Join Alan J. Huth as he shares personal reflections from his 35-year journey of daily Bible reading, providing unique insights on the Book of Jude. Through his journals, discover how Jude’s message continues to resonate today, urging believers to protect the sanctity of their faith amidst deception and turmoil. As Alan revisits pivotal spiritual moments from his own life, he encourages listeners to leverage these timeless truths in their daily walk with Christ.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. Allen J. Huth shares a Bible passage with comments from over 35 years of his personal Bible reading journals and applies the Word of God to our daily lives.
SPEAKER 02 :
Today we will cover the book of Jude. It’s a short book, one chapter, 24 verses. I’ll use my English Standard Version Study Bible book introduction so we can learn a little bit more about the book of Jude. Jude is the brother of James and Jesus. Matthew chapter 13, verses 54 through 56 declare it so. It reads, And coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Judas is Greek for Jude. So imagine the insight that Jude has as a brother, a person who grew up in the household of Jesus. Jude probably wrote this book in the mid-60s AD. And the theme of this one-chapter letter is that the church must contend for the one true faith by resisting false teachers. He mentions three Old Testament characters, Cain, Balaam, and Korah, as examples to avoid. The use of such Old Testament characters and other references to Jewish traditions gives this book a distinctly Jewish flavor. Many scholars think Jews’ audience is Jewish, or at least a mixture of Jews and Gentiles. It’s a judgment oracle with an object of attack and a harsh tone. Look for a clear, concise, and convincing call to watch out for false teachers. A struggle between the archangel Michael and Satan. And look for three types of sin from those Old Testament examples that definitely bring God’s judgment. And finally, as the book concludes, listen for this great doxology that many of us have heard in our churches many times. So let’s listen in to Faith Comes By Hearing’s recording of the 24 verses of the book of Jude. Jude
SPEAKER 03 :
May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels, who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day. just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Yet, in like manner, these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke you. But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. These are hidden reefs at your love feasts as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves, waterless clouds swept along by winds, fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted, wild waves of the sea casting up the foam of their own shame, wandering stars for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.
SPEAKER 04 :
It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
SPEAKER 03 :
These are grumblers, malcontents following their own sinful desires. They are loudmouth boasters showing favoritism to gain advantage. But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, in the last time there will be scoffers following their own ungodly passions. It is these who cause divisions, worldly people devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. and have mercy on those who doubt. Save others by snatching them out of the fire. To others, show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now, to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen.
SPEAKER 02 :
To help us through the book of Jude, I’ve selected three of my personal daily Bible reading journals. One from 1992, one from seven years later, 1999, and another seven years later in 2006. For over 35 years, each and every day as I read the scriptures, I journal my Bible reading. I write down what I hear from God, what the passage means to me. So that’s what we’ll look at in these journals. In 1992, after reading the book of Jude, I wrote, Contend earnestly for the faith, referring to verse 3. Referring to verse 4, I wrote, Many have crept in unnoticed, turned away from grace, and deny the Lord Jesus Christ. Our country is indulging in gross immorality, going after strange flesh, and will be punished. And that was referring to verses 5 and 7. On to verse 18, I wrote, That’s verse 18. Worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. And that was referring to verse 19. Seven years later, in 1999, I actually split Jude into two days of reading. Reading verses 1 through 11 on the first day and finishing the rest of the chapter the second day. So on the first day, concerning the first 11 verses I wrote, Jude, Jesus’ half-brother. Then I wrote, mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. I would like this. I continue to write, we must contend earnestly for the faith, according to verse 3. Then, continuing my journal entry, I wrote, The next day, I finished Jude. However, I have a very interesting personal note in my journal I’d like to share. I wrote, All three children have graduated from Cherry Creek High School. We have lived in the same house for over 12 years, so they had stability growing up. Shannon graduates with kids she went to kindergarten with. It’s bitter sweet. She is a beautiful young lady, but she’s still my little girl. It’s exciting to know she’s growing up, but sad to know that she may not be in our home much longer. She’s independent, wants to travel, but is still trying to find herself. I love her and pray she finds herself in Jesus Christ. She’ll get an adult Bible from me today, the same gift I gave Jason and Ryan upon graduation. I believe it’s the best gift I can give them, the Word of God, then pray that they read it the rest of their lives. That gives you a little insight into my family way back in 1999. Maybe it will cause you to consider giving your children, as they graduate from high school, a Bible. Let’s go on to finishing my comments on the book of Jude. I wrote concerning verses 12 through the end. Jude has more harsh words for the ungodly. But you, the believer, remember Jesus’ words. But you, build yourselves up on faith. Pray in the Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God. Look for mercy unto eternal life. And seven years later, in 2006, after reading the book of Jude, I wrote, God is a jealous God. He wants to be our one and only, yet we go after other gods and idols. He is faithful to us. Finally, he has enough and judges our actions and punishes our harlotry. Even so, he remains faithful. We are sorry and confess our idolatry. Forgive us, Lord, and remain faithful. Jude 2 reminds us God will judge sinfulness. I wonder why I have never heard a sermon out of Jude. We need this message today. All are not going to a better place. Hell is real and it’s full of people. Who preaches that anymore? So those were my journal entries after reading the book of Jude. So let’s take a look at the 24 verses of the book of Jude. Let’s begin with verse 3. Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith. Verse 4 describes the reason why. Ungodly people have crept into the church denying our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ. Jude then goes on to remind us that though God saved the people out of Egypt, He also judged them. He also did so with fallen angels, and he did so with the sexual immorality in Sodom and Gomorrah. Then Jude uses those three Old Testament examples of the way of Cain, Balaam’s error, and the rebellion of Korah. The common threat of the three of them was their dissatisfaction with the place they occupied, so they engaged in rebellion against God, greedily seeking selfish gain at any cost. And as I said in the book introduction, Jude uses some pretty harsh language about these kind of people that have infiltrated the church. Verse 12, “…their hidden reefs, shepherds feeding themselves, waterless clouds, fruitless trees, wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame, wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.” So Jude is not very kind to these false teachers. He goes on in verse 16 to call them grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires, loudmouth boasters. And he finishes by turning his sights toward us. He says, remember the predictions of the apostles. In the last time there will be scoffers following their own ungodly passions. It is these who cause divisions, worldly people devoid of the Spirit. And he tells us how to defend ourselves against this false teaching. Verse 20. And not only that, he tells us to save others by snatching them out of the fire. it’s our job to stand firm to hold to the tenets of our faith and to reach out to those who may be tempted by such false teaching and then he finishes his book with this great doxology now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen. Yes, the battle of false teaching. Lean in to Jesus, the one who can keep us from stumbling. Praise God for the inclusion of the book of Jude in the Bible, a very crisp and clear warning of false teaching. May pastors and preachers preach from this book. from their pulpits in our day, and God help us contend for the faith against false teaching. It’s not only the responsibility of the pastors, the shepherds, the preachers, it’s our responsibility as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The book of Jude tells us how, how to contend for our faith. Lord, we thank you for the warnings contained in your scripture that these days would come and are now here. False teaching was in the days of Jude and false teaching is in our day. Holy Spirit, purge your church from false teaching. Strengthen us so we can be those who contend for the one true gospel. Give us a spirit of discernment so we can discern false teaching if it occurs in our churches. And Lord Jesus, let us lean into you, the one and only, who can keep us from stumbling and present us blameless before the throne of God Almighty. To you, the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority forever and ever. Amen.
