Wow! Just wow!

Had been lead to reread the epistle of Jude this morning and Wow!!
Some strong meat here!
Very few words but each one pregnant with pressing truth...
I noticed from the greeting, and was reminded of the other epistles greetings just who these are for...
This one epistle deals with;
"hyper-grace"
"Body of Moses" i.e. Israel
Fleshly sin and judgment
Proper and improper correction (very needed here on SI)
The end times church
The end of the age
The returning Christ
And tons more in one 25 verse chapter!!!??
Just wow!!!
I'm so excited to have the Lord open His word to me and I pray He opens it to all who diligently seek Him in it:)

The epistle of Jude;

1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Hey Fletcher-

It has always intrigued me that Jude quoted from what we call the apocryphal Book of Enoch and Assumption of Moses and seems to hold them to be authoritative- at least for information.

How do you feel/what do you think about that?

P.S. The Book of Enoch is pretty fascinating.

Ha! Well that (for me) is secondary to the prophetic aspect of this epistle but it does intrigue me as well:)

As far as the book of Enoch is concerned, I accept it as inspired primary due to the fact it/he is referenced multiple times in the NT.
Having said this, it/he remains somewhat of an enigma to me insomuch as I can read the words and give mental ascent but confess I do not "possess" it within my heart so as to be able to offer it to another if that makes sense at all... As with other scriptures, I'm just not mature enough yet to extract the spiritual nutrients contained within it.

As for the "assumption of Moses" this is of great value to me in my personal and subsequently corporate growth as a follower of Christ. As I see it, Jesus is my first and primary identifier tho I believe I also must be a fruitful member of His body and give "my utmost for His highest" and not because "I have too" rather because it's my hearts desire to please Him and He has shown me this is in fact His desire for me/us as followers...

What struck me this morning regarding this subject was that the devil took issue with "the body of Moses".... So much so so as to engage Michael in an argument over its role/importance and yet Michael did not rail against him!!!
That is huge dude!!
Allot can be learned from that one thing and I hope to digest it
properly<

Hope that answers your question,...if not feel free to press further and we shall see what the Lord will show us:)

Dear Brother,

Thank you so much for sharing such kind words and divine insights with me, it means more than you might imagine:)

I too have enjoyed Ian's teachings and will def check the sermon, thanks for recommending that as there resides within me a perpetual appetite for things of God~

Also my sweet brother,
I (as much as I can) share in what is the unimaginable grief you are braving and pray that the Lord allows me the honor to continue with you as seek Him amidst gauntlet of emotional pitfalls.
(Lost my mother on short notice three yrs ago this month with similar circumstances)
I love you brother Neil and your heart for the Lord, the Holy one of Israel, is very much an inspiration for me to press on towards the mark and finish this race well.

May the Lord continue to comfort you with His tenderest touch in your quiet place:)

I like the word "convince" in v 15. If you don't pay attention it can slip by unnoticed.

Very good!

Yes! And well done dear brother:)

I confess this had slipped my eye,... So I am in your debt, for you have shined your light upon this "only once used" word... which indeed is very convincing;)

Ha!!
Wow now that was a blessing to hear!
What refreshing:)))

Where are the men today who having put on the whole armor of God dare to battle against the lies being perpetrated upon the church???
Have we allowed ourselves to be emasculated,..to be made eunuchs in the name of tolerance??? What shame!
When will we unsheathe the sword and cut away the cancerous lies choking the church?
We've become comfortable!
The church is comforted by the world??!! God forbid!!!

Lord I pray thee, draw us into a holy discomfort where we will believe we need the comforter!
As it stands we don't need Him,...we are comforted in our drunkeness on the world....
It is not to thee that we look but to the world,.. What shame!
No wonder we are powerless to stand against the flood of the enemy...
No wonder we have no authority, no faith to call down fire from heaven!
We're too busy being seduced by the things of this world and it shows in our weakness, in our compromise, in our incessant quibbling, in our lack of maturity, lack of unity, in our inability to live upright, godly and righteous lives that the world might believe that You sent Your Son!

Oh how we make excuses!
And then argue over who's excuse is the right one!!??
God forgive us!!!

Oh Lord that you may stir us yet again!
Oh great and gracious Father, I thank you that you chasten and scourge your children!
I pray thee Lord, afflict us! As David prayed thee, it's good that you keep me afflicted, for when you bless me, in my abundance I stray!
Oh and how we have strayed from the lonely road walked by the man of sorrows,..our forerunner... whom we call after yet won't follow...
Selah

Lord forgive us, have mercy, turn not your face from us but expose our hearts that we might be ashamed and I pray thee that thou grant us repentance, true and deep repentance from a contrite and broken heart, a repentance not to be repented of.
That we might walk worthy of the gospel that saves us!
That Christ might be magnified in our bodies!
That Your great name might be glorified thru out all the earth!

I ask these things in the Holy and precious name of Jesus, Yeshua haMashiach-
Amen~

Vs 10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

Now this is an interesting find.... and seems to (more than likely) be one of the problems experienced here on SI.

While digging around in these scriptures a couple of interesting contrasts were uncovered; note in this verse the use of the word "know" twice which upon surface reading would appear to be the same employment but are in fact different words in the Greek and while they have similar meanings there is a reason the author chose to employ differing words here, in that the first usage has more of a spiritual connotation (discernment) but is used in the negative form of lacking spiritual discernment... Whereas the second usage deals primarily with the flesh, and in the positive sense as to having it-
Which of course is the exact opposite of what we want...something to look into.

Another interesting note is that this epistle is a direct parallel to 2 Peter 2 which the author is referencing the same historic accounts found in vs 9 of Jude as well as the same warnings and conclusions... For me this is of great significance! The Holy Ghost not once but twice has found it meet to include and transmit these ideas/truths and subsequent warnings and punishments! It would behoove us to take head lest when we think we stand we fall!

Included is 2 Peter for comparison/contrast;

1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.