Dear People

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. Jude 1:3

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Dear People Who Keep Company with God,

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The Book of Jude is crucial for believers today. It’s not only written to us, as God’s holy people, but also entrusted to us to preserve, defend, and contend for the faith. Sometimes, we must stand up for what is righteous and merciful. And there are times to speak for love, truth, and against fear. How do we fight for the faith?

First, we need to know the difference between contending and being contentious. Being contentious means acting out of an argumentative or divisive spirit. We must always be kind and not quarrelsome towards people (2 Timothy 2:24-25). Our battle is not with humans alone but with the dark world’s rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers (Ephesians 6:12)

Thankfully, Jude gives us some keys on how to contend for the faith. He begins by telling us to remember the words spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 1:17). We are to be people grounded in the word of God. Jesus said, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

‍We are not fighting for our political, personal, or theological perspectives but for our faith in Christ. Then, he says to pray in the Holy Spirit (Jude 1:20). Our spiritual strength increases as we pray in the Holy Spirit, which gives us the energy and power to contend for our faith. The Apostle Paul told us, “Whoever speaks in a tongue edifies himself” (1 Corinthians 14:4). Edifies means building or establishing a house. Faith flows more freely as the result of praying in the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).

The next thing Jude tells us is to keep ourselves in the love of God (Jude 1:21). God’s love is essential as it is the foundation of our lives; our foundation determines our destiny. Therefore, we must remain “rooted and grounded in God’s love” (Ephesians 3:17). That means knowing, by revelation, that He loves and accepts us, not for what we do but simply for who we are—His beloved children. As we invest our hearts in our relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14), we will root ourselves in His love.

One of my favorite titles of God is “the Father of mercies” (2 Corinthians 1:3). This is who He is and what He is like. Jude tells us to look for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 1:21) because Jesus is the face of God’s mercy. I love how Psalm 119:132 captures the essence of His mercy toward us, “Look upon me and be merciful to me, as Your custom is toward those who love Your name.” Another way of saying this is, “God, I see you having mercy on everyone around me. I would like some too!”

‍Jude concludes by telling us to show love to others (Jude 1:22), even those who seem to be undermining the faith. True love always seeks expression (1 John 4:20-21) in voice or actions, as it is a compelling power (2 Corinthians 5:14). The Apostle Paul loved the Corinthian believers, and love compelled him to write them a letter that was challenging, one that caused sorrow in him and in the Corinthians. But it needed to be spoken, so love said the hard truths. There are unloving ways to talk about the truth—that kind of truth-speaking we should reject. But there are ways to speak the truth in love that we should always seek.

We must continually let His love shape how we talk about our faith.

Many Blessings, BW

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
‍Genesis 1:1

Dear People Who Keep Company with God,

The first four words of the Bible are significant as they reveal the existence of God. Genesis is about the origin of everything except God. He has no starting point. Even before there was a beginning, there was God. He always has been, always is, and always will be. That’s what it means to be from everlasting to everlasting. That is the very definition of eternity. God made everything in creation, and all that is created points to His glory.

The profound mystery is that our everlasting creator, God, wants to walk and talk with us. He has a commission for us, one He initially gave to Adam and Eve in the garden. Before the fall, they had a divine connection and communion with the Lord, and their lives were blessed and fulfilled (Genesis 1:28). And we were created for the same purpose. God never revoked the original commission. He is looking for people who will lay hold of all His plans and intentions by faith.‍

In the beginning, God.

He is who we need in all of our beginnings. Everything that begins with God has the best chance of success. The Bible starts with God and ends with the glory of the New Jerusalem. I love how the New Testament opens as the Old Testament does, with an introduction and revelation of God. But Matthew focuses on the Person of Jesus Christ. Matthew begins his gospel with “the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ” (Matthew 1:1), whereas Mark states, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1). Luke tells us how God prepared a people to birth the Christ Child into the world (Luke 1-2). John writes, “in the beginning, the Word” (John 1:1) because the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Often in a new beginning, as in the act of physical creation, our hearts and life may seem “without form and void and in darkness” (Genesis 1:2). Do not let this throw you off. It is not a doorway to despair but to hope. New beginnings and fresh starts can be scary, as change is often inherently challenging.

Every day begins in the darkness of night, but light always arrives as the morning dawns. The Holy Spirit is constantly with us, brooding like a mother hen over all our questions, chaos, and darkness. And as the sun rises in the morning, the light of Christ will arise upon you. And as this happens, we can receive renewed meaning, identity, and purpose (Genesis 1:3).

In a time of unprecedented upheaval, change, and turmoil in the world, the Holy Spirit invites us to a renewal of our first love. Jesus Christ is “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13). Jesus is the first stone, the “chief cornerstone” in every building that will withstand life’s storms.

Build your thought life upon Christ. Let Him be your first thought every morning, the last thought as you fall asleep at night, and the center of your big and small endeavors. His wisdom will arise in you (1 Corinthians 1:30). You can discern and judge what is fitting, trustworthy, and lasting. And like the sons of Issachar, you will understand the times and know what to do with decisions big and small (1 Chronicles 12:32).

Many Blessings, BW