Sherry Sharp

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.” Jude 24 & 25.

In the United States current political scene, we hear what always seems to motivate citizens to vote—promises and more promises. One candidate vows to do something that they hope attracts voters, while another candidate takes a completely opposite stand to garner more votes than his or her opponent. However, as most generations have learned, “promises” are not reliable for the simple reason, that promises are much easier to make than to keep. However, before we throw too many stones at politicians for their failure to keep promises, one need only consider the statistics that sadly, closer to home, promises made in marriages fail by fifty percent; a topic for another day.

While humanity has an unreliable record of keeping promises, thankfully for us God never fails to fulfil His promises. The writer, Jude, in the Bible reminds us that, God our Savior “is able to keep [us, you and me] from stumbling…” At first glance, this announcement may get brushed over too quickly. What does Jude mean when using the word “stumbling?” The thought that comes to mind is how easy it is to trip over the smallest obstacle, such as an uneven sidewalk, a miscalculated step, a small stone, or any object that gets in one’s way. In the life of every person, the “stumble” is any temptation that threatens to interrupt our progress. Sometimes the little things lead to the devastating fall, or sin, that often follows the stumble. As followers of Jesus Christ, God promises to catch us, if we do not push Him away.

Then, God promises “to present [us, you and me] faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior…” Not only does God keep us from stumbling, He welcomes us into His presence “with exceeding joy.” Friend, I hope this Scripture passage and this writing bless you, not only today but each day. God is faithful. Trust Him to walk alongside you because He loves you. Even if your stumble causes you to fall, Jesus will pick you up, if you let Him.

For deeper understanding, read the Book of Jude (Jude is only one chapter, but it is a treasure of God’s amazing promises. Find it right before the Book of Revelation).

“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19, NKJV.

When I was about ten years old, my parents put a key to our house on a rudimentary chain and hung it around my neck. They were frustrated by the number of keys I lost and had yet to find. Assured that as long as my neck remained intact, I would always be able to find my key. Lost keys are a universal problem. We designate specific places in our houses for keys—cubbies, hooks, even boxes hanging on the wall labeling keys for the various treasured places or objects in our lives.

Peter, a hot-head and one of the rag tag followers of Jesus, struggled to understand the mission for which he had been called. Of course, Peter was not alone in his lack of understanding. Eleven other men, chosen by Jesus, also struggled. Three years they followed Jesus, but knowing His time on earth was coming to an end, Jesus wanted to prepare them for His departure. Like the chain with the key my parents hung around my neck, Jesus told Peter, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…” Although I am quite certain Peter had no earthly idea the value of what Jesus was telling him at the time, “the keys of the kingdom of heaven” would unlock the mystery of the Law of Moses, the Messiah, Savior of the world.

Today, I wear a cross on a simple chain around my neck, symbol of the “key” to the kingdom of heaven. The cross and the blood that poured from it provided the dynamite power unleashing the angels who with heavens might rolled the gravestone away. As promised, Jesus will return to the earth. With the same power He dismantled the stronghold of sin and death setting the captives free, He will open heaven’s door by which those who believe will enter our eternal home.

Have you found the Key?

For deeper understanding, read Matthew 16. 

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:2-4, NKJV).

Whether keeping up with the day-to-day news, or simply living out my personal daily life, getting tangled up in the weeds of chaos and confusion is hard to avoid. Gone are the days of Walter Cronkite, American journalist beginning his career in 1950 and someone I remember well growing up at that time. According to the online Biography website, Cronkite’s “Hallmarks of style were honesty, impartiality, and level-headedness,” and signed off every evening with the words, “And that’s the way it is.” Oh, how I miss those days!

Today, “news” is sent across the airways, intruding into our lives minute by minute, dinging our phones that rarely leave our hands, while partisan politics pits neighbor against neighbor. “Journalism,” no longer honest, impartial, or level-headed by design (compliments of our learning institutions), can only be captured in part by one’s “surfing the channels” to obtain even a glimpse of truth of the day’s events. My head is spinning.

What is one to do to keep one’s sanity? When Paul wrote his letter to the church of Colossi, life must have looked somewhat like that of our modern-day world. Distraction has always been a part of the human experience and a single trait Satan uses with alarming success. Eve was distracted by Satan in the Garden of Eden to focus on God’s one restriction rather than on her abundance. A more current illustration is that in 2022, 3,308 lives were lost on roads in America because of distracted drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Distraction is deadly!

For those of us who follow Jesus Christ, we must be diligent to keep our eyes on Him alone. As the days of Jesus’ return quicken, distractions will pop up all around us. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6, NKJV). “Set your mind on things above” (Col. 3:2). “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15, emphasis mine).

God’s Word is truth. Remain in it. “And that’s the way it is!”

For deeper understanding, read Ephesians 5.

Work Cited
Biography.com Editors. “Walter Cronkite Biography.” Biography, A&E Television Networks, April 19, 2021, https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/walter-cronkite.

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23, NKJV)

Author, Vance Havner is known for one of my favorite quotes, as told to me by Kim Newlen, founder of Sweet Monday Ministry, “What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket.” The Proverb leading into this writing is King Solomon’s eloquent way of saying essentially the same thing. I have no extensive understanding of the human anatomy, but when Solomon writes about the “heart,” or Havner references “the bucket,” I am confident the focus is not about physical matter in either instance.

The words we say and our actions, both in private and in community, reveal exactly what I believe Solomon and Havner are referencing. Life has a way of challenging our very best intentions. To “Keep your heart with all diligence,” suggests the heart tends to stray away from staying the course. The Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, expresses the same belief by writing, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (17:9, NIV). A faulty physical heart will alert a person by sending warning signals; shortness of breath and or chest pain as a sign that attention is needed. Our Creator God gave His Word on how one can know for certain if the spiritual heart needs attention. When personal relationships begin to deteriorate, when stress levels rise and peace is absent from our lives, then perhaps God is trying to let us know it is time to seek help.

From the writer of the Book of Hebrews: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (4:12, NKJV).

For the best functioning of the physical heart, seek a physician. For the best functioning of the spiritual heart, seek the Great Physician by the reading and doing of His Word. Do not wait for a heart crisis before getting help. Stay in God’s Word and you will never be caught off-guard. 

For deeper understanding, read Proverbs 4.

“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?” Psalm 13:1, NKJV (emphasis mine).

“Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you?” Matthew 17:17, NKJV (emphasis mine).

Traveling with young children can be a challenge, especially if the journey is long. Passing of time on the clock can feel longer than it really is, especially if the end of the journey promises something exciting. When crying out to the Lord, the psalmist sounds a little like a child in a slow-moving vehicle, asking “How long?” The young child has no concept of time, while the psalmist has no concept of eternity.

Since the beginning of time, the Scriptures prepared the nation of Israel to expect the Messiah at God’s appointed time. Clues about His coming could be found in the Scriptures and were read by the priests each Sabbath Day. This is why the Psalmist asked, “How long…”. However, when Jesus arrived, confusion and unbelief in who, what, why, and how His ministry would be fulfilled left His followers puzzled, which is why Jesus asks them, “How long?” Jesus had spent three years with His disciples, teaching, healing, and setting the stage for God’s plan of salvation. How long would they fail to recognize the very promises hoped for, now being accomplished before their very eyes?

No wonder Jesus often referred to His followers as “children.” Even today, over 2000 years since Jesus lived, died, and rose from the grave, the sentiment of “How long…” still rings true for many believers; only now, we are waiting for Jesus to return. The 2024 world in which we live has challenges like no other time in human history. Addressing every oddity in this writing is impossible but the upside-down, inside-out “days of deception” loom large all around us. We might ask, how long, Lord, before You make everything right? As always, God has given us words of encouragement, along with evidence of His fulfilled signs and promises, we need only to open our Bible’s and read them. As we wait, let us remember this: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, NIV).

If you ask, “how long?” do not despair. You are not alone, but we can trust the One Who promises.

For deeper understanding, read 2 Peter 1-18.

“The other goat, the scapegoat chosen by lot to be sent away, will be kept alive, standing before the Lord. When it is sent away to Azazel in the wilderness, the people will be purified and made right with the Lord.” Leviticus 16:10, NLT.

Over the last few decades, people have been fascinated with information provided by a simple swab of body fluid, that after sending it off to an official site the results can reveal a wealth of personal information. Such information known as DNA is so powerful that many cold crime cases are being solved after years of shrouded mystery. But a twist and turn has happened over time that suggests people are looking for something else—an excuse for bad behavior. Victimhood of family, of environment, and the list goes on.  In other words, people are looking for a “scapegoat” to explain their feelings and actions. 

Diverting negative attention is as old as the Garden of Eden when Adam blamed Eve for disobeying God, and Eve blamed the serpent. Today, people seek to understand why am I the way I am? Before becoming a parent, I was certain my surly attitude was justified because my parents were too strict. Breaking “the rules” was necessary for autonomy. Common 21^st century excuses come packaged as, oppressor vs. oppressed, rich vs. poor, and nature vs. nurture. While all cries of injustices may have some ranges of validity, the bottom line is not wanting to take responsibility, because that would require personal accountability.  

Human behavior has not changed since the beginning of time. We are born damaged and broken people into a world of damaged and broken people. The Book of Leviticus tells the story of the Scapegoat, that served as a substitute for the sins of the people of Israel. After observing the ritual of transferring the sins of the people onto the goat, it would be sent away as a sign of purification. However, this ritual needed repeating, until Jesus Christ took upon Himself the sins of the whole world once and for all and became our “Scapegoat” before God.

God, since the beginning of creation, has provided a way of purification for humanity. The cross and blood of Jesus became the eternal Way. No excuses, and no other substitute will do. Only Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). When we acknowledge our sins, He is faithful to bear them, forgive us, and receive us as His Own.

For deeper understanding, read 1 John 2.