I remember watching a pee-wee football game once…it was the age where the players are tiny, most of them have no idea what they are doing—and the coach actually is with them on the field during the game.
The game I was watching was between a yellow team (the Chargers) and a blue team (the Colts.) The Chargers were getting smashed…and the coach was trying his best—but you could see the frustration all over his face. I remember him getting his team in the huddle one time & saying, “Boys—PLEASE remember that if you see someone wearing the same color jersey as yours—DON’T HIT HIM!”
Now that was pretty funny at the time…but now that I am seeing it in a different light—it’s sad. Let me explain…
I have became seriously disturbed at what I have been observing on the internet lately. There are actually some “Christians” who have established blogs and websites for the purpose of tearing down other Christians and churches. It’s all over the place…and for some reason I don’t think that Jesus is pleased.
Maybe it is because He said in John 13:34-35 that the world will know we are Christians by the fact that we LOVE one another…NOT because we blog against each other. I am becoming more and more sensitive to the fact that the world is watching…and these Christian “watchdog” websites are merely tools of satan to distract a lost world.
The Apostle Paul said in I Corinthians 1:10-12 that divisions among the body are STUPID and that we should not get caught up in ANYONE except Jesus. I think it breaks God’s heart when websites quote John MacArthur, Charles Spurgeon and Rick Warren more than they quote Jesus. Paul is VERY clear in this text that there are different styles of ministry…and that is OK as long as people are being reached for Christ.
The Apostle Paul also said in Philippians 1:15-18 that as long as Christ is preached—who cares about the motives of a person. I have been in the Christian world long enough to know that there are some people who do ministry for the wrong reasons…but as long as Christ as preached then it has been my view that HE is a much better judge than me…and HE can handle HIS business!!! (After all—the church IS HIS!)
And then there is Jesus! John came to him in Luke 9:49-50 and said, “Hey Jesus, we saw a guy casting out demons—but we put a hold on him—we cut the bloggers loose and have given him a slice of old truth! We told him to knock it off because He isn’t one of us—and that means he isn’t doing it the right way!”
And what did Jesus say? “Do not stop him…for whoever is not against you is for you.” In other words—STOP HITTING PEOPLE ON YOUR TEAM!
I’ve got to say it again—according to Scripture God is not pleased when Christians continually attack one another through blogs and then attach His name to it.
I know, I know—some people are wanting to ask, “But what about the false doctrine that exists out there.” HEY—I am ALL FOR confronting false doctrine. If someone says there is another way to heaven other than Christ—attack that doctrine. If someone says the Bible isn’t the word of God—attack that doctrine. If someone says that hell isn’t a literal place—attack that doctrine. If someone says God loves cats—attack that doctrine. (Ok…I had to lighten the mood!)
BUT…I just believe there is a way to attack doctrine without continually attacking a person and tearing them down. According to Proverbs 6:16-19—God HATES a man who does this—wow, pretty strong language.
One more thing…
In my seventeen years as a Christ follower I have observed something…if someone who is in a church leadership position is sinning, teaching false doctrine, stealing money…or WHATEVER else church leaders do…then God will handle it. The Bible is clear in Hebrews 12:5-11 that God KNOWS how to discipline His children…and for some reason I don’t think that His discipline will be through blogging.
Do I think Christian leaders should be confronted? ABSOLUTELY…but there’s this dude named Jesus who gave some instructions about this in Matthew 18:15-17 and I Timothy 5:19. This should be done in love…AND with the purpose of restoring the person if they are wrong. The Bible NEVER approves of someone causing disunity among believers.
I often think about what might happen if the energy that Christians use fighting against each other were actually focused on our real enemy—satan. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that our struggle is not against flesh and blood…OR against people who do not think exactly like us!!!
We need to face the facts that there is a real Jesus, a real devil, a real heaven, a real hell…and people go to that real hell if they don’t meet Jesus. And NO ONE is going to meet Christ as a result of some bitter, self righteous Christian who is pissed off at another Christian or ministry because they are not doing things the way they think they should be done.
Lets put our focus on the REAL enemy and do all that we can to destroy HIS work instead of destroying one another.