Cultivate NJ

Revelation is not about predicting the future, it’s about living faithfully in the present. This series is Reclaiming Revelation. Last week we learned how revelation literally means unveiling. Pulling back the curtain to reveal the truth about the world as it is right now! For this week we are asking, What does John see when the curtain is pulled back? The answer: He sees Jesus.  

Jesus is among us, sees us fully, and tells us the truth—not to condemn us, but because he is committed to our good. We can stop hiding, trust the one who knows us and loves us, and allow Jesus to transform us into the people he is calling us to become.

Jude looks to mobilize the faithful, to enlist each of us to stand up for the true faith we have been given and to reject anyone who would take us in a different direction. He wants to sensitize us to any scalawags who only look out for number one, especially those lurking within the congregation of the righteous.Jude does not reprimand the reprobates just for the fun of it—no matter his colorful language and powerful images. Rather he grasps the opportunity to proclaim that such behavior cannot be tolerated, in ourselves or others. It undermines everything that God has been doing. Standing up for the faith means recognizing and calling out conduct that runs counter to Jesus Christ. Wecannot stand idle while aggressors destroy the fabric of the church. We may not be able to match Jude’s invective, but we can join him in honestly addressing destroyers among us.

Once Jude has finished with his warning, the whole tenor of his letter changes. His voice becomes comforting and his words, reassuring. Jude introduces a new theme of encouragement and hope. He makes clear that there are resources to halt the outrages and hazards that interlopers pose. He shares confidence that God’s purposes cannot be overturned by rebels and rogues. Jude helps us look toward the final realization of God’s promises.

Jude has painted a Christian canvas, portraying who we are and how we behave. Equally, he developed a negative image, both as a warning of fakes among us and a demonstration of how we reject their practices. Finally, he gives assurance to us Christians—called and loved by God and kept for Jesus. The one who started with us will not let go.

We are called into a relationship with our Father God that stretches into eternity. For now, we participate in our Father God’s mission in the world to bring others to known Him. Jesus calls us to pray, as he prayed, for power, protection and unity that all may come to know Him as he really is and experience eternal life with Him. 

In prayer, God meets us where we really are and invites us to join in his healing work. When we pray for others, we don't have to control the outcome or have all the answers—we simply offer ourselves as a loving presence and trust God to work through us. Church, today we are invited to pray honestly, listen humbly, and carry one another into the presence of God. 

God is already present and at work in us and in the world around us, and God has chosen to invite our prayers, our lives, and our actions into that work. We don't have to control God or carry the weight of the world ourselves—Prayer is how we learn to trust, surrender, and participate in what God is already doing. 

God has established a Kingdom in Jesus that does not reign through coercion, violence, or domination, but through love, mercy, and self-giving power.

Church, today we are invited to declare where our allegiance belongs and to become people who live according to the logic of God's Kingdom, trusting that His Kingdom is the one that will ultimately last forever.

God does not lead His children into evil or delight in their suffering. He is the Father who walks with us, provides what we need for today, and works to redeem what evil intends to destroy. Church, today we are invited to trust our weakness to His care, rely on His presence in every trial, and follow Him one day at a time. 

So, Lead us not into temptation is NOT a prayer for God to stop tempting us with bad things. It is a prayer acknowledging at least 3 realities every time we face a situation that overwhelms us: That in every trial we’re asking for humility, for presence, and for transformation.  

The good news this morning is that our God has been and is battling for us against spiritual forces that would overwhelm and destroy us, and He is victorious! However, because that evil is still at large in this world, Jesus counsels us to be humble, vigilant and to pray for deliverance from the Evil One. 

God sees that sin has made fools of us all. And we act out of our foolishness. And instead of abandoning us, He comes looking for us. Church, that's the gospel. Forgiveness begins long before we ever think to ask for it. God has already been searching the garden. Our Merciful Father has chosen pity over collecting the debt of our sin, and in Christ He offers forgiveness that sets us free. Beloved, today we are invited to release both the debts we owe and the debts we keep collecting from others, trusting God to create in us a community where forgiveness is the atmosphere we breathe.

Our Father knows what we need, delights to provide for His children, and invites us to become part of His provision for one another. Church, today we are invited to trust Him more deeply, share more generously, and stand more closely with those in need.