Called, Loved & Kept!

Jude 1 (BSB)

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who are called, loved by God the Father, and kept in Jesus Christ: 2Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

3 Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed—ungodly ones who were designated long ago for condemnation. They turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality, and they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

It would not be an understatement on my part to state this morning that we are living in very unpredictable, unsettling times!

And much of it has to do with a virus, that has literally changed not only our way of life, but has effected our world!

Think of it, a virus, which if you never investigated what a virus is, the dictionary defines it as:

Virus - a ultramicroscopic (20 to 300 nanometers in diameter), metabolically inert, infectious agent.

My not being a scientist, may be the reason why I find it so amazing, but to me, the fact that something so apparently small could cause global pandemonium is incredible to me!

THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN DEVISTATING!

According to the World Health Organization the toll it has taken globally is staggering!

As of November 12th the death toll globally is - 5,099,383

In The US -761,354

There are 252,877,516 active cases affecting 222 countries

8,112 deaths are happening daily on a global bases due to the virus!

And I can’t think of anything in my lifetime that has pointed people to the question as to whether we are living at the “END OF THE AGE” OR AS THE BIBLE STATES IT “THE LAST DAYS!”

BUT WHAT I FIND INTERESTING – AND NOTEWORTHY IS THAT THE BIBLE BEGINS WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR WORLD “SPIRITUALLY” VERSES “SCIENTIFICALLY” AS AN INDICATION AS TO WHETHER WE ARE IN THE LAST DAYS OR NOT!

IT POINTS TO A “SPIRITUAL VIRUS” VERSES A PHYSICAL ONE:

Matthew 24:3b 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. -NIV

Paul told the Ephesians Elders in…

Acts 20: 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. -NIV

Peter in his 2nd Epistle warns…

2 Peter 2:1b There will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. -NIV

And this is why Jude is moved by the Spirit to write his epistle…

Jude 1:1b I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.-NKJV

And is basically the gist as to why John wrote his letters…

1 John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world -NIV

AND SO THE POINT BEING THIS, THE BIBLES GREATEST CONCERN FOR US DURING THESE LAST DAYS IS NOT SO MUCH WHAT IS HAPPEININBG PHYSICALLY, MEDICALLY, OR POLITICALLY, OR ENVIROMENTALLY, BUT RATHER WHAT IS HAPPENING SPIRITUALLY IN OUR WORLD!

BUT THE BEAUTIFUL PART IS THIS – NO MATTER WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND US…AND THERE IS QUITE A BIT!

THERE IS ANOTHER HEALTH CRISIS TAKING PLACE, AND YOU MAY WANT TO PICK UT THE COPY OF CHRISTIANITY TODAY, OUT IN THE FOYER = IT HAS TO DO WITH THIS MONTH’S COVER STORY…I MAY DELVE INTO THAT IF TIME PERMITS…

CT- Empty Pews Are an American Public Health Crisis -Americans are rapidly giving up on church. Our minds and bodies will pay the price. By TYLER J. VANDERWEELE AND BRENDAN CASE

Tyler J. VanderWeele is the Professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University.