Maverick !

 

In the old days when ships had sails and were made of wood, cannons were on wheels so they could be moved around to the side of the ship where the most firepower was needed. In order to secure them, they were tied down with rope. Sometimes a cannon would come loose and begin to roll around the deck smashing into everything it came into contact with. So instead of damaging the enemy, it would damage the very ship and people it was supposed to protect. From this we get our idiom” “he is a loose cannon”, meaning he is not under control and just smashes and hurts anything and everything.

 

Many Christians are like that. Because they know no restraints, they roll around just demolishing everything in sight. Instead of inflicting damage on the enemy, they inflict more damage on the cause of Christ than the enemy can from outside.

Sometimes this happens when believers do not restrain their tongues and do not think before they speak. James says: "…the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." (James 3:5-8) Sometimes it is just a small remark that destroys a friendship or a few ill-chosen words that undoes years of the Lord’s work in another believer’s life. I have seen how just one believer can spread lies and gossip throughout a community and thereby introduce the poison that can destroy an entire church. The problem is that such people are not under the constraints of the Word and the Holy Spirit and because they do not submit to the church feel free to say whatever they wish and run from the consequences.

There can be no greater tragedy than when soldiers are killed by friendly fire. It is bad enough when the enemy snipes at and kills or wounds ones friends, it is downright tragic when allies are hurt or killed by their own fire. Yet this happens in churches all the time! There could be no greater sense of betrayal when Judas, one of the inner circle, confidant and friend, kissed the Savior and thus handed him to the executioners. Oh, the sting of betrayal when those closest to us light the fuse and run!

Not only does this happen in local churches, but it seems the internet is filled with such mavericks who, covered by the anonymity and electronic firewalls, are able to fire away at random at the people of God. In the local assembly such individuals are eventually exposed and isolated but on the internet they seem to be able to do their damaging work year after year.

One of the reasons for this problem is because there is just no accountability on the World Wide Web. Anyone can post whatever they like where it will stay for years poisoning every unsuspecting browser who happens to pass by. This is unrestrained speech in its worst form. Unfortunately many people who surf the web are undiscriminating and do not stop to question the integrity, qualifications or motive of the source. Some people have slowly begun to understand that not everything that is written in a newspaper is true, but very few seem to question the validity of something they read on their computer screen.

Thus the net hides a myriad of spiders just waiting to pounce on the unwary who happen to stray into its sticky web. These are mavericks who, mostly, are unable or unwilling to submit to any kind of authority and so sit on the sidelines firing randomly at anyone who happens to come across their sights. They often have a smattering of theological knowledge armed with which they set themselves up as experts in all matters of doctrine. Many times, because they are not working constructively towards the spread of the Gospel, have too much time on their hands and so spend hours on the internet surfing from one site to the other. They then build a patchwork of theology from the rags and riches which litter the internet. Armed with articles culled from other authors they then begin to bombard anyone who has an internet address with a mixture of truth and error. I have at least a dozen such people blacklisted on my computer and their stuff goes straight to the trash can.

Sometimes these loose cannons are not afraid to attack and disparage mature, proven teachers. If they were to face these men in the flesh, they would not last for five minutes before retreating with their tails between their legs. But from behind the protection of the computer screen, they will yap and nip at the heels of giants – too stupid to realize their folly!

The issue here is an unsubmissive, unbroken and arrogant heart. These are folk who will not listen to council, submit to the rigors of review by their piers or acknowledge the experience or wisdom of elders. Even worse, the anonymity of the internet allows people who would not be allowed to say one word in the local church, because of unrepentant sin, pharisaism or heresy to have a world wide audience. I cannot put it better than our brother Jude:

" Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries… But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever." (Jude 8-13)

 

 

Anton Bosch
antonbosch@sbcglobal.net

www.abcd.co.za/offi
www.abcd.co.za/plumbline
Tel 818 846 5520
Fax 818 846 4357
3310 West Magnolia Blvd
Burbank, California
91505-2907
USA