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November 16 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, “In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly minded, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. Jude 17-21. Yes, we are to keep these words before us at all times. We are to be cautious about our associations with those who are following after ungodly lusts. They will carry us into patterns of the world, rather than the leading of the Spirit. They will cause us to find reasons for division in the body of Christ—constantly looking for differences, magnifying them, and being critical of the performance of others. Spare us, dear Lord Jesus, from these adventures into destruction. The answer is to set our faith upon Jesus—to keep a prayerful mindset, and to seek the love of God in all that we do and say. Yes, I admit we are imperfect in doing these things, but hopefully, slowly over time, we will mature into a more complete expression of these qualities. This happens as we keep our spiritual eyes upon Jesus. Jude called himself a bondservant of Jesus Christ. He was a brother of James. Instinctively I like him, for he has a way of explaining things directly and honestly—all the while presenting a warning to believers which is totally relevant to our modern world. He is not seeking attention for himself—all credit is given to Jesus. My friends, we are to act in the same way. Thank You, Father, for this warning about those who would turn us away from You. The world is filled with such persons, and it is only through You that we can master all situations before us. Thank You for caring about us and leading us. We thank You in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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