Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them…
One of the most amazing aspects of the Bible is the amount of detail it contains about the past. Of course, whether or not you believe this information depends on your view of the Bible.
As I have mentioned before, my personal view is that God exists. God created everything there is, and if God wanted to get a book published He could. If he did, it would be exactly the way He wanted to it be.
Continue reading “Jude 1: 14a — A Faithful Walk”
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.
Continue reading “Jude 1: 9 — Discerning Darkness”
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.
There are three things I stand on as essential beliefs regarding the Bible:
These are my personal beliefs. They are based on a lifetime of searching for God. I see no contradiction between what I believe and the Bible as it has come down to us through the ages.
Continue reading “Jude 1: 3 — Battle Call”
…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.
Continue reading “Jude 1:1c — A Hard Thing”
To those who have been called…
The second mystery of Jude’s letter is found in these six little words: “To those who have been called.” What does he mean by “called,” and who are these people who have been called?
To answer the question of what it means to be “called,” let’s turn to Peter’s first letter:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
— 1 Peter 2: 9-10
Continue reading “Jude 1: 1b — Six Little Words”
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.
Continue reading “James 5: 17-18 — Harmony”
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
We are almost at the end of James’ letter to the “twelve tribes.” Throughout his letter, James talks about what it means to be a righteous person.
A righteous person considers trials to be a joy. He knows that testing leads to perseverance, and perseverance leads to maturity. A righteous person is mature in faith. They are complete.
A righteous person has the wisdom the comes from God because they have asked and not doubted. They are of a single mind, one that is devoted to the Lord.
Continue reading “James 5: 16b — Righteousness”
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
It is the day after Easter. News of the most amazing event in history has spread around the globe. Everyone has been confronted by the reality of this amazing story. God in the flesh is killed by the beings he created. Three days later, the Son of God is seen alive again. Not just by one or two people but by hundreds of people who knew him before he died.
Myself and others, maybe even you, have chosen to believe in his resurrection and promise of forgiveness. Now what?
Now what, indeed.
Continue reading “James 5: 16a — Now What?”
If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
Today’s post happens to land on April 12, 2020. This day is special because it is Easter Sunday. It is unique because this year is the year of the COVIC-19 pandemic. This makes an odd backdrop to this year’s Easter. The pandemic has thrown the world into a panic. Thanks largely to a strategy of isolating people from each other, the Coronavirus has failed to reach what might be called critical mass in our country. Instead of being overwhelmed, many hospitals are empty.
Unfortunately, the isolation that has slowed the spread of the virus has also kept us away from church. So when Easter morning dawns today, there will be an eerie silence in most, if not all, of America’s churches.
What does this mean?
Continue reading “James 5: 15b — Artwork Redeemed”
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
Note: Today we return to chapter five. We have explored the forgotten verses in chapter four. James has been admonishing us to avoid making boasts about what we will do. Instead, preface every thought with, “If it is the Lord’s will… This ties in nicely with today’s passage.
What kind of swearing is James talking about? Do we still swear in the way James uses the word?
The traditional definition of “swear” is to make a solemn statement or vow promising to do something or affirming something is true. The functional definition in common use today is to express contempt with what is known as a “four-letter word.” (Sadly, the use of “swear words” has become so common that some people are hardly able to speak without using them.)
James is referring to the use of an affirmation or vow. So why would such a statement condemn us?
Continue reading “James 5: 12 — Do You Swear…?”