John 10:1- Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2- But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3- To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4- And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5- Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6- Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. 7- Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 -All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
In John 9 Jesus is dealing with the so called spiritual leaders of Israel who were attacking Jesus for healing a man who had been born blind. The main reason for their attack is that Jesus healed this man on the sabbath. They were so bound up in their rules, dogma, and religious practices that they were totally opposed to someone receiving a miracle on the sabbath day. Apparently quite a few of Jesus’s miracles were performed on the sabbath. What a great way to celebrate the rest of God by seeing people made completely whole.
This encounter with religious people has a very familiar smell to me. It seems like every generation has its own “Pharisees” and “temple police”. There was a huge attack back in the 1980’s against any ministry that was moving in the supernatural. Dave Hunt wrote a book called the Seduction of Christianity that was at the epicenter of the attack really focusing on anyone moving in some sort of anointing. Today the attack has come from bloggers that have become the self appointed gatekeepers of God’s sheep. One of the most popular ones is a man by the name of Mike Winger. Like many others, he claims not to be a cessationist but as the saying goes if it quacks like a duck….you know the rest. It has become popular today to say you believe in miracles but in everyday practice you oppose those who actually have signs and wonders. Some of Winger’s targets are Bethel, Brian Simmons, and Todd White. If you pay attention, all of them are charismatic. The point being, we need to be careful who we listen to. If you swim in Winger’s pond (and those like him) you will be quacking like a duck too. These self appointed gatekeepers have found themselves in the same role as the Pharisees before them. Avoid falling into this trap at all costs.
How can you keep yourself from being deceived by thieves, robbers, and liars? First don’t subject yourself to their false teaching. Secondly read the Bible constantly for yourself. Honor Ephesians 4:11-16. The Lord has placed His shepherds in the church. They are there for your protection and edification.
