He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. Matthew 16:15-18
Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. 2 Timothy 2:3-4
Why does it seem Christians are almost always on the defensive rather than preaching the gospel, influencing culture, and standing up for Christ and His truth? Jesus Christ enlisted us in active service, and we are to make it our goal to obey and please Him (2 Corinthians 5:9). As soldiers of an eternal army, we cannot afford to be indifferent or ignorant about the intensifying battle all around us. When we are silent and fail to engage in warfare, we become ineffective for God’s kingdom including the important work of making disciples.
Read more: https://davidfiorazo.com/2016/06/storming-the-gates-of-hell-christians-on-offense/
Jude: Defend the Faith, Warn the Church – Bible Study - David Fiorazo
Description:
Jude wanted to write about the common salvation in Christ shared by true believers, but was compelled instead to warn about contending for the faith handed down by the apostles.
False teachers and apostates are nothing new. Early Christian church leaders warned about them; Jude was one such apostle. Thankfully, Jude provides a detailed letter and an example to follow as how to recognize, expose, and deal with false teachers.
The book of Jude was included in the Canon (A.D. 170) due in part to his being related to Jesus, the fact Jude was an eye-witness of the resurrected Christ, and a brother of James, leader of the Jerusalem Council. Clement of Rome (A.D. 96) also supported Jude as authentic.
NOTES, TRANSCRIPT: https://davidfiorazo.com/2018/08/book-of-jude-defend-the-true-faith-warn-the-church/