Jude 1:17-21 ( NLT):
17 But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ told you, 18 that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to enjoy themselves in every evil way imaginable.
19 Now they are here, and they are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They live by natural instinct because they do not have God’s Spirit living in them.
20 But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit.
21 Live in such a way that God’s love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you.
None of us could have foreseen such a strange and unpredictable time as the one we are living in right now. It is abundantly clear that we are certainly living in the last days, but just as the scripture tells us in Jude 1, as God’s people, we have to continue to build our lives on the foundation of our most Holy faith. We cannot give in to fear, indecision, and division. God is calling on us to recognize His mercy, and use the time wisely to prepare ourselves for what the future holds.
The Word of God teaches us about all things, including what’s to come in the earth. Jude 1:17 tells us, “In the last times, there will be scoffers whose purpose in life is to enjoy themselves in every evil way imaginable.” Doesn’t this look exactly like the day and time in which we now live? The things that God has told us are wrong, scoffers have tried to turn them around and make them look right. And those things that are Godly and upright according to God’s Word, the enemy has blinded people to the point where they see them as being wrong.
These are the kinds of people that caused division among God’s people some two thousand years ago, and they are the kind of people that are causing strife amongst the people of God today. They live according to the flesh, because they do not have God’s Spirit living in them. That is not the case with us, and we should be eternally thankful. And not only that, we should be more committed today to stand on God’s Word in faith than ever before.
God encourages us to not lose heart because of how unpredictable the times appear. We can’t afford to be asleep at the wheel, so to speak, and we can’t be moved one way or the other by those that haven’t matured in Christ. We don’t know the day or the hour our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will return, but it’s our duty and responsibility to stay ready, alert and on guard. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NLT) tells us exactly how we are to do this. It says, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.”
We can look at the current times and see that we Christians haven’t quite hit the mark when it comes to praying for the leaders of our country, and others all over the world. Now is a very perilous time, so if you haven’t made praying for those in authority a part of your prayer life, it is a very necessary and helpful thing to do. God instructs us to pray for those that are in authority for a reason. It is so that all of us can continue to grow in Christ, and live a peaceful life of worshipping God in Spirit and in truth!
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Written by Kim Times, edited by Rev. F. Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2016. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.