Does your heart pound when you have to speak in front of people? Have you ever wanted just to stay in the background and not get involved in voicing opinions? In all ages, millions of folks found it comfortable to remain in the background and not want to be heard. Moses and Jeremiah shared this timidity-and one person in the New Testament is Jude; he wrote his short book which is only 25 verses long. His nation would soon undergo “Godly judgment.” Israel’s sin had moved to the place of forcing this shy fellow to speak out. Jude was the brother of Jesus and James. Jesus we know about; James was the overseer of the Jerusalem Church; he lost his life speaking for Christianity. Perhaps Jude’s desire not to be seen or heard, was on the account of James death by evil people. Jude never believed in Jesus while he was alive, but here he peeks out of the shadows of history to tell Israel what was going to happen. He knew how God worked through history. If the people couldn’t remember their own Mosaic, rebellious, lessons, then they must hear it from him. (Vs. 5) Punishment is coming because they were a special Covenantal people — they were a nation who made a commitment to God and promised to obey but because of Israel’s disobedience, it forced Jude to bring forth this short message. Moses and Jeremiah found the same hard-hearted attitude in their day. Jude doesn’t belabor the point, he simply states the truth of what was going on; it wasn’t the first time judgment occurred. Israel was destroyed twice before and within five years from Jude’s preaching, the temple and city would be destroyed again. Israel was straying away from God, even after He sent the promised Messiah. Jude was preaching to the priests and leaders, but they chose not hear him, or change. Now, look around us at our national leaders. America, God’s gift to the modern world, has strayed and needs repentance, redemption and restoration.. If we are going to keep receiving God’s blessings, we must take up the work of the cross. It is our time to come out of our timidity and speak so others can see “our nation’s sins.” Preaching the Gospel was done by those timid folks who have stepped forth from the background to be heard — are you one of those?