Category: orthodoxy

  • Those Darn Rats

    a rat eating seed

    Our neighborhood is located directly below a large hill that has several acres of brush and grasslands; immediately beyond the hill used to be a farm. For many decades, it was a prime habitat for rabbits, deer, raccoons, birds, and, of course, rats and mice.

    When clearing started on the farm, we saw less wildlife; that’s to be expected. Now they are cleaning up the hillside for a future park, and the rodents have no place left to live. Our neighborhood is having a minor rat epidemic, and people are doing their bit to eliminate the problem.

    Now, I don’t have a fundamental issue with rats. They’re kind of cute, inquisitive, and smart. They can even be friendly to a degree, and I’m told they make great pets. I do, however, understand that they can cause a lot of damage and can often cause health issues, so it’s undesirable to have lots of them around. That means they must go. I found myself wishing for a mythical pied piper to lead them away (without taking the children later).  We’ll get them in time.

    The rats sneaking in remind me of the way false prophets can creep into a church. They typically come in innocuously enough, but soon the poison can spread through the entire congregation, causing incredible damage.

    It isn’t a new problem

    But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 2 Peter 2:1-3

    Now, not everyone who comes into the church who has wrong thinking is a false prophet with a dangerous agenda. Many can be corrected with sound teaching and/or church discipline.  True false prophets need to be found out and removed from fellowship.

    The pastor, the under shepherd of God, acts as a sheepdog to help keep the bad ones at bay. 

    He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. Titus 1:9

    The pastor can’t be everywhere at once or hear every conversation, so the sheep must also learn to be vigilant.

    How do we know who a false prophet is? By knowing the truth ourselves. That comes through regular bible reading and study, listening to grounded preaching, and learning good theology ourselves.

    We must do our bit to be aware and discerning. Let us be diligent to ensure we know the truth.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    Some other choices

    Read the Word – choose truth over error

  • Wolves

    With two and four legs

    wolf pack in snow

    I have been blessed to see a few packs of wolves in the wild. I’ve  seen far more lone wolves than packs. Whether a lone wolf or a pack, I’ve always felt blessed to see them.

    I’ve heard the songs of wolves in the wild far more often than I have seen them. Their songs never fail to give me goosebumps. Their songs, particularly if they are coming from different directions around your campfire, are both beautiful and unnerving.

    Coyotes will also serenade at night. Their call is very different, and you would be highly unlikely to confuse the two, unless, perhaps, you had never heard a wolf pack.

    Both wolves and coyotes can be problematic for farmers, as they are not adverse to preying on livestock.  That creates a sort of love-hate relationship between the animals and the farmers.

    Wolves had been known to attack humans, but such attacks are extremely rare. There are fewer than 100 recorded attacks in North America since 1750.  Still, if you are interacting with them, caution is always advised.

    Wolves are mentioned in the Bible, both the four-legged and two-legged varieties. We are warned against the two-legged variety.

    “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Matthew 7:15-20 ESV

    Unfortunately, attacks by these wolves are not rare. Sometimes they can be found in your home church, striving to cut our little flocks for themselves. At other times, they can be the pastors or leaders of congregations.

    They preach other gospels than the one Jesus taught. They twist the teachings of the Bible to benefit themselves. Sometimes they teach just enough truth that the flock doesn’t notice the poisonous errors.

    Be on the lookout for them. Compare what you are being taught to the Bible and to the orthodox teachings the church has always held.

    We are blessed to have easy access to the Word and to the great theologians of both yesterday and today. We have the Spirit to teach us how to discern truth from error.

    Know what the truth is for yourself.

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

    Some posts you might enjoy

    Want to discern truth from error? Read the Word

    Right belief or right living?

    Spawning salmon and God