Jude - Fourteenth and final in a series

In trials affecting the church, we witness and experience disappointing behaviors, confusion, heartbrokenness, despair, anxiety, bitter revenges, and even more. In part these are evidences of Christian immaturity, but that is not the full explanation. The Evil One and his assistants work hard to destroy the body of Christ, the church.

Why would God permit their attacks, as Jude describes, that undermine our faith and peace? Because going through them, we look to the One who is able to keep us from falling, and we grow in grace and the knowledge of the Truth.

Now to Him who is able
to keep you from stumbling, and
to make you stand in the presence of His glory
blameless
with great joy,
to the only God our Savior,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
be glory, majesty, dominion and authority,
before all time
and now
and forever.
Amen.
(Jude 1:24, 25)

Jude encourages believers that when we meet the Lord face to face, we not only will bow— we will stand, for he not only saved and redeemed but also enabled us to persevere through all our days.

At times we feel we are in great danger of falling below any hope of returning, but then the Majestic One steadies us. We are again ready to be those in his church who would rescue the perishing.