Jackals Among Ruins

JACKALS AMONG RUINS

Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel. Ezekiel 13:4

On August 26, 2008, Dr. Mike Milton, President of Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) in Charlotte, North Carolina, delivered a message at the Convocation of RTS to start this academic year. His message was taken from Ezekiel 13:1-5; it was titled “Jackals Among Ruins.” Dr. Milton spoke of a “quiet killer” that was taking the lives of millions of Americans: false preachers.

These preachers are like those of Ezekiel’s day who taught what was in their own spirit rather than that which is in God’s Word. My friend, Mike Milton, describes these failing preachers this way:

The quiet killer of ministry is preaching and teaching the things that are not of God and His Word. The quiet killer of ministry is putting our efforts into causes and movements that do not promote what saves people. When we have neglected the ordinary means of grace, then our churches are weakened, the unconverted neglected and the Great Commission ignored. In short, our people will fall into ruin. The leaders of such churches will become like jackals among those ruins. Few would deny that Western secularized Europe, Britain and—sadly we must add—the United States, look like the spiritual ruins of a bygone faith. Today we know of scandals and scandalous spiritual leaders who are jackals among the ruins.¹⁹

Why was God so concerned about these bogus prophets? Well, besides dishonoring God and lying in His name, they had not prepared the people for “the day of the Lord” (v. 5). Later in his prophecy, Ezekiel would define what this “day of the Lord” would be. Please read Ezekiel 30:1-4.

God would say: “On that day, messengers shall go out from me in ships to terrify the unsuspecting people.” (Ezekiel 30:9).

Let’s be candid: Who wants a ministry like that? We are told today that “the Gospel” needs to be preached, not fire ’n brimstone! By that, pundits mean only a message of personal forgiveness and assurance in Christ. It seems that we are told by some that grace that justifies us is enough; we need not expect to be sanctified. I may be odd, but I am neither comforted nor encouraged by that message. That, to me, is not good news.

What if the Gospel were about the Kingdom of God? What if the good news was about something far, far beyond me and more significant than my little life? What if the Gospel were about something larger than life, greater than self and lasting forever? What if the Gospel taught me to worry less about self and more about “the day of the Lord”?

What if the Gospel actually set me free (Galatians 5:1, 13) to ignore myself and focus my life on the Great Cause of Christ?

Herein lies the glory of our witness: We are called to lift up the hearts and heads of bowed and bewildered sinners and help them gaze upon the horizon where they might catch a glimpse of the City of God––their ultimate destiny and eternal home.

If I preach only what is in my own heart and spirit, then I preach a psychological version of the Gospel that devolves into an evangelical self-help message. Instead of using techniques of positive thinking, I merely turn grace into a baptized method to cope with the reality that the world is dying and the “day of the Lord” is nearer than it was yesterday, while I remain unchanged. This is not the Gospel of Jesus, the Gospel of the Kingdom.

And if I preach that way, Mike Milton and Ezekiel are correct, I become a jackal among ruins. I live like a scavenger among the fallen glory of a once-great civilization, a churlish coyote of a man, unequal to the heroic task of calling God’s people away from Babylon to the City of God.

Prophets were never popular. Preachers of the Kingdom are not much better received. Pastors who stroke the sheep while the world collapses around them are usually well-liked. But in the end, they whimper and growl among the ruins of the world (1 John 2:15-17). How much more noble and necessary it is for us to have men who will prepare us for that inevitable Day of the Lord.

PRAYING FOR THE PCA

AC: Pray for wisdom for each of the members of the Nominating Committee, that they will be sensitive to the needs of each Committee and Agency as they work to propose a slate of names for election by the General Assembly.

CTS: Pray for staff members who work behind the scenes to assist with the mission of Covenant Seminary—especially for those in the Admissions, Financial Aid and Registration offices—that they will serve students with respect, wisdom and a clear love for Christ.

MTW: Pray God will use MTW’s church resourcing team to serve PCA churches and help strengthen their missions ministries.

RUM: Please pray for the Atlanta-based office staff of Reformed University Ministries as they provide administrative support to the 117 campuses across the country. Pray that they will have fresh encounters with Jesus as they serve behind the scenes.

RBI: Please pray for all RBI staff members as they pursue continuing education, enhancing insurance products, plan administration, counseling, communication and financial skills in order to serve the PCA.