10/21/2025
"Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you."
Jude 2
For the past couple of nights I have been unable to keep my eyes open, so I've gotten to bed a little earlier than usual. The only thing is that I wake up exhausted. I think that has a lot to do with whatever is going on with my health, but then who knows, because I really don't pay that much attention to cause and effect. I made chicken and rice soup on Monday, so I know that will cure my ails or so the ole wives' tales go. But since I didn't have to worry about supper tonight, it left me a bit freer to venture outside on this beautiful afternoon and battle the bushes. I had to contend with birds building nests amid the thorny vines, so some areas still need cutting. I hate to disturb nature, so those will have to wait. My cat was missing in action again, and it would have been the perfect day to play with him as I raked or cut branches or hauled the trimmings to the burn area. But no, Alejandro - that's what I call him when he behaves badly - never showed up, nor did he announce his appearance at the dinner bowl. Cats!! I say that a lot!
Before heading outside I was spending some quiet time, catching up on Pastor Jack's verse of the day. When I'm studying Paul's epistles, he always opens with "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ," or similar words as a salutation. In the book of Jude, written by the half-brother of Jesus, his opening comments are "Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you." Then his next two verses are off and running about contending for the faith. As we read, Jude is warning the church about the battle of apostasy in the church and the emergence of false teachers who will infiltrate the body to cause confusion and chaos:
"Beloved, while I was 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. 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." Jude 3, 4
I noticed that in Peter's first epistle he said "Grace and peace be multiplied." He was also dealing with issues outside of the church with false teachers creeping in. When Pastor Jack was discussing the verse, he said that the blessing was a layer on layer type blessing with the use of the term "multiplied." We know that "mercy" - more explicitly God's mercy - is not getting what we deserve; "peace" references God's shalom peace that transcends all understanding and is complete in every way; and "love" is God's agape love which is unconditional. Pastor Jack has a way of explaining things that makes it memorable. In this instance he uses In-N-Out Burger's 4x4 burger as an example, or perhaps that is his name for his favorite burger. It's like layer of layer of meat stacked on top of each other making it quite the sandwich. An adequate illustration for foodies, I imagine, but for me I much prefer layers of chicken and corn tortillas with green chili! But in considering this triple blessing of mercy, peace, and love, Jude is emphasizing the need for a greater blessing, or as Pastor Jack added in a world of ugliness, God makes all things beautiful. It made me think of Psalm 24 that opens with "The earth is the Lord's and all that dwells within." So in essence, the false teachers cannot contend with God's children, but as His children, we need to be ready to stand against every attempt of the enemy to sneak in. Peter reminds the church of how to remain in the faith and of the lifestyle they are to live.
I received an email from one of the anti-trafficking ministries I follow announcing their short video nominee for the Utah Film Festival that, although tactfully done, was somewhat too graphic for my ole mind to see today. Or perhaps, not graphic, but suggestive, as it hits too close to home with me. But it opens up warnings for vulnerable teenagers, and how they are lured in by these professionals pretending to be a peer, or worse, showing interest in getting to know them better. Kids are lonely and confused, and in the world we live in, the schools are not protecting them well. In fact, they are making it worse. One thing leads to another and then the teenager is extorted with videos being spread around or threats of using the videos for gain. I haven't been able to become too involved in this area of ministry, because as I said, it is too close to home for me, but I do pray, post information, and I connect with several sites. Right now I know of a situation that is an open door to this type of betrayal or worse, but because of the denial of the parents, my hands are tied. Everyone has rights, until they are violated, and then it's someone else's fault or problem. Wrong. Parents need to be alert and open to truth. Experience means nothing to some people, as they think it can't happen to them. Wrong again. This is why I do not get excited by AI. Even Elon Musk has admitted the dangers of it, and yet our society is using it for everything. Years ago I saw a movie called Transcendance staring Johnny Depp (2014), that demonstrates the power of science and technology. It is well worth the viewing.
These are troubling times, and whereas good things are happening with our young people, there are still problems plaguing the young. This is why we must be vigilant in contending for our faith and fighting for our homes and marriages. It's a time when we need layer upon layer of mercy, peace, and love, and we need to be busy spreading the word that God loves this world, and He sent a Savior to save us and deliver us from what is to come. Because what is coming is much worse than what is already here!
No comments:
Post a Comment