Happy Monday, Everyone! It’s February 28, 2022. The first day of March will be here tomorrow! WOW, Time is moving fast! I’m sure, for the younger ones, it hasn’t gone by so quickly, but as we age, most of us realize how precious our “time” really is. I know that we do! Our Heavenly Father has been so faithful and good to us! We Praise His Holy Name! Speaking of “time”, we all think about how some people have changed, especially in the “time” we are living in now. But if you go back and read the Holy Bible you will find that nothing is really so different! We still see many people, who just a few years ago, thought something was sinful, but now seem to have changed their minds and their hearts and they themselves are not only condoning but even partaking of those sinful acts! And they wonder why they are always in turmoil! We also have seen it to be acceptable behavior for some churches to go along with sin rather than address it! And they wonder why their church is powerless! Let us just say it like this, if you are “claiming” to be a Born-Again Christian but find yourself practicing or condoning sin, which includes ungodly behavior, ungodly character, ungodly language, disobedience, and rebellion, you might want to read the following scriptures! We have included the definition of the word “apostate” so you can understand the seriousness of turning away from God’s Truth! Hopefully, you will repent and get back on track with Jesus leading you before your “time” runs out! Please, don’t wait too late!

What does apostate mean?

An apostate is someone who has totally abandoned or rejected their religion.

It can also be used in a slightly more general way to refer to someone who has totally abandoned or rejected their principles, cause, party, or other organization.

The word typically implies that before the rejection, one had a strong connection or involvement.

Are you getting the point? Now on the other side of this, you may find that you are being accused as the one who has changed too much since you got saved, but isn’t that what we are supposed to do? Living a Christian life is not supposed to be wishy-washy or unstable. Maturing means growing up and growing in Christ is so rewarding! It’s time to break free of the “all about me” cycle and get into “more of Jesus”! Then our God’s everlasting joy and peace will be with you!

We have heard this question a few times and have even asked it ourselves so we are putting it out here again today – If you were to be caught, accused and tried for being a True Christian, would there be enough evidence to find you guilty? We sure hope so because one day we want you, also, to hear these words from our Saviour, Jesus Christ, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

Jude

New King James Version

Greeting to the Called

1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, 

To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Contend for the Faith

3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Old and New Apostates

5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Apostates Depraved and Doomed

12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. 14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Apostates Predicted

16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

Maintain Your Life with God                                                                                                                        

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.                      

Glory to God                                                                                                                                                     24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.