It is generally agreed that that the author of Jude is the brother of James and one of the four brothers of Jesus. There is much to write about concerning this book but I will stay, with the help of Bible Panorama, with eight points of interest. The first we find in verses 1 and 2. We see a profile of a christian. A person who has accepted Jesus Christ and because of this he is called and set apart by God in whom he shall find mercy, peace and love. He recognizes Jesus as his Savior. Verses 3 and 4 instructs us to contend….stand up and defend the faith. The faith “delivered” by God “once” , is neither negotiable or changeable. The Church and many Christians today seem to be developing a habit of “negotiable” approaches to sin and accepted behavior, based on how prevailing winds of public opinion are blowing. Bible study group is involved in a study of Paul’s ministry. The working title of study in the 24th chapter is “An Inconvenient Faith”. Felix becomes uncomfortable when Paul confronts him and his current wife with their behavior. He sends him away, “we will talk latter.” So…..is it not possible that in this day we put aside our faith because it is “inconvenient” or makes us uncomfortable in certain situations. Verses 5-7 speak to God”s condemnation of sin. This condemnation is a continuing principle throughout Scripture. There are many examples of this, two that come to mind is the judgement of unbelievers as Israel left Egypt. Of course there is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and surrounding cities because of sexual immorality and sexual perversion. Sin is sin and the reality of God’s judgement is a given.

In verses 8-11 Jude deals with a situation that the “church” is fighting today. Corruption, here I add a personal note of an observation of my own. The corruption I find most distressing is the corruption of Scripture to fit a personal agenda. This is a mark of false teachings and the lack of respect for the authority of the word. These people show their corruption in what they say and do. Jude makes it plain that they will be “convicted and sentenced” in verses 12-15. Depending on what version you are reading verses 16-21 lists various un-godly behaviors that are occurring among the people. Jude encourages the Christians to build themselves up in the faith through the Holy Spirit and looking to Jesus Christ. We read in verses 22-23 the need for compassion while hating the sin. Sin tolerated soon spreads because silence is confused for acceptance. Remember the familiar “hate the sin, love the sinner”, it is noted that while we should do this, we should also seek to “pull them out of the fire” which takes us back to verses 3-4, Contend, stand-up for the faith bring the sinner home through the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit. The last two verses 24-25 provides us with a much needed reminder of who we are and who we serve. We are reminded that our God, our Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ can and will keep us on a path of Holy living. As Christians we can rejoice in knowing that our God is a sovereign and powerful God of eternity.

When I read Jude it is to me like a good friend who sees some difficulties now and in the future. He presents a no wiggle room assessment and you might say a good old fashioned “talking to”. Next week the last book in this series…2. Second John – 245 words.

God Bless, Life Is Good

jk

Welcome back…Pull up a chair and join in. The picture here is from a porch in 1939 in N.C. It is most likely a front porch of a old country store…But I liked it…Come join me on the back porch, not so crowded there. A favorite comedian of mine passed away a few weeks ago…James Gregory, a Georgia boy. When I decided to write something mid-week the name From The Back Porch just popped up in my head. Don’t know why but I just liked it. Now James was not of that line of thought. He believed that when we left the front porch and went to that thing called a deck, it was just another step on the way down for our nation. He said “you can’t see a thing from that deck, anything could be happening and you would not know it.” You couldn’t wave at anybody driving by, did not matter if you knew them or not…”wouldn’t want them to think you were uppity.” Also, where did you put that old stove? “Why right out there on the front porch beside the old washing machine.” You know there was a certain amount of simplicity in those days and for some reason I get a sense of comfort from those days and the people who were on that porch.

As I consider the events of this day I remember yesterday…June 6…not the June 6 of 2023 but June 6, 1944. Felt bad toward the end of the day because there was so little said or written about it. The apostle Paul said at the end of Philippians 3 “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind… and here from gotquestions.com is a biblical perspective.

“The word forgetting in this passage means “no longer caring for, neglecting, refusing to focus on.” Our memories store millions of pieces of information gained through our senses since birth. Some experiences are impossible to forget, and any effort to forget them only makes them more prominent. Paul is not advising a memory wipe; he is telling us to focus on the present and the future, rather than the past.”

I can’t get June 6, 1944 out of my memory. God bless them for all they gave. This past weekend many folks went to the beach…on June 6, 1944 a lot of folks went to the beach…A lot did not come back home.

jk

 

The introduction to the book is brief, there is little if any details about the prophet and we have no date for it. What we can be sure of is that verse one clearly states that God has given to Obadiah a message that must be communicated to the people. This message if you will, plainly states at the very beginning that Edom is the subject of the message and the the people need to prepare to do battle. The prophet refers to to Edom as “you”. Verse two is structured in a way that one commentary sees as a strategy which is designed to show the people of Israel that God is about to destroy their traditional enemy. Verse three addresses pride and states a reason for it. The Edomites were proud of their military might and believed they could not be defeated. the expression “live in the clefts of the rocks” points to another of aspect of their pride. Their capital Sela in Hebrew means “rock”. The city is on a plain between two mountains and is accessible only from one direction. They did not feel they could be defeated. As we read in this book God easily defeated them. Verse four to me contains, I think an important point that the people did not recognize. These are much more than the words of Obadiah but a message from God of impending judgement. As I wander through the verses it is my intent to pick and glean a few interesting things. In verses five and six it is made plain that defeat will be complete and it will come at the hands of former allies. Verse seven continues the theme of Edom’s destruction. An interesting aspect here is it chides Edom for its lack discernment and intelligence, they will be surprised at the force of this divine judgement.

Verses eight and nine when reduced to simple layman knowledge simply reinforces the fact that this divine judgement will be conclusive and absolute. Total defeat, Edom’s intelligence, as well as it military power is criticized and challenged. In short, total destruction. Read carefully verses ten and eleven. Verse eleven is particularly harsh. “On that day you stood aside”……. Here lies the heart of Obadiah’s charge. You did nothing to help Judah…by doing nothing you allied yourselves with the invaders. You became like them and here the prophet goes on to list the things the Edomites did to the people of Judah. He continues to berate them in verses twelve and thirteen. Continuing on from verses twelve to fifteen the theme turns to “The Day Of The Lord”. Simply put, an outpouring of divine judgement against the enemies of Judah. As is found in most biblical writings there is a fair amount symbolism, the list of injustices and in verse fifteen the pronouncement. “As you have done, it shall be done to you.” The remaining verses allude to the aftermath. The destruction to allow the restoration and the assurance that victory will be an ultimate triumph over those who oppose divine will. In today’s vernacular, “God” is in charge.

I have for the most part read and shared the commentary from the New Interpreter’s Bible. What is here in Obadiah, what have I found. As layman we often pass over significant revelations simply because we never go beyond the words, get off the page and discover the awesome message contain in the bible. Another reason is we do not take advantage of the study materials available to us in this digital age. In the midst of all this is the fact that God is as much displeased with what they, Edom, did not do, as He is with what they did. I am sure not all the people physically attacked the people of Judah but all of them did nothing to help those people either. Theological perspective of some fail to recognize the world of today. It is clear here that God is dissatisfied or better said just plain mad about the attitudes of the Edomites toward their brothers and sisters in Judah.

Here is the little gem hidden beneath the story. We sometimes divorce ourselves from the reality of everyday life. To ignore the plight of those among us and fail to respond to the need of the poor, the excluded and destitute of society, such attitudes invite the judgement of God. I will borrow from NIB and leave you with this thought.

Obadiah’ prophecy calls attention to the need for the church to address the real problems of the day. To reach out to those who are socially excluded, ethnic minorities and the homeless and when faced with the realities of these social problems not to remain silent or ignore efforts that may be intended to oppress certain segments of society. I will quote directly from NIB. “One of the challenges North America faces is the development and creation of a multicultural, multilingual, and pluralistic society and church. That kind of church is distinguished by the participation of all it sectors, respect for divergent opinions and the incorporation of minority groups in to the decision making processes.”

I will add here that in my opinion it does not include the marginalizing of others beliefs or faith. No signs, banners or raised fists, endless slogans and political or social agendas… It requires that you do something of meaningful benefit for the “least of these”. May the Spirit lead us all…Amen

Matthew 25: 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Really quite simple…….Life is good

PS… Obadiah did it in 440 words…It took me 952

jk

Back on the Porch again and the very last of the day is taking the sun away. I usually come out here to clear the day’s business from my mind. It always reminds me of the times at this time of year that I spent the summers at my grandparents home in Chattanooga Tn. It’s the twilight of the evening and the world around you is taking a deep breath, preparing for a nights rest. My grandparents lived in a neighborhood called Glenwood. Just a block from the house there was a playground for the neighborhood owned by the city. There was a first class well kept ball field, monkey bars, large swing sets, the kind that went high as you were willing to pump and pull. There was a sandbox that my grandmother told me not to get into…the cats go there. Why there was even a lady that came every Wednesday and brought her felt story board to tell bible stories on. There were lighting bugs in the evening just before dark and there was a big…! Old tree you go behind and steal a kiss from a cute girl…if you were quick enough. The parents must have had a meeting because the rule in the neighborhood and each house was the same. When the street lights come on…you come home. I could write a lot more about that time…it was simple and fun because you respected the adults and they gave you room to grow…bumps, cuts, bandaids and learning the lessons of life the hard way. And Last…

Psalm 118

24 

This is the day that the Lord has made;

    let us rejoice and be glad in it.

God had a place in the minds and hearts of his people.

Kurt

In the book of Philemon we are introduced to Onesimus who is the servant of Philemon or plainly said his slave. There is much conjecture and debate over the exact meaning here as to slave or servant. I will leave that up to you and deal with the facts as we know them. Onesimus had probably done some wrong to Philemon either by taking his property, or by the fact that he had escaped from him. We know he is a servant because old testament writings use a word that designate his condition as such. Philemon 1:16 ( δοῦλος,  doulos). We know that he was bound to Philemon, either by his parents or guardians, or that he had bound himself to render voluntary service. Hidden within this book are some interesting little pointers that speak to Christian character.

Onesimus , has left his master Philemon, and is in Rome at the same time that Paul is in prison there. Paul was confined for a lack of a better term, to house arrest. He could receive guests but was not allowed to wander in the city. How we do not know, he knew where Paul was being held and went there to see Paul. It is pretty certain that Paul would have known him from staying at Philemon’s home on occasion. Of course Onesimus would have known him from the time he served Philemon. As things go he finds Paul and over some time he is converted and stays to work with Paul. Why Onesimus came to the apostle, is not known. It may have been because he was in need and Paul was the only one in Rome whom he had ever seen or knew. Here now is the first little nugget in this story. He had perhaps come to realize on his own that leaving Philemon was wrong, or maybe there were other sins and he sought him out to obtain spiritual counsel. Sin or wrongdoing is felt by all people, whether they are Christian or not, it is part of our earthly being. Onesimus knew he needed help and he saw something in Paul and his God that he needed. How about us? Do we live a Christ like life that would draw others to God?

Some commentaries point to slavery, which was prevalent in biblical times as part of this story. I will not dwell on that but rather pick up on Albert Barnes’ commentary on this book. For hidden in this book is to me the indisputable power of the Christian faith. “Christianity, in its highest influences, interferes with nothing that is good, and would annihilate nothing which is not wrong. That which is true, and best for the welfare of man.”(AB)

Christianity will destroy intemperance, and idolatry, and superstition, and war. Stepping back and looking at our lives and realizing that sin separates us from God, what a powerful message lies among the words of this story. We also are given the example of the courtesy and politeness which the Christian ought to practice at all times, as well as furnishing many valuable lessons on Christian duty that will inspire others to want the same things in their lives. I love to go beyond the words as written and seek the little things that are hidden there. Remember “seek and ye shall find”.

So to wrap this up, what are some of the things that you find you are a slave to? Maybe I am being too simplistic but I believe in this little book are some big things that help us in our Christian walk.  Would you like to lose some things and gain your freedom? If so it is worth repeating…..

“Christianity, in its highest influences, interferes with nothing that is good, and would annihilate nothing which is not wrong. That which is true, and best for the welfare of man.”(AB)

You have nothing good to lose.   

Life is Good

jk

Reference Materials: Albert Barnes Commentaries / Panorama Bible

To those of you have been visiting the “Pew” over the years, I am grateful for your support. The “Pew” has tried and I sure there may have been times we failed but our goal has always been to stay in the scripture and leave the politics of the day to worldly pursuits. I am on the back porch this evening because I feel as if the world has invaded the Pew. The one place I found peace and an indwelling of hope has always been in the pew and within the word of God. So this little extra from my back porch is let those who have destroyed a denomination, The United Methodist Church, split families apart, fractured numerous friendships, forced many Pastoral families to spend many hours of anguish as to their future financial status and in general turned your backs to God, for nothing more than power, money, property and agenda driven cultural change…Know this…

There are two genders, God made it that way…you cannot change that. The truth is God has always found it to be an abomination in his eyes…those behaviors that subscribe to such behavior. Consider this…I feel a great sadness for what has happened to my church but more so that I failed to speak up long ago. I leave you with this thought…My God has commanded me to love you, to give you every opportunity to be a part of God’s family…The United Methodist Church has to my knowledge never turned anyone away from God’s table. We cannot legislate faith, profane scripture and disobey God’s law and not be judged…May God forgive us all…for we have sinned and fallen short….

Jk

For the next few weeks, five to be exact, we will look at these and share a little about them with you. It is advised that first we must decide what method we wish to apply to arrive at the number of words.Should we count verses or actual number of words. Now the length of verses can differ quite a bit. We will get the best results  counting the words. We should consider if we count the number of words in English, Hebrew or Greek. The languages used to record God’s word were primarily Hebrew and Greek. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

So using Hebrew or Greek our count puts the five shortest books of the Bible as follows…. 3 John, 219 words. 2 John, 245 words. The third shortest book of the Bible is Philemon with 335 words in Greek. The fourth shortest book of the Bible, and shortest book of the entire Old Testament, is Obadiah with 440 Hebrew words. The fifth shortest book of the Bible is Jude with a count of 461 words.

These facts were taken from gotquestions.com One of my favorite sites for biblical information. They also add this note and I pass it along to you…Special thanks goes to Logos Bible Software for making the determination of the shortest book of the Bible by Hebrew or Greek word count much easier.

Let’s take a closer look at this smallest of the books of the Bible. While 3 John does not say who is its writer and over time there has been some speculation it has always been attributed to the apostle John. It was preceded by 1 & 2 John, with all three having been written between A.D. 85-95.

All things have a purpose and a place…and so it is with 3 John. He writes to lift up his friend and co-worker Gaius.

(Gaius of Corinth. Paul baptized a man named Gaius in Corinth—one of only two he baptized there (1 Corinthians 1:14). Later, toward the end of his third missionary journey, when Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romans, he was staying in Gaius’s home, and Gaius is included in his greetings to the church in Rome (Romans 16:23).) …(*)

Gaius was involved in a ministry of helping itinerant messengers traveling from place to place to preach the Good News. He warns the people about the behavior of one Diotrephes, a dictatorial leader who had taken over a church in the province of Asia. Diotrephes behavior and thinking was directly opposed to that of the apostle and what his Gospel stood for. In 3 John he also commends Demetrius whom John had been receiving good testimony about.

Two Key Verses

3 John 4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

3 John 11: “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.”

Gaius, is a layman of some wealth and distinction and lives in a city near Ephesus. John strongly stresses the importance of truth in the Gospel. He thanks him for his concern and care of those whose mission it is to take the Gospel from place to place. John encourages him to continue to do the good work of the Gospel and not to follow the example of Diotrephes. Examples of hospitality abound in Old Testament Israel.There was always a warm welcome extended to aliens into homes there where the were given food, lodging and protection***.

Short Summary For A Short Book

From John we learn that we should always walk in the truth of the Gospel and be aware of the needs of those around us, especially those of the faith. We should be discerning enough to be aware of those such as Diotrephes whose behavior is far from being like that which Jesus taught.

Life is Good

jk

*Got Questions

***  (Genesis 18:2-8, 19:1-8; Job 31:16-23, 31-32). 

The writers of the Gospels were as interesting as the historical events and people they wrote about. Their personalities, endurance and work in the faith are visible in their writings. We know little about Luke but the few facts we have trend on the impressive. We know he was a physician. He was the only Gentile, “Non-Jew” that in fact wrote two of the New Testament Books. Paul makes this fact about Luke clear in Colossians 4:1, “Luke not being one of the circumcision”. While Luke does not name himself in either of the books, Paul mentions him in three epistles. One interesting fact is that both Acts and Luke are addressed to the same person, Theophilus and the reason for the books Luke writes in Luke 1:4. We do not know who Theophilus was but we know he indeed existed. The popular theory is that because of the title used by Luke in writing to him is “Most Excellent Theophilus”…he most likely held a position of influence in the local government and was knowledgeable about the basics of the Christian doctrine. Someone had exposed him to it and it is possible he had some questions about the doctrine, however the bible does not tell us who Theophilus was. Luke was a close friend of Paul and frequently traveled with him, Paul referred to him as “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14). Luke was a man of facts… He was familiar with sailing and took note of various geographical details. These two facts are interesting because to keep up with Paul and his life and mission would require such ability and diligence. He would have also been able to meet, listen to and talk with some of the most important people of the Early Church. Luke was a well-educated, observant, and careful writer. Last thing…His style of writing was such that it resonated with the customs and language of the people of that day.

Luke writes about those things that are worthy of belief, the great events of the ministry of Jesus and the work of the early church. Both provide hope. There is the extra added bonus that these events have been recorded by those who were from the beginning eye-witnesses and ministers of the word, and who recorded them through Divine Inspiration.  

The book of Luke has often been referred to as  “A Lovely Book” Each Gospel has a sign…for Luke it is the calf.  In biblical times the calf was a symbol of sacrifice, Luke most likely equated the ministry of Jesus as the sacrifice to all the world. It is also the book in which all barriers between Jew and Gentile are broken down. After all is said and done…it is a book of credible information that bolsters the foundation of our faith. I hope you have enjoyed our little side trip for a quick look at Luke…

Luke 1:1-4

1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

Life is Good 

jk

After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., the Romans turned their attention to stamping out the last of the rebels holding out at the fortresses of Herodium and Machaerus as well as in the “Forest of Jardes” (which has not yet been identified). The last remaining site occupied by the Jewish rebels was at Herod’s desert fortress-palace on the cliff-top of Masada. Led by Roman general Flavius Silva, the Legio X Fretensis—a veteran military unit—began the siege operation against the rebels in 72 or 73 C.E.

The spiritual heart of the Jewish nation was being destroyed and many of their leaders were dead. Those Jews left in positions of authority or leadership were either appointed by the Romans or influenced by the need to comply in order to survive. Only  five survived and they were women and children. The Jews at Masada had chosen to kill themselves rather than surrender to Roman Rule. You can read more about this at www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/masada.html.

Those outside the Christian community seldom mention the persecution of Christians throughout the world. The sad fact is that this is not all that new but seems to have become more prevalent in recent years and of course the rapid sharing of information in this world of global communication has increased the level of awareness within the faith. We Christians here in the USA enjoy a religious freedom that we have become comfortable with and take for granted. We are like those frogs dumped into a pot of  water, which is then slowly brought up to a boil, by the time they realize they are in trouble it is to late. The Jewish nation was no match for the military might of the Roman Empire but I would suggest a much more serious problem that I am sure led to their demise. They had turned from God and sin and disobedience to God’s commands had become commonplace among the Jewish Leaders and the people. They had perverted God’s will and no longer sought to live a holy life, setting aside that which was written for those things and practices they coveted.

Masada was the last stand so to speak of Jews who would not yield to Roman Law and subjugation which leads me to an explanation of this blog title. We Christians are facing our “Masada” and like those frogs we contently lie in the water unaware that it will soon contribute to a crisis of faith. The issues facing Christianity today do not belong to just one denomination, for we all are part of the family of God, and we all are guilty. The issues are many but have one common thread. It is the willingness to interpret the word of God to meet the ever-changing morals of today’s society. Think about this. The only difference between a Christian and a non-believer is we go to church and they don’t. We go to many of the same places, watch the same movies, like to accumulate stuff and in most ways there is very little difference between us. We have been called out, we are to live Holy lives, we are to be different. I encourage each of you who read this to take the time to read and study God’s word and Law. Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit through prayer and study and the only thing I will say in the way of instruction is simply this. When you study, study and read both Old and New Testament. We must stop yielding to the Caesars of this day in order to increase membership, marginalizing our Christian values because they make others uncomfortable and allowing ourselves to feel uncomfortable because our faith calls us to be different.

Every now and then I go back through the archives to find some material or just re-read a favorite. I am always reminded that things haven’t changed or in some cases gotten worse. Here is a post from years back…you be the judge of its value.

Life is Good

jk

This week we take a closer look at The Book of John. After a bit of research we see immediately that this forth Gospel is quite different from the other three due mainly to all that it omits as compared to the other three.  -No account of the Birth of Jesus -Nothing of his baptism or of his temptations -John does not write of the Last Supper, he does not share with us Christ’s agony in the Gethsemane and there is no writing of the Ascension -John completely omits any record or mention of the healing of people possessed by devils and evil spirits

One of the things I enjoy in biblical writings and records is missing completely in this book…there are none of the parable stories Jesus told and are part of the other three Gospels. These differences continue on. One being here in the fourth Gospel the speeches of Jesus are often a whole chapter long and  facts of the life and ministry of Jesus are often different from the other three. Another interesting difference is that in John’s Gospel most of Jesus’ ministry takes place in Judaea with occasional trips to Galilee. John puts Jesus in Jerusalem for Passover, cleansing of the Temple, for the Feast of the Tabernacles and The Feast of Dedication. It might be helpful to explain this feast.  The Feast of Dedication is another name for Hanukkah, an eight-day Jewish festival that commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century b.c.e. It usually occurs in December but can also happen in late November and can extend into January. (dictionary.com)

We find in reading the Fourth Gospel Jesus never left Jerusalem after that feast. This would have meant a stay of months there between that feast and the spring celebration of the Passover, at which time Jesus was crucified.

One of the wonderful things of this day would be the wealth of information available to the ordinary person…yes like me, a Layman who loves the word and wants to share it as much as I can.One more interesting observation. The other three Gospels note that Jesus and his ministry did not emerge till after the imprisonment of John the Baptist. In the Book of John some of the ministry of Jesus occurred during the activity of John the Baptist. We can continue to list other differences but I believe it would be better to simply wrap this up by leaving you to consider this…John writes of the first acts of Christ and the other three give an account of the latter part of his ministry. For seventy years John had many occasions to think about Jesus. We are so blessed to have this book. What a time that must have been. John saw what Jesus did, heard what he said and through the infilling of the Holy Spirit understood what he meant. John was the last of the Apostles to put to writing the glory of God’s Son as he walked among us.

John 16:12, 13 12 ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

Life is Good

jk