House Church Talk - False Shepherds, Accountability, Protection

[Claire Bennett]

Since I get this list in digest mode, I am going to try to reply to a number of posts, which were really excellent and thoughtful.  There are many books and sites that discuss mind control from both a biblical and secular perspective, so I won't reiterate this topic here, but really encourage people to understand the common tactics employed.  I believe demonic power is somehow entwined in the deception used by cults; the devil is known as the father of lies.

Sheep that have been lured into a wolf den or allowed a wolf into their sheepfold are not dumb nor are they necessarily false sheep.  If you talk to people who have been set free from cults, they will tell you that they did not know at the outset what the deal was.  I'm sure most of us have been cheated of money at some point.  These soul-thieves operate in much the same manner.

How do we protect ourselves and others?  Familiarity with their tactics - Hebrews teaches that the mature have trained themselves to discern good and evil.  I think it is interesting how much effort goes into anti-drug campaigns.  Statistics demonstrate that a young person is far more likely (I believe the figure was 6X) to fall victim to a cult than to drugs.  Many of us are concerned that our children may be tempted by drugs; few of us are aware that they are far more likely to be tempted by cults.  Some in the body have the gift of discernment.  It is not well appreciated.  As one poster mentioned, the messenger often gets shot by the sheep he is trying to protect, as the wolf watches gleefully as the sheep do his work for him.  They run off their own watchman, and are left defenseless.

Jesus plainly told us there would be wolves without and wolves within.  In the last days, the wolves would have a population explosion.  

It is difficult for a wolf to keep his teeth always hidden.  He is salivating over all those yummy sheep.  He is unable to hide his rage and fear of those who caught a glimpse of his teeth.  He will find a way to lure some out of the sheepfold, or discover a weak link to burrow in.  It is correct that it is useless to argue doctrine with the sheep he has seized, because they are so deceived they believe the sheep in the good shepherd's pen are the ones who are lost, and they meekly follow their wolf to their doom.  And what about the few sheep who have escaped the wolf and found their way back to the gate of the good shepherd?  What about the clear evidence of injury, the missing chunks of flesh and wounds?  According to the wolves, they have injured themselves in leaving the protection of the wolf.  And they are liars, slanderers,  exaggerating, bitter and they should have spoken privately to the wolf.  The wolf should be let in to present his side of the story, right?  Some  believe they can reason with the wolf or love the wolf into sheepdom.  Maybe he isn't really a wolf.  Perhaps he is just a sheep that needs a bit of dental work.

As an aside, a newly escaped sheep will often be seduced by another clever wolf.  

Here is where accountability and obedience comes in.  Wolves know the scripture very well, yet they don't know its author.  They are skilled at twisting and turning it.  Trust, growing through time and experience must proceed accountability and obedience.