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It's a beautiful night in the Falkland Islands, just off
the coast of Argentina. These British Islands are known
for their rich pasture land. The air is still this
evening as the sheep graze. The sun is setting, and the
sky appears as a lavender canvas gently caressing stars
sparkling like diamonds. The steady sound of the
Atlantic can be heard in the distance. It is a familiar
sight in this part of the world.
There is Danger lurking!
Although this paints a serene picture, there is danger
lurking! A killer is on the prowl, and is hungry. His
prey tonight are the unsuspecting, grazing sheep. This
predator is an expert in stealth and is rarely seen.
Carefully, he positions himself with his face in the
wind so as not to reveal his presence. He then waits
patiently for the right moment.
Ordinary sheep are no match for him, but somewhere in
the herd is a fearsome ram. He must know where he is, so
that he is not taken by surprise. An encounter with the
ram could spell disaster for him. He could be seriously
injured or even killed, or at the very least, driven
from his fallen prey, thus losing his meal. Once he
spots the ram, he will strike sheep that are a safe
distance away.
The enemy's strategy
As sheep graze, they slowly gravitate in one general
direction. The predator's strategy is simple -he will
attack the young or weak that are on the outer-edge of
the flock. Suddenly, the destroyer will lunge from the
darkness and bite a young sheep on the backbone, then
vanish back into the night! The sheep will cry out! But
will be too far away from help.
As the sheep continue to move on, this wounded one can
no longer keep up. Soon, the lamb will be alone. From
its hiding the killer will move in, sensing the time for
the slaughter is right.
The deadly result!
At first light, the sheep farmer will realize the
magnitude of the carnage. He may find as many as 10 to
15 sheep slaughtered! But only one will be found to have
been eaten, the rest were simply victims of the
predator's thirst for blood.
Who is this dreadful beast? His name is Canis
Lupus Linnaeus. Or to the common man, the wolf.
Folklore of wolves
Perhaps no animal has captured the imagination of man
like the wolf. The wolf has permeated the mind of man in
legendary proportions. Thus, his folklore is full of
stories about the wolf.
"Folklore also has contributed to the wolf's bad
reputation. In many old sayings, the animal is a symbol
of badness or evil. For example, "to
keep the wolf from the door" means
to prevent hunger or poverty. "A
wolf in sheep's clothing" describes
a person who acts friendly but has evil intentions.
Fables and other folk tales pass on the misleading
notion that wolves attack people. In the story of Little
Red Riding Hood, a wolf threatens to eat a little girl."
(World Book Encyclopedia, vol.21)
The wolf's bad reputation is not without foundation,
former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt once called the
wolf, the "beast
of waste and desolation". This statement was a
result of observing the seemingly senseless slaughter of
sheep by wolves. Why did they kill so much more than
they could eat? This was contrary to the nature of
predator and prey.
Their hunting techniques
Wolves vary their hunting techniques. They hunt and kill
many different animals, such as deer, moose, caribou,
birds, rabbits, sheep and even mice. But sheep are the
only animals that wolves slaughter in apparent
compulsion, and in unnecessary numbers. What makes this
more compelling, is that wolves are extremely
intelligent hunters, not marauders. But there is simply
something in sheep that causes the wolf's thirst for
blood to explode into furious attacks!
Sometimes, wolves will slowly herd larger prey onto
frozen lakes, water or loose snow. The purpose is to
make footing and balance treacherous. In this vulnerable
state the animal can be attacked from different
directions and be unable to protect itself.
Wolves can literally run all night long. They can wear
down their resistant prey by following at a constant
distance; adjusting to the animal's speed until
exhaustion sets in. Even strong animals that are not
without defense against the wolf will eventually succumb
to this relentless pressure. As the old saying goes, -"Fatigue
makes cowards out of strong men". The same is true
in the animal kingdom.
Some animals unwittingly set themselves up to be killed
because they feed or travel alone. Musk Oxen,
practically invulnerable to attack when standing in a
defensive formation together, are easy prey for wolves
once they stray from the herd. Working in unison, the
wolves will surround a large animal such as this, making
it impossible for it to face all the intruders. The
wolves will strike from the sides and rear, slashing at
the hams, ripping at the flanks and abdomen. The animal
will weaken from the continuous harassment, and loss of
blood, then the wolves will move in for the kill.
The haunting howl of the wolf
Feeding the haunting, almost mystical perception of the
wolf, is its howl. It can be heard deep into the night,
and is often associated with danger in the human psyche.
Hunters that have encountered the wolf are often struck
by the intelligence in its eyes. It has been said, -"a
wolf takes your stare and turns it back on you". The
Bella Coola Indians believe that someone tried to change
all the animals into men, but succeeded in making human,
only the eyes of the wolf. The deadly stare of the wolf
has made cowards of many brave men.
Their social relationships
In spite of their savage reputation, wolves carefully
care for their young, not denying them part of the kill.
After many years of work in the wild studying the wolf,
Adolf Murie wrote that the strongest impression he was
left with was the wolves
friendliness toward each other. Even as adults,
wolves play tag with each other or romp with the pups.
Wolves are intelligent creatures, as animals go, they
are playful and protective parents to their young. And
they kill many animals for food, but in all this,
slaughter sheep compulsively. Notice this quote from
Senator Kendrick of Wyoming in the late 1890's -"Recently
I've received quite a few letters from university people
insisting, as I recall, on moderate action in connection
with the extermination of predatory animals, but I am
unable to conceive of anyone making that plea who had a
personal acquaintance with either the terrific disaster
wrought upon herds and flocks by wolves...or with the
method employed by these animals in connection with the
destruction of their prey. It is the most barbarous
thing imaginable. No doubt the motives of these people
are the best, but I believe they are uniformed."(Hearings
before the Senate Committee on Agriculture and
Forestry)
Wolves among the flock of God!
Jesus said that He would build His church and the gates
of hell (Greek "hades" -grave) would not prevail over
it. Jesus, and other inspired writers of the New
Testament called the church the "flock
of God". Notice Luke
12:32 -"Do not be afraid, LITTLE FLOCK, for your Father
has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom." In John
chapter 10, Jesus says that He is the true
Shepherd of His flock, and that unlike
a hireling, paid to oversee the flock, He will not
flee when danger comes, but protect the flock even
risking His own life for them. Notice Verses
11-13 -"I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd lays
down His life for the sheep. He who is a hireling, and
not a shepherd, who is not owner of the sheep, beholds
the WOLF coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees, and
the WOLF snatches them, and SCATTERS THEM. He flees
because he is a hireling, and is not concerned about the
sheep." The
Apostle Peter instructed those that God had made
under-shepherds of Christ, to-"Shepherd
the FLOCK among you.."(1 Peter 5:2)
Out of all the animals in the animal kingdom, God
inspired His church to be likened to sheep. And
like real sheep, the flock of God has formidable enemies
also. These enemies of the church are called different
things, but when likened to the animal kingdom, they are
referred to as "ravenous
wolves". Notice Jesus' warning inMatthew
7:15 -"BEWARE of the FALSE PROPHETS, who come to you in
SHEEP'S CLOTHING, but inwardly are RAVENOUS WOLVES."
Paul's warning to church at
Ephesus
The Apostle Paul had stayed in Ephesus for three years
teaching the true doctrines of the faith. After being
compelled to travel to Jerusalem to answer the
accusations that he was teaching against the Law of God,
he left this final admonition to the church in Ephesus. Acts
20:28-31 -"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the
FLOCK, among which the holy spirit has made you
OVERSEERS, to SHEPHERD the church of God which He
purchased with His own blood. I know that after my
departure SAVAGE WOLVES will come in among you, NOT
SPARING THE FLOCK; and from among your own selves men
will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the
disciples after them. Therefore, be on the alert,
remembering that night and day for a period of three
years I did not cease to admonish each one with
tears."
Just what did happen to the church in Ephesus after the
Apostle Paul departed? Did they heed the warnings enough
to avoid being overtaken by these "savage
wolves"? The Scriptures reveal that years later
false teaching had become a major problem in this
church. Paul urged Timothy to slow the flow of erroneous
doctrines being taught there. Notice 1
Timothy 1:3 -"As I urged you upon my departure for
Macedonia, (not Jerusalem, this was years later) remain
on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain
men not to teach strange doctrines."It is
obvious that the church in Ephesus was having problems
with men among them "speaking
perverse things".
Jesus' warning to church at
Ephesus!
To this same congregation, the resurrected Jesus Christ
gave warning to, through the Apostle John. NoticeRevelation
2:4-5 -"But I have this against you, that you have LEFT
YOUR FIRST LOVE. Remember therefore from where you have
fallen, and repent and DO THE DEEDS YOU DID AT FIRST; or
else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand
out of its place, unless you repent."
This letter from Christ through John was actually sent
to the Ephesus church about thirty years after Paul
commissioned Timothy to correct their faulty beliefs.
But the church had lost its first love. They no longer
had a deep love for the true doctrines of the faith.
Jesus warned, that if they would not repent, and
recapture their first love, He would remove them from
being a part of His church.
Now think for a moment. Just what happened to this
church that was departing from the true faith? Did they
suddenly cease being a congregation? Did they no longer
hold services? Were they no longer teaching and praying
in the name of Jesus Christ? Did the membership believe
they had lost their first love, or did they believe
these new doctrines were true? Do you think they still
considered themselves true christians?
False Teachers are deceived
themselves!
The answers to these questions are obvious aren't they?
These false teachers believed in what they were
teaching, and the congregation trustingly accepted their
teachings. And they were convinced they were acceptable
to God. But as we found in Revelation 2, if they would
not change and repent, Jesus would disfellowship them
from His Body.
These "SAVAGE
WOLVES" that
had infiltrated the church at Ephesus had succeeded in
separating the flock from the true Shepherd, which is
Jesus Christ. They did it through deception and false
teachings. They had crept in unnoticed by the flock, and
the flock had not heeded Paul's admonition to "BE
ON GUARD FOR YOURSELVES and for ALL THE FLOCK". This
saddened him because he had lived there and taught them
for three years.
Wolves in leadership positions
When Wolves get into positions of leadership in the
church they may use whatever means necessary to DIVIDE
the FLOCK from its TRUE SHEPHERD. In 1
Corinthians 1, the brethren were
rallying around certain religious leaders. Some were
saying -"I'm of Paul",
others -"I'm of Peter", and still others -"I'm
of Apollos". Now
all these men were godly men and true servants of God.
But Paul told them that by doing this they were acting
as carnal
men.(fleshly or worldly) Each nation, around the
world, has its leaders that they rally and support,
don't they? The Apostle Paul asked the Corinthians -"Was
Paul crucified for you or Christ?" The
Corinthians were only doing what was natural for them,
but Paul told them this was not a spiritual approach
or attitude. Then in verse
13 he
asked the searing question, -"HAS
CHRIST BEEN DIVIDED?!!"
They are instruments of Satan!
Wolves are instruments of their leader, the Devil! They
may not realize it, they may be deceived themselves, but
nonetheless, they do the work of Satan. He seeks to scatter the
FLOCK from the TRUE SHEPHERD. The sheep are safe if they
remain close to the Shepherd, but are in danger if they
stray away. Wolves that are false teachers will try to
entice the sheep to follow them, in order to lead them
to slaughter.
Again, wolves usually don't
know they
are wolves, and are being used as instruments of the
Devil, but their fruits tell the tale. Matthew
7:15 says
they come in "sheep's
clothing". In verse 16, Jesus tells that we will
know them by their "fruits". They
may look and sound good, but does their teaching hold up
when carefully examined by the Holy Scriptures? Is it in
line with the teachings of Christ, the Apostles and
Prophets? It is your
responsibility to test
those who
come to you in the name and authority of Christ, to see
if their teachings are right and true.
Jesus explained that many would
come in His Name. Sincerity matters little, because many
false teachers are unaware that they are teaching error.
Many preach and teach only what they have been taught
from childhood. Most ministers preach the beliefs they
were raised to believe. If one was raised in the Baptist
faith, he may attend a Baptist School of Theology in
order to receive training and ordination. Most christian
denominations have colleges to train their ministerial
force for service in their churches.
Very few men indeed, ever really study themselves
approved by God's Word alone. No, their doctrines and
beliefs are established and approved by the denomination
that they will be employed by, before
their ordinationinto the ministry. Once in, they
must teach the doctrines set forth if they are to remain
in good standing, and employed. Consequently, there is
little incentive to put their doctrines to the test of
God's Word.
The TRUE SHEPHERD
Jesus is the TRUE SHEPHERD.(John 10) He is also the WAY,
the LIFE and the TRUTH. Notice John
14:6 -"I am the WAY, and the TRUTH, and the LIFE; no one
comes to the Father, but through Me." God
the Father has opened the door for man to have a
personal relationship with Him. But there is only one
WAY to achieve this, and that is through Jesus. There is
only one WAY to LIFE eternal, and that is through Jesus.
And there is only one WAY to abide with the TRUE
SHEPHERD, and that is to not stray from the TRUTH. He is
TRUTH! The true doctrines of the faith teach us how to
honor God and love our fellow man. Remember, it was the "perverse
things" that
were being taught in Ephesus that caused the brethren to
lose their first love. I'm sure these teachings did not
sound "perverse" to
the church. But they did not match the Word of God given
in the Bible. Note that Timothy was sent to rebuke these
false teachers with the pure Word from Holy Scripture.
Hirelings are thieves and
robbers!
When referring to "hirelings" in
the FLOCK, Jesus calls them "thieves" and "robbers".(John
10:8) Now
noticeverse 10 -"The THIEF comes only to STEAL, and
KILL, and DESTROY; I came that they may have LIFE, and
might have it abundantly."
Just what do these agents of Satan want to "rob" you
of? What could they rob you of that would "kill" and"destroy" you?
It could not possibly be your money or material
possessions. Jesus had to be referring to youreternal inheritance,
your eternal
life in
God's kingdom. The FLOCK of God are His because they
have the indwelling of his holy spirit, and have passed
from death to life through the power of His Son, Jesus
Christ. True christians possess the seed of eternal
life,(holy spirit) it is theirs if they continue to hold
on to the true faith. The Bible teaches that many will
fall away from this faith.(2 Thessalonians 2) "Fall
away" from what? Well, the teachings of the TRUE WAY
of LIFE. If you abide in Christ you have the promise of
eternal LIFE. These wolves desire to rob you of your
eternal inheritance! To do that they must draw you away
from the SHEPHERD and His teachings. To remove you from
Him, in whom is the resurrection and the LIFE. Once this
is accomplished, you are easy prey for them.
Notice 2
Peter 2:1-3 -"But false prophets (wolves) also arose
among the people, just as there will be false teachers
among you, who will secretly introduce destructive
heresies (false doctrines), even denying the Master who
bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
And many will follow their sensuality (Greek "apoleia"
-means "destructive ways"), and because of them the way
of the TRUTH will be maligned.(evil spoken of) And in
their GREED they will exploit you with false words;
their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their
destruction is not asleep."
Meaning of Peter's warning
In this general epistle to the churches of God
everywhere, the Apostle Peter warns them of the
infiltration of false teachers. Once in positions of
leadership in the congregations, these teachers would
introduce false doctrines designed to lead one to deny
his Master, who is Christ. The MANY that would embrace
these teachings would eventually think evil of the
TRUTH.
Peter said these wolves
in sheep's clothing, would be driven by GREED. He
could only be referring to greed for money, or material
possessions, but I believe this is unlikely. These men
among the churches are likely the"RAVENOUS WOLVES" among
the "FLOCK" that
Jesus spoke of that are there to "rob", "steal" and "kill".
As active agents of Satan, they are motivated by his
mindset, -to scatter the flock from the true
Shepherd, and His protection. He knows the sheep are
safe as long as they abide with the Master.
The Devil owns the world, and all the things in
it at this present time. He
has no real greed for money. He covetsthe
people of God. His is greedy for
the flock of God, he wants what belongs to God and His
Son, Jesus. Satan is the original "bloodthirsty" beast.
Notice 1
Peter 5:8 -"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your
adversary, the Devil, prowls about like a ROARING LION,
seeking someone to devour." His
false teachers, the wolves among
God's flock are greedy for
blood, more than money or material possessions. They
seek to lead the christian away from the Lord, and into
the ways of eternal destruction.
Paul warned the brethren in Ephesus that "SAVAGE
WOLVES" would
come in after his departure, and not spare the FLOCK.(Acts
20) Later
he encouraged Timothy to combat the false teachings of
these men there. At about the same time Paul wrote
Timothy concerning the doctrinal errors in the Ephesus
church,(early 60's A.D.) Jude,
the brother of Jesus, sent a general epistle to all the
churches.
Jude warned of false teachers
The contents of this letter give us a vivid account of
what was happening in many of the congregations of God.
Tragically, only thirty years after the church of God's
glorious beginning, MANY were falling away from the
faith once and for all delivered to the saints. Notice Jude
Verses -3-4 -"Beloved, while I was making every effort
to write you about our common salvation, I felt it
necessary to write to you appealing that you contend
earnestly for the faith which was once and for all
delivered to the saints. For certain persons have crept
in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out
for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the
grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only
Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."
Jude had become aware of a great need for true
christians to fight for the faith already delivered.
There were false teachers (wolves) perverting the
original doctrines. How did "certain
men creep into the flock unnoticed"?Because they
came in "sheep's
clothing".
Test those who come in Christ's
Name
It is necessary to test those coming in the Name of
Christ, and it is your responsibility to weigh their
teaching against the mighty sword of God, the Holy
Bible. Apparently, the church at Ephesus did finally put
those"savage wolves" to
the test, and judged them as false teachers. But by this
time, so much damage had been done, the church had been "robbed" of
its first love of the truth. Many years later, in about
96 A.D., Jesus sent a letter to the church through the
Apostle John. In it, the Lord calls for them to
recapture that first love, but also commends them for TESTING
the teachings of
those who had come to them in His Holy Name. NoticeRevelation
2:2 -"I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance,
and that you cannot endure evil men, and you PUT TO THE
TEST those who call themselves apostles, and they are
not, and you found them TO BE FALSE."
The great END-TIME wolf to
come!
The ultimate wolf to
come in sheep's
clothing is
yet to come! The Bible calls him the "beast". This
great leader will soon, come quickly on the world scene
as the ruler of the European Commonwealth; along with
his sidekick, the great "false
prophet" that
will call fire down from heaven, and cause the entire
world to worship the beast. This political leader will
claim to be God! The false prophet will also declare him
to be God in the flesh, and will perform miracles in
order to confirm their word, and to deceive the people
of the earth. All that do not have a deep love for the
TRUTH of God will succumb to deception at this time.(Read
2 Thessalonians 2, Revelation 13, Daniel 7,11,12)
Tares among the wheat
What about wolves among the flock that are not in
leadership positions? Notice Jesus' parable of the Tares
among the Wheat. Matthew
13:24-30 -"He presented another parable to them, saying,
-The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who
sowed good seed in his field. But while men were
sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the
wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprang up and
bore grain then the tares became evident also. And the
slaves of the landowner came and said to him, Sir, did
you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it
have tares?' And He said to them, An enemy has done
this!' And the slaves said to him, Do you want us, then,
to gather them up?' But he said, No lest while you are
gathering up the tares, you may root up the wheat with
them. Allow them both to grow together until the
harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to
the reapers, First gather up the tares and bind them in
bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my
barn.'"
Now notice Jesus' explanation of this parable, -Verses
37-40 -"The one who sows the good seed is the Son of
Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good
seed, these are the sons of the kingdom;(church) and
the tares are the sons of the evil one;(wolves) and
the enemy who sowed them is the Devil, and the harvest
is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.
Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned
with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.
Tares resemble wheat
The "tare",
also known as a "darnel",
is a weed that so closely resembles wheat, that it is
virtually impossible to distinguish until
the ear is developed. The difference? Like true
christians, the wheat bears
fruit, and the like false brethren, the
tare does not.
Notice also, that Jesus said these tares were sown in
the Lord's field while the servants
slept. This is why it is so important to "be
on guard" as
Paul warned the Ephesians. Wolves work best under the
cover of darkness. Like their father, the Devil, they
are masters of stealth and deception.
They come in sheep's clothing
As wolves come in sheep's clothing, the tares come in
the appearance of the wheat. It is not until the wheat
develops grain, can one readily recognize the
difference. As it is when a wolf enters the flock, so it
is with tares among the wheat. Much of what goes on is
beneath the ground, hidden under the cover of darkness,
covered by deceit. By the time they sprout from the
earth, the roots of the tares have become entangled with
the roots of the wheat. If you were to rip up the tares,
it would uproot the wheat also.
Tares entangle the young and
weak
Likewise, false brethren acting as wolves in the flock,
often seek to entangle the
young and weak in the faith. They may get involved in
their life and act as some spiritual
guide. After all, they have "been in the church many
years." But usually these wolves cannot even tend to
their own affairs. Their own houses are almost always in
disarray. Once entangled into the fabric of
another, they will slowly, but surely, water
down their
faith, conforming them into the likeness of their own
unrighteous lives, rather than the holy likeness of
their heavenly Father.
They will try to get their focus off the True Shepherd
and on them, or some other hireling they
may follow. Even if this is a godly man, as we learned
from the principle of -"I am of Paul", "I
am of Peter", (1 Corinthians 1-3) it still replaces the
one who gave His life for them. It separates one from
Christ. That is why Paul asked, -"Is Christ divided?" Paul
reminded them that it was Christ that was crucified for
them. God does not want the believer's devotion divided
between Him and another. Our God is a "jealous God" when
it comes to His chosen ones. Mixture is never acceptable
to God.
Wolves don't know they're
wolves!
Wolves are sometimes very hard to detect. No one
introduces himself as the local church "wolf". And
indeed, most do not even know who they are, as they are
deceived themselves. Once a wolf such as this is
discovered, he cannot always simply be put out of the
assembly, because his "root
system" may
be so entangled with others young or weak in the faith.
To rip him up suddenly, would uproot others that may
think of him as their spiritual guide. A situation such
as this must be handled with much care, fasting and
prayer.
God does provide true spiritual
guides
This is not to say that God does not provide teachers
for His church, certainly He does. But they are to have
the same humble attitude of Paul and Peter. True
under-shepherds of Christ, are to gently guide the
spiritual growth of the flock, watch out for the
dangerous wolves, and be helpers of the brethren's joy.
And perhaps above all, point them to their true Lord and
Master, Jesus Christ and God the Father. Notice 1
Peter 5:1-4 -"Therefore, I exhort the elders among you,
as your fellow-elder and witness of the sufferings of
Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be
revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, not under
compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of
God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor
yet as LORDING IT OVER those allotted to your charge,
but proving to be EXAMPLES TO THE FLOCK. And when the
Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading
crown of glory."
Wolves among the flock want to stop the christian in his
tracks. Since he is driven by the spirit of the Devil,
he will use the same tactics. He will seek to engender doubt,
and attempt to spread the feeling of hopelessness while
the believer is enduring a trial. He will often act as
an accuser of
the brethren. While with you he will poison you with accusations of
another brother or sister, while with someone else, he
will use
your own words against
you. He seeks to cause division and strife in
the assembly of the Lord. Notice Proverbs
16:27-28 -"A worthless man digs up evil, while his words
are as a scorching fire. A perverse man spreads strife,
and a slanderer separates intimate friends." He
may comfort you in a wrong way, causing you to believe
you are justified in your sin, hampering you from coming
to real repentance.
Christ is replaced!
Remember, wolves come in sheep's clothing. He
will seek to befriend you, especially if you are a new
convert, spiritually weak or going through a severe
trial. Soon, like tares, they will begin to entangle you
with their roots. You will begin to feel you need, or
must have them in your life to survive. Sadly, after a
period of time, you willreplace the
living Christ as your pattern for living your life, and
pattern your life after theirs. This is a common
occurrence in many religious organizations. How often
have you heard someone say that have joined the
"Baptist" church, or the "Lutheran" church, etc? They
then do or don't do what everyone else does or doesn't
do in that church. Few rarely ever look seriously into
the Word of God to see if their way of life matches that
of Christ. After all, their root
system has
become entangled with something other than the True
Vine, which is Christ. Notice John
15:5-6 -"I am the VINE, you are the BRANCHES; he who
abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for
APART FROM ME, YOU CAN DO NOTHING. If anyone does not
abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries
up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire,
and they are burned."
The LIFE is in the VINE. If a branch is not connected to
the Vine it will dry up. The Bible tells the Christian
that he will have to endure FIERY
trials in
his life. They come upon him in order to test him. A branch that
is green and alive, is full of "living
water" from
the Vine that
it is connected to. It can withstand much heat and
flames. Everyone knows, freshly-cut green
wood is
too moist inside
to burn well.
Likewise, the christian that is abiding in the True
Vine, can
withstand the fiery trials that God allows the Devil to
throw at him. But if he is separated from the Vine,
which is his source of life, he will dry up, and will
burn easily and quickly in the fiery trial.
Some Scribes and Pharisees were
wolves
These wolves are like the Scribes and Pharisees Jesus
pronounced the seven woes to in Matthew 23. They are"white-washed
tombs"! They look good on the outside, but inside
there is no life, just dead men's bones. They are "dirty
cups". They spend all their time cleaning the
outside, but inside are full of unrighteous deeds and
motives. Their lives are a lie, only delusion.
They may have said "No" to God!
Wolves are sometimes true christians that have said "No"
to God. God has tried to take them through bitter places
and they have refused to go. Rather than overcome a
bitter trial, they allow themselves to be overcome with
bitterness. They have lost their joy. They can no longer rejoice in
their trials, as Jesus said. They can't rejoice, because
they are no longer living for tomorrow,
but for today.
By becoming a friend of the world, they have become
enemies of Christ.(James
4:4) Have
you ever tried to worship God, while being critical, or
a fault-finder of others?
They have refused to repent
There may have been sin in their life that was difficult
to repent of. Satan may have continually accused them
because of it, causing doubt and discouragement, and
eventually hopelessness to the point of tempting them to
give up. They have said "No" to the dealing of their sin
when God asked for everything. Remember, one of Satan's
tactics is applying constant pressure. He attempts to
wear down the patience of the saints.(Daniel
7:25)
After giving
up on
God, and giving
in to the
Devil, they will focus on the sins of others, whether
real or imagined. To cover their own guilt, they will
blame others for whatever problems they have. They
may put on a front of joy and happiness, especially in
the assembly, but it is only an illusion. It is not
there the rest of the week. By
quenching the spirit of God, they are becoming a hollow
shell.
Without true repentance, in time they will
become a wolf, if they stay in the assembly. They
will have lost their true salvation, so they have to recreate
the terms of
salvation. Not based upon the holy Word of God,
but by the dictates of their own deceived heart. Notice 2
Thessalonians 2:10-11 -"And with all the deception of
wickedness for those who perish, BECAUSE they DID NOT
RECEIVE the LOVE of the TRUTH, so as to be SAVED. And
FOR THIS REASON God will send upon them a DELUDING
INFLUENCE, so that they might BELIEVE what is FALSE. If
one rejects the truth long enough, refusing to allow it
to convict him, -bringing him to repentance, God will
actually cause him to believe a lie!
They recreate terms of
salvation
By creating their own terms of salvation, they destroy
the standard of God. All that is left is a spirit
of delusion.They become bent on leading others into
their permissive behavior. They become haters of truth
and light, and lovers of deceit and darkness.
They may appear righteous on the outside as the Scribes
and Pharisees who Jesus called hypocrites, but there is
no longer any light in them. By rejecting Jesus as the
Messiah, these men sealed their fate as wolves among the
flock. They not only denied Christ, but in the name
of God, actively caused others to deny Him as their
Savior. Notice Matthew
23:13 -"But woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites, because you SHUT OFF THE KINGDOM (and its
King- Jesus) of heaven FROM MEN; for you do not enter in
yourselves, NOR DO YOU ALLOW those who are entering to
go in." They
love darkness because their deeds and motives are evil.
They will seek to extinguish the light in any way they
can.
Somewhere in their life they have said NO! to
God, -"This is
as far as I'm willing to go!" They
have failed tocount the cost of
being a christian, or have determined the cost
is too high. They are not willing to pay the price
of salvation, which is continuance repentance from sin.
But like the church at Ephesus, they usually do not
suddenly stop professing Christ. But by this point, they
have already began denying His Way of life, the only Way
that leads to salvation.
GOSSIP! An effective tool of
the wolf.
One of the most effective tools of the wolf is gossip.
With gossip he will poison the minds of the
unsuspecting. He may come to you with the words, -"Just
between me and you". Then proceed to poison your
mind toward another brother or sister that is not there
to defend themself. The wolf will say he is telling you
because "you
need to know" and
because he is "deeply
concerned". What he tells you may be 100% true or
some truth mixed with lies. But his real purpose is to
get your mind off holiness. By enticing you into
critical evaluations and conversations of other
brethren, he will succeed in hampering your prayers,
thus achieving the first step in separating you from
your Savior, and true Shepherd. Again, the wolf probably
is not aware of his own motives, he has been given a
spirit of delusion.
Biblical principle is clear
The Bible is clear in its instruction toward helping a
brother or sister if you see him practicing sin. You are
to go to him directly in a spirit of love and humility,
motivated to restore your brother. To reconnect him to
the Vine.
The wolf will not follow this
Biblical procedure, because he is not really motivated
by the spirit of restoration of the brother or sister. He
may offer various excuses, such as, -"I
would talk to him, but I'm sure he won't listen to me",
or "That
person thinks he knows it all". And like
the Pharisees who would not accept Jesus, and would not
allow others to either, the wolf will not want you to go
try to help the person he is accusing, even though he
says he is concerned for them. He may say, "I'm
going to tell you this, but please don't tell anyone I
said it."
You may give your word to keep it confidential, then
receive into your being poison that would eventually
destroy your soul. You won't really know if it is true,
and now you won't have a means of finding out. You may
never look at that brother or sister in the same way
again. You will have received "seeds" of division.
Notice Paul's instruction toward them in Romans
16:17-18 -"Now I URGE YOU, brethren, keep your eye on
those who CAUSE DISSENSIONS and HINDRANCES contrary to
the teaching which you learned, and TURN AWAY FROM THEM.
For such are SLAVES not of our Lord Christ but of THEIR
OWN APPETITES; and by their smooth and flattering speech
they DECEIVE the hearts of the unsuspecting."
God gives the christian a spirit of unity not
division. They
are to be separate from the world, but united in Christ
and their love for one another. Notice 1
John 4:20-21 -"If someone says, `I love God', and hates
his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love
his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he
has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him,
that the one who loves God should love his brother
also."
Not corporate unity
This is not unity through corporate organization, or
religious affiliation. The church of God is the living
Body of Christ. Each member must be united together
through Him, and His spirit. As each branch is connected
to the Vine, the true christian will be connected to
Jesus Christ. As the life is in the Vine, it is in Jesus
for the christian, and in no other. It is not wrong to
be a part of a religious organization, but one must
always remember that his salvation, and his relationship
with the Father comes only through the Son. He alone is
the Way, the Truth and the LIFE.
This love John speaks of, will motivate the true
christian to go to his brother if he sees him begin to
fall away from the faith, or becoming bitter. Notice James
5:19-20 -"My brethren, if any among you strays from the
truth, and one turns him back, let him know that he who
turns a sinner from the error of his way will SAVE HIS
SOUL FROM DEATH, and will cover a multitude of sins." Christ
does not want His followers to quietly stand by and
watch another whom He died for, fall away. He would be
acting as a hireling in
the flock that has no real concern for the sheep.
National wolves, enemies of
Israel
In 586 B.C. the Jewish nation was conquered by
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Most all the educated were
taken as slaves to work in Babylon. Years later the
Medo-Persian empire attacked and conquered Babylon.
Under Cyrus the Great, the Persian King, the Jews were
allowed to rebuild their holy city, Jerusalem. Ezra and
Nehemiah were entrusted with this task, but it would not
be easy.
As we read in Nehemiah 4, there were enemies of these
people of God. And they did not want Jerusalem rebuilt.
In a national sense, we can liken them to wolves. They
were happy the city of God and His holy Temple was in
ruins. But the Jews had a mind to work, to restore what
was lost. They wanted the glory of the Lord to fill His
Temple again. They wanted to resume the daily sacrifices
and offerings to God.
But the enemies were equally determined to prevent this
from happening. Like wolves, they schemed to come in
stealth to kill and destroy the work of God. Notice Nehemiah
4:11 -"And our enemies said, They will NOT KNOW or SEE
until we come among them, KILL THEM, and put a STOP TO
THE WORK." But
notice also what the Lord inspired His people to do, Verse
9 -"But we PRAYED to our God, and because of them
(wolves) we SET UP A GUARD AGAINST THEM day and night."
The Christian is the temple of
God
The Apostle Paul says the christian is the holy Temple
of God today, the dwelling place of the holy spirit of
God.(1 Corinthians 3) The
christian is the work of God. Living stones built upon
the chief corner Stone.(1 Peter 2) The
christian is the work that wolves in the church want to
stop. True christians BUILD UP the Body, wolves try to
tear down the Body. True christians encourage one
another to GOOD WORKS, while wolves lead the
unsuspecting into unholy conversation, compromise and
ungodly living. Like
the Jews of Nehemiah's day, christians must SET
A GUARD AGAINST WOLVES that
seek to rob the Lord's "little
ones" of
their eternal inheritance.
WOLF CHASERS!
Here are some "WOLF CHASERS". To the suspected wolf in a
leadership position in the Body, one must ask,-"Prove
to me by the Word of God that what you are teaching me
is true." "If the Bereans were considered noble-minded
because they searched the scriptures to SEE IF PAUL'S
TEACHING WAS TRUE, then you must allow me to judge what
you say by God's Word." (Acts
17) "Paul
said that he and all other teachers in the church, must
be proved trustworthy, therefore allow me to put you to
the test of the Bible." (1
Corinthians 4)
Here are some "WOLF CHASERS" for the suspected wolf
among the brethren, or the possible tare that may be
attempting to entangle themselves into your "root
system". "Why
are you telling me this about brother so and so?" How do
you know what you are telling me is true?" Why haven't
you gone to him privately as the Scripture says?" "If
you are really concerned, do something about it other
than telling others about it." "Can I quote what you are
telling me?" "Let's you and I go to that person and help
restore him." "Even if what you say is true, isn't it
still gossip?" "Didn't Jesus say we will answer for
every careless word we speak?"
Notice Matthew
12:36-37 -"And I say to you, that every careless word
that men shall speak, they shall render account for it
in the day of judgment. For BY YOUR WORDS you shall be
JUSTIFIED, and BY YOUR WORDS you shall BE CONDEMNED."
Satan and his wolves know this Scripture well. He knows
that if he can get you involved in unholy, critical and
accusative conversation, you will bring condemnation
upon yourself. Then he will have succeeded in "killing"and "destroying" your
hope of glory, and will have "robbed" another
from the Lord's flock.
God allows this to happen. He put man on this planet,
knowing it was inhabited by the Devil and his Demons. He
wants you to CHOOSE to do what is right. He wants you to
resist the Devil. To say "no" to Satan and "yes" to Him.
He has set before us LIFE and DEATH, and says "Choose
LIFE". Those that do, will receive glory, honor and
eternal life in the wonderful Kingdom of God.
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