<\/p>\n
Jude 1:1-25; Revelation 1:1-2:29<\/strong><\/span> Jude:<\/strong> Today we start and finish the book of Jude!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ~ Jude ~<\/strong> The letter of Jude carries forward some of the themes in John\u2019s letter\u2019s we\u2019ve recently read about false teachers.\u00a0 This letter was written in about 65 A.D.\u00a0 From Jude & John, it seems like there were obviously some issues of false teachers back in the early church.\u00a0 People that twisted the truth of who Jesus was.\u00a0 I read a commentary today which said the twisted truths back then were basically these: 1.\u00a0 Jesus was not divine.\u00a0 He was just a man who was infused with the divinity of \u201cthe Christ\u201d when he was Baptized in the Jordan, but that the divine nature left him before he died on the cross.\u00a0 (this would be a huge issue for theology\u2026\u00a0 it ain\u2019t true folks\u2026)\u00a0 and 2. Once you believe in Christ and your sins are forgiven, then you have a license to do whatever you want in life.\u00a0 You\u2019re home free.\u00a0 Feel free to be as immoral as you want.\u00a0 (again not true of course\u2026).\u00a0 \u00a0Early Gnosticism was a part of the problem with these lines of thinking.\u00a0 The early Gnostics basically believed that anything of matter\/material\/flesh was bad, and anything of the spirit was good.\u00a0 Hence, their belief that Jesus really couldn\u2019t have been a man and God at the same time \u2013 and that once they were saved\/believed in Christ, then their sins were forgiven in the spiritual realm, so they could do whatever the heck they wanted.\u00a0 They veered way off the path of Truth\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n All this to say \u2013 it is so easy for theology to get twisted around.\u00a0 It happened back in the early church as we see in Jude\u2019s letter today, and in John\u2019s previous letters.\u00a0 And it happens today.\u00a0 Something I heard recently that I liked and that I believe is so true.\u00a0 The Gospel is not complicated.\u00a0 It\u2019s simple.\u00a0 If you want the straightforward simple truth of the gospel, head for the Gospel of John in the New Testament and everything you basically need to know is there.\u00a0 That\u2019s it.\u00a0 We don\u2019t need to complicate things so much that we get ourselves caught up in ideas that basically create barriers to our relationship with God.\u00a0 God who loves us so much and wants to be in relationship with us\u2026\u00a0 we have a good way of complicating this very simple love relationship!\u00a0 \u00a0\ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n Verse 24 is so wonderful at the end of Jude\u2019s letter today:- \u201cAnd now, all glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and who will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Great joy indeed I believe can only be found through our relationship with God! There are other temporary happinesses we experience in life.\u00a0 But great joy\u2026\u00a0 that\u2019s God.<\/span><\/p>\n Revelation:<\/strong> Today we start the book of Revelation!\u00a0 I have to confess that I have been a bit nervous about blogging through the book of Revelation.\u00a0 But here goes nothing!\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 \u00a0Revelation has been called \u201cThe Revelation of John\u201d, but really this book is \u201cThe Revelation of Jesus Christ\u201d.\u00a0 \u00a0It is believed that the apostle John wrote this book.\u00a0 He also wrote the Gospel of John and the letters of First, Second, and Third John.\u00a0 There was some dispute about the apostle John writing this book in the third century by a bishop named Dionysius \u2013 as he thought the writing style of this book was so different from the Gospel of John & his letters.\u00a0 \u00a0But most do believe that the apostle John did indeed write the book of Revelation on the Island of Patmos, off the coast of Ephesus, or modern-day Turkey.\u00a0 It is said that one of the major purposes of this book, written in circa 95 A.D., was to encourage Christians to resist the Roman empire\u2019s demands of emperor worship. The other important thing to note is the Revelation is apocalyptic literature, which means that its writing is highly symbolic.\u00a0 Below is artwork of John on Patmos writing the book of Revelation:<\/span><\/p>\n There are basically 4 lines of thinking on how to interpret the book of Revelation, which I think are helpful to consider before diving into this book.\u00a0 I am editing these comments below from bible.org at this link: <\/span>Please check out this link <\/span>for more details on these 4 points below and the book of Revelation overall \u2013 these comments were edited on bible.org from M. C. Tenney, Interpreting Revelation<\/em>. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201c(1) The preterist<\/em><\/strong> approach believes that \u201cRevelation is simply a sketch of the conditions of the empire in the first century.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n (2) The historicist<\/em><\/strong> view (or continuous-historicist view) \u201ccontends that Revelation is a symbolic presentation of the entire course of the history of the church from the close of the first century to the end of time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n (3) The futurist<\/em><\/strong> approach usually argues that \u201call of the visions from Revelation 4:1 to the end of the book are yet to be fulfilled in the period immediately preceding and following the second advent of Christ.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n (4) In the idealist<\/em><\/strong> approach, \u201cthe Revelation represents the eternal conflict of good and evil which persists in every age, although here it may have particular application to the period of the church.\u201d\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Into the readings today\u2026 Chapter 1 verse 8 certainly stands out in today\u2019s readings, as we hear from Jesus himself: \u201c\u201dI am the Alpha and the Omega\u2013the beginning and the end,\u201d says the Lord God. \u201cI am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come, the Almighty One.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 I like that \u2013 the Alpha & Omega.\u00a0 The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.\u00a0 Jesus is the beginning and end of all things.\u00a0 Jesus is God.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n In verses 17 & 18 today we hear this similar theme from Jesus again to John: \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one who died. Look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 It is awesome that Jesus uses the term Living One here.\u00a0 This is very similar to Old Testament verses we hear about God being a Living God.\u00a0 Jesus is also truly Living today in our lives.\u00a0 Do you believe Jesus is the Alpha & Omega?\u00a0 The Living One?<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Revelation chapter 2 begins our journey of Jesus\u2019 messages to the seven churches in Asia Minor! (modern day Turkey).\u00a0 Below is a map of the 7 churches of Revelation:<\/span><\/p>\n Depending on what type of Bible you read, you might notice that <\/span>ALL of the words in chapter 2 in today\u2019s readings are highlighted red<\/span> \u2013 meaning, we are hearing directly from Jesus in these verses, so it\u2019s good to pay attention here!\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n The beginning of Revelation 2 verse 2 stands out to me today \u2013 \u201c\u201dI know all the things you do.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Short and simple\u2026. Do you suppose this is true about Jesus and your life?\u00a0 Do you think Jesus knows all of the things you do?\u00a0 Even every single thing that you think?<\/span><\/p>\n Verse 7 certainly stands out today as well from Jesus: \u201cAnyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Everyone who is victorious will eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 The tree of life takes us back to the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve.\u00a0 Adam and Eve ended up eating from the forbidden tree of knowledge \u2013 which gave them the knowledge of good and evil.\u00a0 God then banished them from the Garden before they could eat from the tree of life and live eternally.\u00a0 The tree of life represents eternal life, and as we see in this verse it is offered to all who are victorious.\u00a0 What does it mean to be victorious?\u00a0 Do you want to eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God?\u00a0 Will you listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying?\u00a0 Below is a stained glass image of the Tree of Life:<\/span><\/p>\n Verse 17 is intriguing!\u00a0 \u201cEveryone who is victorious will eat of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 The second sentence is very intriguing to me \u2013 a white stone will be given with a new name upon it.\u00a0 I need to do some more research on what exactly this means.\u00a0 If anyone has thoughts on the white stone \/ new name, please post up in the comments below.<\/span><\/p>\n Today in Revelation we continue to read Jesus\u2019 messages to the 7 churches in Asia Minor \u2013 see above for a map of where these 7 churches were located.\u00a0 Also, don\u2019t forget the powerful vision that John saw of Jesus in Revelation chapter 1 verses 12 through 14 and verse 20 just before we began reading these messages to the 7 churches: \u201cWhen I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance\u2026 This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels\u00a0of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Art used by permission by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992. Revelation chapter 2 verse 19 is awesome as Jesus says: \u201c\u201dI know all the things you do\u2013your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0 How are you doing in these areas in your life?\u00a0 Are you focusing on love, faith, service and patience?\u00a0 Are you constantly improving in these areas in your life?<\/span><\/p>\n Worship Video:<\/strong> Revelation chapter 1 verse 8 in today\u2019s readings reminds me of the fantastic song by Mark Harris called \u201cOne True God:\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
~ Click here to read today\u2019s Scripture on Bible Gateway ~<\/span><\/em>
~ Listen to today\u2019s Scripture with <\/em>The ESV Bible<\/em><\/span> ~<\/p>\n
Author<\/span>: Jude, a brother of Jesus
Place<\/span>: Uncertain
Date<\/span>:\u00a0 A.D. 65-70
Content<\/span>: It is not known to whom this letter was addressed, but the problem that Jude confronts is very clear.\u00a0 Jude is urging the believers to stand firm against some false teachers and the false doctrine that they bring.\u00a0 In a lengthy passage Jude gives examples of judgment in the past that God visited upon sin, as well as a devastating description of the evil lives of those false teachers.\u00a0 Jude closes with an exhortation to the Christians to stand fast in the power of God who will keep us from falling.
Theme<\/span>: The danger of false doctrine and the need for constant vigilance by the church is the theme of this book.\u00a0 Jude admonishes us to examine what people say and the kind of lives that they live so that we may approve what is pleasing in the sight of God.\u00a0 We may call upon God to help in this with full assurance that he will hear and answer our prayer. (Above commentary is from <\/em>\u201cThe One Year Bible Companion\u201d<\/em> pp. 34-35)<\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0 A great overview of Jude by Daniel Wallace is <\/span>at this link<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n
To order prints visit her \u201cRevelation Illustrated\u201d site.<\/span><\/p>\n