BBD 11.02.05 Barely Hanging On

#1 · November 2, 2005, 5:19 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on November 2, 2005, 5:19 pm
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Try out the new website at www.theburningbush.net

The old website is at www.theburningbush.org

I have decided to keep both websites active for the foreseeable future.
Several booklets are now available for free download in PDF format at the
new site. Just click on the "Free Book Downloads" link.

Join the Burning Bush Prayer Group! Send and receive prayer requests and be
a part of a great ministry. More than 400 (currently 491) wonderful people
make up this group. To join send an email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Please sign the GuestMap at The Burning Bush website. You can plant your
country's flag on the map and leave a message. You can find it on the front
page at www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush Devotional

11.02.05

Barely Hanging On

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in
the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy
of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion,
making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the
fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. - Jude 1:20-23.

Reportedly, an apartment building in Sydney, Australia is now hanging over a
huge hole. How did it happen? It is believed that there was a rockslide in a
traffic tunnel under construction beneath the building that allowed the
earth supporting the apartments to fall away. The rockslide created a 33
feet by 33 feet crater, which is also next to a major street and is causing
traffic problems. Sixty people have been forced out of the three-story
building. In an effort to stop the collapse of the building and street,
truck after truck are pumping concrete into the hole. Police superintendent
Doreen Cruickshank said, "There is a reality that the building will
collapse. I think we can see from here that there is structural damage."

What do you do when life blows a hole out from under feet and you are left
hanging on for dear life? What do you do to help someone else when it
happens to them? Jude gives us some directions for helping ourselves and
others.

First, Jude says we are to be "building yourselves up on your most holy
faith." If you think back to the hanging apartment building, you see that
this is what they are trying to do. They are trying to build again the
foundation by pouring in the concrete. Whether you are hanging on by a
thread or you are yet to experience life almost blowing you away, either
way, you need a strong foundation. Our foundation should be built on what?
Jesus says, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I
will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew
7:24)." You could say that Jesus says to build your life on the Word of God
because as He also says, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).'" The
Word of God, that is how we maintain our foundation and that, is what should
be used to repair a foundation.

Second, Jude tells us that we should be "praying in the Holy Spirit". In the
battle against the Amalekites (Exodus 17) as long as Moses held up his hands
the Israelites were winning the battle. However, when Moses grew tired and
his hands dropped the Amalekites began to win. To keep the hands of Moses
held up Aaron and Hur each supported the hands of Moses until the battle was
won. We need to be praying for ourselves and others but in the face of the
battle we sometimes grow tired. We should never be ashamed to ask others for
prayer because it is a holy privilege to pray for others. Never forget your
need for prayer and the need that others have for your prayers as well.

Third, Jude says, "keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy
of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." We should always remember that
we are sinners saved by grace and that all have sinned including ourselves
(Romans 3:23). As such, we should walk humbly with our Lord (Micah 6:8). We
have been forgiven much and as our Lord says, "For if you forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you (Matthew 6:14)."

Fourth, we are told by Jude, "And on some have compassion, making a
distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating
even the garment defiled by the flesh." We are to hate the sin but not the
sinner (2 Peter 3:9). We also must be careful not to be drawn into the pit
of sin as they have been. At the same time, we should extend the love of God
and try to save them from destruction.

Copyright © 2005. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

The Crossmap Christian Search and Portal is a wonderful resource. I would
like to encourage you to visit this great site at ww.crossmap.com. Crossmap
has added the Burning Bush Devotionals to their site. You may visit
Crossmap's sister website, the online version of the Christian Post at
www.christianpost.com.

If you have a Christian website you are invited to add the link to my free
links at the Burning Bush website. The Bravenet free links is near the
bottom of the front page www.theburningbush.org.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Streaming Videos of our services including my sermons are posted at:
www.theburningbush.org/fbcswvideo.html

There is now a webpage available at associate.com where the devotionals are
archived associate.com/groups/burningbushdevo. There is a complete
archive at the Burning Bush website and the address for the archive is
www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may subscribe to the pure text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org and you can unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Prayer Group. Send and receive prayer requests
to over 400 members. Send a blank email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Inspirational Group. Send and receive
inspirational material to over 100 members. Send a blank email to:
bbinspire-subscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Restoration and Recovery Group for those with
addictions or recovering from addictions. Receive devotionals and
inspirational material directed toward those with addictions. Send and
receive prayer requests. Over 200 members. Send a blank email to:
tbbrr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe to the Intercede Life Group and pray for and help in practical
ways those who need help. To subscribe send a blank email to
interclife-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Try out the new website at http://www.theburningbush.net

The old website is at http://www.theburningbush.org

I have decided to keep both websites active for the foreseeable future.
Several booklets are now available for free download in PDF format at the
new site. Just click on the "Free Book Downloads" link.

Join the Burning Bush Prayer Group! Send and receive prayer requests and be
a part of a great ministry. More than 400 (currently 491) wonderful people
make up this group. To join send an email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Please sign the GuestMap at The Burning Bush website. You can plant your
country's flag on the map and leave a message. You can find it on the front
page at http://www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush Devotional

11.02.05

Barely Hanging On

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in
the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy
of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion,
making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the
fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. - Jude 1:20-23.

Reportedly, an apartment building in Sydney, Australia is now hanging over a
huge hole. How did it happen? It is believed that there was a rockslide in a
traffic tunnel under construction beneath the building that allowed the
earth supporting the apartments to fall away. The rockslide created a 33
feet by 33 feet crater, which is also next to a major street and is causing
traffic problems. Sixty people have been forced out of the three-story
building. In an effort to stop the collapse of the building and street,
truck after truck are pumping concrete into the hole. Police superintendent
Doreen Cruickshank said, "There is a reality that the building will
collapse. I think we can see from here that there is structural damage."

What do you do when life blows a hole out from under feet and you are left
hanging on for dear life? What do you do to help someone else when it
happens to them? Jude gives us some directions for helping ourselves and
others.

First, Jude says we are to be "building yourselves up on your most holy
faith." If you think back to the hanging apartment building, you see that
this is what they are trying to do. They are trying to build again the
foundation by pouring in the concrete. Whether you are hanging on by a
thread or you are yet to experience life almost blowing you away, either
way, you need a strong foundation. Our foundation should be built on what?
Jesus says, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I
will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew
7:24)." You could say that Jesus says to build your life on the Word of God
because as He also says, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).'" The
Word of God, that is how we maintain our foundation and that, is what should
be used to repair a foundation.

Second, Jude tells us that we should be "praying in the Holy Spirit". In the
battle against the Amalekites (Exodus 17) as long as Moses held up his hands
the Israelites were winning the battle. However, when Moses grew tired and
his hands dropped the Amalekites began to win. To keep the hands of Moses
held up Aaron and Hur each supported the hands of Moses until the battle was
won. We need to be praying for ourselves and others but in the face of the
battle we sometimes grow tired. We should never be ashamed to ask others for
prayer because it is a holy privilege to pray for others. Never forget your
need for prayer and the need that others have for your prayers as well.

Third, Jude says, "keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy
of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." We should always remember that
we are sinners saved by grace and that all have sinned including ourselves
(Romans 3:23). As such, we should walk humbly with our Lord (Micah 6:8). We
have been forgiven much and as our Lord says, "For if you forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you (Matthew 6:14)."

Fourth, we are told by Jude, "And on some have compassion, making a
distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating
even the garment defiled by the flesh." We are to hate the sin but not the
sinner (2 Peter 3:9). We also must be careful not to be drawn into the pit
of sin as they have been. At the same time, we should extend the love of God
and try to save them from destruction.

Copyright © 2005. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

The Crossmap Christian Search and Portal is a wonderful resource. I would
like to encourage you to visit this great site at ww.crossmap.com. Crossmap
has added the Burning Bush Devotionals to their site. You may visit
Crossmap's sister website, the online version of the Christian Post at
http://www.christianpost.com.

If you have a Christian website you are invited to add the link to my free
links at the Burning Bush website. The Bravenet free links is near the
bottom of the front page http://www.theburningbush.org.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Streaming Videos of our services including my sermons are posted at:
http://www.theburningbush.org/fbcswvideo.html

There is now a webpage available at associate.com where the devotionals are
archived associate.com/groups/burningbushdevo. There is a complete
archive at the Burning Bush website and the address for the archive is
http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may subscribe to the pure text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org and you can unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Prayer Group. Send and receive prayer requests
to over 400 members. Send a blank email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Inspirational Group. Send and receive
inspirational material to over 100 members. Send a blank email to:
bbinspire-subscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Restoration and Recovery Group for those with
addictions or recovering from addictions. Receive devotionals and
inspirational material directed toward those with addictions. Send and
receive prayer requests. Over 200 members. Send a blank email to:
tbbrr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe to the Intercede Life Group and pray for and help in practical
ways those who need help. To subscribe send a blank email to
interclife-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.