These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. Jude 1:12
If you have missed any of our verse by verse discussions on the book of Jude look here:
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-1/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-2/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-3/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-4/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/09/08/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-5/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-6/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-7/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/09/15/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-8/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/09/16/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-9/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/09/20/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-10/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-11/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-12/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-13/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/10/03/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-14/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-15/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-16/
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/pastor-wrinkles-hey-jude-pt-17/
I have gardened through seasons in which I have hardly had to break out the hose. August is known to be dry in New England but usually the July clouds bring enough rain that watering the tomatoes is not a huge concern. Not so this year. The clouds came as usual but it was pretty plain to see they weren’t rain clouds. I didn’t have to look at them very long to realize I was going to need to turn on the sprinkler. These clouds couldn’t give my tomatoes what was needed. They were pretty to look at but they had no power.
Jude tells us that in the last days there will be people in the church we have to be aware of. They are like clouds without rain. They look good. They talk a good line but a closer look will reveal they don’t deliver the goods; They can’t because they don’t have the only real answer to life’s problems. They don’t have Jesus, the Living Water, so they cannot produce “rain”. They don’t drink from the River of Life so they cannot produce fruit. Further, living in the church as they do…resisting the Spirit the way they do they eventually end up twice dead not just fruitless in their work but plucked up by the roots, their lives amounting to nothing but a trail of divisiveness God has worked around.
Perhaps you have known a “secret-slipper-inner”. I have. In the end I have wept for them knowing that of all men they are most to be pitied, because they are blind and lost even in the presence of God’s light.
Let’s pray: Dear Lord these are the days when your Word counsels us to be on our guard against men who are “clouds without rain”. Lord open our eyes to see those who would try to solve the world’s woes without Jesus. Let us be faithful to cling to the only hope even Jesus Christ. Lord rescue those who are lost even so close to the Light. In Jesus name Amen
Reinventing the We'll 
Wow, Pastor J–it’s just amazing to me that there could be folks like you describe, “blind and lost, in the Presence of God’s Light”. Not that I wasn’t blind and lost, previously–but I KNEW I was blind and lost (and confused and afraid and depressed). If I understand correctly, you’re speaking of people who believe they’ve got plenty of light, have it mostly together–right? If you have room on your prayer list for one more, could you please add my neighbor–he’s seeing the Light of Jesus in me, but absolutely resisting it! Not interested in Jesus at all, and it’s frustrating for me, so I guess I need prayer too–for patience and grace. God bless you and the fam–love, sis Caddo
I absolutely have room for one more on m y list dear Sis! In fact I have prayed for him and will keep on. I will also ask prayer for him from my prayer team if I am right his name is Jay? It is amazing but I believe there are many in the church who as Keith Green put it are “Asleep in the light.”
This is so sad and I felt your heart ache in it, for those who are so close, but so far away. Praying with you , Pastor J, and God bless!
Thanks Deb! How heart wrenching to think that there will be those in the church who have all their lives lived within the walls but not within the Lord.
Praying with you, Pastor J for God has not given up on them. I pray that the Holy Spirit will be relentless in His pursuit of our loved ones and may they surrender to Him. Lord, I leave them in your hands. A-men and A-men!!!
Amen!!!!
“Clouds without rain” – sadly, an apt description of many Churches today and of many people in Churches. I agree they are more to be pitied because they are lost even in the presence of God’s light.
‘Lord, let Your light so shine through Your people that those ‘clouds without rain’ will be unable to see anything BUT Your Truth, and will fall at Your feet in repentance and worship’
Amen Angela. How devastating it will be for many at the judgment to find their names were never written in His book.
This entire series is great! It is so extremely sad… to know there are those out there. You know my beliefs on the matter, as my writings have said. May you be blessed brother as you speak the truth of our Loving, Gracious Father’s Word. It’s ONLY by the ” the Word” that they will see… and I weep too!
Stephanie
Thanks for the gracious comment Stephanie. These are hard words I am sharing. It is good to know there are those out there who are being blessed by them.