you in these verses? How does He want you to respond?
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