Today marks the end of a ninety day journey through the Bible.  This has been a wonderful summer and a fantastic journey in my spiritual walk.  Last summer (2009) was the first time I had ever read the Bible from cover to cover.  It was such a great experience that I did it again this summer.  This time as I read the Word each day I journaled about it through this blog.  Now I can look back through these blogs and remember the things that the Lord has taught me this summer.  As I end this ninety day journey I end with the Book of Revelation – a fitting end to my journey – it’s the end of God’s story for his children.

John’s revelation of the end of times is such a vivid description of what is to come in the story of us.  I look forward to the day when the Lord will mount his white horse and heaven will open wide and he will ride down in glory to bring his children home to heaven.  It will be a “new heaven and a new earth…the Holy City…the new Jerusalem.” (Rev. 21:1-2)  It will be a wonderful place where, “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain…” (Rev. 21:4)  I can’t wait to be one of the, “thousand  upon thousand, and ten thousands upon ten thousands” bowed down before the throne singing, “worthy is the Lamb, who was slain…” (Rev. 5:11-12)  I want to be there so much, but I know that for now God has given us his Word to share the Good News of salvation so more can be part of the bride of Christ who will all one day come home.

Even in the final words of the Bible, God is still beckoning his children to turn to him.  He says, “Come…whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” (Rev. 22:17b)  That’s the invitation.  That’s what the Word of God is all about.  These sixty-six books are the story of God’s love for humanity and his invitation for us to be in relationship with him…Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Though today’s scripture reading includes a large part of Revelation, I am going to leave discussion about Revelation for my last blog tomorrow.  Today I want to focus the Book of Jude.  Jude is a very short book and it’s one of the more disputed books of the Bible.  There were those who thought it shouldn’t be part of the Cannon.  In this book’s brief 25 verses of scripture Jude gets right to the point.  He’s warning the people of those in their midst who have, “secretly slipped among” them.  (Jude 1:4)  He warns that there are people among them that will try to lessen the gospel of Christ and cause division.  The passage that stands out the most to me is when Jude describes these people as, “shepherds who feed only themselves.” (Jude 1:12)  It sounds as if he’s talking about pastors or church leaders.  Wow, I hope that is never said of me.  May I never be a shepherd who is worried more about me than those I’m called to lead.  Jude is a short, but powerful word from the Lord.