Turned Around
Turned Around
Have you ever been mixed up in your sense of direction and don’t know which way to go, and don’t even know a point of reference to get you back on track or headed in the right direction? We’ve all been, at one point or another…
A few years ago on a cruise, I went scuba diving and wanted to see how deep that I could go.
After I got so deep, I got turned around and not only could I not find the bottom, but was also confused on which way was up.
My sense of direction got distorted.
If I brought somebody in this room and blindfolded them, and turned off all of the lights…
For the most part, because of their other senses, their touch, their hearing, and their previous sight that they had, they could probably find the door.
However, if I brought somebody into this room that had never been in this room before, and blindfolded them, spun them around, and told them to find a way out without any point of reference, they would start to feel stuck in this room and confused.
This is how we are when we’re walking in this world without God as our point of reference… Without the Church and the Church body as our point of reference…
Even though we may have wandered off, and even though we have gotten turned around, if we have ever had any sort of an encounter with God, we are more likely to have a point of reference; but only if we have once had a foundation of truth to run to.
If we learn nothing else in this life, except what the Cross is, and who Jesus Christ is, then we can find our way.
The Bible says that He is the ONLY WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. A true relationship with God is not found through any other PATH, or any other PERSON, or any other WAY.
This is not a only meant to be a salvation message per se, but in the Book of Jude, he says he WANTED to rejoice in the SALVATION EXPERIENCE, but he felt prompted to warn about deception that can subtly creep into our lives, and even in the Church.
Jude was a half brother to Jesus who had 3 other brothers, James, Joseph, and Simon….James and Jude wrote two Epistles in the New Testament.
Jude 1:1-4 NLT (Read)
1 Cor. 14:33 The Bible says that God is not the author of confusion; and He doesn’t want us to be double minded with the truth divided in our heart along with untruths.
In James 1:8 KJV it says that a double minded man is UNSTABLE in all of his ways.
Jude 1:5-19 NLT shares Examples of:
⁃Israelites in the wilderness who were subverted by their unfaithfulness, instead of how they were taught, and chose COMPROMISE as being acceptable - shortcutting the commands of God for their own good.
⁃If the Angels in Heaven were deceived by the offers of satan long ago, how much more do you and I need to be diligent about deception?
⁃Greed: Cain resorted to murder (when that wasn’t his original intent), based on his shortcutting of what God asked of him.
⁃Baalam who had greed for his own profit.
⁃Korah’s rebellion against leadership which once again, explains deception they thought was acceptable, while still wanting God’s favor on their lives.
⁃False Teachers: Jude describes them as waterless clouds, diluting the truth of the Gospel, Fruitless trees, Wandering stars…who follow their own fleshly instincts without the guidance of God’s Spirit.
We even have a “church” in our own town who has believed the deception that Jesus was “just a good and noble teacher”, with no DIVINE purpose of being part of the Godhead. (Just a Good Person to look to)
⁃With no specific theology or belief other than God is “WITHIN” and is defined as our OWN thoughts and feelings and what WE think brings us personal satisfaction.
⁃Basically, we are not people in need of a Savior.
Proverbs 28:26 NLT “Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.”
Jeremiah 17:9 KJV “The heart is deceitful above all things.”
Because we are in this fallen world with fleshly desires unless we are transformed by abiding in the Vine (Jesus)
Romans 12:2 Be not Conformed to this world, but be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind
You may not have a question of needing to trust Jesus for your SALVATION….maybe you’ve been doing that for years!
But what about when we drift just a little farther in not spending TIME with the ONE who created TRUTH and LITTLE THINGS creep in that we slowly adopt as being the way to live our lives, cuz someone else we know has a lower standard for their walk with God and they seem to think it’s ok.
How does Jude teach us to react and respond to these things that raise their head in our culture?
Jude 1:20-25
⁃Build up your holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost! There is NOTHING that the enemy can do to stand against a Holy Ghost filled fervent prayer! James 5:16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man yields positive results!”
⁃Keep yourselves in the love of God, and seek for God’s mercy.
⁃Show mercy to those who are being deceived and be ready to “snatch others from the fire”, by being a watchman. First, we have to guard our OWN souls, and then we are ready to show others the BETTER WAY.
⁃Jude ends the chapter praising God for His power that is able to KEEP BELIEVERS FROM STUMBLING!
If you have received Jesus as your personal Savior, there should be NO DOUBT that His saving power truly SAVED YOU! No matter what doubt would try to creep in!
However, in order to be KEPT by the love of what God offered to you and I, we have to ABIDE in HIM in relationship! Not out of obligation, or a “get out of hell free card”; but we are only kept by His grace when we REMAIN IN HIM, in CLOSE PROXIMITY to His truth and not waiver, as some who have walked away from what they have received.
JESUS DOESN’T JUST WANT TO BE OUR “POINT OF REFERENCE”, HE WANTS TO BE OUR EVERYTHING! HE WANTS TO BE OUR REASON!
Acts 17:28 “In Him we live, and move, and have our being.”
God has NEVER wanted to find “some good reason” to mark us for judgment of hell. If anyone were to ever have their life in jeopardy of hell, it’s because they send THEMSELVES there by REFUSING the GIFT OF GOD offered to us.
When we get impatient about things we’d like for God to do in our life, we need to know His ways are higher than our ways.
In 2 Peter 3:9 NLT “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed, but that all should come to repentance.”
Our walk with God should never be taken for granted, because if we do, we are prime candidates and vulnerable to deception.
We won’t be discerning of what way is up, or which way to turn us around when our feet falter, or when our hearts might wander, or when this world shows signs of becoming crazier.
Luke 21:28 KJV “And when these things begin to come to pass, then LOOK UP, and lift your heads; for your redemption is drawing nigh.”
Psalms 121:1-3 NLT “I will look up to the mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not sleep or slumber.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by KEEPING OUR EYES ON JESUS, the Champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”
The hope of Jesus Christ, that we all have living in us, brings us to a freedom and a sense of security that can never be felt or discovered in any other way
A few years ago on a cruise, I went scuba diving and wanted to see how deep that I could go.
After I got so deep, I got turned around and not only could I not find the bottom, but was also confused on which way was up.
My sense of direction got distorted.
If I brought somebody in this room and blindfolded them, and turned off all of the lights…
For the most part, because of their other senses, their touch, their hearing, and their previous sight that they had, they could probably find the door.
However, if I brought somebody into this room that had never been in this room before, and blindfolded them, spun them around, and told them to find a way out without any point of reference, they would start to feel stuck in this room and confused.
This is how we are when we’re walking in this world without God as our point of reference… Without the Church and the Church body as our point of reference…
Even though we may have wandered off, and even though we have gotten turned around, if we have ever had any sort of an encounter with God, we are more likely to have a point of reference; but only if we have once had a foundation of truth to run to.
If we learn nothing else in this life, except what the Cross is, and who Jesus Christ is, then we can find our way.
The Bible says that He is the ONLY WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. A true relationship with God is not found through any other PATH, or any other PERSON, or any other WAY.
This is not a only meant to be a salvation message per se, but in the Book of Jude, he says he WANTED to rejoice in the SALVATION EXPERIENCE, but he felt prompted to warn about deception that can subtly creep into our lives, and even in the Church.
Jude was a half brother to Jesus who had 3 other brothers, James, Joseph, and Simon….James and Jude wrote two Epistles in the New Testament.
Jude 1:1-4 NLT (Read)
1 Cor. 14:33 The Bible says that God is not the author of confusion; and He doesn’t want us to be double minded with the truth divided in our heart along with untruths.
In James 1:8 KJV it says that a double minded man is UNSTABLE in all of his ways.
Jude 1:5-19 NLT shares Examples of:
⁃Israelites in the wilderness who were subverted by their unfaithfulness, instead of how they were taught, and chose COMPROMISE as being acceptable - shortcutting the commands of God for their own good.
⁃If the Angels in Heaven were deceived by the offers of satan long ago, how much more do you and I need to be diligent about deception?
⁃Greed: Cain resorted to murder (when that wasn’t his original intent), based on his shortcutting of what God asked of him.
⁃Baalam who had greed for his own profit.
⁃Korah’s rebellion against leadership which once again, explains deception they thought was acceptable, while still wanting God’s favor on their lives.
⁃False Teachers: Jude describes them as waterless clouds, diluting the truth of the Gospel, Fruitless trees, Wandering stars…who follow their own fleshly instincts without the guidance of God’s Spirit.
We even have a “church” in our own town who has believed the deception that Jesus was “just a good and noble teacher”, with no DIVINE purpose of being part of the Godhead. (Just a Good Person to look to)
⁃With no specific theology or belief other than God is “WITHIN” and is defined as our OWN thoughts and feelings and what WE think brings us personal satisfaction.
⁃Basically, we are not people in need of a Savior.
Proverbs 28:26 NLT “Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.”
Jeremiah 17:9 KJV “The heart is deceitful above all things.”
Because we are in this fallen world with fleshly desires unless we are transformed by abiding in the Vine (Jesus)
Romans 12:2 Be not Conformed to this world, but be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind
You may not have a question of needing to trust Jesus for your SALVATION….maybe you’ve been doing that for years!
But what about when we drift just a little farther in not spending TIME with the ONE who created TRUTH and LITTLE THINGS creep in that we slowly adopt as being the way to live our lives, cuz someone else we know has a lower standard for their walk with God and they seem to think it’s ok.
How does Jude teach us to react and respond to these things that raise their head in our culture?
Jude 1:20-25
⁃Build up your holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost! There is NOTHING that the enemy can do to stand against a Holy Ghost filled fervent prayer! James 5:16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man yields positive results!”
⁃Keep yourselves in the love of God, and seek for God’s mercy.
⁃Show mercy to those who are being deceived and be ready to “snatch others from the fire”, by being a watchman. First, we have to guard our OWN souls, and then we are ready to show others the BETTER WAY.
⁃Jude ends the chapter praising God for His power that is able to KEEP BELIEVERS FROM STUMBLING!
If you have received Jesus as your personal Savior, there should be NO DOUBT that His saving power truly SAVED YOU! No matter what doubt would try to creep in!
However, in order to be KEPT by the love of what God offered to you and I, we have to ABIDE in HIM in relationship! Not out of obligation, or a “get out of hell free card”; but we are only kept by His grace when we REMAIN IN HIM, in CLOSE PROXIMITY to His truth and not waiver, as some who have walked away from what they have received.
JESUS DOESN’T JUST WANT TO BE OUR “POINT OF REFERENCE”, HE WANTS TO BE OUR EVERYTHING! HE WANTS TO BE OUR REASON!
Acts 17:28 “In Him we live, and move, and have our being.”
God has NEVER wanted to find “some good reason” to mark us for judgment of hell. If anyone were to ever have their life in jeopardy of hell, it’s because they send THEMSELVES there by REFUSING the GIFT OF GOD offered to us.
When we get impatient about things we’d like for God to do in our life, we need to know His ways are higher than our ways.
In 2 Peter 3:9 NLT “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed, but that all should come to repentance.”
Our walk with God should never be taken for granted, because if we do, we are prime candidates and vulnerable to deception.
We won’t be discerning of what way is up, or which way to turn us around when our feet falter, or when our hearts might wander, or when this world shows signs of becoming crazier.
Luke 21:28 KJV “And when these things begin to come to pass, then LOOK UP, and lift your heads; for your redemption is drawing nigh.”
Psalms 121:1-3 NLT “I will look up to the mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not sleep or slumber.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by KEEPING OUR EYES ON JESUS, the Champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”
The hope of Jesus Christ, that we all have living in us, brings us to a freedom and a sense of security that can never be felt or discovered in any other way
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