There ARE wolves in the church that want you to shut up

By Geneva Yoder

December 16, 2011

 

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The following article was written by Geneva Yoder and posted by Tammy at "If Meadows Speak". Thank you Geneva and Tammy for allowing us to reprint it on our web site.

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For years I have had a secret fear there could be something wrong with me.

Something wrong with my understanding of God, His love and His expectations of us as His people.

It has been difficult to identify "it" but I am confronted with "it" regularly when I am open and honest with other believers who don't share my views. So, after numerous well meaning corrections over the years from fellow believers, I've learned to tone down my expression of the stirrings in my heart. I have also never been able to get away from "it'.

The corrections I refer to are the many exhortations I've received to repent from my own "judgemental mindset and critical thinking" concerning Christians who live in sin and even love their sin.

Sometimes these corrections have been gentle and sometimes they've been harsh but all of them have caused me to seek the Lord over and over again for His help in identifying these "judgemental and critical" tendencies in me, if indeed they exist.

The "it" in my life has been the secret fear that the "exhorters" could be right and I have a huge blind spot about my own motives and intentions. I have all these questions before the Lord.

Am I guilty as charged? Does my heart really have a huge deficit of the love of God for others? Does God's love for the church really negate the glaring lack of fervour for holiness and appalling lack of intolerance for that which is ungodly?

Am I guilty of "preaching law" as accused, or is He really the same yesterday, today and forever and it is us who have grown lukewarm?

Am I way out in left field or am I hearing and sensing the heart of God when I chafe in uneasiness at the discomfort I feel when I examine tepid beliefs that most accept as truth?

I have been on this journey for years to discover the truth about "it". So, let me share with you where I am at. Let me also warn you, if you are one of those believers who is convinced God is always pleased with you simply because you are His child or simply because you "believe and have faith", you will probably be offended by the following viewpoints.

I believe Paul knew what he was talking about when he warned by the Spirit of many false prophets, false teachers and false brethren in the church, especially in the last days.

Let me ask you, are there any in your church? Do you know of any in a neighbouring church? What about your entire denomination? Where are these wolves in sheep's clothing? I have found few people that will admit to personally knowing one, yet Scripture says they are among us.

Are we so politically correct we can't speak truth. Or is it because we are so blind we can't see the wolves?

Where are the watchmen who warn? Where is the fire that purifies? Where is the conviction of the Holy Spirit that produces a crying out from the depths of the hearts of sinners? A crying out for mercy and deliverance from sin and hell? A crying out for separation from the world and a separation unto God?

I listen transfixed to revival sermons of reformations and revolutions gone by. My heart leaps in confirmation at the scathing rebukes and laser point corrections that produced a yearning and a determination in people to walk in holiness before their God. I feel a burning and a stirring deep within me that causes my heart to cry out, "Oh God, Oh God! Let me be a part of revival like that!"

I am so hungry to see a holy hatred of the unclean thing. I am so hungry to see the fear of God return to His people. So hungry to see true repentance toward God, true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a true walk in the Spirit. I am so hungry for these things that words themselves cannot paint the picture adequately.

I am so weary of the many flavors of doctrines of devils that abound everywhere around me, with a new one springing up on a regular basis. New flavors of half truths, twisted scriptures and hyped up atmospheres that produce anemic converts who have a profession of God but no power in their lives.

"Converts" who are powerless against sin and instead cry "Don't judge me! God loves me!" when confronted with the truth of their condition. "Converts" who have no hatred for that which displeases God and who will fight for their right to embrace the various flavors of the day. I am so weary of these things and the utter distaste of them sometimes causes me to run and hide from the conflict they produce.

This is where I am in my journey to discover the truth about "it".

As I have begun to ponder, could "it" be a myth and then coming to the idea my heart may actually be beating in tune with the heart of God, I have become hopeful.

If the hunger that resides in me is just an extension of the hunger in His heart, I even dare to be excited. Maybe, just maybe I will see revival and I pray, Oh God let it be so!

~~Geneva Yoder

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