My family

My family
Child of God, Mother, Wife, Sister, Daughter, Aunt, and friend

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Now this is worth sharing!

My sunday school teacher Darin, an enthusiastic hunter, shared with us this morning about a lion attack that was posted on youtube and that we should all try and view it if we could. He described it in detail, but after getting home and watching it myself, I found myself to be in tears over it. The symbolism in it is so amazing, and so worth sharing. The lions and alligator represent sin, worldly things, and satan. They creep up on you when you least expect it, and pounce! We as Christians, or the water buffalo in this case, are to be prepared to battle. In the book of Jude, we hear Jude's warnings against fasle teachers. He tells us this:

Jude 1:3,4

Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

He urges us to be on our guard against not only the obvious sin around us, but the sin that is in disguise, for this is the most dangerous kind. I must admit to never remembering a time that I have read Jude, as it is so short. Probably the shortest book in the bible, but some really wonderful things in there! His call to remain faithful is definitly worth reading again and again. It is this:

Jude 1:17-23

But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others,but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.





Blessings,

Ali

1 comment:

Victoria said...

I've never read Jude either, I can't wait to get a moment to do that today!

"They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them."

Powerful!