The one-chapter book of Jude is easily missed, but full of goodness. Take verses 21-22 for example.

The words in the picture were prefaced by these:

“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.”

Words spoken about the lost and those pretending to be believers, but having a different agenda – those that Timothy and others had warned about.

Jude then gives believers a way to stand firm in their faith in the midst of those people set to cause division.

Three steps:
• Build
• Pray
• Await

Build each other up.
That means we have to be connected. We have to be involved in the lives of other believers. We have to be vulnerable. When we are, we can see when another is faltering and we can race to them, slide under an arm and lift them up to keep walking, figuratively speaking. When we see their faith flagging, we can speak truth to them, remind them of scripture and pray with them. We can listen to their hearts and love them.

We will also have the same done for us.

When we build one another up, we become a wall of faith that the enemy can’t breach.

••••••••

Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit.
As the Church, we need to learn this. We need to, within our connectedness, learn how to pray as the Acts Church did. We need to fall on our faces with cleansed, burdened hearts, seeking God’s will for what we see around us. We need to expect thousands to come to faith in Christ because we pray. We need to expect jail doors to open because we pray. We need to expect life to return to one gone too soon because we pray.

There are no magic words or declarations to speak this into existence. It requires persistent growth toward God’s heart, full faith in Him, and aligning with His will as we pray. It requires us letting go of the illusion of being in charge or in control. We have to step out of the role of god.

••••••••

Await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ooh, waiting is hard! Except it doesn’t have to be. As we await the Savior’s return, we have much to be accomplishing. We have many to tell of Him. We have each other to encourage. We have others to disciple – to help them grow in the knowledge of the Lord.

Yet, in the doing, our hearts long for and await His return and all the changes that will bring. As this world slides more into the chaos Timothy described (2 Timothy 3), we will feel less satisfied, less comfortable and longing more for the King to return to establish His kingdom on earth.

••••••••

Are you connected to other believers? Do you look eyeball to eyeball with others who love Jesus? Do you know people who will lift you up even as you lift another up? If not, don’t you think it’s time?

Do you pray in the power of the Holy Spirit? Yeah, I struggle here, too. Maybe we need to seek God to show us those who can guide us until we’ve learned to let go.

Are you waiting for Christ’s return? Are you frightened by the thought or energized by it?

Times are not going to get any better. The world is not going to become more Christlike, my friend. Not until Jesus returns. We need to prepare.

Build. Pray. Await. Let’s start today.

Coffee, Bible, Journal.