stumble | wolves

A group of us got together last week to talk about this thing that Jesus said a bit more...

Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come…” Luke 17:1

We managed to come with over 30 things that could cause us to stumble if we were not careful.
Interesting isn’t it?
I have to say though that this is the point really...
Thinking about it before it could happen gets you more prepared for what could happen.
It doesn’t mean you freak out. It does mean you make sure you do what you need to do to not stumble, and
simply trust God with His part in the equation.

I have been reading through the New Testament a lot in the last few weeks. One of the stumbling blocks to us as Christians that Paul and Peter seemed to keep coming back to was what sometimes were referred to as wolves.

Check out these scriptures...pretty ‘full-on’ kind of statements to make!

2 Peter 2:1
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies...

Acts 20:29
I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.

Paul the Apostle seemed to also have an ongoing battle with some people who he called the ‘circumcision group’. They would turn up where ever God had done something amazing with people and teach all sorts of rubbish.
The people would get confused and it used to make Paul mad. At one stage he said he wished they would go away and cut bits off their bodies!

Jesus even said this one day…

Matthew 7:15
Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

So if you don’t want to stumble in your faith, do as Paul advised Timothy, to watch his life and doctrine carefully. Make sure the food you get is good not just to look at but also to consume.
If someone is trying to teach something that doesn’t match up the whole Word of God, don’t accept it.

God is way bigger than weird teaching.
Focus on Him and what He says. That is all you need!

Something pretty challenging to think about…