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WHY THIS BOOK JEZEBEL, OUR SECRET ENEMY
The little letter of Jude teaches us something about the value of learning history. This is not the main point of the letter, but it is striking. In this next to last book of the Bible, Jude writes to encourage the Saints to
‘contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. (verse 3)
The letter is a call to vigilance in view of ‘certain persons (who) have crept in unnoticed..ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (verse 4).
Jude describes these people in vivid terms. They ‘revile the things which they do not understand’ (verse 10). They ‘are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage’ (verse16). They ‘cause divisions (and are) worldly minded, devoid of the Spirit’ (verse 19).
This is a devastating assessment of people who are not outside the Church but have ‘crept in unnoticed’ Jude wants them to be spotted for who they really are, so that the Church is not deceived and ruined by their false teaching and immoral behaviour.
One of the strategies is to compare them to other persons and events in history. For example, he says that ‘Sodom & Gomorrah.... since they, in the same ways as these, indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire’ (verse 7). So Jude compares these people to Sodom & Gomorrah. His point in doing this is to say that Sodom & Gomorrah are ‘an example’ of what will happen when people live like these intruders are living. So, in Jude’s mind, knowing the history of Sodom & Gomorrah is very useful in helping detect such error and deflect it from the Saints.
Similarly in verse 11, Jude piles up three other references to historical events as comparisons with what is happening in his day among Christians. He says ‘Woe to them! for they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.’ This is remarkable. Why refer to three different historical incidents like this that happened thousands of years earlier – Genesis 19 (Sodom), Genesis 3 (Cain) , Numbers 11-24 (Balaam), Numbers 16 (Korah)? What’s the point?
Here are three points:-
1. Jude assumes that the readers know these stories! Is that not amazing!. This was the first century! No books in anyone’s Homes. No Bibles available. No story tapes. Just oral instruction, and he assumed that they would know: What is ‘the way of Cain’ and ‘the error of Balaam’ and ‘the rebellion of Korah’? Do you know? Isn’t this astonishing! He expects them to know. It makes me think that our standards of Bible knowledge in the Church today are too low.
2. Jude assumes that knowing this history will illuminate the present situation. The Christians will handle the error better today, if they know similar situations from yesterday. In other words, history is valuable for Christian living. To know that Cain was jealous and hated his brother and resented his true spiritual communion with God will alert you to watch for such things even among brothers.
To know that Balaam finally caved in and made the Word of God a means of worldly gain makes you better able to spot that sort of thing. To know that Korah despised legitimate authority and resented Moses’ leadership will protect you from factious people who dislike anyone being seen as their leader.
3. It is not clear, then that God ordains that events happen and that they get recorded as history so that we will learn them and become wiser and more insightful about the present for the sake of Christ and His Church. Never stop learning history. Gain some knowledge every day, and let us give our children one of the best protections against the folly of the future, namely a knowledge of the past.
Hence this book Jezebel, Our Secret Enemy, is not written to go on a witch hunt, it is to help deal with this spirit in the Church.
Senior Pastor Adrian Guest
Abundant Life Full Gospel Church/Baraq Ministries.
Tel: 07812 151277
Jezebel, Our Secret Enemy £4.00 each To purchase please contact :
Email: info@baraqministries.org.uk
To purchase please contact :Email: info@baraqministries.org.uk
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TO HE WHO OVERCOMES - £4.95If you have found yourself in the Valley of despair, or you feel like you are in the wildnerness, this book is for you.The teachings of Pastor Adrian Guest will help you overcome adversity in your life, leading to a fuller life in Christ.As you start to realise and understand the difference between true repentence and remorse, you can start to make positive changes in your life.Renew your mind, and turn God's will for your life and become an overcomer in Christ.To purchase please contact :Email: info@baraqministries.org.uk |
CROSS OR CHRIST - £4.95
The Cross or Christ was born out of desire to reveal the truth behind what has now become a 'lucky charm' and object of worship.
The Cross was the implement used to bring about Christ's death, and we as Christians have come to worship 'it' more than the one who died for our sins 'on' it.
This is a valuable tool for both understanding what happened on the Cross and the Salvation brought to us through it.
To purchase please contact :
Email: info@baraqministries.org.uk
The Cross or Christ was born out of desire to reveal the truth behind what has now become a 'lucky charm' and object of worship.
The Cross was the implement used to bring about Christ's death, and we as Christians have come to worship 'it' more than the one who died for our sins 'on' it.
This is a valuable tool for both understanding what happened on the Cross and the Salvation brought to us through it.
To purchase please contact :
Email: info@baraqministries.org.uk
JEZEBEL - £4.95
Our Secret Enemy
Do you have an overbearing desire to become a leader in the Church, without having to put the time and commitment in first? Do you find yourself gossiping and talking about the existing leadership in a degrading way?
The seductress is alive and well in the Church today, and will contineu to be until she is dealt with.
This book is a teaching guide on how to recognise the spirit of Jezebel in your own life, and banish her from it!
Jezebel's only mission is to divide, conquer and destroy all in her path. With the right knowledge you can stamp her out of your life and your Church.
To purchase please contact :
Email: info@baraqministries.org.uk
Our Secret Enemy
Do you have an overbearing desire to become a leader in the Church, without having to put the time and commitment in first? Do you find yourself gossiping and talking about the existing leadership in a degrading way?
The seductress is alive and well in the Church today, and will contineu to be until she is dealt with.
This book is a teaching guide on how to recognise the spirit of Jezebel in your own life, and banish her from it!
Jezebel's only mission is to divide, conquer and destroy all in her path. With the right knowledge you can stamp her out of your life and your Church.
To purchase please contact :
Email: info@baraqministries.org.uk
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