Please read: Jude

How has the Pandemic affected your life? How has it affected your prayer life? We are living in very dangerous times! In such a time like this many are losing hope, and walking astray! How are you adjusting to this “new” life style, or what some call “the new normality”?

How can we keep our faith immune and safe from Satan’s schemes of deception? Back in John 10: 10, we learned from Jesus´ words that: “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].”

Only through Jesus´ truths and by abiding in Him through prayer can we live in fullness of joy and continue firm on our faith!

This  is the purpose of Jude as he writes this short letter to encourage us Christians to strengthen our faith and to warn us against false teachers in the church (vs. 4-19).

^“But you, beloved, build yourselves up on [the foundation of] your most holy faith [continually progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], pray in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ and keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously and looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ [which will bring you] to eternal life.” (vs. 20-21 AMP)

We must endure and keep up the good fight (Mark 13.13, 1Timothy 6:12), but we need to be empowered by God´s Holy Spirit and prayer is a must!

-Our prayers are most likely to prevail, when we pray in the Holy Ghost, under his guidance and influence, according to the rule of his word, with faith, fervency, and earnestness; this is praying in the Holy Ghost. And a believing expectation of eternal life will arm us against the snares of sin: lively faith in this blessed hope will help us to mortify our lusts. We must watch over one another; faithfully, yet prudently reprove each other, and set a good example to all about us. (M. Henry)

-Prayer is the breathing of the Christian life.  So, to pray in the Holy Spirit is to be moved and guided by the Holy Spirit in prayer. We pray by his power and according to his direction. To pray "in the Holy Spirit" is to bring all your praying into conformity to the Word of God which the Spirit inspired (2 Peter 1:21, 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Right here is where God's call to be in the Word every day and his call to pray at all times in the Spirit become intertwined. If you live in the Word of God, meditating on it day and night by reading it every day and memorizing portions to carry with you all day and savoring them hour by hour, then your prayers will be shaped by the Word. Which means they will be shaped by the Spirit. (John Piper-desiringgod.org)

In verses 22-23 Jude calls us to extend God’s love and compassion toward others. Especially those who are still not walking with the Lord; those who are weak in their faith and to those who are astray:

“And have mercy on some, who are doubting; ²³ save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy but with fear, loathing even the clothing spotted and polluted by their shameless immoral freedom.” (AMP)

There is so much work for us in the kingdom of God: just take a look in your family circle or in the lives of your closest friends… how about the families in your local church? We need each other, and most of all we need of God’s Grace and Favor until Jesus´ return!  

And It is All For His Glory!!

Saturday, December 15, 2018

This coming week's memory verse is Jude 24,25

To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (NIV) 

Have a blessed and precious day and week everyone!

Welcome to Scripture Saturday!

Today we are memorizing Jude 20 - 23. These verses will be our last for 2017.

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Ladies, these verses show us what our charge should be here as members and followers of Women in the Word!

The first and most important thing Jude tells his readers to do is to build themselves up in the holy faith.  This is a command given to the members of the church corporately.  They are to build up the corporate body of Christ, which is God’s temple.  Being in a strong Christian community of faith lessens the enticement to follow false teaching or sinful lifestyles.  Women in the Word believes just that - women who come to a place to fellowship with other believers and commit to each other in Godly love.

Jude next implores them to pray in the Holy Spirit. As a community of Christ they are to develop a life constantly in communion with the Spirit through prayer.  This intimacy with the Spirit will guard them.  Here in Women in the Word we pray for each other - we share with one another our fears, desires, and failings. We are transparent with each other and pray for each other with commitment and fervor.

Jude tells his readers to keep themselves in the love of God.  As members of our Women in the Word we are keeping ourselves in Christ by reading, reflecting, journalling, and sharing our thoughts with each other.  By participating we are enabling and motivating to keep ourselves in the love of God.  We have hope that salvation awaits those who come to Him and keep themselves in the love of God.

Jude then tells his readers the attitude that (our) Christian community is to have towards those who are lost, those that may have followed false teachers.  Here in Women in the Word we understand that we all are the spokesmen through whom God works. We are to help those who are doubting and searching for the truth, being careful that false teaching does not hinder our own belief.

So, today, as Women who are in the Word, we acknowledge that we all need a vibrant, loving community grounded in the Word of God and filled with the Holy Spirit, hating sin, but pursuing lost sheep.

WitW will be traveling through the iWorship bible during 2018.  I will be posting a schedule of memory verses soon and the first verse of 2018 will be posted December 30, 2017! We here at WitW are confident that it will be another incredible year!

Have a blessed and precious day and Christmas everyone!

• These people are grumblers and complainers.
• Living only to satisfy their desires.
• They brag loudly about themselves.
• They flatter others to get what they want.
• 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.

These are who we must watch out for, and should we see any of these signs we must trust that they are not for us, but against us and The Lord.

1. Build one another up in your most holy faith
2. Pray in the Spirit
3. Keep busy serving one another through God’s love as you wait on The Lord Jesus
4. Show mercy to, and help those whose faith is wavering.
5. Save others by snatching them from the fire. (Bring salvation to other)

 
Isn’t this exciting!!? (I love when God speaks a personal message to us!!

  Are you set and ready to join us? Great! But here’s the best part!