{"id":2292,"date":"2020-06-25T11:26:01","date_gmt":"2020-06-25T19:26:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=2292"},"modified":"2020-06-25T11:26:01","modified_gmt":"2020-06-25T19:26:01","slug":"devotion-jude-1a-right-priority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=2292","title":{"rendered":"Devotion Jude 1a Right Priority"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Jude 1a-2\u00a0<\/b>–\u00a0Jude,\u00a0a servant of Jesus Christ\u00a0and a brother of James,<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cJude,\u00a0a servant of Jesus Christ\u00a0and a brother of James.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0\u00a0Jude was a humble man.\u00a0\u00a0Humble but sure of the blessing and leading of God.\u00a0\u00a0He was sure of his gifting and the leading of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0\u00a0He was sure of the call of God.<\/span><\/p>\n

He identifies himself as the servant of Jesus and the brother of James.\u00a0\u00a0Family, if our hearts are right then Jesus is always the first priority.\u00a0\u00a0I hear dear saints of God, saying that the first thing they want to do upon walking throne the gates of heaven is to see their beloved who have preceded them there.\u00a0\u00a0I likewise have loved ones there, but I assert in the strongest manner that my dear ones who are there understand that they did not make it possible for me to be in Heaven, it was Jesus. (1 Peter 1:18-19, John 14:6<\/b>)\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0Jesus paid the way, with His own blood, for me to go to Heaven and live forever with God.\u00a0\u00a0It was He who prepared a place for us in Heaven.\u00a0\u00a0So, I desperately want to see my loved ones in Heaven, but none do I want to see more than Jesus, who shall present me to the Father. (Colossians 1:22<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0And to thank God the Holy Spirit for loving me, bearing with me, not leaving me and sanctifying me all the way to the gates of Heaven.\u00a0\u00a0If that will be our heart then, then it must be our heart now.\u00a0\u00a0Serving the Lord must be the highest priority for every one of us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some will say, as if they are the only ones \u201cbut I love my family so much.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0They ought to remember\u00a01 Corinthians 10:13a<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0We all sorely miss our family who are in Heaven, that feeling is unique to no-one.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s stop and consider, if we were able to talk to one of our loved ones that genuinely are in Heaven, if they could visit with us today, don\u2019t we know that they would counsel us to have Jesus first in our lives.\u00a0\u00a0That first, and most importantly, we are to serve the Lord our God with all our hearts, all our souls, all our strength and all our might.\u00a0\u00a0This is the first of the two highest commandments. (Mark 12:30-31<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0And if God is the focus of our love and adoration then, then it will be evidenced because it is now so.\u00a0\u00a0So, though my heart is stirred by the opportunity to see my family, my first and highest hope is to see God.\u00a0\u00a0Nothing will be better than being in the presence of God, to see Him, to touch Him, and to hear His voice<\/span>\u00a0as He says \u201cWell\u00a0done,\u00a0good and faithful servant; you were\u00a0faithful over a few things,\u00a0I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into\u00a0the joy of your lord.<\/i>\u201d (Matthew 25:21<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0That is what I live for.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There is a sure day ahead.\u00a0\u00a0Jesus is always the first priority.\u00a0\u00a0Nothing comes between us and Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0Praise God!<\/p>\n

Jude in his opening remarks notes that first and foremost, more than he is the brother of James, he is the servant of Jesus Christ.\u00a0\u00a0He loved and respected James, but Jesus was his priority.<\/p>\n

Jude, and his brother James, were the half-brothers of Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0Acts 1:13-14<\/b>\u00a0states that with the Apostles waiting for the promise of the Holy Spirit were women, and also specifically states that Mary, the mother of Jesus was with them.\u00a0\u00a0V14<\/b>\u00a0also states that the brothers of Jesus were also there.\u00a0\u00a0Now this was not talking about brothers as in fellow believers (though at that point they were) or else the Apostles could have been included in that statement.\u00a0\u00a0No, this was talking about his half-brothers through His mother Mary.\u00a0\u00a0Another example of Jesus having natural brother and that they were distinct (at that time) from his disciples see\u00a0John 7:3-5<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0Furthermore, in\u00a0Matthew 13:55<\/b>\u00a0we see Jesus\u2019s family being named by those in his hometown: \u201cWhen Jesus had finished these parables,\u00a0he moved on from there.\u00a054\u00a0Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue,\u00a0and they were amazed.\u00a0\u201cWhere did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?\u201d they asked.\u00a055\u00a0\u201cIsn\u2019t this the carpenter\u2019s son?\u00a0Isn\u2019t his mother\u2019s\u00a0name Mary, and aren\u2019t his brothers\u00a0James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?\u00a056\u00a0Aren\u2019t all his sisters with us?\u201d<\/i>\u00a0\u00a0(Matthew 13:53-56a<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0Family, it is clear in the Word of God that Jesus had brothers and sisters and that James and Jude were two of His brothers.<\/p>\n

It is true that many of us may have (in introducing ourselves at the beginning of a letter) written that Jesus was our in-the-flesh brother.\u00a0\u00a0So why didn\u2019t Jude do that?\u00a0\u00a0He did not with great reasoning.\u00a0\u00a0Yes, He was humble, but the fact of their physical relationship was secondary to the fact of their spiritual relationship.\u00a0\u00a0The fact that Jesus was Messiah, the fact that Jesus was Savior and Lord to Him and that Jesus is preeminent over all of creation, that was what was most important to Jude.\u00a0\u00a0That Jesus was his natural brother was an added blessing.\u00a0\u00a0While here on earth, the family of Jesus did not even believe that He was the Messiah.\u00a0\u00a0As for the Apostles and the brothers of Jesus the real understanding and power came after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0Jesus even, and not with any disrespect at all toward His mother and siblings, stressed to a crowd that those who were His family by the Spirit were His equal, or higher priority. (Mark 3:31-35<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0Please understand that in no way diminishes his love and care of his mother and siblings.\u00a0\u00a0Jesus was stressing a truth that Jude understood well.\u00a0\u00a0That our relationship with Jesus as Savior and Lord supersedes our relationship with any family or friends here on earth.\u00a0\u00a0That is what Jesus expressed\u00a0“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me<\/i>.\u201d (Matthew 10:37<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0Yes, Jude was humble, but more than that He understood what our relationship with Jesus must be.<\/p>\n

Brothers and Sister, let us remember that God has not called us to love our family and also God, but to love God first and foremost.\u00a0\u00a0Let us remember that yes, we were given life through our parents, but it was the Lord God who ordained it to be so.\u00a0\u00a0Our parents could not have been our parents without the blessing and ordination of God.\u00a0\u00a0So when we love our parents, as we should passionately and faithfully do, let us thank God for them even before we are grateful to them.\u00a0\u00a0When we assess our highest priority let it be found that it is God.\u00a0\u00a0If it is not, stop what is being done, fall on our knees and repent, for God must be highest in our lives and He allows no rivals.\u00a0\u00a0If our parents, or child, or any loved person is put before God, or even equal to Him, or even just a little below God, then we have made them an idol.\u00a0\u00a0And that would be abhorrent to any of our family who are now in Heaven.\u00a0\u00a0They would confirm this to us if they could.\u00a0\u00a0God has to be number one in our lives and so much so, that number two is out of sight.\u00a0\u00a0When we look to God, no-one but God should be in our focus.\u00a0\u00a0And that is not a burden, it is a blessing.\u00a0\u00a0A blessing the Lord gives to us because He loves us and knows what is best for us.\u00a0\u00a0So praise our God!\u00a0\u00a0Praise and honor our God who is above all else, and that beyond measure.\u00a0\u00a0Love God!\u00a0\u00a0Praise God!\u00a0\u00a0Love God!<\/p>\n

Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/p>\n

Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.<\/p>\n

Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.<\/p>\n

Numbers 6:24-26<\/b>\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0Lord\u00a0bless you and keep you; 25\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0turn His face\u00a0toward you and give you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jude 1a-2\u00a0–\u00a0Jude,\u00a0a servant of Jesus Christ\u00a0and a brother of James, \u201cJude,\u00a0a servant of Jesus Christ\u00a0and a brother of James.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Jude was a humble man.\u00a0\u00a0Humble but sure of the blessing and leading of God.\u00a0\u00a0He was sure of his gifting and the leading of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0\u00a0He was sure of the call of God. He identifies himself as…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[82,129,100,2188,93,101,94,1874,90,17],"class_list":["post-2292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-corinthians","tag-john","tag-jude","tag-mark","tag-matthew","tag-micah","tag-numbers","tag-peter","tag-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2292"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2293,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2292\/revisions\/2293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}