Today we are reading Jude. In this brief letter we read about the extreme diff of the last days and how we are to live. “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory 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.” Jude 1:20-25 ESV How are we to endure these challenging times? We are to build ourselves up in our most holy faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of Jesus. The verbs are build up, pray, keep and wait. Reading God’s word and worshiping help to build up our faith. Praying in a disciplined and focused way helps us to learn to take all our concerns to Jesus. Keeping our thoughts and motives in God’s love helps us avoid the downward spiral of self-centeredness. Waiting on God’s mercy helps us to keep focused on the promise of Jesus’ return and lifts us out of the muck of these worldly troubles. May God give you a renewed sense of purpose as you walk by faith! Pastor Tim
