To the Remnant: Your Time Has Come

This message is specifically for you—Jesus’ faithful remnant living in the Great Basin Region. You know who you are. You are the called, chosen, and elected for this very moment in history. You have been eagerly awaiting the appearance of our great Lord, Master, Shepherd, and King—King Jesus. Your hearts burn with anticipation for the Harpazo, that glorious moment when He will gather His Bride to Himself.

Many of us are contending for the faith that the appearance of our Lord will occur at the Feast of Trumpets—when “no one knows the day or the hour” will finally be revealed at the last trump blast. If this conviction proves true, if the Harpazo truly happens at the Feast of Trumpets 2025, then we have perhaps only three weeks remaining in this present age.

Three weeks.

The weight of that reality should stagger us. If we are indeed living in the final days before our Lord’s appearing, what does Scripture call us to do with these precious, fleeting moments? How should the remnant live when the finish line is finally in sight?

Jude’s letter, written by the half-brother of Jesus who died for this very Gospel, provides our blueprint. His urgent call to “contend earnestly for the faith” takes on unprecedented importance when viewed through the lens of these potential final weeks. Combined with the visions of Revelation and the entirety of God’s Word, Scripture paints a clear picture of how the faithful should live when standing on the threshold of eternity.

This is not a time for business as usual. This is not a time for spiritual complacency or worldly pursuits. This is the time to lay it all down—every earthly ambition, every material attachment, every fear that has held you back from total surrender to King Jesus.

Now is the time.

The Three-Week Call: Living on the Threshold of Eternity

If we are indeed approaching the Feast of Trumpets 2025 as the moment of our Lord’s appearing, then these final weeks demand a radical reordering of our priorities. Jude’s letter, combined with the prophetic visions of Revelation and the wisdom of all Scripture, provides a clear mandate for how the remnant should live when time itself is running out.

Week One: Purification and Consecration

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” - Jude 20-21

The first week should be devoted to intense spiritual purification. Like the priests of old who underwent ceremonial cleansing before entering the Holy of Holies, we must prepare ourselves to meet our King. Pray, confess, and repent. Give everything to Jesus.

Personal Holiness: Examine your heart with ruthless honesty. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal everything, to SHINE THE LIGHT OF GOD. Confess every known sin. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal hidden areas of compromise. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). This isn’t about earning salvation—it’s about preparing a clean vessel for our Lord’s use in these final days.

Forsake All: Jesus said, “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions” (Luke 14:33). The time for halfway commitment is over. Sell what you don’t need. Give generously to the Gospel work. Store up treasures in heaven, not on earth. Material possessions should become tools for Kingdom purposes, not objects of attachment.

Fasting and Prayer: Dedicate extended time to fasting and prayer. Daniel fasted for three weeks when seeking understanding about the end times (Daniel 10:3). Follow his example. Let physical hunger remind you of your spiritual hunger for Christ’s appearing. Use the time normally spent on meals for intensive prayer and Bible study.

Week Two: Evangelistic Urgency

“And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.” - Jude 22-23

The second week should be marked by unprecedented evangelistic fervor. If we truly believe the Harpazo is imminent, how can we remain silent while souls perish around us?

Bold Witnessing: Share the Gospel with everyone God brings across your path. Don’t worry about being polite or socially acceptable. Lives hang in the balance. Speak with the urgency of someone pulling people from a burning building—because that’s exactly what you’re doing.

Family and Friends: Make one final, passionate appeal to every unsaved family member and friend. Write letters, make phone calls, schedule face-to-face meetings. Use Jude’s own testimony—why would Jesus’ half-brother die for this message if it weren’t absolutely true? Let them know you believe Jesus is coming soon and you desperately want them to be ready.

Specific to the Great Basin: Reach out to Mormon neighbors with exceptional love and urgency. Share that there is no “restored gospel”—only the eternal Gospel that Jude died to preserve. The Jesus you worship is not the “spirit brother of Lucifer” but the eternal Son of God who shared Jude’s family table.

Digital Evangelism: Use every social media platform, every digital tool at your disposal. Share Gospel messages, testimonies, warnings about the lateness of the hour. Don’t worry about algorithms or follower counts—focus on reaching souls with the time remaining.

Week Three: Final Preparations and Perfect Love

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy…” - Jude 24

The third and final week should be characterized by perfect love, final preparations, and eager anticipation.

Reconciliation: Seek forgiveness from anyone you’ve wronged. Forgive everyone who has wronged you. Clear your conscience completely. Don’t let unresolved relationships prevent you from meeting Jesus with pure joy.

Perfect Love: Love your enemies. Bless those who persecute you. Show extraordinary kindness to difficult people. Let the love of Christ flow through you without reservation. This may be your last chance to demonstrate His love to a watching world.

Strengthen the Weak: Seek out discouraged believers. Strengthen their faith. Share Jude’s message of God’s keeping power. Remind them that the same Jesus who kept Jude from stumbling will keep them. Build up the body of Christ in these final moments.

Watch and Pray: Spend increasing amounts of time in prayer and Bible study. Watch for the signs Jesus told us to observe. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for the salvation of Israel. Pray for laborers to be thrust into the harvest fields.

Physical Preparations: While our ultimate hope is in Christ’s keeping power, wisdom suggests having some physical preparations—food, water, supplies—for any period of chaos that might follow the Harpazo. Not from fear, but from love for those who might be left behind.

The Daily Rhythm of the Remnant

Each day of these three weeks should follow a pattern that reflects eternal priorities:

Morning: Begin each day before sunrise in prayer and Bible reading. Meet with God before meeting with the world. Ask Him how He wants you to spend each precious day.

Daytime: Live every moment with eternity in view. Treat every conversation as potentially your last opportunity to impact someone for Christ. Work diligently at your calling, but with a loose grip on earthly outcomes.

Evening: End each day with examination and thanksgiving. What opportunities did you seize for the Kingdom? What opportunities did you miss? Thank God for His faithfulness and grace.

Night: Fall asleep with expectant hearts. Could this be the night Jesus appears? Are you ready to meet Him at any moment?

Signs to Watch

As we live through these potential final weeks, remain alert to the signs Jesus and the prophets told us to observe:

Israel: Watch developments in Israel with intense interest. The fig tree putting forth leaves (Matthew 24:32) speaks of Israel’s restoration. Are we seeing final preparations for the Third Temple? Increased hostility from surrounding nations?

Natural Disasters: Jesus spoke of earthquakes, famines, and pestilences as birth pains (Matthew 24:7-8). Are these increasing in frequency and intensity?

Apostasy: Paul warned that apostasy would come before Christ’s appearing (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Is the falling away from biblical truth accelerating in these final weeks?

Moral Decay: As in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:37). Is society’s moral collapse reaching unprecedented levels?

The Love of Many Growing Cold: Jesus warned that because lawlessness increases, most people’s love will grow cold (Matthew 24:12). Are you seeing this around you?

If We’re Wrong About the Timing

What if the Feast of Trumpets 2025 passes without the Harpazo? What if our earnest expectation proves premature?

Live these three weeks so completely sold out to Jesus that you’ll have no regrets. The spiritual disciplines we’re embracing, the evangelistic urgency we’re displaying, the purification we’re pursuing—these are how disciples should always live. Whether Christ comes in three weeks or three years, a life totally surrendered to His lordship is never wasted.

Keep watching. Jesus said, “Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him” (Matthew 24:44). Our expectancy should never diminish, even if our specific timing proves incorrect.

Keep working. Continue the urgent work of the Gospel. “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).

Keep worshiping. Whether we have three weeks or three decades, Jesus is worthy of our total devotion now.

The Question That Changes Everything

Picture this: You grow up in the same household as your older brother. You watch him work with wood, share meals with your family, laugh at inside jokes, and witness his daily habits for thirty years. You know his character better than anyone else on earth. Then one day, this same brother claims to be the Messiah—the Son of God—and asks you to give up everything, including potentially your life, to spread this message to the world.

What would it take for you to believe him? What would it take for you to die for that belief?

This is the profound question we must grapple with when we read the letter of Jude. The author wasn’t just any follower of Jesus—he was His half-brother, raised in the same Nazareth household, witness to at least two decades of Jesus’ private life. Yet Jude, along with his brother James, became willing martyrs for the Gospel they proclaimed.

Why would Jude, James, or anyone die for something they knew was not absolutely true? They would not. They died in their faith, walking with Jesus because they KNEW. They lived as if there was never a doubt as they lost everything including their lives.

The Credibility of an Eyewitness Family Member

When Jude introduces himself as “a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,” he’s making a statement that first-century readers would have understood immediately. This wasn’t some distant follower or even one of the twelve disciples who joined Jesus’ ministry later. This was family—someone who knew Jesus before He was famous, before the miracles, before the crowds.

The Gospel accounts tell us that Jesus’ own family initially thought He had lost His mind (Mark 3:21). They didn’t believe in Him during His earthly ministry (John 7:5). But something dramatic happened after the resurrection. Both James and Jude became not just believers, but leaders in the early church, willing to suffer persecution and death for their testimony.

Why would they?

James was thrown from the pinnacle of the temple and then beaten to death with clubs around 62 AD. Jude, according to early church tradition, was martyred around 65 AD. These men gave up everything—family comfort, social standing, personal safety, and ultimately their lives—to proclaim that their half-brother was indeed the Messiah.

The question echoes through history: Why would they do this if they had any doubt whatsoever about Jesus’ identity?

The answer is simple yet profound: They wouldn’t. The transformation of Jesus’ skeptical family members into martyred apostles stands as one of the most powerful pieces of evidence for the truth of the Gospel. They had nothing to gain and everything to lose in this world. Their willingness to die for this message speaks louder than any theological argument.

Jude’s Urgent Warning: A Message Born from Intimate Knowledge

Understanding Jude’s unique relationship with Jesus adds weight to every word of his brief but powerful letter. This isn’t academic theology—this is family testimony. When Jude writes about false teachers who “deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ,” he’s speaking as someone who shared meals with that Master, who knew Him as “brother” before knowing Him as Lord.

Jude’s letter throbs with urgency. He had planned to write about “our common salvation”—perhaps a more gentle, encouraging letter. But the Holy Spirit compelled him to write something different: a blazing warning about internal threats to the church and a call to “contend earnestly for the faith.”

The Greek word for “contend” (epagonizomai) suggests the intense struggle of an athlete or warrior. This isn’t passive resistance—it’s active, vigorous engagement to protect the truth. Jude is essentially saying: “The Gospel I saw lived out in my own home, the truth I watched my brother die for, the message that transformed my family—this is worth fighting for with everything you have.”

The Enoch Connection: Understanding the Harpazo Warning

One of the most intriguing aspects of Jude’s letter is his quotation from the non-canonical Book of Enoch: “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way” (Jude 14-15).

Why would Jude, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, reference this ancient text? The answer lies in understanding the significance of Enoch himself and the message Jude is conveying about the coming Harpazo (the rapture of the church).

Enoch holds a unique position in biblical history. Genesis 5:24 tells us, “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” Hebrews 11:5 expands on this: “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.”

Enoch was raptured—taken up alive—before the judgment of the flood. This serves as a powerful type of the church’s rapture before the coming tribulation. When Jesus references “the days of Noah” in Matthew 24:37-39, He’s pointing to this same pattern: the righteous are removed before judgment falls.

Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, describes the Harpazo: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”

Jude’s reference to Enoch is not coincidental. He’s connecting the dots between the ancient pattern and the coming reality. Just as Enoch was translated before the flood judgment, the church will be caught up before the great tribulation. But Jude’s warning is clear: not everyone who claims to be in the church will be taken. The false teachers he describes, those who turn grace into licentiousness and deny the lordship of Christ, will be left behind to face the judgment they’ve rejected.

The Great Basin Warning: What Would Jude Say Today?

Imagine Jude walking through the streets of Salt Lake City, Reno, Las Vegas, or Boise today. What would this man who grew up with Jesus, who died for the Gospel, say to the people of the Great Basin Region?

To the Mormon Community

Jude would speak with both love and urgent clarity to those trapped in the deception of Mormonism. Having grown up in the same household as Jesus, Jude would testify: “I knew my brother before He revealed Himself as Messiah. There were no secret teachings, no additional revelations, no ‘other gospel.’ The Jesus I lived with for thirty years is the same Jesus revealed in the New Testament—fully God and fully man, the only way to the Father.”

Jude would echo Paul’s warning from Galatians 1:8-9: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”

The Mormon claim of additional revelation through Joseph Smith directly contradicts Jude’s assertion that the faith was “once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3). There is no “restored gospel”—only the eternal Gospel that Jude died to preserve.

To Lukewarm Christians

Jude would have stern words for carnal Christians in the region who claim to know Jesus but live in spiritual lethargy, ignorant of prophecy and unprepared for His coming. These are the ones Jesus described in Revelation 3:16: “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”

“Wake up!” Jude would cry. “The same Jesus I watched die on the cross and rise from the dead is coming back as Judge and King. You cannot live with one foot in the world and one foot in the Kingdom. You cannot turn His grace into a license to sin and expect to be caught up with His Bride.”

Jude would point to his examples of God’s judgment: “Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe” (Jude 5). Even those who experienced God’s deliverance can fall into condemnation through unbelief and rebellion.

To the Unbelieving Gentiles

For the non-believers in the region, Jude would present the same choice that led to his own conversion: face the evidence of who Jesus really is. “I lived with Him,” Jude would testify. “I watched Him grow up. I saw Him work, eat, sleep, and interact with our family daily. When He claimed to be the Son of God, I thought He was out of His mind. But His resurrection changed everything. There is no doubt, the brother I knew is the Lord I worship forever.”

Jude would warn of the coming judgment with the same urgency he wrote to the early church: “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all” (Jude 14-15). This is not just ancient history—it’s prophetic warning of what’s coming.

The Pattern of Judgment: Learning from History

Jude masterfully uses historical examples to warn his readers about God’s judgment on rebellion. He references three specific instances that form a pattern still relevant today:

Israel in the Wilderness - Even those who experienced miraculous deliverance from Egypt were destroyed when they refused to believe and obey. Physical proximity to God’s work doesn’t guarantee salvation.

The Fallen Angels - Spiritual beings who abandoned their proper place are now bound in darkness awaiting judgment. Rebellion against God’s order leads to condemnation, regardless of one’s original position.

Sodom and Gomorrah - Cities destroyed for their gross immorality serve as examples of eternal fire. God’s patience with sin has limits, and His judgment is certain.

These aren’t just ancient stories—they’re warnings for us. Just as God judged unbelief, rebellion, and immorality in the past, He will judge them in the future. The same God who delivered Lot before destroying Sodom will deliver His church before the great tribulation. But those who reject His salvation will face the same fate as those who refused His warnings in ages past.

Spiritual Survival Guide: Hope for Those Left Behind

While Jude’s primary audience was the church, his message contains crucial guidance for any who might find themselves left behind after the Harpazo. If you’re reading this after the church has been caught up, take heart—there is still hope, but time is short.

Recognition and Repentance

First, you must recognize what has happened. The disappearance of true believers worldwide wasn’t a natural disaster or alien abduction—it was the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to come for His Bride. The very fact that you’re reading this means God is still calling people to salvation even in the tribulation period.

Jude’s call to “contend earnestly for the faith” becomes even more critical during this time. With the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit and the church removed, deception will intensify. False teachers and false christs will multiply. You must cling to the Word of God with unprecedented determination.

The Faith Once Delivered

Jude emphasizes that the faith was “once for all handed down to the saints.” During the tribulation, there will be no new revelations, no additional gospels, no alternative paths to God. Salvation remains through faith in Jesus Christ alone—the same Jesus that Jude knew as both brother and Lord.

The Gospel is simple: acknowledge your sin, believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead, and surrender your life to Him as Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9 promises: “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Expect Persecution

Jude’s willingness to die for his testimony foreshadows what many tribulation saints will face. Revelation 7:14 speaks of those “who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Many will seal their faith with their blood.

Don’t be surprised by persecution—expect it. Jesus warned in John 16:33: “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” The same Jesus who sustained Jude through martyrdom will sustain you.

Build Yourself Up

Jude’s prescription for spiritual survival remains valid: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life” (Jude 20-21).

During the tribulation, spiritual disciplines become matters of life and death:

- Build yourself up on the faith - Immerse yourself in God’s Word

- Pray in the Holy Spirit - Maintain constant communion with God

- Keep yourself in God’s love - Remember His faithfulness and promises

- Wait for Christ’s mercy - Look forward to His second coming at the end of the tribulation

The Jonah Parallel: A Message of Warning and Hope

Like Jonah’s message to Nineveh, Jude’s warning contains both judgment and the possibility of mercy. Jonah proclaimed: “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown!” But when the people repented, God relented from His judgment.

If Jude were walking through the Great Basin today, his message would echo Jonah’s urgency: “Repent now, for the day of the Lord is at hand!” The coming Harpazo and subsequent tribulation are not just prophetic possibilities—they are imminent realities.

But unlike Nineveh, which received a temporary reprieve, the coming tribulation cannot be stopped. It is a necessary part of God’s plan to bring about the final restoration of all things. However, individuals can still escape the judgment by placing their faith in Jesus Christ before it’s too late.

The Victory That Sustains

Jude concludes his letter with one of the most magnificent doxologies in Scripture: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 24-25).

This is the hope that sustained Jude through persecution and martyrdom. This is the confidence that enabled him to contend earnestly for the faith. The same Jesus he watched grow up in Nazareth, the brother who became his Lord, has the power to keep His people from stumbling and present them blameless before God’s glory.

This promise extends to all who truly belong to Christ—whether they go up in the Harpazo or come to faith during the tribulation. God’s keeping power is greater than all the forces of hell, all the deceptions of false teachers, and all the persecutions of hostile governments.

A Final Appeal: The Time Is Short

As I write these words in 2025, the signs of Christ’s imminent return are clearer than ever. The moral decay Jude warned about has reached unprecedented levels. False teachers have indeed crept into churches unnoticed, turning grace into licentiousness and denying the lordship of Christ. The very apostasy Jude predicted is manifesting before our eyes.

But rather than despair, this should fill us with hope. As Jesus said in Luke 21:28: “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

To those reading this who have never surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ—consider the testimony of Jude. This man knew Jesus intimately for thirty years. He had nothing to gain and everything to lose by proclaiming Him as Lord and Savior. Yet he willingly died for this message.

Why would he do this if it weren’t absolutely true?

The Gospel that Jude died to preserve is the same Gospel available to you today:

- Recognize your need - You are a sinner separated from God

- Believe the solution - Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead

- Receive the gift - Confess Jesus as Lord and trust in Him alone for salvation

- Respond with your life - Live in obedience to your new King

To lukewarm Christians who have been coasting in their faith—wake up! The time for spiritual complacency is over. Jude’s call to “contend earnestly for the faith” has never been more urgent. Build yourself up in the Word, pray fervently, and keep yourself in the love of God. The Harpazo could happen at any moment.

To faithful believers eagerly awaiting Christ’s appearing—take heart! The same God who kept Jude from stumbling will keep you. Continue to show mercy to those who doubt, snatch others from the fire, and remain faithful until the end. Your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

The question that transformed Jude’s life—“Why would He die for this if it weren’t true?”—continues to transform lives today. The brother who shared his childhood home became the Savior who secured his eternal home. The Jesus who worked in the carpenter shop in Nazareth is the same Jesus who is building mansions in heaven for His people.

Why would Jude die for this message if it weren’t absolutely true?

The answer echoes through the ages: He wouldn’t. And neither would the countless martyrs who have followed in his footsteps. The Gospel they died to preserve is the Gospel that still saves today.

The time is short. The choice is clear. The King is coming.

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” Revelation 22:20

The 11th Hour Call

In the blazing heat of a Middle Eastern day, laborers stood idle in the marketplace, watching as others were chosen for work while they remained waiting, hoping. Hour after hour passed—dawn, mid-morning, noon, afternoon—and still they waited.

Then, with shadows growing long and only one hour remaining before sunset, the vineyard owner appeared one final time. "Why do you stand here idle all day?" he asked. Their answer revealed their desperate state: "Because no one hired us."

But grace defied expectation. "You also go into the vineyard," he said. And when evening came, these final-hour workers received the same wage as those who had labored since dawn—a full day's pay for one hour's work.

The early workers grumbled at this seeming injustice, but the owner's response silenced their complaints: "Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?"

We find ourselves now in history's final hour. The prophetic clock shows 11:59, with perhaps mere minutes remaining before the vineyard Owner calls His workers home in the great Harpazo—the catching away of His bride.

The faithful have labored long through centuries of persecution, doctrine wars, and cultural battles. They have contended earnestly for the faith in seasons of revival and apostasy alike.

Yet even now, in this late hour, the Master's voice still echoes in the marketplace of human souls: "You also come into the vineyard." The generous Owner extends His final call to those who have stood idle—not because they were unwilling, but because perhaps no one properly explained the gospel to them, or they were blinded by the god of this age, or they simply never understood the urgency of the hour.

The same salvation, the same righteousness, the same eternal reward awaits those who respond now as was given to the apostles, martyrs, and saints who labored through the ages. Grace remains grace, whether received at dawn or at dusk. The blood of Christ cleanses the 11th-hour believer just as completely as it cleansed the thief on the cross or the apostle Paul.

But time is short. The shadows are lengthening. The vineyard Owner has made His final call into the marketplace, and soon He will close the books and gather His workers for their reward. Those who respond to His voice now will discover what those early laborers learned—that God's generosity exceeds all human understanding, and His grace transforms even the final moments into eternal glory.

The question remains for any who hear this message: Will you continue standing idle in the marketplace, or will you respond to the Master's call while there is still time to work in His vineyard?