Hold On- 2

Jude 17-22 Jude the brother of James and the half-brother of Jesus has good advice for us as we live in the last days before Jesus' return. It seems that the time of Jesus return for His church is close – certainly much closer than it was when this letter was written. When important events approach in our lives such as the big game, a wedding, or a vacation we usually make preparations. Certainly then, as we anticipate the return of our Savior, we ought to consider carefully preparing for His coming. Jude divides his call to prepare into three parts. First, the response of those outside the faith. Second, the preparation of our personal faith. And third our response toward those on the fence. The characteristics of those outside the faith are that they make light of the idea of Christ's return and they live according to the sinful desires of their flesh. They try to bring divisions in the church and among believers and any kind of religion they may think they have is only from their own natural instincts because they do not have the Holy Spirit. Most important in this section is how we handle our own preparation. "Build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit." We do this by reading and meditating on the Word with a view to making it an integral part of our thinking and actions; seeking ways to put it into practice. We pray, praise and worship with a view to strengthening our intimate relationship with God. We pray in the Holy Spirit by allowing Him to pray through us either in tongues or as Paul says in Romans 8:26 "...with groans that words cannot express." we need to keep ourselves in the awareness and reality of His Love. We need to show mercy and love toward the doubters and those on the edge, leading them to Christ whenever possible. We hate and have a healthy respect for the sin they live in but extend to them the lifeline of Christ.