Category: Jude

Opposites

~ Steve Vandop ~ Leave a comment

People who have not been identified by name are considered anonymous. For almost every word in the English language there seems to be a way of expressing an opposite idea, these words or ideas are usually called antonyms. So, what is the antonym or opposite of anonymous? “Onymous”, this uncommonly used word means “bearing a name”. Seems obvious once you see them together yet not many people make the connection. 

Jude boldly lays out for us a definition for those he describes as “ungodly”. They are people “who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” (Jude 4) The Greek word “asebēs” translated as ungodly in verse four describes someone who is impious (not showing respect or reverence, especially in context here to God), wicked, or ungodly. “Asebēs” underlines the idea of living without regard for religious belief or practice in one’s life. 

Remembering that Jude is writing this letter to the church, to his dear friends in Christ, we should take these words as a sort of warning. For Jude to use such powerful words there must have been visible signs of trouble within the church. He does not name names, but these people are not anonymous. As he explains, “they have slipped in among you”, they have inserted themselves into the life of the church, into the lives of the people who share in the gift of Christ, salvation. 

These onymous people in this verse do bear a name and it is “ungodly”. They are individuals whose hearts, minds and motives work against the will of the Lord, against the work of the Holy Spirit to further grow the kingdom of God. 

If we know from scripture what it means to be ungodly, we can then determine by opposite expressions what it means to be godly. Scripture is full instruction on how to live a life following God will, if we look at it in contrast to what Jude says in his letter, we have a sort of measure to compare. 

The ungodly pervert the grace of God in this case by “accepting” this gift of grace with grave misunderstanding. In their own minds, no matter how they live, the fulness of grace gives them even greater opportunity to participate in immoral activity. Jude describes their lives in verse 12. “These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm – shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown about by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and are unrooted – twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.”

In contrast to or opposite to this life, we as redeemed sons and daughters of God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross become loving participants in the family of God. We have reserved for us a place in heaven with our Heavenly Father. We are stars that shine brightly to others so they may see the father of lights through us. Like the waves of the ocean, we share in the rhythms of life that bring praise, honor, and glory to God. Our attitudes and actions bear the fruits of the spirit that are firmly rooted and grounded in the love of our Father. 

We may wish to be anonymous in life, but as followers of Jesus we are all onymous. Our lives bear his name. It is my prayer that you and I live our lives people see the complete opposite of what is means to be ungodly.    

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Do Not Ignore This Call

~ Steve Vandop ~ Leave a comment

It’s dinner time, you are all seated around the table, the food is being served and just as you are ready to take the first mouthwatering bite of food, the phone rings. You put down your fork to answer the call and like many times before, silence. The line is dead, no one is on the other end. Or, on the flip side you are hit with a long verbal stream of words that leaves everyone around the table curious about what is being said. Either way, you hang up and continue with the task at hand. 

Judes short letter in the New Testament letter was addressed “To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:” If you investigate the Greek word “klētos” translated as “called”, you get a better understanding of its purpose in the text. “Klētos” implies a meaning of relationship and/or task. In Romans 1:1 Paul introduces himself as “a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.” In Matthew chapter 22:14 the word is also used as an invitation into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. 

 So, if Paul, who identifies as a servant of Jesus Christ and Jude who follows suit, have been “called” (like the recipients of the letters they have written), who is doing the calling? And what is the “call” all about? 

God is the one who is calling! 
Why? Since the fall of man, when sin became entangled in the fabric of human life, (causing separation between God and man) God has been calling his children back into a right relationship with him. 

What is this call all about and what does this have to do with us today?  The pinnacle of the creation story comes when God masterfully created and walked with and talked with man and woman. Unfortunately, their perfect relationship was severed by sin and shame. God, in his infinite love for humankind offered up a way for us to be in relationship with him. Through the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus on the cross we experience his incredible grace, mercy, forgiveness and promise of eternal life in relationship with him again. 

The message of the Gospel continues to be the “script” of the call that God has for all his people. “klētos” is a call to relationship, this bond we have with our Father in heaven is also a call to action or task.  As we grow in our relationship with Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we become image bearers of who he is. We become agents (disciples) of Jesus with the task of speaking the good news of the gospel to others. 

Jude accepted and understood God’s call in his life in a much different time than we live today. The message of the gospel is timeless. The call from God to his people (then and now) is the exact same. There is no time and place that I could imagine where God will not be on the other end of that call. He is always present, waiting and listening to begin a new and beautiful relationship with anyone who answers. 

Many have answered the call from God, finding peace and promise in his message.  Some have “hung up” on the caller and chosen to ignore this life-giving news. Others, for many reasons have not even received the call yet. It is our job as the “called” to be the extension for the “divine operator”. Who is your next call going to be to?

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“Hey Jude”.

~ Steve Vandop ~ 1 Comment

Written by Paul McCartney, the ballad “Hey Jude” was penned to comfort and encourage a young man as he experienced turbulence in his life. Julian (Jude), son of John Lennon, was working through the hard changes in life as his father left his marriage relationship to be with someone else. The song was a letter thoughtfully written by a friend to a friend in need, written with emotion, and care. 

Have you ever been in church and the pastor comes up to give the message and he says something like this, “this past week I worked on a message to give today but last night God laid it on my heart to share something different with you this morning.” 

If you have read the short letter of Jude in the New Testament you will experience this exact notion. Verse three reads, “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.”

Jude wanted to write about the incredible promise of salvation that each follower of Jesus shares in as a brother or sisters in his name. He introduces himself to us in this letter by identifying himself as a servant of Jesus Christ. Tasked with the responsibility of sharing the good news of salvation given to them through the death and resurrection of Jesus, he also felt the burden of speaking to the dangers that threatened to break apart their faith. 

In the NIV translation much of Jude’s letter follows the heading, “The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People”. There were persistent, observable, and not so obvious problems (I will explore some of these in future blogs following this one) creeping up in the life of the church. The truth of the gospel message was slowly being twisted by false teachings; people (posing as friends) were purposely leading others into denying that Jesus was the anointed one, the sovereign Lord over their lives. 

Jude was a friend, writing to friends in need. The Greek word translated “dear friend” (agapētos) can also mean beloved. There was a sense of deep connection, tenderness, care and love that Jude held for those in the church. The salvation they shared together served as a type of bond, both through their relationship with Jesus and then with one another as brothers and sisters. A true friend in Christ will always point you in the direction of Christ. 

I am reminded of another song, “What a friend we have in Jesus”. Originally written as a poem by a pastor to comfort his mother while he was away, the song reminds me that we also have friends in Jesus. The church is like a home for people, a place where they seek comfort, safety and encouragement, a place where friends and family can come together because of their common faith and salvation. 

Jude thoughtfully wrote this letter to urge his friends to contend for their faith, to stand up for what they believe in. When was the last time you encouraged a friend to stand firm in their faith or shared an encouraging word? 

You don’t have to write a letter but don’t be afraid to try. With so many digital platforms that keep our lives connected, think about sharing an encouraging word with a friend today. Who will you say “Hey” to today? 

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Duck Calls: Life and Faith

~ Steve Vandop ~ Leave a comment

ep_7_twitter_photo_1Hunters use a variety of different calls to attract animals and each one has a very unique quality of sound to it. The manufactures of duck calls do a huge amount of research and field testing before producing what might be a profitable product. According to my quick search online, there are at least 28 different species of ducks in North America , each with their own unique call. I have never blown a duck call before and I hear it take some practice to get it right. Why I am writing about duck calls? Read on to find out why.

The Book of Jude talks of a different kind of call, if you take a few minutes to read this short letter you will glean from it a sense of direction (calling) for living a life in Christ. Jude writes “To those who have been called, [those in the church who believed in God and had a personal relationship with him] who are loved in God the Father who are kept for Jesus Christ”. This brief yet powerful letter reminds the people of that time and us now what God has delivered us from. Through this reminder we are called to persevere (knowing that God is with us) through the difficulties of life. We are called to build each other up in the faith, called to pray in the name of the Holy Spirit, called to be show mercy to others and called to share the good news of Jesus Christ so that others might be saved. Much like the unique call that beckons a duck to follow a certain direction each one of us has a unique call from God on our lives.

Through His word, God speaks to us, calling us into his service. I have been called to lead in full time ministry using the gifts and abilities that God has given to me, you most likely have a different calling. As unique as we all are, when God calls us out of the “pond” he has a purpose that is common to all of us, to glorify Him. We are all called to bring honour and glory to His name through the lives that we live. As a called people, the living church of today, our role in His kingdom is to live in unity, to love one another and build each other up in the faith so that we exemplify Christ’s life. As Jude reminds us, there will be times of trouble in life, moments when our faith will be tested and stretched. The call to persevere comes through putting or hope and trust in the Lord. “Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” (1:21)

Qualities of a Good Leader.

~ Steve Vandop ~ 1 Comment

“I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s Holy people”… Jude has compassion for the people, he wanted to rejoice with them about the salvation that they shared together, yet he wanted to be open and honest with them sharing stories from their past as reminders of how the Lord dealt with those who did not follow him. I think this also serves as a reminder of how God continues to provide for those who follow him faithfully.

I like the transition made from verse 16 to 17, after Jude finishes describing who we need to be on the watch for he begins to encourage us by telling us we need to be building ourselves up in our most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit. We must keep ourselves in God’s love as we wait on His return. When we walk with other Christians (this is who Jude is speaking to) we can surround each other with a love that helps build our faith and we can become accountable to each other.

I believe that we see a few important qualities of leadership in the life of Jude in these few short words that he writes. We have an openness and honesty that leads us to trust him as he speaks about the past and how he trusts that God will be with them. Jude seems very confident and optimistic in his words to the people, he gives us a call to preserve to carry on loving the Lord. Jude encourages us to have empathy for and show mercy to those who speaks against us; I see it as loving our enemies.

“Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh”.

Steve.

Jude… A Servant of Christ

~ Steve Vandop ~ Leave a comment

Jude, also known as Judas, or Judah is who writes this short epistle that gives us a brief but pointed exposition on how we must contend for the faith. Jude communicates with his fellow believers the need to be “on our toes” watching for and dealing with the false teachers that infiltrate our churches. The first verse identifies for us who he his, “a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James”, not to be confused with the person of Judas Iscariot

Have you ever identified yourself as a servant of Christ? The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines a servant as a “Person totally responsible to and dependent upon another person.” How much of our lives are totally dependent on Christ? Are we fully submitting to the responsibility we have in doing the will of Christ? These are some big questions that ultimately define who we are.

It wasn’t until after the resurrection that Jude and his brother James became servants of Christ. For me it seems so easy to think that someone so closely connected to Jesus would not have been a believer. Although we don’t get a lot of background information on Jude we begin to understand his story just a little bit.

It is amazing to me how in a couple of verses of scripture we can discover a testimony of hope for the lost, even those who may be in our own families. Was it the ministry and life of his older brother James that became a seed for the life that Jude was to have in Christ? Was it Mary and Joseph’s persistence as parents that spurred on the spiritual growth in His life?

Whatever happened in the life of Jude his identity in Christ is what led him to write this epistle. It was through the death and resurrection of his (half) brother that had him traveling from place to place sharing the gospel. We need to be in the same place as Jude, as servants of Christ our identity needs to be in Him, our strength needs to come through Him.

Steve.