watch out for whats under the surface

When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots.

When we are not ready, are spiritually dull or are passive, wrong things come into our lives. Often this is sin or habits that corrupt our lives. Other times it is a person who brings attitudes, problems or influence that keeps us from seeing God.

Be careful not to let darkness creep into your life. The verse I quoted above talked about hidden reefs that are under the surface of the water. A ship that is not watching for what is under the surface will end up having lots of problems. That ship will run aground or might even tear a hole in the bottom of the ship.

The same is true in our lives. The book of Jude is written to Christians warning them, warning us to make sure that we grow closer to God and watch out for the false prophets and the sin that will hinder our walk with God. Be cautious. Hate sin. That doesn’t mean be legalistic. It means making sure that we live by grace and pursue God with all we have and are.

Jude 1:22-23 (NLT)

And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

By watching the things that are under the surface of the water, like hidden reefs, we will not only keep us from getting hurt, but it will also keep others from getting hit by those things too.

Show mercy. That is what God did to us and continues to do. Rescue those that have been hit or who are on the way to being hurt. Stay away from the people and places that will bring you down. Do all this so that your life and the lives of others count for Christ.

Praise God for all He has done for us. It isn’t over. Watch out for the things that are under the surface that will trip you up and keep you from being what God made you to be.

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One of the most powerful preachers, writers and leaders of our time, in my opinion, is Francis Chan. His first book, Crazy Love , revolutionized my thoughts about God's love as well as my interacting with God. Now it is time for a brand new book from Chan being released tomorrow, September 1st. The book is Forgotten God . This is a phenomenal book about the power that Christians and the church can and must tap into. All of it is within the Holy Spirit. Francis talks about the power that was seen in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit began to move among people. It is true that many have avoided or maybe forgotten what the Holy Spirit is all about. And like the Savior who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts. We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things. It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and ac...

inspiration from C.S. Lewis

There are many people, past and present, who get our attention by what they write or say or share. For me C.S. Lewis is one of those. He was a prolific writer who continues to grab the attention of thinkers from many different points of view. Lewis first grabbed my attention when I was in 5 th grader, and our teacher, Mrs. Foy, shared The Chronicles of Narnia with our class. It was a powerful time that this dreamer opened doors to thinking like I had never lived before. He wrote of faith, of far off places and of strong figures who found their character rooted deep in God. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963, 7 years before I was born. It wasn’t until his 30’s that under the influence of his friend Tolkien that he came to be a Christian. He was raised in a traditional church going home, turned away from God as an Atheist in his teen years and through trying to stay away from God and faith returned to God with...

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Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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