Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 1:25)
GOD IS ABLE TO KEEP US FROM STUMBLING. In the early days of the Bible, in Genesis, it says that Enoch walked with God. And, of course, Enoch hasn’t died yet and will come back to earth during the Tribulation Period and get his dying done.
HE WON'T STAY DEAD BUT THREE DAYS AND THEN GOD WILL RAISE HIM UP in his new body, along with Elijah. The point here is that Enoch walked with God. Our walk is very important. Mrs. Green, my speech teacher, had us to quote this verse every class period: The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. (Psalm 37:23) The next verse says: Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. Notice that it is the Lord who does the holding: with His hand. It is not about us holding on to His hand. It’s about Him holding on to our hand.
JUDE IS NOT TALKING ABOUT FALLING FROM GRACE. He is talking about falling within grace. Messing up. Like King David messed up several times. David fell into sin and God dealt with him about it. But, David never lost his salvation over it. I like this verse that I memorized 60 years ago: Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)
IT IS CHRIST WHO SAVED ME. I DID NOT SAVE MYSELF. It is Christ who will keep me saved. I cannot keep myself saved. When He saved me, He began a good work in me. And how long will He perform that good work in me? Until the day of Jesus Christ. When He comes again.
JESUS HAD A WORD TO SAY ABOUT THIS: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)
IF YOU HAVE HEARD, (RECEIVED, EMBRACED) Jesus’ word and you have believed on the Father who sent Jesus, then based on that, you now have everlasting life and you will not in the future come under the condemnation of God because you have passed from death unto life. If you have respect and acceptance of what the Father says, and you have respect and acceptance of what Jesus says: those two authorities….based on that, you now have everlasting life.
WHEN I WAS NINE YEARS OLD, I GOT SAVED IN THE BEAN MARKET where a revival meeting was going on. That was in October 1943. Then, when I was ten years old, I heard these verses and believed them: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. (John 10:27-30)
THE VERSE GIVES THE ESTABLISHED CHARACTERISTICS OF HIS SHEEP. They hear His voice. That’s what sheep do. Their ears are tuned to the voice of the shepherd. I heard a missionary tell of being in Israel in the sheep territory. Two shepherds, traveling in opposite directions met upon a bridge. They knew each other, so they stopped in the middle of the bridge and talked a while. The sheep had nothing else to do so they mingled among themselves and moved around on the bridge.
IT LOOKED LIKE THE SHEPHERDS WERE GOING TO HAVE A TERRIBLE TIME separating such a big bunch of sheep. In a few minutes, the shepherds bid each other good-bye and each continued in the direction they had been traveling. They both called to their sheep. The sheep raised their heads and started in the direction of their shepherd that owned them. Not one sheep was left behind.
NOT ONE SHEEP WENT THE WRONG WAY. They had blended together and just as quickly, they separated and continued after their shepherd. That was characteristic of them. It is characteristic of the sheep who belong to Jesus to be attuned to His voice and they will follow Him. They do not follow Him in order to be saved. They follow Him because they are indeed, saved.
SHEEP BEHAVE LIKE SHEEP. They do not behave like a pig and wallow in the mud. A sheep may slip and fall down into the mud, but they won’t stay there long because it is not their nature. Now the pig is another piece of work. It’s his nature to enjoy the mud. I’m not making all this up. I got it from Jesus, in the Bible. If you’re happy to wallow with the pigs, it’s because you’re one of them and you’re not a sheep. It is quite simple. If you want some good Scripture to memorize and to hold on to, memorize the verses above. Write them on a piece of paper or tear a piece out of a brown paper sack and write them down. Put them in your pocket and carry the verses with you. You can count on those verses.
SO, IF YOU'RE ONE OF JESUS' SHEEP, if you stumble and fall down, Jesus is going to be after you. If He has to, He will hoist you up on His shoulder and carry you home and take care of you.
I HEARD OF A SHEPHERD WHO HAD A SHEEP that was a little on the independent side. The little sheep kept running off by himself. One day the shepherd picked up the sheep and carried him over to a big rock and laid his front leg on the rock. With another rock, he broke the front leg of the sheep. Then, he took two sticks and a strip of his robe and wrapped the cloth around the leg of the sheep. Then, the shepherd carried the sheep everywhere he went. After a few weeks the shepherd took the bandage off the leg of the sheep and he could walk again. But, the sheep never did strayed off again. He had become so attached to the shepherd that he preferred to be at his heels, everywhere the shepherd went.
Read Through the Bible in a Year
JUNE 27, 2018 – WEDNESDAY
A.M. Job 10-12 P.M. Acts 7:44-60
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.) If you are behind in reading, read the passage for today and then go back.
●Good Memory Verse:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. (Psalm 91:1-2) (Write verses on scrap of paper and put in your pocket to memorize.)
●Song for Today:
Let the Rocks Cry Out (2:48) (Choir: Calvary Mem. Church)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RB339rbvNU
●Health Hint:
When we sleep, a lot of things are taking place to restore the body. The cells and organs of our bodies work hard during the day and accumulate a load of toxins. Our chemistry becomes unbalanced. During sleep, the body works at detoxifying and restoring several systems in the body. Try to go to bed at the same time and early enough to allow at least seven hours of sleep. Drink enough water to prevent the urine from getting too strong. If you must, eat a couple of crackers or a half-piece of whole bread to relax the stomach. Pray before you go to sleep. Quote a few verses of Scripture, and sail off to sleep.