5 days to go – at this point, every day feels like a milestone, a final countdown. Wow – we are going to finish together! Please read Jude, and Revelation chapters 1 and 2. Revelation in 5 days? Crazy – there’s no way to hit it all in a short blog post. Sometime, let’s dig deeper together – but for now, dig in deep for yourself! Draw circles, make highlights, underline, pencil in question marks or exclamation points – read and come on back, share some of your notes with me!
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” Jude 20
Build yourself up. That’ll preach – we have to be able to do this for ourselves, not wait on someone else to read or pray or study or seek God for us. No “second hand relationships” here! I remember back to our Old Testament days, and Moses speaking to the children of Israel: “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it“ (Deuteronomy 30:12-14, emphasis mine). I think about Paul and the people with the unknown god, telling them “so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27, emphasis mine). What a gift to see the Bible as a whole, all themes and truths so tightly connected.
“on some have compassion, making a distinction” Jude 22
It’s so important to know your intended audience. The only way to effectively minister is through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Make a distinction.
“And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last’ “Revelation 1:17
Jesus ALWAYS brings peace. He ALWAYS casts out fear. What are you afraid of today? Bring it to the Lord. Compare it to His power.
As we go into the 7 letters, there’s a pattern to take note of, each has these elements:
Statement about Christ
Description of the church
a promise at the end
I love a promise at the end – you and I have one too.