USA (MNN) — United States military officials continue trying to piece together the moments that led up to a member of the U.S. military gunning down fellow soldiers. Spc. Ivan Lopez is accused of killing three and turning his gun on himself at the Fort Hood, Texas military base.
MNN’s Greg Yoder and RHM’s Ron Hutchcraft in the Cornerstone University Radio studios.
How could a soldier turn the gun and shoot one of his own? That’s the same question Ron Hutchcraft of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries is asking. “That’s what grieves me about what’s going on amongst God’s people today because we do that. We shoot our own. There are so many people who have been wounded by another Christian.”
Hutchcraft, quoting a former pastor of his, says, “The devil’s favorite instrument to discourage a Christian is another Christian.”
He continues, “Unfortunately there is a lot of attacking one another right now, and either you’re too liberal or too conservative, or you’re too young or you’re too old-school. In many cases, we get on each other over the 10% area.” He says most evangelicals agree on 90% of Scripture but argue about the 10% that may not make any difference.
“The spirit of what’s going on is like shooting a brother,” says Hutchcraft. “Even within the local church, there’s backstabbing and gossip; today we can write blogs or go on Facebook and tell the world about all the bad things.”
Hutchcraft says that doesn’t mean we allow sin to continue in the body. “Sometimes people need to be corrected or challenged, but the tone of it should be one of patience and one of care and one of gentleness and one of a brokenhearted brother.”
It’s more than just dividing the church, says Hutchcraft. “A lost world is watching us. We just gave them another reason to reject Christ because they’re like, ‘You know what? You guys are no different than anyone else.’ We’re shooting each other and missing the real enemy.”
This kind of dysfunction is debilitating. “Actually, we’re assisting the devil in attacking Christians. A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
Ron Hutchcraft has written about this on his blog at http://www.Hutchcraft.com where you can also find additional resources to help you with evangelism and discipleship.
Amen and hallelujah! Preach it brother!!
Tell the truth and shame the devil!
as sinners saved by grace through the blood of JESUS CHRIST, were suppose to believe in the same laws that GOD made, there should be only one church we are the church, all of us who are saved should be as one people. but the churches today and the people in them dont help when a brother or sister has slipped instead of showing love, support, and prayers, and helping them overcome the problem, they gossip, and backbite, they allso will not give there seat up in church if someone new walks in, its like there living room at home, blankets, and whatever eles they leave on the pews untill next sunday.