God’s Perspective – Page 13 – Three Minute Bible

May 2, 2020May 2, 2020

Jude 1: 9 — Discerning Darkness

But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

There is a danger here.

Jude is teaching us how to identify those who are walking in darkness. What he is NOT telling us to do is pass judgment on their souls. He tells us what God has in store for such people, but nowhere does it say we are to be the ones who condemn them. To illustrate this point, Jude reminds us of the archangel, Michael.

The archangel is understood to be over all the other angels. This angel is unique in relation to God and other angels. The text refers to another angel called “the devil.” This angel would have been known as Lucifer, or Satan. Satan’s power and influence were rivaled only by God in the heavens.

May 1, 2020May 1, 2020

Jude 1: 8 — Usurped

A man in a suit with the words, "Follow me!" printed next to him.

In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.

What is the defining characteristic of a godly person? What is the difference between the godly and the ungodly?

The answer to these questions is in today’s passage. Polluting the body, rejecting authority, and abusing celestial beings all reflect a lack of humility before God. Put another way, people can make the same mistake as the Wayward Angels posted about a few days ago. We rebel and put ourselves before God.

April 30, 2020April 30, 2020

Jude 1: 8a — If Only

Tropical beach scene with hammock between to palm trees.

In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams …

What do people stand on if they are not standing on the Truth? I have heard it said that there are different kinds of truth: objective truth, personal truth, and political truth. But the only truth that matters, after everything else is said and done, it eternal truth.

Personal “truths” are known as opinions. Opinions change. There is no personal truth that survives a person’s lifetime.

Political “truths” are also temporary. The only political “truth” is power. Who has it and how much do they have? If someone with more power comes along, then their “truth” becomes the reigning political truth.

April 29, 2020April 29, 2020

Jude 1: 7b — The Third Group

They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

As Jude dives into the topic of his letter, we immediately understand that there are three groups of people involved.

The first group, the group that James is part of, are “loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.”

The second group, not mentioned by name but implied, are the people of the world who do not know Jesus but need Him. These people are not “lost” to Christ, but neither are they yet “found.” The one thing about this group that applies to all of them is that none of them claim to be Christians.

April 27, 2020April 27, 2020

Jude 1: 6 — Wayward Angels

Closeup of statue showing arms bound together.

And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.

In verse 5, Jude begins, “Though you already know all this…” and then tells me this thing about angels that I didn’t know. Maybe there is information about angels that was common knowledge in Jude’s day that didn’t make it into the Bible.

In some respects, this information should not surprise us. We know that God created all things (Colossians 1: 16), and we know about Satan (Job 1:6). What we don’t know is why a created angelic being would turn against God.

April 26, 2020April 26, 2020

Jude 1: 5 — A Change of Residence

a person carries boxes from a van to a house.

Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.

Having introduced himself in his letter and explained his topic, Jude begins a short review of history.

In Sunday school, I learned that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. I was also told it took forty years to get there. One day it dawned on me that forty years is a really long time. How is it possible that a trip could take that long? (Even if you only walked one mile each day, a trip of forty years would cover 14,600 miles!)

Of course, there is a lot more to the story.

April 23, 2020April 23, 2020

Jude 1: 4b — Ungodly People

They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God…

Jude begins to describe the people who have secretly slipped in among the believers who are loved by God and kept for Jesus.

He starts by saying they are ungodly people. Thinking back to James, chapter 3, we are reminded that the same tongue can both praise and curse. If someone were to walk into a church and curse God, they could not be said to have “secretly slipped in among you.” So if the ungodly were to sneak in secretly, they would make every effort to appear godly.

So what does it mean to be godly? Is it about what we say, or what we do?

April 19, 2020April 20, 2020

Jude 1:1c — A Hard Thing

…who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

As we begin our study of Jude’s letter, he tells us who he is and who he is writing to. The people he writes to “have been called” by God to walk in light and mercy. Today he adds that they are “loved in God the Father.” (NIV)

The Greek in this instance is either difficult to translate or it reflects an idiom that was common in Jude’s day but is not common now. The English Standard Version (ESV) translates the Greek this way: “…beloved in God the Father….” This formulation makes more sense to me than the NIV in this case.

Unless a person knows Greek, it is a good idea to explore different translations when a passage is difficult for you. This Bible website allows you to see all the available English translations at once.

April 16, 2020April 16, 2020

James 5: 19-20 — The Right Way

Arrow sign points right with the word "right" on it.

My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

How do you tell if someone has wandered from the truth?
What truth are we talking about?
What does it mean to bring them back? Back to what? Where?

I have to admit that being able to turn a sinner from the error of their way sounds like a wonderful thing . Can you imagine the rush that comes from knowing you have saved someone from death? And how easy! Simply turn them from the error of their way!

But what does that mean?

April 15, 2020April 16, 2020

James 5: 17-18 — Harmony

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Yes, Elijah was a human being. There is no indication in scripture that Elijah was anything more than a man. And yet he was called to be a prophet of God. He listened to God’s words and did what God wanted him to do.

Perhaps more important than whether he was human or not, was his righteousness. He obeyed God even at the risk of his own life.

The interesting thing I see about Elijah is that there is no difference between what Elijah wanted and what God wanted. Elijah prayed in harmony with God’s will. It is as if they were singing a duet together in close harmony. Elijah’s prayer was God’s will.