✝️ THE GOSPEL FROM CALVARY 📅 Monday, 17th August, 2026 🚨 CONTEND FOR THE FAITH! ✝️🔥 📜 TEXT: JUDE 1:1–25 📜 🔑📖 KEY VERSE: «“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” — Jude 1:3 (KJV)» The Christian faith is precious, powerful, and worth defending. In his short but powerful letter, Jude warned believers about false teachers and ungodly influences that had entered among God's people. Jude's message is simple but urgent: DO NOT GIVE UP THE FAITH! 🔥 We live in a world where truth is often questioned, biblical values are increasingly challenged, and many voices compete for our attention. But the believer is called to remain rooted in God's Word and to earnestly contend for the faith. 🔥 THREE LESSONS FROM JUDE 1️⃣ CONTEND FOR THE FAITH. 🛡️📖 Jude 1:3 says: «“...earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”» To contend for the faith does not mean fighting people. It means standing firmly for the truth of God's Word. Don't abandon biblical truth because it is unpopular. Don't compromise your convictions because of pressure. Don't change God's standards simply because society has changed. Stand for Christ. Stand for truth. Stand for the Gospel. ✝️🔥 2️⃣ BEWARE OF UNGODLY INFLUENCES. ⚠️ Jude warned that certain ungodly people had secretly entered among the believers. Their presence was dangerous because they could influence others away from the truth. This teaches us that not every teaching, philosophy, lifestyle, or spiritual message should be accepted without examination. 📖 Test what you hear against Scripture. 🙏🏽 Ask God for discernment. 👀 Watch the influences around you. ❤️‍🔥 Protect your relationship with Christ. Be careful what you allow to shape your thinking. 3️⃣ BUILD YOURSELF UP SPIRITUALLY. 🏗️🔥 Jude 1:20–21 gives believers a powerful instruction: «“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God...”» Notice the progression: 📖 Build yourself on the faith. 🙏🏽 Pray in the Holy Ghost. ❤️ Keep yourself in God's love. 👑 Look for the mercy of Jesus Christ unto eternal life. A strong Christian life does not happen accidentally. You must intentionally develop your relationship with God. Pray. Study the Word. Worship. Obey God. Stay connected to Christ. 🛡️ DON'T COMPROMISE YOUR FAITH The pressure to compromise can come from many directions. Friends may pressure you. Society may pressure you. Relationships may pressure you. Entertainment may pressure you. Even people who claim to know God may pressure you. But remember: Your faith is more valuable than acceptance from people. Never exchange eternal truth for temporary popularity. Never exchange holiness for pleasure. Never exchange your relationship with Christ for worldly approval. ❤️‍🔥 HAVE MERCY ON THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING Jude does not only tell believers to defend the faith; he also teaches us how to respond to people who are struggling. Jude 1:22 says: «“And of some have compassion, making a difference.”» There are people who need correction, but they also need compassion. There are people who have wandered, but they can still be restored. There are people who are confused, but God can use you to lead them back to truth. Therefore, stand firmly for truth while showing the love of Christ. ❤️‍🩹✝️ 🔥 KEEP YOURSELF IN THE LOVE OF GOD Jude 1:21 says: «“Keep yourselves in the love of God...”» This does not mean that God's love is weak or that we must earn His love. It is a call to remain in fellowship and obedience to Him. Don't allow sin to become your lifestyle. Don't allow bitterness to occupy your heart. Don't allow worldly desires to take the place of Christ. Stay close to Jesus. 👑 GOD IS ABLE TO KEEP YOU The letter of Jude ends with one of the most beautiful declarations of God's power: «“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy...” — Jude 1:24» What a powerful assurance! We are called to contend. We are called to watch. We are called to pray. We are called to remain faithful. But ultimately, God is the One who keeps us. 🙏🏽🔥 When you feel weak, He can strengthen you. When you are tempted, He can help you. When you are discouraged, He can restore you. When you are struggling, He can keep you from falling. ✍🏽 THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: A believer who knows the value of the Gospel will stand firmly for the truth, walk faithfully with Christ, and never trade eternal truth for temporary approval. 🔥✝️ 🙏🏽 PRAYER Heavenly Father, Thank You for the precious gift of salvation and for the faith You have entrusted to us. Give me grace to earnestly contend for the faith. Help me to recognize false teachings and ungodly influences. Give me spiritual discernment to know what is true and courage to stand for Your Word. Build me up in my most holy faith. Teach me to pray consistently and keep me in Your love. Help me to show compassion to those who are struggling and to point them back to Jesus. Lord, keep me from falling. Preserve my faith, strengthen my walk, and help me remain faithful until the end. To You be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, both now and forever. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen. 🙏🏽🔥 📜 THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: PSALMS 73–75 📖 ✝️ THE CALVARY MINISTRY ONLINE Birthright is Evangelism

Good morning family. Just a quick reminder. The will of God can’t take you where his grace can’t protect you.. remain strong in the Lord and always remember he knows the plans he has for you.. beautiful Morning to you all greetings from Mozambique 🇲🇿 Psalms 121 should be your psalm

Psalms 126:5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! Hallelujah! 🙌

Psalms 46 1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas, 3 though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams delight the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her; she will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns. 6 Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice. 7 The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8 Come, see the works of the LORD, who brings devastation upon the earth. ...

From Pain to Praise Psalm 41 begins with compassion, moves through suffering and betrayal, and ends with praise: “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.” — Psalm 41:13 David's circumstances were painful, but his confidence in God remained. That's the message for us today: people change, circumstances change, but God remains faithful forever. Amen and Amen. 🙏 #Psalm41 #PraiseGod #GodIsFaithful #BibleStudy #Jesus #ChristianEncouragement #Faith #Psalms https://youtube.com/shorts/suEErMtQcf4?feature=share

Tears of Faith Have you ever had your heart broken? Or your dreams shattered? Or had your plans crushed by reality? That happened to the Jewish people when they were forced to leave their homes and become exiles in a foreign land. Their grief was surely deep and their questions surely plenty, but even their tears couldn’t stop new growth. Recorded in Psalm 126, regarding the time “when the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem…” “Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭126:5 NLT‬‬ Like the Israelites, you might be in a season of unexpected sadness, but joy, fruit, and abundance are waiting on the other side.  Are you worried about someone in your family? Are you frustrated with someone at work? Are you devastated or numb regarding a situation in your life? Are you baffled by what you see on the news? Is your health failing you? Is this season not quite what you’d hoped? Maybe you truly want to make a difference and you want the people around you to know God, but it’s hard—because you’re trudging forward through tears.  The great news is, seeds aren’t picky about moisture, and tears can be a catalyst for growth. Like any good book or movie, there’s conflict before there’s resolution. Like a woman in labor, there’s pain before there’s new life. Like a prisoner, there’s the angst of captivity before there’s the relief of freedom. Like any real farmer knows, there’s dirt and sweat before there’s any kind of harvest. We don’t always get to choose the environment in which we sow seeds. But regardless, we—people made in the image of God—are called to love Him and love people, to be fruitful and multiply, to go and make disciples, and to trust Him with our grief. Joy is often preceded by tears, which should give us great hope. So, let’s continue to do the good work God has put before us. Let’s continue to plant seeds in faith, even through tears. Let’s honor Him as we sow our seeds and trust Him with the harvest.

Psalms 126:5 NLT [5] Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.126.5.NLT

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

As they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” Luke 24:36 ɴᴋᴊᴠ The disciples were gathered together in Jerusalem on that day talking of His resurrection. He greeted them with that blessed salutation, “Peace to you.” For theirs was to be a mission of peace, and if they were to prosecute it rightly they must be filled with and kept in peace. With a quiet and matchless dignity, He convinces them as to the reality of His resurrection, assures them that it is Himself and none other who stands before them, and opens their understanding as to the teaching of all Scripture concerning Himself. It was this teaching as to Himself that was to prepare them for the mission and to maintain them in peace in it. Out of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms, He showed them God’s plan and His glory (Lk. 24:44–45). Their fears, then, that all they had hoped for was lost, were altogether groundless, for in Him, their risen Lord, everything that God had purposed was secured. And further, though it was not then declared to them, they afterwards learned that in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and that they were complete in Him (Col. 2:9–10). All the resources of God were in Him for them, and there was not a power in the universe that could intercept those resources. Brethren in Christ, are we conscious that our Lord is such a glorious Lord, Center, Leader, and Head for His servants? Those who are in the knowledge of this will fear no foe, for all the foes are defeated, as His resurrection is witness; they will dread no lack, for all the mighty fullness of God is at their disposal in Him. His presence in the midst of those disciples made them one: one in heart, object, and purpose. For what place could divergent views and selfish aspirations find in the presence of their glorious risen Lord? J. T. Mawson https://gbv-online.org/calendar/773/date/2026-08-16

*Tears of Faith - Our Tears Are Never Wasted* Have you ever had your heart broken? Or your dreams shattered? Or had your plans crushed by reality? That happened to the Jewish people when they were forced to leave their homes and become exiles in a foreign land. Their grief was surely deep and their questions surely plenty, but even their tears couldn’t stop new growth. Recorded in *Psalm 126,* regarding the time *“when the Lord brought back His exiles to Jerusalem…”* *“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭126:5* Like the Israelites, we might be in a season of unexpected sadness, but joy, fruit, and abundance are waiting on the other side.  Are we worried about someone in our family? Are we frustrated with someone at work? Are we devastated or numb regarding a situation in our life? Are we baffled by what we see on the news? Is our health failing? Is this season not quite what we’d hoped? Maybe we truly want to make a difference and we want the people around us to know God, but it’s hard—because we’re trudging forward through tears.  The great news is, seeds aren’t picky about moisture, and tears can be a catalyst for growth. Like any good book or movie, there’s conflict before there’s resolution. Like a woman in labor, there’s pain before there’s new life. Like a prisoner, there’s the angst of captivity before there’s the relief of freedom. Like any real farmer knows, there’s dirt and sweat before there’s any kind of harvest. We don’t always get to choose the environment in which we sow seeds. But regardless, we—people made in the image of God—are called to love Him and love people, to be fruitful and multiply, to go and make disciples, and to trust Him with our grief. Joy is often preceded by tears, which should give us great hope. So, let’s continue to do the good work God has put before us. Let’s continue to plant seeds in faith, even through tears. Let’s honor Him as we sow our seeds and trust Him with the harvest. *A Prayer For Joy In Hard Times* Father God, it's hard to keep planting seeds when we are discouraged. When we are heartbroken. But we know that You can use all things for Your glory and our good. Once again, we are trusting You. We are surrendering our plans to You—because Your ways are always best. Thank You in advance for the harvest that's to come. In Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen.