Watchdog
By Bruce W. Robida
March 8, 2012
|
|
Recently I began thinking about my motivation behind the development of my website and especially my need to name false teachers. It has been an obsession with me for more than a decade and every now and then I wonder if what I’m doing is something God might not approve of. I often pray that if God doesn’t approve that he will let me know by silencing me in some way. So far He has not done that. Does it mean He approves? Not necessarily. How long do false teachers endure before their so-called ministries come crashing down? Sometimes they linger for decades laying in waste countless souls as they fill their minds and hearts with heresy’s that God will one day judge. So is that what I’ve got to look forward to as well? If judgment comes to me, I pray it will be in this lifetime rather than the next. I’d rather have an opportunity to repent than suffer the consequences after it is too late.
But what usually happens during this process of second-guessing my own motives, it seems like affirmation comes in ways that are difficult to ignore. I hear from people who visit the website and while hate mail is inevitable, more often is the case that people appreciate what they see there. And while one part of the website deals with false teachers (and most of the people I hear from comment on that more than anything else), there is another part that is the antidote. During one of my reflective periods I realized that all I had on the website was what is false without really providing what is true. As a result my website began to offer a means for people to find the truth to counter that which they may have otherwise been exposed to. And of course much of that is my opinion based on my own study of the Scriptures. However, it’s rare for someone to comment negatively about something that I wrote.
So once again I found myself wondering why I keep this website updated with new articles to uplift Christians and new false teachers that I sometimes come across. The answer was somewhat of a surprise to me. My initial motivation for creating the website was that I was angered by the false teaching that I was receiving. It further angered me that not only was I being deceived, but then so was my family and friends. It wasn’t long before I realized that there were false teachers out there deceiving hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of individuals who might end up in hell if they remain under the spell of those wolves in sheep’s clothing. I have become a watchdog for the Church because not many others are willing to do it. I love the Church (I don’t mean a building or institution, but individuals who make up the Church). I hate those who bring discredit to the Church. It causes many believers to lose their faith in Jesus. It’s OK to lose your faith in a preacher. In fact, it’s a good idea to never put your faith in a preacher. It’s always a good idea to question what he is telling you. Those who bring discredit to the Church also cause non-believers to stay away from the Church. The way they see it, Christians are a bunch of wacko, hypocritical fanatics who only want to control the masses. Is that what Christians really are? No! True Christians abide by and live according to what is taught in the Bible. Fortunately there are some preachers who actually teach what the Bible says without adding to or taking anything away from it.
So I have once again reached the conclusion that my website does do some good, and I believe that God does approve. My motivation is that the Church is damaged as a result of so-called Christians who corrupt God’s Word and misbehave as the world watches closely, hoping for them to mess up. I realize that preachers are just as human as the rest of us, but have they not been called by God to ministry? Have they not been set apart for the work that God has called them to? Do they not realize that they are being scrutinized very closely by the very public they hope to win over? As long as I am able to do so, and as long as God allows me, I will continue to call them out. It is not to ruin their careers or to slander them as some have suggested. It isn’t to bring discord or further embarrassment to the Church, but since they seem to be unable to police themselves, someone’s got to do it. It is an opportunity for the false teachers to repent while they are able, not to dig in their heels but for them to reflect on what they are doing so that they might make an attempt to change before it's too late.
|
|
|
Contact me about this article
Blog Me - Feel passionate about this subject? Join my blog and lets talk about it. You'll have to register but it's quick and easy.
Permission is granted to copy and distribute this article in its entirety, provided that it is not sold or used in any publication that is sold. Also, this disclaimer must accompany the article along with the author’s copyright and Zondervan’s copyright. All other uses for this article must be approved by the author in writing.