The Enemy Within

You know how some people in the Church seem to have this idea that you shouldn't ever be contentious or direct or offensive? I'm not talking needlessly causing offense, I am talking about calling out people, rebukes, and warning people about things that rise up in the church that are a danger. We often hear about not judging others ever and how we're all supposed to love like we're all one big happy family where nothing is ever wrong. That family is more like the abusive family where the father is drunkenly beating the children while the mom just turns a blind eye and pretending that nothing is wrong as her kids have black eyes and arms in a sling. This isn't the way it supposed to be.
What do you see when you read these passages?



Acts 20:28 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. 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 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.


Do these passages not point to people in the church, among the brethren that are not themselves the brethren? In both Messianic circles and Christian alike, we have men and women who claim to be of God who offer strange fire in the form of certain doctrines. Some of these people seem less concerned about the truth than they do having a platform for their own point of view and persuasion. Most of these people aren't going to stand out like someone wearing all red and holding a pitch fork mind you. No, many of these people will present things that on the surface have the appearance of truth but are not rooted in the fullness of the faith. Here's the thing on that... when it comes time to address some in these ways, one of the first things that they may do, is call those who are speaking to the problems, projecting that they themselves are the problem.

“These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. 2 They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. 3 These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me.
-John 16:1-3

A friend of mine names Jon once shared a quote with me that said something like, "the sheep are terrified of the sheepdog because he has fangs like a wolf does. Most do no realize that the sheepdog, though similar to the wolf, is there to protect the flock from the wolf. It knows how the wolf thinks."

A wolf pretending to be a sheep will sometimes point to the sheepdog and call them a wolf. I've seen it. I've experienced it. That is to say that there aren't going to be times when two people disagree on a topic, and that topic will get heated... therefore someone in the disagreement is a wolf or a sheepdog protector. That's just two people disagreeing. But to continue..


Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 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. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. - 2 thes 2

John 6
64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” 66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 69 We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” 71 Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.

From the start, one of the 1 was KNOWN to be the betrayer. Scripture states that people will put us out of our own churches.... because they didn't hold to the truth and we see here Judas was going to betray our Savior and he knew it from the start. There is this thing called a Judas goat. It's an animal that mixes in with the flock but its purpose is to lead the animals to the slaughter house. So it is with some so called brethren they speak words of flattery and maybe toss around a scripture or two yet encompass this:


How long will you assail a man, That you may murder him, all of you, Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? 4 They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position;They delight in falsehood; They bless with their mouth, But inwardly they curse. Selah.


If some brothers are like Paul and Peter, in the sense that Paul openly rebuked peter and contended with him for the things that are right and correct, challenging the thoughts that Peter was things that were resulting in actions...  how many people in our own church would condemn Paul as stirring up strife or contention for calling out an idea that was not well?  How many people are in our churches that bless with their mouth but inwardly they curse? How many people hold to some self elevating pride and should you get anywhere near you, try to spin the conversation to make it sound like you are trying to shame them or tar and feather them or something.


I dont mention all of this to breed paranoia in the church, but quite the contrary. When the time comes and its coming sooner and sooner it would seem... that you're kicked out of a church for the right things, be it personal adherence to the Torah with Faith in the Messiah or for telling someone in authority of an area that needs to be addressed that they're preaching sin from a pulpit... take some heart because these things were spoken of. Dont lose faith.  When you see someone in the church with some weird doctrines who is looking for any platform they can find to speak them,  that gets mad at you when you point to the scriptures, and logic and reason that God gave us to refute the bad doctrines, and they accuse you of stirring controversy or strife... don't fall for it. Be without sin in addressing it.