Jude – Making a Difference
And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. (Jude 1:22-23)
THE DEVIL HAS THE POWER TO SOW SEEDS of doubt and discord and to deceive people. Eve was his first victim. I’ve wondered which is the most damage; doubt or discouragement. Some have written that discouragement is the devil’s greatest tool. It is powerful. But doubt is also a powerful tool. The setting on “making a difference” has to do with those who have doubts. Be patient with folks who have doubts they are working through. You may have to explain the same verse a dozen times in as many weeks.
A LADY CALLED ME ALMOST EVERY WEEK FOR OVER A YEAR, worried about going to hell and what she could do to avoid hell. Then, one day she said: “I’ve got it settled! I’ve decided to just take God at His word and believe what He said." She was looking for some great sign from Heaven and God was patient with her until she finally decided to go by what the Bible said. She also had some chemical imbalance that needed to be fixed and that also helped her with her anxiety.
AGAIN, I AM BORROWING FROM McGEE. “There are a great many good, sincere folk today who are in doubt. They do have honest doubts, and we need to be patient with them. Being in the ministry I have had some difficulty in being patient with some folk. I remember a woman who came to our midweek Bible study in a church I served many years ago.
“Every week for six weeks she came to me with some question. I had the feeling that she was trying to trap me or trick me with her questions, and one night I answered her so sharply that she turned and walked out.
THE WOMAN WHO ALWAYS CAME WITH HER WAS A MEMBER OF MY CHURCH, and she came to me afterward and said, "Dr. McGee, be patient with her. She is a very brilliant woman. In fact, she is listed in Who's Who. But she has been in practically every cult here in Southern California, and she is really mixed up. Now she is trying to find her way out. Will you be patient with her?"
“WELL, KNOWING HER BACKGROUND, OF COURSE, I WAS PATIENT AFTER THAT and answered her questions the best I could. About three months later she accepted Christ as her Savior. I had a wonderful letter after she had returned to Ohio in which she told how the Lord was leading her.
“MY FRIEND, WE ARE LIVING IN DAYS WHERE THERE IS SO MUCH DOUBT cast upon the Word of God that those who really want to believe it have problems in doing so. We do well to be patient with them—they are honest doubters.” (McGee)
And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. In God’s work, there definitely is not a “one size fits all” approach. It would make it a lot easier if we had one recipe that would fix everyone who had a problem. Warren Wiersbe makes some good comments about these folks who needed to be approached differently.
“THERE IS PROBABLY A REFERENCE HERE to Zechariah 3:2 and also Amos 4:11. In the Zechariah passage, the “brand” was the nation Israel brought back from the Babylonian Captivity and resettled in their land. God saw the people as a brand saved from the fire. In Amos 4:1-13, God was reproving the people for not heeding His warnings and judgments — poverty, poor crops, drought, pestilences, war, and even judgments like those that overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. They were as a brand plucked out of the fire, yet they did not appreciate God’s mercy.
THE PHRASE WITH FEAR MEANS 'WITH CAUTION." (Jude 1:23) In trying to help those who have erred, we must be careful not to be trapped ourselves! Many a would-be rescuer has been drowned himself. When an unstable believer has been captured by false doctrine, we must be very careful as we try to help him, for Satan can use him to defile us. In trying to save him, we may be stained or burned ourselves!
“HATING THE GARMENT SPOTTED BY THE FLESH" is probably a reference to dealing with the disease of leprosy. They had to be very careful when coming in contact with lepers. It was contagious and those who tried to help them had to be very, very careful not to get the disease themselves. Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
JUNE 26, 2018 – TUESDAY
A.M. Job 7-9 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:
Are You Washed in the Blood: Medley (2:52) (Choir: Calvary Mem. Church)
https://www.facebook.com/100009410046480/videos/2229288077394839/
●Health Hint:
Go for the raw food, because it contains enzymes to help digest itself. Cooked food contains no enzymes and your body must carry the whole load of digestion. As we age, our digestion and elimination ability declines. We should increase our intake of fruits and vegetables and eat as much raw as possible. Grating, grinding, blending, and juicing can help us increase our intake of raw food. There’s nothing like good, juicy apples, peaches, grapes, bananas, or a ripe tomato sandwich. A stalk of celery loaded with peanut butter makes a good snack.
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