that some worthless people of your nation have misled the people of their town to worship gods that you have never worshiped before.

Even my best friend, the one I trusted most, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.

The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who receive the message gladly as soon as they hear it.

But it does not sink deep into them, and they don't last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once.

Some of it fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted, because the soil wasn't deep.

Then, when the sun came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up.

Other people are like the seeds that fall on rocky ground. As soon as they hear the message, they receive it gladly.

But it does not sink deep into them, and they don't last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once.

The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who hear the message and receive it gladly. But it does not sink deep into them; they believe only for a while but when the time of testing comes, they fall away.

He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit.

We have heard that some who went from our group have troubled and upset you by what they said; they had not, however, received any instruction from us.

The time will come when some men from your own group will tell lies to lead the believers away after them.

If people have escaped from the corrupting forces of the world through their knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and then are again caught and conquered by them, such people are in worse condition at the end than they were at the beginning.

It would have been much better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than to know it and then turn away from the sacred command that was given them.

These are the people who cause divisions, who are controlled by their natural desires, who do not have the Spirit.

Those who claim to be respectable are more and more convinced they are right.

for the LORD loves what is right and does not abandon his faithful people. He protects them forever, but the descendants of the wicked will be driven out.

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which can never be shaken, never be moved.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, now and forever.

Then they will be my people, and I will be their God.

I will make an eternal covenant with them. I will never stop doing good things for them, and I will make them fear me with all their heart, so that they will never turn away from me.

For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear; they will perform great miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God's chosen people, if possible.

For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will perform miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God's chosen people, if possible.

but those who drink the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give them will become in them a spring which will provide them with life-giving water and give them eternal life."

Everyone whom my Father gives me will come to me. I will never turn away anyone who comes to me,

And it is the will of him who sent me that I should not lose any of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them all to life on the last day.

I give them eternal life, and they shall never die. No one can snatch them away from me.

The Father and I are one."

and so I endure everything for the sake of God's chosen people, in order that they too may obtain the salvation that comes through Christ Jesus and brings eternal glory.

But the solid foundation that God has laid cannot be shaken; and on it are written these words: "The Lord knows those who are his" and "Those who say that they belong to the Lord must turn away from wrongdoing."

You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure.

and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for his people. He keeps them for you in heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away.

From Jude, servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James--- To those who have been called by God, who live in the love of God the Father and the protection of Jesus Christ:

I am not saying that the promise of God has failed; for not all the people of Israel are the people of God.

It is the same way now: there is a small number left of those whom God has chosen because of his grace.

His choice is based on his grace, not on what they have done. For if God's choice were based on what people do, then his grace would not be real grace.

(No doubt there must be divisions among you so that the ones who are in the right may be clearly seen.)

But they will not get very far, because everyone will see how stupid they are. That is just what happened to Jannes and Jambres.

We are not people who turn back and are lost. Instead, we have faith and are saved.