A turtle is about to swim across a wide river when a voice behind says, “Can you take me across on your back?” The turtle turns around and sees a deadly scorpion several feet away.
The turtle is startled by this request and replies, “If I do that you will sting me and I shall die!”
“No, no! I also want to get across to the other side and so I promise not to harm you. I can’t swim like you, so please help me.”
The turtle reluctantly agrees and so the scorpion climbs onto the turtle’s back. Halfway across the turtle suddenly feels a sharp pain in the back of his neck and cries out in pain.
“Why have you stung me? Now we are both going to die in this river!” The scorpion replies, “I’m really sorry but it’s just my nature!”
Teaching:
What then as believers are we to gain from this story which has a spiritual life application principle for us!
Firstly, there are those in churches whose nature doesn’t change when they come into the Kingdom and they will sadly give an account as they are un-teachable. Or it takes time for them to change their character ways and so patience is needed but at the same time they have to be corrected in love. The Word of God changes us if we will allow it to. Bad habits can disappear if saints are open to change, it is about from ‘glory unto glory’ as we become holy.
The next type we see in churches are more difficult to deal with and they generally end up leaving church after church. Why? Because they fit the description that James writes about in chapter I of his Epistle. He tells us ‘that a double minded person is unstable in all they do!’
What does it mean when someone is double minded? There are several ways of describing this troublesome character trait. In context to what happens within fellowship life we see that this shows a saint being quite un-saintly in their behaviour towards others. They end up causing mischief and hurt and so they have to be dealt with by the elders. Sometimes we see them change after a brother or sister admonishes them for their way and so it is not brought before the elders for action. Unchecked within the body of Messiah opinionated saints end up causing factions and splits through their conduct. Controlling or ruling the tongue is so very hard for some. It is that little member of our body that causes so many problems!
As a pastor and elder what I have seen over the years is that this type of ungodliness stems from an un-yielded character. The old has not totally gone and so this shows a rebellious nature. It results in conduct unbecoming of those that will have to give an account to the Lord at His Bema Seat! It can of course bring discipline from the Lord before then!
It is so sad when someone is positive in some ways but so negative in other ways.
Church or Fellowship life is spoilt and the enemy of our souls loves this and most of the time the person is then used by the enemy to cause disruption amongst the saints. We may term this sad internal carnal disease ‘Demonic Wisdom’ as it comes from inside or below and not from on high! The answer is not to listen to negative comments but to turn and walk away. This is the meaning of the Jewish word ‘to repent’, it is about turning around or away from. The answer is to caution and correct that person on the spot so that they will hopefully and prayerfully change. If they become difficult as the flesh will always want to justify the flesh, then an elder should be told who will with another elder sort out this double minded saint. Love, harmony and unity are what our Lord is looking for within His people. This is part of our walk in holiness of life, without which none of us will see Him. Hebrews 12:14.
Churches cannot have some saints who say one thing and then another. Churches cannot have some individuals amongst the brethren/sisters who complain or moan about almost everything about other saints or leaders to church decisions, to whatever …!! Churches cannot continue to see some having an opinion on almost everything when they are not in leadership or have no right to be judging others with their fleshly opinions! It is earthly demonic wisdom. This type of saint is a busybody and it is very unhealthy in church life. You begin to see one problem after another as division and strife enters in! Chinese whispers abound and some fleshly saints seem to revel in this having been conditioned for so long by the world and its ways. TV soap operas have a lot to answer for!
A godly pastor I knew once taught his flock, “If you can’t say something positive about others, then don’t say anything at all! ” He had wisdom and experience of years. We need those with a Barnabus spirit that encourages, not an un-yielded spirit!
Finally, churches have some who have a mind illness, it’s just their nature! They want to know God and have His love but they are unable to walk in that love and in the light with others. They cause offence as they talk about others all the time, sticking their nose in and they seem to feel it is their right to do so! They are spoilers, they ruin our love feasts, they have a spiritual stench that is picked up and sadly for them it can bring avoidance except for perhaps a polite hello!
A critical or opinionated saint will become a spiritual gypsy, reaping what they sow into their life. Jesus taught us that we will know one another by our fruit! The Church mending is never ending as saints work together and build up new believers. The Church making can also be heart breaking as some are disciplined, which normally results in them leaving through their perceived hurt not seeing that they have been hurting others. Their pride takes them away, or the enemy, as some are un-teachable and double minded! It is just their nature!
Some Key Verses: Proverbs 11:13. Proverbs 26:20. Galatians 5:15. Ephesians 4:29 -32. Philippians 2:14. Colossians 3:13. James 3:5-10.
Date : 30/11/-0001
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