Our doorbell rang the other night. Our next door neighbor and his seven-year-old daughter popped over to introduce us to their new eleven-week-old puppy. He was a tiny thing and may only gain a couple more pounds during his lifetime. He’s such a cutie. That little girl was so proud of her new puppy. She said she lets him sleep with her. I told her that she could bring him over anytime she wanted.
A few months ago, I was having a conversation with that same neighbor. He had told me that, at one point, they had owned a dog. He said he wasn’t sure he wanted to get another one, because he was concerned about coyotes in our area. Now. They have a new puppy. All fears of coyotes attacking a very small dog must have been put to rest. Or. Perhaps it was the constant asking and asking for a puppy by his ever loving daughter. It doesn’t really matter the reason that worn him down. What matters is that they never let this tiny dog outside unattended. Especially in the dark. I’ve never seen a coyote in the area, but I have heard them. And they sound like they’re the ones being attacked and torn apart.
I’m reminded of the neighborhood we left ten months ago. For some unresolved reason, I still follow that neighborhood page on a popular social media site. That small neighborhood nestled in the midst of a large city has recently been targeted by a band of coyotes. And these coyotes aren’t being shy about their intentions. In full view, they follow people walking their dogs during the daytime. They’ve been caught on camera walking right up to someone’s front door or just sitting near the driveway. They’ve made themselves known, and not in a good way. They’ve become a menace to the neighborhood. Recently, one person who lived two doors down from us uploaded a video of the woods behind the neighborhood. The only thing visible was the trees, but the sound was ominous. The coyotes were in perfect harmony with the sirens going by on the freeway. I would hate to be a pet owner in that neighborhood these days.
As I said, I haven’t seen a coyote in my current neighborhood. I’m not sure what makes me more uncomfortable. Seeing the threat or not seeing it. It pays to always be on guard for unseen predators. We can consider ourselves warned when we see or hear predators in our neighborhoods. We have to be prepared for the unthinkable. And we have to know that a predator can appear at any time, ready or not.
I realize a coyote isn’t a wolf, but they both have cunning tendencies. The coyote likes to hide in tall grass in search of its prey. And there is a plot of land behind my neighborhood that the owner doesn’t keep mowed. The grass has been getting tall. It would be a fine hiding place for an animal of prey seeking its next victim. My neighbor has a rightful fear of leaving his small dog unattended near that area behind our houses.
Test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21
These situations remind me of a podcast I listened to earlier in the week. The president of a Christian university was being interviewed about how he makes sure the university he leads remains a solid biblical school. The conversation revolved around un-Christian biases that have penetrated biblically sound schools of higher education. They talked about secular schools where it’s common practice to teach from a secular worldview. And the fact that, at those schools, they don’t have to be dressed as sheep when they’re clearly wolves.
But a school that calls itself Christian is another beast. While the school may have the word “Christian” in its name, does it require students, faculty and staff to sign a covenant attesting that they are living biblically? Does it hire only sound Christian staff and faculty? Does it accept only students who are determined to live a biblical worldview? Because if the school doesn’t have a strong, unwavering standard, secular ideologies will creep in. Oh. It may takes years for the change to be noticeable, but there will be change over time.
The concern is that schools that have always been touted as Christian have been infiltrated by non-Christian leaders and teachers. They also admit a high percentage of nonbelievers into their student body each year. The belief has always been that they will convert the nonbelievers to faithful followers of Christ. But the statistics have shown that the opposite happens. The problem is that once people who don’t profess that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior are allowed into the school in different roles, they will begin implementing nonbiblical teachings and practices wherever they can. And over time, the school will be turned into a den of wolves, hardly recognizable in the Christian community. Is that what Christians want?
Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. Matthew 7:15-20
Wolves don’t destroy the church from the outside — they lead it from the pulpit. ~Bible in Context
The church’s greatest threat today isn’t from other religions. It’s from false teachers within the church who are leading unknowing believers far from the truth. It happens not only in Christian schools, but also in churches and businesses. Any organization that says it stands for Christian values must be on guard against the devil’s ploys. Their hiring practices and organizational decisions must reflect a biblical worldview. Otherwise, it’s a counterfeit Christian organization.
Christian teachers and leaders must faithfully and humbly live a Christian life? Are they honest, or are they a hypocrite? Do they cheat or take questionable shortcuts in their work? We all know that actions speak louder than words. Evil and deception can be found in Christian settings.
As followers of Christ, we need to know what a sheep wearing wolves clothes looks and sounds like. We can’t claim innocence if we haven’t done our due diligence and can’t spot a fake. That means we need to study the Bible so we know what we’re looking for. We should be able to evaluate someone’s words and lives in comparison to the Bible. Do they pass the smell test of biblical Christianity? They may be friendly and nice, but they’re enemies of the kingdom of God. They are counterfeit Christians. Basically, they’re double agents. We have to be on guard against those who appear to be Christian, but inwardly they are agents of Satan.
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
The forest was shrinking, but the trees kept voting for the Axe, for the Axe was clever and convinced the Trees that because his handle was wood, he was one of them. ~Turkish Proverb
Mercy for the Day 