Hidden Rocks

660. "Hidden Rocks"                     December 13, 2012
Jude 12,13-Part 10
These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm-shepherds who feed only themselves. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.  NIV

LET IT GLOW
* Special prayer request: My sister in law, Wanda, is having 2 heart valves replaced this morning at 10am. Please pray for her. Thanks.

Friends, come in out of the cold, take your coat off, sip a cup of hot tea with me as we warm by the glowing fire studying God's Word today. I'm so glad you've come. I think I need that tea so I can relax because these last 10 verses have been so gloomy.  Let me go get some sugar or sweetener. I think we're going to need it.
Jude continues to describe the apostates, false teacher, false prophets. Where's the encouragement? Words to live by? Phrases to memorize and meditate on? Well, dear ones, we are not to be like these people he describes. Aren't we to be the opposite? Make yourself comfortable as I explain.

Various translations of the Bible use in place of spots (KJV), blemishes, hidden rocks. Spots refers to rocks in the sea, ledge or reef; of men who by their conduct, damage others morally, wreck them as it were. (Thayer's Lexicon)

Am I keeping my faith as a hidden rock?

MacArthur Bible Commentary says:

Spots can be "hidden rocks" or "reefs" or as "stains." These apostates were dirt spots, fifth on the garment of the church; or more likely, what God intended for the church as smooth sailing, they turned into a potential shipwreck through their presence. Love feasts were the regular gathering of the early church to partake of the bread and cup, plus share a common meal.
 

Do you mean to say, these deceivers had the nerve to eat with believers of the church? Yeap. (I see we are both shaking our heads in dismay.)

So how is Jude describing these guys' character now in our verses?

1. deceptively and fearlessly  attending dinners as hidden reefs; (potential for shipwreck)
2. disappointing as rainless clouds; (hope of rain, but delivers dryness and death)
3. dead as fruitless and uprooted trees; (barren trees without fruit due to being uprooted)
4. destructive as raging waves; (promise powerful ministry, wreak havoc, worthless workers) 
5. doomed as falling stars (a brilliant meteor or shooting star that fades away into nothing).

Resources: New Testament Postcards, a Bible study guide by Charles Swindoll, MacArthur Bible Commentary.

LET IT GROW

As I considered that my life should be the opposite of those apostates, here's what I came up with:

• Let my faith be as solid as a rock and exposed as a reef. (From a plane, a reef is green colored surrounded by a blue ocean.
• Allow the Holy Spirit to reign in my life, bringing refreshing hope and love to others.
• Bare fruit of the Spirit as a tree planted by a river, grounded with deep roots in Jesus.
• Be a calm gentle wave in a stormy sea of life.
• Be a shining star as Jesus lives through me.

LET IT GO

Let go of fear, hopelessness, selfishness, raging anger, dull life.

Surrender to Jesus, allowing Him to be the star of my life.

Bare spiritual fruit.