Introduction

Greetings, everyone. Today, we delve into the Book of Jude. I spent considerable time discerning Jude's central theme. Ultimately, it is to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Mary bore Jesus Christ, and then James and Jude. I suspect Jude was not a particularly diligent student. Why? Because Jude exhorts us to contend earnestly for the faith, yet after repeated readings, I remain unclear on what he is contending for, or whether he has elucidated the faith itself.

Allow me to share my approach. If I am teaching you how to draw a diagram, I will focus on how to draw it correctly. I will not dwell on the myriad ways it can be drawn incorrectly, as that would be futile. I will simply instruct you on achieving the correct result, as there is only one correct way. Is that not so?

Jude's Purpose in Writing

Jude's purpose in writing is to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints, yet he fails to articulate this faith clearly. Who does articulate it clearly? Paul does. I struggle to discern Jude's objective. If you have discerned it, please enlighten me. This is not boastfulness; I am a diligent student of Scripture and other works. My intention is to stimulate thought, enabling you to extract the author's intended message. I must confess that neither Jude nor Peter fully explain the essence of the faith, despite their extensive writings. What, then, are they contending for?

What is Jude's purpose in writing this letter? I posit two questions: First, what is the purpose of this letter? Second, does he achieve his purpose? Today, we will collectively dissect the Book of Jude.

Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. 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 1:1-3)

I find this somewhat incongruous. He writes to those preserved in Jesus Christ, yet he contends with them. Are they in error?

Certain Men Crept In Unawares

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. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:3-4)

I ponder how these men entered. Did they leap through windows? Crept in unawares? This perplexes me. Why? If Jude founded this church, how could such men creep in? Is it a failure of discernment, or has something else transpired? How did he allow them entry?

Allow me a moment of presumption. If members of Eastern Lightning were to enter today, what could they accomplish? Nothing. Would you heed them? Would I cede the pulpit to them? I would not. If they attended the 101 course and adhered to the teachings, that would be commendable. If they scrutinized Genesis and Ecclesiastes, attended classes, and took notes, that would be impressive. If they could persevere. If they cannot persevere, how can they creep in unawares? This reflects a problem, not of contention, but of disordered church governance.

Some time ago, several pastors cautioned me about the arrival of Eastern Lightning members in Singapore. I pondered, what should I fear? They should fear me. If they come, I will minister deliverance to them. Can contention resolve the church's problems?

When I contracted COVID-19, I was physically weak, but I could still use my phone. I read of a pastor who contracted COVID-19 around the same time and requested prayer from his congregation. After a few days, he announced his recovery and issued a letter expressing his desire for a church filled with love, lamenting the internal strife within the church.

I was astonished. How could he allow his church to devolve into such a state? Upon reflection, I understood his error. Before establishing my church, I approached it as an academic, studying and observing how others built their churches. I gradually learned and adapted. I identified problems and sought solutions. Even our small groups are not copied from others; they should be emulating us. His lament about internal strife revealed a flawed foundation. I had studied this issue and knew that the church was not built correctly. Jude's writing reflects a similar failure in church construction.

This pastor, though he recovered from COVID-19, soon passed away. A few days later, the tragic news arrived. He had suddenly died. I thought, if he had recovered, I would have envied him, as I was still unwell. But I recovered, while he passed away. My words may seem harsh, but you must understand, what am I to contend for? I built the church; with whom am I to contend?

How can these men creep in unawares? And who are these men who creep in? They are ungodly. I find it strange. If you enter, and your eyes wander to the attractive women, you will not be welcome back. Physical churches may find it difficult to prevent such occurrences, but it is easy here; a simple ban suffices. My astonishment stems from the fact that Jude built the church. Why would he tolerate such intrusions? Either his church governance is lax, or he has failed to address the issues.

Therefore, the church must be selective. I have found a principle in Scripture: a net is cast, and the good fish are gathered into vessels, while the bad are cast away, as Jesus taught. If the church does not adhere to this principle, are we not courting disaster? We must not allow the body of Christ to become defiled. How can such men enter the church? Is it not a farce?

What is there to contend for? This is not a matter of contention; it is not even a problem. Do we have such problems among us? No. The churches founded by the apostles Peter, James, and Jude in Jerusalem were in such a state that their words seemed to carry little weight, and they could not control the Christians of the Pharisaical sect.

Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. 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 1:1-3)

After reading this, I am bewildered. I question Jude's competence. Is this truly inspired by the Holy Spirit? Can the Holy Spirit inspire such writing? I find it unconvincing. Even if you deem it Scripture, I do not. I would argue that those who compiled the Bible erred in including it. What if it were the apostle Paul who compiled the Bible and collected these epistles? I doubt he would have included this one.

Paul was a prodigious scholar. It was only four hundred years later that they gathered and compiled it in this manner. Why does the Roman Catholic Church exist? They favor Peter because they share a similar mindset. The church in Jerusalem ultimately failed to maintain control, and church governance faltered. In my experience of building a church, I have deeply learned these lessons.

I once participated in a small group leader training session. In groups of three to five, we discussed issues. One small group leader lamented, "My group has so many problems." I inquired, "What problems?" He replied, "I never get a chance to speak." I asked, "What are they doing?" He said, "They do whatever they want." I asked, "Does the district pastor know?" He said, "Yes." I asked, "What does the district pastor do?" He said, "Nothing. He just lets them be."

What is this? To this day, I do not allow small groups to devolve into such a state. Are you here to gossip? What use do I have for such people? I asked, "Who is in your group?" He said, "University professors." I said, "University professors are likely to dominate the conversation. Why not make one of the professors the small group leader and let him manage the group?" It is utter chaos.

I suspect Jude and Peter's efforts were of a similar caliber. I tell you, building a church or a company in this manner will lead to its downfall. What can be accomplished? Nothing. Today, brothers and sisters, you must understand that there must be a way to do things. How can someone creep in unawares? And how can someone who denies Jesus Christ be in the church? I am baffled.

How Can Someone Who Denies Jesus Christ Be in the Church?

I tell you, I want to build a church that is holy, unified, filled with God's presence, and filled with God's glory. The reason for a chaotic church is simple: the church values numbers and offerings. But I value neither numbers nor offerings; I value your growth. If you want to give offerings, I may not even give you the opportunity. The church is not a place to collect money; the church is the body of Christ. How can someone who denies Jesus Christ be in the church?

If Jude stood before me, I would have to rebuke him. How could you allow this? What are you doing? Of course, I may not be qualified. Do you think you are superior because you are Jesus Christ's brother, his physical brother, Mary's youngest son? What are you boasting about? Is this how the body of Christ should be managed? I say this with conviction, and I trust in our God.

Because the church was built in this manner, God dismantled the church in Jerusalem. Do you think Jerusalem became impoverished because of the devil? It was because of God! God saw their actions and exclaimed, "What have you done? I entrusted you with a small task, and you have made a mess of it. When did I tell you to do it this way?" And a letter, the Book of Jude, was placed in the Bible. Fortunately, you have me in this era to point it out. Although Jude is no longer in this world, can his inclusion in the Bible deceive me? Chinese Mingding Doctrine has a system and cannot be deceived.

If the apostle Paul had compiled the Bible, he would not have included this. But thank God, God allowed it to be included so that we may be vigilant. Are you contending earnestly for the faith? Is this the faith?

Are the Angels Who Did Not Keep Their First Estate Confined in Darkness?

Today, the devil Satan roams to and fro. Where is the darkness? When were they confined? When were they bound with chains?

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (Jude 1:6)

Which of the demons we cast out were confined in darkness? Which were bound with chains? Jude simply did not study diligently. Are these things he speaks of Jewish legends, myths, or stories? Perhaps.

Are these things found in the Pentateuch? No. Are they found in the Old Testament? No. If they were confined in darkness, they would not be doing these things in this world. I need these demons. Some may ask, "Why do you need these demons?" These demons are beneficial. When you sin and are cursed, the demons will surely afflict you and reveal what is in your heart. How is it revealed? The demons afflict you.

In Exodus, the spirit of death walked through the streets, killing the firstborn in each household. Who was that? The spirit of death. Was the spirit of death bound with chains? Why bind it? If it were bound, how could we overcome? If the church we build is built on the rock of Jesus Christ, the gates of hell cannot prevail against it, and we can trample on the power of hell. When were they locked in darkness? This is nonsense. If Jude stood before me, I would ask, "Have you seen it? If you have not seen it, why are you speaking nonsense?" Does this have anything to do with contending earnestly for the faith? No. Then why did you write this? To deceive me?

Today, brothers and sisters, listen to me. I am speaking with passion. It is not that I am agitated, but Jude is truly speaking nonsense. Once, when I was casting out a demon, the demon spoke to me. It said, "I am Old Ma. I am helping you build the church." I asked, "How are you helping me?" It said, "I am the one who took those people and those people away." It was a garbage collector.

God makes everything beautiful in its time. What about the fallen angels God created? God makes everything beautiful in its time. Building the church overcomes the devil and the enemy. He has nothing in me, and he becomes a helper. I asked, "What have you done?" He said, "I am the one who took so-and-so and so-and-so away." He named names. I completely changed my view of the devil. God is not opposed to demons; people are opposed to demons. What do demons do? God curses this person with a severe and prolonged illness, and the demons do the dirty work.

We have a term called "white glove." What does a white glove do? It does the dirty work. For example, a government official cannot do these things himself, but he has a group of white gloves behind him who can do them. After they are done, it has nothing to do with the official. Do not think this is not common; it is common. It is very dirty. The angels who did not keep their first estate, and then what does it say?

Formerly, the Lord saved his people out of the land of Egypt, but afterward he destroyed those who did not believe. Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus who saved a people out of Egypt afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. (Jude 1:5-7)

I find this somewhat peculiar, isn't it? And then, it says these dreamers are just like them.

Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. (Jude 1:8)

I wonder, what does this have to do with contending for the truth? Even the people of Sodom and Gomorrah have infiltrated the church.

How Did the People of Sodom and Gomorrah End Up in the Church?

The people of Sodom and Gomorrah have absolutely nothing to do with the church. Sodom and Gomorrah are related to Lot, but not at all to Abraham. I'm pondering, what is this about? Does this relate to his theme of earnestly contending for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints? The people of Sodom and Gomorrah have all entered the church; how was this church built? I know some churches have become MLM venues, haven't they? Some churches have become places for selling insurance, MLM products, doing business, and setting up small communities. What are you contending for? The people of Sodom and Gomorrah have all mixed in; you might as well give up! If I met Jude, I would say: You've built the church like this; you might as well give up! Come over here, come to me, and get retrained. You're still earnestly contending for the faith? Do you really know what the faith is? Do you really know how to build a church? You're accepting everyone, being so loving.

The word "love" has been so corrupted. Why would you accept the people of Sodom and Gomorrah? Because they think that one day these people will believe in the Lord. I don't care about that. If you're a person from Sodom and Gomorrah, you should go do what you're supposed to do, shouldn't you? Do you think the questions I'm asking are sharp? You see the angels who did not stay within their own position being kept in chains under gloomy darkness; what is that for? What are you trying to say? Sodom and Gomorrah, and then those who defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. I think Jude probably didn't even finish elementary school. Their family produced a genius, Jesus Christ, but the others are a bit slow. I'm astonished; how could such an epistle be included in the Bible? Can the Bible reveal this kind of thing? The Bible is all inspired by God; would God inspire this kind of thing? It can't even be self-consistent.

What's the Point of Contending for Moses' Body?

But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” (Jude 1:9)

I'm bewildered because I'm truly confused by what Jude is saying. Then you say: You're confused; how can you lead us in Bible study? Because Jude's words have confused me. I read Jude's writing carefully again. He mentioned: "The Lord rebuke you." The devil retreats; can't you say that? Why can't you say that? I find it strange. "The Lord rebuke you." If I were to say that, it would be simple. Actually, Michael contending with the devil for Moses' body is strange and has nothing to do with the truth! Isn't it? Is the truth about contending for a body? I don't know where Jude heard this from. What can you do after talking about this?

Are there any Taiwanese brothers and sisters among us? They have a strong sense of moral cultivation and usually don't swear. The harshest thing Taiwanese brothers and sisters say is: "What else do you want me to do?" I think this matter, actually, I don't do it this way. It's easy for me to say: "What are you doing?" This is God's church; don't mess around here. If you're going to do this, then I'll leave, right? That's my personality.

The church can't be messed with. Training all the church pastors to say, "The Lord rebuke you." Give it up; you can't do anything, can you? Like the Apostle Paul, he doesn't play that game. Why did Peter, James, and Jude open a Mahayana Buddhist door for the church, turning it into Mahayana Buddhism? It's like that.

Look at the Apostle Paul; he thinks: You guys are keeping circumcision, aren't you? Do you really want to be circumcised? Then just cut off your genitals and have an operation to become a woman. Paul speaks in this tone. If you're not fierce in building the church, can you do it? Isn't it? "What else do you want me to do?" It's good enough that I don't want you to do anything, so building the church requires fierceness. Of course, fierceness must have a way. If the brothers and sisters are all well-behaved and love God, you don't need to do all this stuff with them. Grow well, deal with your bad habits, and you don't need to ask what else you want me to do, right? Even ghosts are coming to snatch Moses' body, and you're still saying, "What else do you want me to do?" Oh my goodness.

I think Jude, James, and Peter led Christianity toward Mahayana Buddhism. Jude has extremely high moral standards and doesn't speak as vulgarly as I do, but my doctrine is not vulgar. If you're not fierce in building the church, can you build it? Can you build a holy church? The church you build has people from Sodom coming, people from Gomorrah coming, Lot has become righteous, and the angels have become fierce. What has it become? A garbage dump, right? And you still have to contend for Moses' body.

Isn't it important not to blaspheme the glorious ones? Is the devil in a position of glory? You get out of here, you little thing, right? So, if we want to build a church today, we must build a holy, glorious, united church with God's presence. That's the key. If you want to grow well among us, the path is definitely wide. If you want to mess around among us, I think you should forget it. Not only am I fierce, but we have no shortage of fierce people among us. Contending for Moses' body, as if he saw it himself. He saw nothing; he's just talking nonsense, liking to hear things second-hand, completely off track.

Do Cain, Balaam, and Korah Need Earnest Contention?

Do Cain, Balaam, and Korah need earnest contention? Does that have anything to do with the truth? If these people come into the church, what are you going to do? If Cain comes in, Balaam comes in, and Korah comes in, if you build the church like Jude, can they not come in? If Peter, James, and Jude build the church like this, it will definitely be chaotic, with everything mixed in.

Once, when I was casting out demons, I said, "Get out." The demon said, "I have nowhere to go." I said, "Nowhere to go? There's a nightclub over there; go there." It said, "I don't want to go to a nightclub." I said, "Where do you want to go?" It said, "I want to go to church." So, demons like to go to church. Do you all understand? I said, "Then go to that church." Of course, I don't really care about saying these things because God is ultimately in control.

The demon said, "I don't want to go." I said, "Why? Isn't that a church?" It said, "They're all farmers; I look down on farmers. I have to find a church with intellectuals, find an Apostle Paul's church." I said, "Why?" It said, "Oh, if you win a battle here, you'll have glory when you go back, but if you win a battle there, people will laugh at you." After hearing this, I said, "Is that so?" Do you all understand? Actually, our battle is with these demons who rule this dark world, not God fighting with demons, but us fighting with demons. Can Cain, Balaam, and Korah come in? Do I need to contend with these people?

After listening, you feel that Jude is really a ridiculous person, don't you? He didn't say what the truth is at all, just talking about strange things, like Moses' body, right?

What Does Jude Want to Explain by Quoting Enoch, the Seventh from Adam?

It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage. (Jude 1:14-16)

I think Jude is probably similar to Peter, liking to piece together an article with things pulled from all over the place. After he pieces together an article, many Bible scholars read a rather ridiculous piece of writing very seriously. I collect information everywhere to see how people study it. Someone named David Pawson gave a long lecture on Jude for forty minutes. After listening, I didn't understand Jude clearly. Some people who are fans of David Pawson say: What, you can still criticize David Pawson? I can tell you, deep down they have something because this is in the Bible, so let it be, right? Did he really understand it?

If you want to block me or stop following me, you can. I don't really care; I don't rely on this to live. I want to tell you, when you read, did you really understand it? If you really understood it, then tell me, what's the point of quoting the words of Enoch, the seventh from Adam? "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment." Judge what? Ungodliness? Monks are more godly than Christians, aren't they? What is ungodliness? Is rebuking the devil ungodly? Is cleaning up the filth from the church ungodly? Is it a lack of love? Does godliness require kneeling until your knees develop calluses, like an old camel's knees? I don't know what he's talking about.

God wants to judge, so build the church well, according to God's will. You never listen to Jesus' words. Don't think that James is Jesus' brother, so he listens to Jesus' words. I haven't seen him listen to Jesus' words. What did he hear? When the net is cast, the good ones are picked into the vessels, and the bad ones are thrown away. Did he listen? He didn't listen. He helped build the Jerusalem church into a mess. He built it to provoke God's anger, right? God struck that place, and then that place was scattered.

Originally, God chose Peter to be the apostle to the Gentiles, but in the end, he lost his destiny. Later, God had no choice but to choose Paul to take on this role. You can't do this. You can't think that being morally upright and speaking nicely is enough. Having no doctrine is useless, right? The Apostle Paul's words are sometimes angry, scolding people, but it doesn't matter. He has doctrine. Although his words are vulgar, they are true. Paul really explained the matter of building the church clearly.

What is Ungodliness?

What is ungodliness? Actually, moral norms of godliness can confine people tightly. You don't even dare to say a harsh word; is that godliness? Putting your hands together and praying for God's mercy, I think you might as well go say Amitabha.

So, Jude is actually constrained by moral things. Jude should be a person without doctrine. Although Jesus Christ is his brother, looking at the things he says, looking at the church he built, he is completely off track. If the church is built like this, wouldn't our God shed tears in heaven? Today, we come out of these things.

So today, it's not a question of godliness or ungodliness, but how the church is governed. Making the church loose, chaotic, and thinking that it is godliness. Why? Some people think: Oh, I've been humble and accommodating to them. Then what about these people? You don't take on the responsibility God has entrusted to you, and you entrust it to God again, right? God chooses us to build the church; that is entrusting us with a ministry. Then we entrust our ministry to God again. What are you doing? Being a nice guy? To what extent? Turning compassion into womanly kindness.

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. (Jude 1:20-23)

It seems to be right, doesn't it? But putting it in Jude, it's troublesome. I tell you, this kind of abiding in the love of Jesus Christ, many people criticize me for not having love. Actually, I don't lack love. I don't argue about whether I have love. What am I doing? I came into this world to build Jesus Christ's glorious church, right? Don't blame me for telling you this. I can't serve you; I'll let God serve you, okay? The small group leader can't serve you, hand it over to the pastoral district leader. The pastoral district leader can't serve you, hand it over to me. If I can't serve you, I'll hand it over to God. I can't have mercy, right?

I can't do things that I know I can't do. I don't have that doctrine. I haven't reached that level of practice to turn the people of Sodom into Christians. I don't have that leisure, right? Where do I have that leisure? I hand these people over to God. Those who should be taken away by the old horse, take them away quickly. Those who should pursue building God's glorious church with me, let's build together in unity, how good is that, right? Precisely because of this, the things Jude wrote don't exist among us. Why? The reason is simple. If you build the church according to the logic of the Apostle Paul, it's impossible to build a church like the one Jude built. This church must be the one Jude built. Originally, after reading Jude's book, the church seemed to think it was right and wrong, and they couldn't figure it out. Anyway, they were confused, and then they preached it. After all, it was written by Jesus' brother, and later it was included in the Bible and preached for four hundred years.

Today, our brothers and sisters begin to open their eyes. In any case, we must establish a logical system for reading the Bible. You say the words here don't match. Jude argued for a long time, but he didn't argue about what the truth is, right? If you can explain it to me clearly, I would thank you. But I think Jude didn't explain it clearly. Okay, we'll study Jude here today.

May God bless everyone!

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