Today is May 12th.

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the book of Jude (1:3-4, 17-21).

"3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."

Jude, like many early Christians, is warning us about the various philosophies, ideas, and teachings that will lead us away from the truth found in the Gospel of Christ. Jude says that one common perversion is that grace gets turned into a license for immorality. The writer Deitrich Bohnoeffer called it “cheap grace.” Another perversion is that Jesus is denied his divine status. He becomes just one of many sources of inspiration. And his authority, his Lordship, in our lives is diminished.

As you hear the passage again, consider how these ideas have tempted you. How have you cheapened grace by not taking sin seriously in your own life? In what way have you not taken Jesus’ teachings seriously and not been obedient to his commands?

"3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."


Jude encourages us to build ourselves up in the faith. Consider what you can do to build yourself up in the faith. What practices have you done in the past that have built up your faith? Could you commit to do something today to build your faith? Jude also encourages us to pray in the Holy Spirit. As we close our time of prayer, take some time and pray in the Holy Spirit. Welcome God’s presence and ask him to strengthen your faith.

Music Credit:
Room At the Table - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)