Avoid The Kool-Aid Men

As a child, I remember watching commercials for Kool-Aid with the Kool-Aid man. He was basically a big juice pitcher with hands, feet, and a smiley face who offered Kool-Aid to kids after breaking through a wall. As he walked away he would turn to the kids and exclaim, “Oh yah,” as he saw that their thirst was quenched.
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In the innocence of my childhood, I was encouraged by the Kool-Aid man to drink Kool-Aid, but when I became older, I often heard the warning, “Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.” So why would people warn against drinking Kool-Aid when the commercials of my childhood showed it to be such an effective thirst quencher?
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In 1978, a preacher by the name of Jim Jones convinced his followers to drink Kool-Aid that had poison in it. Over 900 people were so loyal to Jones that they ended up dying after drinking the poison Kool-Aid. After that event, the phrase, “Don’t drink the Kool-Aid,” became a warning not to blindly follow any human leader.
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Jesus gave warnings about false teachers long before Kool-Aid ever hit the market. He said, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15 NKJV) "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” (Matthew 24:11 NKJV)
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The Apostle Paul gave similar warnings when he said, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” (Acts 20:29-30). He also sent this warning to a young pastor named Timothy, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:1-5 NKJV)
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Around the same time that Jim Jones was feeding his followers Kool-Aid, another false teacher name Bill Gothard was gathering followers. Instead of bringing them to a commune like Jones did, he sent them back to their local churches. Many of those churches became divided as people had to decide whether to follow Gothard or the Bible. Many pastors quickly recognized Gothard as a false teacher as he began to impose dietary restrictions and discouraged marriage. Still he gained loyal followers.
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Today Bill Gothard is an old man and does not travel around to seminars like he used to do. Still he has much influence through the ATI home school curriculum that he distributes. In the 1980’s he briefly stepped down due to a scandal involving young ladies who where volunteering at his ministry. A short time later, he returned to lead the ministry after replacing those who would have held him accountable. Sadly however many of his followers have continued to defend him no matter how much false doctrine has been exposed or how much evidence of ungodly behavior has been presented (34 different women have come forward).
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The examples of Jim Jones and Bill Gothard should remind us as Christians that we must be followers of Christ, not of men. It should remind us as well to study the scripture and really find out if what we have been taught is correct and then reject false teachers, even if it means we have to swallow some pride and admit we were wrong for following them. For further questions or comments, please contact southtownbc@yahoo.com