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Fishers Of Men Or Fishers Of Money?

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-05-13T00:32:39-07:00

by Van Robison Jesus told Peter and Andrew, who were brothers and who were also fishermen by trade, "Follow Me and I will make you FISHERS OF MEN" (Matthew 4:18-19). Many are the preachers today who proclaim they are fishing for souls, all the while they are really fishing for material riches, wealth, fame, prestige, money, power and authority. The church world is overrun with preachers who have gone fishing and cast their nets for million dollar homes, multi-million dollar homes, jet airplanes, motor coaches, expensive boats, free travels all around the world, and endless other luxuries. How many self-proclaimed pastors today seek personal disciples to follow themselves and to "partner" with them so that they can live a life of royalty, all the while pretending to represent Jesus Christ? Read more...

Church Outside the Walls

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-05-08T00:02:13-07:00

Church Outside the Walls is the award winning four part documentary series on DVD that is the first to explore the current phenomenon surrounding the exodus of millions of Christians from religious institutions.

Featuring interviews with:

Wayne Jacobsen and Brad Cummings, the two men who teamed up with author William P.

Prophetic or Pathetic Ministry?

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-05-03T22:43:54-07:00

by Fred G. London So many of our prophetic words, dreams and visions are delivered with impunity, sort of "hit and run" tactics, with no sense of responsibility to the word or the people to which it is directed. This lack of personal accountability to these "words" gives rise to ministerial malpractice. This ever growing phenomenon must be called to account and be addressed for the sake of discernment and accurately knowing the Mind of Christ. Read more...

Hostage To Pastors

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-04-20T12:51:02-07:00

by Van Robison How many of today's pastors would continue to preach if no money was involved in ministry? Very likely not more than a handful of them would preach if they did not get paychecks. Pastors all want you to volunteer your time and especially your money, but how many pastors volunteer to preach the Gospel for free? Did Jesus Christ ever intend that preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God should become a multi-billion dollar business enterprise, such as we see in the world of churches today? The message that Jesus Christ very clearly gave to His hand-picked disciples was "freely you have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8), and yet almost all preachers today think "freely give" means for church goers to "freely give" to the preachers, when Jesus taught His "preachers" to be the ones to give freely, and not to merchandise the Gospel. Elsewhere Jesus taught that "by their fruit you will know them", and it seems the fruit of almost all pastors today is to take your money, and not to give freely. Read more...

Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-04-15T22:43:54-07:00

From Wikipedia: Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center is a residential counseling center specializing in the treatment of individuals who they evaluate as having suffered in what they consider abusive religious groups, organizations, cults, domestic violence, clergy and therapist abuse, and manipulative relationships involving mind-control, brainwashing, psychological, emotional, mental, or spiritual abuse. It is accredited by CARF, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. Founded in 1986 by Dr. Paul R. Martin and his wife Barbara, and located in Albany, Ohio, it is the only accredited facility of its kind in the world. It also is the only counseling facility recommended by the Christian Research Institute. Wellspring is also a non-profit 501(c) corporation. Read more...

Journey's End

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-04-04T00:02:04-07:00

by Van Robison There comes a time in the life of every human being, when the allotted time on earth comes to the journey's end. It is somewhat astonishing how much of human life is wasted in pursuits that don't contribute to love, joy, peace and happiness, and just living a life loving the gift of life. I am of the opinion that life on earth is a prison of the minds and thinking of human beings, and that prison has millions of chains of bondage. As human beings we do not know true freedom, except in partial ways. For example, if a person was hooked on drugs in the past and through Jesus Christ they were set free, that is a form of freedom. If we are given eternal life through Jesus Christ, then we also have freedom from the loss of salvation. So while there are forms of freedom, there are endless and countless bondages that we are not free from in this life. Read more...

The Heresy of Mind Control

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-03-29T01:36:45-07:00

The Heresy of Mind Control: Recognizing Con Artists in Leadership by Stephen Martin From the introduction: Suppose you move to a different area, and are keeping your eyes open for a good group to belong to (a social club, a church, a synagogue, or service organization). You visit one such group where the people are very friendly, loving, and give you individual attention. The group has a variety of programs: a rehabilitation program for drug addicts, services and nursing homes for the elderly, help for the poor, and free clinics. The leader inspires the disillusioned, the disenchanted, and those who have been rejected elsewhere. He is well-known and respected in the area, and the mayor gave him a position as Director of the City Housing Authority. Would you join this group? Suppose you spend four years in college and nearly two years in graduate school to prepare for a career in Christian music. Then the ministers of your home church tell you that you are not needed in their music program. Shortly afterward, you find a new group that welcomes you with open arms. They really care for people. The leader of this group has fascinating Bible studies. You and everyone else are able to sit and listen to him for several hours at a time. Would you stay in this group? If you answered "yes" to the first situation, you joined the church led by Jim Jones who led over 900 of his followers into a mass suicide murder. If you liked the second group, you became a follower of David Koresh who led over 80 of his followers to die in a blaze of fire. A wolf in sheep's clothing is a short and simple description of a cult leader--as these men were. Are there any warning signs that a group and its leader are dangerous? That’s largely what this book is about. Read more... | Download the book

Christian Schools And Homeschooling

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-03-21T20:22:26-07:00

by Van Robison Human societies generally dictate that all children within a nation must be educated, and basically in public schools. When I read the The Communist Manifesto years ago, I learned that the "ten planks" of that manifesto have long been in existence within the United States and other "free" countries. Anyone who has never read about the "ten planks" and who keys into the Internet and reads those ten points, will be appalled (and we have been led to believe that we live in a society of "freedom"). The tenth plank of that manifesto is free public school education (and no doubt with ulterior motives). Human governments look upon children as a public resource, and they want your children indoctrinated and programmed to be conformists. Read more...

Pastors Frequently Twist Scriptures

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-03-15T00:00:35-07:00

by Van Robison A new "Christian" television station has gone on the air in our area, and on the television screen it says, "Thank You Partners", meaning of course, "we want your money" (and as usual they list a toll free number, and have their telephone operators taking calls). Oddly, I have never read in any of the teachings of Jesus Christ in the four Gospels, where Jesus said, "Thank You Partners for Your Financial Support." Instead, what I have read is that Jesus said to His disciples (you know the guys He sent out to heal the sick, cast out the demons and to convey Christ to others?), "Freely you have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8). A "funny" thing has happened on the way into the Kingdom of God, and that is that the preachers have become money obsessed, and they think the Gospel can't be preached to the world, unless they pocket a trainload of your money. I wonder how the Gospel spread into all the world for all those years before television (you know, for the last two thousand years)? Read more...

To Tithe Or Not To Tithe?

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-03-02T12:11:56-08:00

(CBS) Tithing, the giving of one tenth of one’s income to a religious group, has its roots in the Old Testament. But some Christians are questioning it, and the answers might surprise you. In an era when contributions to religious groups are growing more slowly than other charitable giving, and as Congress takes a closer look at the finances of some televangelists, Martha Teichner examines the controversy over tithing, and meets some inspiring people who strongly believe in the power of generosity. Read more...

How Deep Is The Rabbit Hole?

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-02-26T00:00:24-08:00

by Paul Sue The hard-hitting (though certainly not shrill) preface by Viola sets the tone for the rest of the book: "Contemporary Christianity has fallen into the errors of both the Pharisees and the Saducees. ... We break the Scripture just as much by burying it under a mountain of human tradition as by ignoring its principles." Barna follows on this note in his Introduction with these questions: "Does it surprise you that most of what we do in religious circles has no precedent in Scripture? ... Does it really matter how we practice our faith, as long as the activities enable people to love God and obey Him?" Read more...

The Tithing Swindle

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-02-21T00:00:03-08:00

by Van Robison Tithing as the church world teaches and demands from Christians, is among the greatest swindles in the Christian era. In fact, the subject of tithing is so misrepresented and so misunderstood, that once anyone really gets their eyes opened to the truth, you have to wonder how you were ever so deceived. Understanding the truth about tithing is elementary, and the primary reason that pastors don't know the truth about this outrageous false teaching is because their Bible study is superficial, and very likely they also love free money. I have no personal doubt that there are false teachers, whose motive in teaching tithing is simply $$$$. Money is a means of wealth, and when sheeple can be made to believe that this false doctrine impacts their relationship with Jesus Christ or their salvation, it is nothing short of pure heresy. Read more...

The Clergy/Laity Church Lie

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-02-16T11:36:03-08:00

From our good friend Jon Zens at Searching Together:

Spiritual Whistleblowers

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-02-11T00:16:22-08:00

by Van Robison We all know that whistleblowers are people who expose light on government cover-ups, or on anything in life that they are knowledgeable about, because they feel it needs to be exposed. People who have a conscience and who want no part in concealing truth, have often come forward to expose lies, corruption and dastardly deeds. The obvious danger in exposing truth is that the powers of darkness often times will malign the whistleblower, or even assassinate the messenger. It is amazing the lengths that darkness will go, to spin a spider's web of deceit in order to have their way. In the end they always, always lose, because they exit this life with total loss of power, control and money. Unless there is eternal life for each individual, the only winners in life are those to whom Jesus Christ gives life--all others are self deceived in a world of their own self delusions. Read more...

Spiritual abuse: Doctoral student inviting Christians to tell their stories

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-02-08T03:54:30-08:00

Although she's a committed Christian, Barb Orlowski hasn't always felt comfortable inside a church. Nearly two years ago, the mother of two young adults was shocked and hurt when a misunderstanding with the church leadership forced her out of the Charismatic congregation near Langley, B.C. she'd been attending for more than a dozen years. Now the doctoral student is inviting other Christians with similar stories to contact her as part of her research into recovery from spiritual abuse. "When you've gone through your own devastating church experience, you're looking for why? What went wrong?" explains Orlowski, a student at ACTS Seminaries located on the campus of Langley's Trinity Western University. "It was a happy, healthy, apparently, church family. We didn't see what was happening underneath." Read more... | Take the survey

New Testament Pattern Of Christianity?

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-02-07T00:00:10-08:00

by Van Robison Many folks in the house church movement sincerely believe that when Christians have meetings in private homes or in outdoor spaces, they are following the "correct" New Testament "pattern" of being the church. Even when people exit institutional churchianity, it seems very difficult to take churchianity out of the people. I would like to suggest that there is really only one true "Pattern" to life, and that is simply Jesus Christ and His teachings, and that is because Jesus Christ is the Living Waters of Life. Read more...

Called Out Or Called Forth: What Does Church Mean?

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-02-04T00:00:11-08:00

For much of my life I was taught that the English word “Church” which comes from the Greek word “ekklesia” means, “Called Out Ones”. After this definition is given, the speaker will typically go on to tell his audience how the Church is “called out”, to be different. So, far there would seem to be little reason for a disagreement on this, since the Greek word does indeed have etymological roots of “called out” but it is not just word origin that determines what a word means, but context. The context of “ekklesia” comes from secular Greek, which defined the word as “called FORTH ones”, or “gathering” which would equate to our “town meeting” or perhaps even political bodies such as the Senate. Thus, the Church is more of a Body than we suppose. Read more...

I Can't Hear God Anymore: Life in a Dallas Cult

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-01-30T01:20:12-08:00

I Can't Hear God Anymore: Life in a Dallas Cult is the true story of Wendy Duncan's experience in a Bible-based cult in Dallas, Texas. The cultic group, the Trinity Foundation, portrays itself as the watchdog of the televangelists and investigator of ministry fraud. Trinity Foundation and its charismatic leader, Ole Anthony, rose to fame in the early 1990's when it assisted Dianne Sawyer’s PrimeTime Live program in exposing Robert Tilton and two other Dallas televangelists as religious charlatans. Ole Anthony has been involved in investigations of numerous religious figures, working with programs such as NBC Dateline and 60 Minutes. Anthony’s group has been lauded in US News & World Report, The LA Times Magazine, and The New Yorker. He has been a near-ubiquitous commentator on all things religious for both local and national media outlets, but little has known about the inside workings of his own group. Read more...

Is That Really Necessary?

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-01-28T01:30:34-08:00

by Fred G. London It is imperative that we have right spiritual thinking in order to see a true spiritual expression of the Kingdom of God through His Church. "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit of God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things (we ought to) speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words" (1 Cor. 2:12-13). Read more...

Discussion forums

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-01-27T14:22:15-08:00

Just a friendly reminder that we have a discussion forum where you can join and discuss any issues relating to spiritual abuse, legalism, authoritarianism, leadership abuse, etc. It's a place where you can ask a question, seek advice, discuss any of the articles or stories on our website, make announcements, and more. You can also post any technical problems in the forums regarding this website, such as broken links, missing pages, spelling and grammatical errors, etc. Your input in this area is greatly appreciated. Enter forums

Simplicity In Christ--Lost In Churchianity

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-01-24T01:12:39-08:00

by Van Robison What if you had no New Testament teachings other than those actual teachings of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the four Gospels? The simplicity that is in Jesus Christ seems to be lost in a maze of confusion. The confusion is the result of multiple voices, when in fact there is only one voice that is the Great and Good Shepherd. We can glean what Jesus came to teach us from the four Gospels, and His first instruction was, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). Read more...

Why Jesus Chose Fishermen

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-01-21T01:17:23-08:00

by Van Robison When Jesus Christ asked some local fishermen to follow Him (Matthew 4:18-19), there had to be good reasons that He did so. There are a number of reasons that we could suggest:

They were teachable.
They were not formally educated.
They believed Jesus and His teachings.
They had no credentials such as "pastor", "senior pastor", "reverend" or some other self-flattering title.
They were not full of the vanity of the "educated" religious leaders.

Should the Church Teach Tithing?

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-01-18T00:00:56-08:00

Should the Church Teach Tithing? A Theologian's Conclusions about a Taboo Doctrine by Russell Earl Kelly Book description (from Amazon): This 288 page book began as a Ph.D. dissertation. It is an easy to read reference commentary which also contains many Greek and Hebrew word studies, and an extensive bibliography. Every tithing text is covered, plus every possible extension of it in the New Testament. The author demonstrates how the Church must replace this last taboo remnant of the Old Covenant Law and enter fully into must better New Covenant provisions for accomplishing God's work. No stone is left uncovered. A thorough historical survey of the first 300 years of church history and verse by verse studies of key chapters adds compelling evidence. Read more...

Request for Help (Survey)

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-01-16T21:29:59-08:00

This was posted a while ago, but there is still time to contribute. Let's all help out Barb! Request Letter No. 1: Request for Help for Potential Participants Hi Everyone, My name is Barb Orlowski. I am on the Doctor of Ministry program at A.C.T.S. Seminaries in Langley, B.C., Canada. In order to conduct the research necessary to complete my dissertation, I could use your help. I am conducting a survey among Christians who have experienced emotional and spiritual distress under authoritarian and controlling church leaders and have recovered from this experience. Read more...

Opening The Lockbox

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-01-14T12:23:34-08:00

by Kristen DeVoe In order to speak, one must have a voice. Now this might seem obvious to most people but to people who have been abused in a cult, it's not always the case. The voice has been overtaken by another stronger voice, the voice of the leader. Through mind control, the cult leader imposes his will and views on the follower so the follower loses her own will and views. When mind control is accompanied by physical or sexual abuse, the task of speaking up becomes even more complicated and difficult. Read more...

Money Rules The World--Even The Churches

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-01-10T00:16:44-08:00

by Van Robison Have you ever noticed in life, that those who have the money are the controllers of all the people? Oddly, even in the world of churches, it is the preachers who have the money, and it is the preachers who control the people. We all know that the government, who plays the role of "God" in the lives of all the citizens, is also the source that takes your money and regulates your life from the cradle to the grave. In the church world, the preachers convince the church goers to be taxed through tithing, and by that means many preachers become very wealthy, and they also rule much of what people believe. Read more...

Confessions of a Mega Church Member

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-01-07T00:18:55-08:00

From Black Money Matters: Senator Grassley's most recent actions have compelled me to make a confession as a mega church member. He is exposing what an increasing amount of us have known for years. These "CEO-Pastor-Reverend-Doctor's" have been fleecing the flock for years. For them, money does matter, in fact it is the only thing that matters. Some may ask why this piece was not coined "Confessions of a Former Mega Church Member". My response is simple, I choose to remain there in order to continue my efforts to expose them and reveal the truth to others, whether they can handle the truth or not. Read more...

Spiritual Tug-Of-War

info@batteredsheep.com — 2008-01-01T12:32:23-08:00

by Van Robison Although God is not the author of confusion, the world we live in is a perpetual tug-of-war for the minds and hearts of human beings. It is not only true in the spiritual realm, but also in every area of life. Just one example in a world of millions of issues would be the scare that spinach is tainted. As a result, some are calling for more "control", which is generally man's answer to every seeming problem on earth. On the flip side, there is the belief that food production should revert back to local farming, home gardens, organic growing and so forth as opposed to mass production and commercialization. Read more...

Analysis of a Church Help Wanted Ad

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-12-22T02:27:45-08:00

by Peter Alton Recently I was looking at possible ministry opportunities available on churchstaffing.com and I stumbled across this incredible ad, which is reprinted below just as I found it, no editing whatsoever: Read more...

Did Jesus Give "Authority" To Pastors?

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-12-18T00:00:54-08:00

by Van Robison The term "pastor" was never used in the vocabulary of Jesus Christ--NOT ONCE! In the King James New Testament the singular term "pastor" is not to be found--NOT ONCE! The plural term "pastors" is found in the King James New Testament--ONLY ONCE! Oddly, the King James translators used the term "pastors" (plural) at Ephesians 4:11, while in all other instances the same Greek word was translated as "shepherd." Strong's Exhaustive Concordance for "pastors" is number 4166, which is the same number used for "shepherd" elsewhere and is the same, identical number 4166. Read more...

When The Sheep Go Marching In

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-12-14T00:05:20-08:00

by Van Robison For many years, like my fellow sheep, I went dutifully marching into the church buildings. As with my fellow sheep, we all nodded a big "bah bah" to everything the "pastor" said and did. We all thought our shepherd was the local pastor and sometimes we even chorused "bah bah" to visiting "shepherds." One day the Chief Shepherd told the sheep that He is the ONLY HEAD, and many of the sheep decided to follow the voice of the Chief Shepherd and no longer heard the calls of the paid hirelings. Now many of the sheep follow Jesus Christ instead of man-shepherds, because the Chief Shepherd loves the sheep and gives His life for the sheep (John 10:11-14). When the paid hirelings see the wolf coming, the paid hirelings flee and leave the sheep to be devoured. Thankfully, Jesus Christ provides a safe place for the sheep to pasture. Read more...

Why We Left California

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-12-06T00:13:24-08:00

by Steve Duplantis As you all know we have moved from California to Georgia. California proved way too expensive for us to live which played a role in our decision to move. We moved to California with the intention of helping New Hope Church grow and eventually moving into full time ministry. That never happened. Our experience there was nothing short of hell. We were lied to and taken advantage of by the leadership of New Hope. Damita and I tried to resign and leave without revealing our true reasons in order to spare a friendship I thought was made between ourselves and the pastors. However, when I tendered my resignation, the pastor did not speak to us--he didn't even say goodbye. We were more or less treated like dirt. Read more...

Why Church Leaders Fear Independent House Groups

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-12-03T00:46:13-08:00

by Van Robison There can hardly be any doubt that many institutional church leaders fear the independence of private house groups, that are not controlled by pastors. Pastors may love "cell" house groups, only because they are controlled by the churches, but private gatherings of "unchurched" believers cannot be controlled by professional clergy. Here are some of the excuses and reasons why institutional church pastors fear the independent private fellowships: Read more...

No More Tears

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-11-29T02:59:46-08:00

by Van Robison Life is tough! Anyone who has lived long enough will experience many tears in life. If there is a human being who has never known sorrow, I have never met that person. One of my all time favorite scripture passages in the Bible is found at Revelation 21:4 "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Living in paradise will someday be more than a fantasy. Read more...

Wal-Mart Churchianity--We Preach For Money

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-11-20T00:00:11-08:00

by Van Robison Comparison shopping for churches can be a life long ordeal, because the brands to choose from are innumerable. Walking down the aisles of Wal-Mart Churchianity can cost you a great deal of money if you buy into their sermons and their church teachings. The world of churches is a world of vast diversity, and virtually every leader of every church lives in a world of make-believe--a bubble. Church leaders are mostly all self important and love to make others think that the life of Christians revolves around them. They want commitment, because their income depends on it and many will say that "church hopping" is a no no. They love to lay a guilt trip on anyone they can't control. Read more...

Jesus Has Left The Building: free Podcast available

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-11-14T21:56:17-08:00

Paul Vieira, author of Jesus Has Left The Building has just sent us an email:

Hi, I hope things are going well with you. I thought I would send you a short note to let you know that I'm making my book available for free to listen to in a downloadable audio file. Each week I'm reading a chapter from my book Jesus Has Left The Building in a new audio podcast. To subscribe in iTunes visit this link. Once you've installed iTunes and subscribed to the podcasts, each time you launch iTunes, the latest episode will automatically be downloaded. You can then store and play these audio files using your iPod device, other portable MP3 player, or computer. Best of all, these podcasts are FREE! Feel free to forward this message to anyone else you think would enjoy these podcasts. Thanks, Paul

If you'll recall, Vieira's book was earlier reviewed on this website.

Where does all the money go?

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-11-14T03:45:55-08:00

This video clip shows how certain church leaders and ministries grossly misappropriate funds donated by gullible church members:

Truth Is Sometimes--Shocking!

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-11-12T18:47:55-08:00

by Van Robison When Jesus Christ made His entrance into the human realm of life, nearly two thousand years ago, He SHOCKED the world. The expectation of the Messiah was very disappointing for many, because they were looking for a FICTIONAL Messiah. The REAL JESUS CHRIST is just as shocking today, as He was when He taught His own personal disciples. The religious leaders of the time of Christ were appalled at the teachings of Jesus. They were horrified by Jesus, because Jesus demolished their man-made customs, traditions, deceits, fraud, false teachings, false authority, greed, lust and power mongering (Matthew 23). The response of those religious leaders to Jesus was hate, persecution, attempted murder, lies, false accusations and ultimately death to Jesus Christ. Read more...

Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-11-06T01:28:08-08:00

by Fred G. London There is more to the discerning of "savage wolves" that goes even beyond doctrine. Yet, as it is, many in the church appear to have great difficulty in judging for themselves as to whether what a man teaches is representative of a pure gospel or "another gospel." Paul could not have spelled it out any clearer than when he wrote to the Philippians, "For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things" (Phil. 3:18-19). Read more...

Sunday: Holyday or Man-Made Tradition?

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-11-01T00:20:33-07:00

by Van Robison Many are the customs of the church world, that have nothing to do with Jesus Christ or the teachings of Christ. Sunday "go to church" is at the top of the list of man-made traditions (along with tithing). In the Old Testament, the Sabbath of rest was the seventh day of the week: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8). All Bible students know that the weekly Sabbath of the Old Testament referred to the seventh day of the week. What many Christians are unaware of is that there were also other "Sabbaths" in the Old Testament that had to do with annual Feasts or Holydays. At times, it was possible for an annual Sabbath or "Highday" to fall on the seventh day of the week, which made it a double Sabbath. Read more...

The Organized Church Conspiracy

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-10-26T00:00:41-07:00

by Van Robison There is no greater way to control people than through organizations and mind control. Human governments often control people through force and violence, but mind control is far more formidable in long term consequence. We find this very interesting observation in Genesis 11:4 "And they said, Go to, let us build us A CITY and A TOWER, whose top may reach unto heaven; and LET US MAKE A NAME, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." Whether this "tower of Babel" was literal or symbolic, it is nevertheless food for thought about life on earth. Human beings have always built their "towers" to control others and to cause men to be awed by "tower power." The world is full of "towers" in terms of countless human governments throughout the world, and many are the kingdoms of men that rise and fall. Human symbolic towers come in many forms, both in the secular world and in the world of religions. Read more...

"Shepherd" In The New Testament

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-10-21T19:43:59-07:00

by Van Robison In our day and age, and through time, many have come, calling themselves "pastors", which from reading the teachings of Jesus Christ, is totally contrary to what Jesus taught. Jesus never referred to anyone other than Himself as SHEPHERD. If Jesus Christ wanted Peter to be a "pastor", why didn't Jesus call Peter--Pastor Peter? Why didn't Jesus call John--Pastor John? No, what Jesus said is that you have ONE SHEPHERD, ONE MASTER, ONE FATHER and all of us are simply "brethren." Virtually all "pastors" see themselves as "under-shepherds" to Christ, but Jesus Christ never called anyone "under-shepherds." Read more...

SPAM e-mails in the forums

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-10-21T19:43:42-07:00

Update: Please see this thread in the forums on the recent SPAM that was being sent to forum members:

About Van Robison...

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-10-16T23:56:43-07:00

Someone wrote in recently asking for more information about Van Robison. Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted her email before I could reply to her. :( Anyway, in response to her email, I've updated the About Us section of our website to include some background info about Van. I hope this answers her question.

Spiritual Seduction And Spiritual Whores

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-10-14T00:10:57-07:00

by Van Robison In the Old Testament, God told Israel that she was a "harlot" (Jeremiah 3:6). The reason she was a "whore" is because she betrayed God and went whoring after other gods. Anyone will find by checking in the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, the words "harlot", "whore", "adultery", "whoredoms", "whoring" and "abominations" in various verses throughout the prophets, as applied to Israel, Judah and Jerusalem. Ezekiel chapter 16 and many other parts of the Old Testament prophets, are an incredible indictment against ancient Israel, Judah and Jerusalem. Originally, Israel was committed to obey God Almighty the Creator as the one and only God and was to have no other gods (Exodus 20:1-3). God even says of ancient Israel, that He gave her a "bill of divorce" at Jeremiah 3:8 because she was a backslider and committed adultery. Read more...

Request for Help (Survey)

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-10-06T00:28:41-07:00

Request Letter No. 1: Request for Help for Potential Participants Hi Everyone, My name is Barb Orlowski. I am on the Doctor of Ministry program at A.C.T.S. Seminaries in Langley, B.C., Canada. In order to conduct the research necessary to complete my dissertation, I could use your help. I am conducting a survey among Christians who have experienced emotional and spiritual distress under authoritarian and controlling church leaders and have recovered from this experience. Here are the criteria that I am looking for in participants:

Christians who have experienced emotional and spiritual distress under authoritarian and controlling church leaders and who have ceased to be associated with those congregations;
Christians who subsequently have recognized and processed their spiritual grief and pain and have experienced spiritual recovery;
Christians who are willing to share how they have processed their negative experience and have recovered spiritual harmony; those who can share what has happened since this painful episode. Christians who can answer this question: What factors have helped you to restore your confidence in God and His people?

If people feel that they fit the criteria for this study, please contact me. I will give you further details about this study, and then I will send you the questionnaire along with the consent information. The responses given by those participating will be kept confidential. Your responses will be put in anonymous form and may be kept for further use after the completion of this study. Thank you for your interest and participation in this study. I appreciate the time and effort that it takes to complete a questionnaire. In Him, Barb Barb’s contact email: churchexitersq@telus.net

Comments and questions are welcome.
When you respond to this request by emailing me--please let me know which site you saw this information. Thanks.

Request Letter No. 2: Request for Help from Pastors Greetings, I am student enrolled in the A.C.T.S. Doctor of Ministry program in Langley, B.C., Canada. In order to conduct the research necessary to complete my dissertation, I need the assistance of pastoral leaders. I could use your help with my research. I realize that you probably receive frequent requests to fill out surveys, but I would invite you to take a few minutes, complete a questionnaire and return it to me. This would be a significant help. I am looking for pastors who have endeavored to provide spiritual guidance and help for the following people:

Christians who have experienced emotional and spiritual distress under authoritarian and controlling church leaders and who have ceased to be associated with those congregations.

There are many Christians who have faced the untimely distress of this particular yet widespread phenomenon. Many have simply left the church, while others have made an effort to reintegrate into a local church setting. It has taken courage for them to desire to reconnect with a pastor and seek their assistance in processing their grief and disillusionment with previous church leaders. I would appreciate hearing how you, as a pastor, have provided spiritual guidance and encouragement for individuals who have faced this type of emotional and spiritual pain at the hands of those that they had trusted as their spiritual leaders. I believe that your insights would provide pertinent and helpful data for this study. The information you give will be kept confidential. Any use of your responses in my dissertation will be put in anonymous form, but may be kept for further use after the completion of this study. If ever needed, I will ask for your permission to quote you. Thank you for your interest and participation in this research. I appreciate the time and effort that it takes to complete a questionnaire. Thanks, Barb Email Address: churchexitersq@telus.net

Comments and questions are welcome.
When you respond to this request by emailing me--please let me know which site you saw this information.

Candyman Preachers

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-10-01T00:00:10-07:00

by Van Robison Almost anyone today is very familiar with the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Many modern day prosperity preachers are a lot like the "Chocolate Factory", who promise all sorts of goodies, including the "Everlasting Gobstopper" (the miracle candy that never diminishes and lasts forever). Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory is, of course, pure fantasy. Prosperity Candyman Preachers are just like the fantasy chocolate factory--a world of make believe. It has become amusing how certain television "Christian" networks seem to solely exist to have their "everlasting fundraisers". While they do so, they promise all who partner with them "everlasting gobstoppers". Prosperity preachers would have people believe that somehow they are the "Candyman". They make claims that sound delicious, appetizing and irresistible. Many are the gullible who stand in line for their "Financial Chocolate Bar". Prosperity preachers promise you a "Golden Ticket" to prosperity if you only buy their candy. Read more...

Why I Don't Watch Christian TV

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-09-26T01:17:03-07:00

by Fred G. London Right before Candie arrived home from work, I was quickly reminded as to why I rarely watch "Christian" Programs much any more. As I was perusing the channels, I stumbled upon one of the Christian networks, and lo and behold, it happened to have one of its "bless me" ministries on the channel. If I didn't have such a strong sense of consequences, I think I would have put my foot right through that TV! The hostess of the show was an attractive and well spoken woman with a "dynamic" teaching ministry (they always are, you know) with her guest, a man who looked about sixty. He sported a sort of bad "Beatles" haircut, and I assume he was a theological doctor as that was the title preceding his name. Yes, he was a doctor all right, as in "quack"! Read more...

A Letter To Jesus

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-09-21T01:18:09-07:00

by Van Robison Dear Jesus, I am writing this personal letter to you, because I have questions and issues about this thing called "church", which seems to falsely represent who you really are. From the time I was a child I have always believed in God. When my dad passed away, I was a child of eleven years old, and having no mother, my relatives didn't take me to church as my dad always did. As a young man of the age of eighteen, I became very interested in church again and I listened to a man preach on the radio. I thought he spoke truth, and so when I left the Air Force, I joined this church. After twelve years of this particular church, with all of its authoritarianism, legalistic teachings from the Old Testament, and three different tithes and endless offerings, and other odd teachings, I took my family and left. Read more...

Spiritual Pirates Who Plunder Christians

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-09-14T03:43:24-07:00

by Van Robison It is nothing short of astonishing how so many Christians today allow themselves to be plundered and robbed by spiritual pirates in the pulpits. In the New Testament, Jesus called these spiritual pirates false prophets and false teachers (Matthew 24:5). They are also called false apostles in 2 Corinthians 11:13 ("apostles" meaning "one sent"), and they have not been sent. These preacher pirates have appointed themselves to represent Jesus Christ, and in that role, they have plundered your gold and silver and emptied your bank account into their private treasure chest. Many of these "angels of light" live in million dollar or multi-million dollar homes, and some even own private jets worth millions, and drive around in Rolls Royces or other luxury vehicles, and all at the expense of their megachurch sponges in the pews and their television money donors. Read more...

Find Your Church In The Teachings Of Jesus Christ

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-09-11T00:00:50-07:00

by Van Robison In reading the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, I searched in vain for even one church name or church corporation, or non-profit church organization or affiliation known today, and found none to be mentioned in the teachings of Jesus Christ. The world of Protestantism has splintered into literally many thousands of different groups over the years. The following church names are missing from the four Gospels, and for that matter from the entire New Testament. Jesus Christ never mentioned the name of even one of today's church organizations as we know them, and easily verifiable by checking the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance for any of the following. Read more...

Catch Phrases

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-09-10T00:09:16-07:00

by Van Robison Earlier this year, I was watching a few minutes of the INSP (Inspiration Network), whose President is David Cerullo, son of the famous Morris Cerullo. I was amused by the catch phrases they flash across the screen while they are soliciting donations. I wrote most of the catch phrases down on paper and I list them here just for the purpose of proving what some of the television prosperity gospel preachers do. Read more...

Tithing: The Great False Doctrine

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-09-07T00:00:33-07:00

by Van Robison Many churches teach that tithing 10% of one's income to the church is a part of obedience to God and a requirement in the New Testament, as well as the Old Testament. They love to quote Malachi 3:8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me, but you say, wherein have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings." The truth is that when anyone does an in-depth study of the tithing issue, it will be found that the concept of "tithing" is very misunderstood, even from an Old Testament perspective. Many different authors have presented in-depth studies on tithing, covering all the issues in both the Old and New Testaments. While preachers love to make Christians think that "tithing" represents 10% of one's "income", it is easy to prove that in fact, tithes in the Old Testament involved several tithes, used for different purposes and that tithing is not at all what Christians have been led to believe. Read more...

Jesus Christ Never Spiritually Abuses

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-09-01T00:05:53-07:00

by Van Robison Battered sheep are only battered by human pastors, man-made religions, human governments, and other human beings. If you have ever experienced spiritual abuse, then you can know assuredly that Jesus Christ is not responsible. Jesus Christ does not batter or abuse as do human governments or religions or human beings. Atheists love to point to the incredible violence that is found in the Old Testament and to say, that if God is love, how can this be? A valid question indeed and some of the answers that preachers give for many things in the Old Testament are not satisfactory, and that is because human beings simply don't have answers to many questions in life. Like some others, I too see a great difference between God as presented to the world in the Old Testament and the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. I cannot personally comprehend the difference and so therefore I reserve some questions to ask Jesus Christ, for which no preacher has a valid answer. Many things assigned to "God" in the Old Testament are for me enigma's, and being one who questions everything, I don't assume that we necessarily have the answers. Read more...

The Ignatius Syndrome

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-08-27T12:01:50-07:00

by Fred G. London From an historical perspective, Ignatius is generally considered to be one of the church fathers worthy of apostolic stature. He was born in Syria and had been educated within the realm of Greek philosophy and related mysticism, influences which arguably played a part in his future doctrinal beliefs. There is even evidence to suggest that he may have been personally discipled by the apostle John. In the very least, he was discipled by those who were. His significance and profound influence upon the early church and the legacy which he left for future generations is without question. There is every indication to suggest that he was a man full of faith accompanied by an intense love for Christ and a zeal for His church to match. He was a man who, at the end of his life when faced with imminent martyrdom, literally had to beg wealthy and influential friends in Rome not to intercede on his behalf in attempting to have his life spared. The grace and nobility Igantius exhibited leading up to his being fed to the lions in the arena has served as an example to Christians ever since. Read more...

Questions Jesus Christ Never Asked

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-08-18T00:03:44-07:00

by Van Robison Unlike Christians and their pastors, Jesus Christ never asked the following questions that Christians are obsessed with:

Do you go to church?
Where do you go to church?
Will you come to church with me?
Do you go to church on Sunday?
Do you go to church on Saturday?
Who is your church pastor?

Leaders As Stumbling Blocks

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-08-15T00:32:31-07:00

by Fred G. London A sister in the Lord writes: Just think of what people like me would be able to accomplish in Christ if we were under leadership that was focused on helping those put under their authority! ??? Think of what the Body of Christ would look like if the leaders weren't so paranoid about someone being liked or accepted more than them or having a greater anointing than them... If we could just move more together towards what Jesus' prayer was for us -- just think of what we could do! (John 17) Read more...

Professional Pickpockets In The Pulpits

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-08-10T01:24:52-07:00

by Van Robison Jesus Christ is the absolute standard of all human conduct and life. When Jesus first began His earthly ministry, He quoted a prophecy about Himself from the book of Isaiah and we read at Luke 4:18, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." Also in Matthew 11:5, "...and the poor have the gospel preached to them." Jesus told His disciples when He sent them out, to preach "The Kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 10:7). And in the next verse (verse 8), He said "...FREELY YOU HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE." It would be obvious that as the disciples traveled around and preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, that someone had to feed these men and also provide them shelter for the night's lodging. But that aside, they still nevertheless at the command of Jesus Christ, did not charge money to convey Christ to others. If they had, it would have been a betrayal of their commission from Christ. Read more...

Are Churches The Home Of Wolves?

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-08-07T00:00:52-07:00

by Van Robison Many wolves (Matthew 7:15) have made their home in the world of churchianity. They prey upon the unsuspecting, the naive and the undiscerning. They devour their prey on the pretense that they are "ministers" of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:5). They don't prance around as if they are wolves, but on the other hand, they come in sheep's clothing. Wolves come in many different disguises using flattering titles to make their prey think they are legitimate. Some wolves are pastors, some are senior pastors, some are pastors of megachurches, some are youth pastors, some are pastors of cults, some are pastors of whatever group they supposedly have power over; while others are so-called prophets (Matthew 7:15), and some call themselves "apostles" (2 Corinthians 11:13), while others are book authors, some are musicians and singers, and others are in different categories. Some wolves are infiltrators for political cause or other reasons. Some wolves are money hungry, power hungry, control hungry and love the praise of men. Some wolves are even classified as "scholars" and "translate" the Bible into their own biased version. Wolves in churchianity have different ministries and they are often very persuasive public speakers. Read more...

Worldwide Church Of God--Modern Day Cult

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-08-04T00:00:43-07:00

by Van Robison The original Worldwide Church of God, founded by Herbert W. Armstrong no longer exists. It can't exist because the founder deceased at the age of about 93 or thereabouts in 1986. The Worldwide Church of God that now exists is under different leadership and espousing very different teachings from that of the original WWC. The infamous son of Herbert W. Armstrong is no longer living either. Originally, the Worldwide Church of God was known as "The Radio Church of God", which began broadcasting in 1934. Eventually this organization grew into a worldwide empire, with three "Bible" colleges, tens of thousands of church members, and publishers of "The Plain Truth Magazine" and also "The Good News Magazine." This church organization looked upon Herbert W. Armstrong as an appointed representative of God, much the same as Roman Catholics look to the Pope. In fact he was considered "the Apostle" of the Worldwide Church of God and also the supposed "end times Elijah", who was was suppose to restore all things, before the second coming of Jesus Christ. Read more...

The Foundation Of Life Is Not Your Local Church

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-08-01T00:01:13-07:00

by Van Robison Is your local church your spiritual watering hole, your spiritual oasis, and your spiritual bread? If you think this, then perhaps you have been listening to another voice. Jesus said the following about Himself:

John 14:6 "Jesus said unto him, I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me."
John 4:14 "But whosoever drinks of the Water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the Water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of Water springing up into everlasting life."

Does God Smile Upon Preachers?

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-07-28T00:03:11-07:00

by Van Robison For some He surely does. For others He no doubt does not. Would you say that Jesus Christ is pleased with the following customs and rituals of Christians and their human pastors?

Going to church on Saturday?
Going to church on Sunday?
Paying tithes to your local church?
Sitting in pews?
Spending money on physical buildings?
Steeples on top of church buildings?
Stained glass windows?
Wearing robes to preach?
Wearing robes to sing?

Widespread Fraud--In The Name Of Jesus Christ

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-07-24T00:29:35-07:00

by Van Robison

Matthew 24:5 "For MANY will come in my name, saying I am Christ; and SHALL DECEIVE many."
Matthew 7:15 "BEWARE of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."
Matthew 24:11 "And MANY false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many."
1 John 4:1 "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because MANY false prophets are gone out into the world."

Disappointment With Preachers

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-07-21T19:39:28-07:00

by Van Robison My wife and I and some friends once traveled to a church that was perhaps a couple of hours away from our home, to hear a preacher who had a reputation for "raising the dead." This man spoke about some of the experiences he claims he had in his missionary work in Mexico and stated that something like fourteen people had been raised from the dead in his ministry. As he spoke, we all sat with a sense of awe at these supposed miraculous events. We were totally amazed and overwhelmed as he told of these people who had been "raised from the dead." During the service some people came in the door rolling a hospital-type bed with a man on it, who had what I heard was Lou Gehrig's Disease. The man was totally incapacitated and obviously needed a miraculous, supernatural healing miracle to restore his life. It would be safe to say that the loved ones of this man also must have believed that if a preacher could "raise people from the dead", then raising a sick man off a hospital bed would be a piece of cake. Read more...

Put Not Your Trust In Men

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-07-17T23:17:43-07:00

by Van Robison As believers in Jesus Christ, one of our greatest faults has been that of placing faith in pastors. It is the "pastors" who claim to have healing ministries, revivals, outpourings, anointings, direct contact with God, truth, and pastors generally lead people to believe that they are a cut above normal, average, or ordinary Christians. Many Christians have learned through bitter experience that the world is full of preachers, pastors and so-called prophets who are no more representatives of Jesus Christ than a charlatan. The Internet is inundated with websites dealing with spiritual abuse and the experiences of seekers of God from the backgrounds of many different churches. There are websites by ex-Mormons, ex-Jehovah Witnesses, ex-Catholics, ex-Baptists, ex-Pentecostals, ex-Church of Christ, ex-Worldwide Church of God and many more groups, for anyone who is curious enough to look at these resources. There are also many websites that expose many different cult groups that are in existence because of personal spiritual abuse from pastors and churches. Spiritual abuse is not uncommon and is very widespread. It comes not only from cult churches, but even from so called "mainstream" churches and pastors. Read more...

Partner With Jesus Christ--Without Money

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-07-12T00:04:28-07:00

by Van Robison In the world of churchianity it seems to be a standard to beg for money. Money begging is sometimes dressed up in fancy terminology such as "generous giving", or "the joy of giving" and other such colorful phrases. Almost all ministries, although not all, will have a slogan to "partner with us", or some form of money begging. Different "ministries" want money and will ask for it in different ways such as "donate", "donations", "giving", "partner with us", "contributions", "financial", "gifts", or some other phrase. Most "ministries" ask for money, although there are a few who do not. Read more...

The Purpose Driven Unchurched

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-07-08T00:09:12-07:00

by Van Robison Most ex-church goers are purpose driven unchurched. They were driven out of various churches because of spiritual abuse, or because they came to the conclusion that something about church was missing. In seeking answers and truth, many followers of Jesus Christ have found that--hey--Jesus Christ does not live in a box called "church." In fact seekers of Jesus Christ have found that they can have a relationship with Christ outside of church walls and barriers. It has dawned upon many that the real Shepherd and only Head of the Spiritual Body is Jesus Christ and not pastors or churches. Countless followers of Christ have come to the conclusion that serving God is not something done as dictated by denominations and church organizations. Many are using their talents to glorify Jesus Christ outside of Sunday and no longer "go to church". Read more...

Every Church Thinks They Have Truth

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-07-06T00:22:55-07:00

by Van Robison I have never known a church organization that believed that they didn't know truth. Virtually everyone has the idea that truth is what they believe and their consequent religious practices. Since all groups differ in some ways, it must be surmised that if what one group believes and practices differs from others, then the big question is which group really does have truth? Is it possible that truth is often times not really even the issue, but rather maintaining control, power, and the constant flow of money? Is it possible that power and money blind those who have power and money? Also, why are people very defensive about what they believe? Sometimes when people are challenged about what they believe, they become unapproachable. Read more...

Agreeable Sheep

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-07-04T20:55:06-07:00

This is a cute paper animation kit that you can download, print and assemble right in your very own home. It's free but you'll need to have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer in order to open the file. (Acrobat is also free and available here.) Once assembled, just turn the crank to make the sheep nod its head up and down in agreement with everything you say. Makes a perfect gift for every church pastor! Download the PDF file here.

Religious Hucksters

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-07-03T00:03:02-07:00

by Van Robison I heard some clown on one of the religious church television stations say, "God told me before I came onto the program today that 120 people are going to send in a donation of $100 each." Yeah sure buddy, I bet you had a direct cell phone call from God on that one. The hucksters never cease to amaze me. How can anyone even begin to think that they are serving God by sending these frauds, hucksters, and charlatans their hard earned money? The parade of religious clowns never ceases from television and radio in our day and age. The money hungry parasites are forever proclaiming the name of "God" or the name of "Jesus Christ" as their validation for seed money. Read more...

Living In Fear

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-07-01T00:01:21-07:00

by Van Robison It is natural to have fears. People have fears about many things in life. In 1 John 4:18 it says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love." It goes without saying that our human fears torment our peace of mind, can cause us emotional and psychological problems, and cause us to even lose the ability to sleep. Fear can also cause physical sickness and even worse. In the church world, many people are subjected to fear and we can itemize many of those fears. Read more...

Church Is A Mirror Reflection Of How Men Perceive God

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-06-29T00:05:22-07:00

by Van Robison If we look in the mirror, we obviously see our own reflection. Churches of this world are a reflection of the thinking of the religious-minded. So then, churches reflect the thinking mostly of the leadership of those institutions. You might say that when a clergyman or pastor looks at himself in the church mirror, what he sees is his own thinking. Church is the image or mirror reflection of the pastors. The reason this is so is because without the professional clergy there would be no church buildings, no service conducted, no preaching service, no money collection, no weekly rituals, etcetera. Church is a reflection of how men perceive God. Church cannot possibly define God, His purpose or His character. The one element that God looks upon is the HEART. It is impossible to believe that the most intelligent being in the universe is somehow pleased and overjoyed with human rituals, ceremonies, patterns, physical structures made of brick, stone, wood and mortar, and the customs and traditions of the religious-minded. Read more...

Do Youth Pastors Have Authority Over Teens?

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-06-26T00:03:48-07:00

by Van Robison First, let it be said that in the New Testament there is no such function as "youth pastor" ever mentioned. There is certainly nothing wrong with young people getting together, and having wholesome fun activities that young people love to enjoy. On the other hand, to place teenagers "under authority" to so-called youth pastors can be an affront to parents. Teaching and rearing children is the God-given responsibility of parents, including spiritual education. When my two daughters were teenagers, they were involved in a non-denominational, charismatic type church in which they engaged in youth activities and teachings under the "authority" of a youth pastor. Admittedly they made some good friendships, enjoyed fun times and fellowship. On the other hand, as parents my wife and I were frustrated with the idea that the "youth pastor" considered himself as their spiritual authority and teacher. This was cause for some friction and confrontation that we think should have been unnecessary. As parents, we do not consider any "youth pastor" as the spiritual teacher or spiritual authority over our teens. Read more...

Qualifications for Pulpit Ministry

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-06-25T00:01:15-07:00

Emphasizing Paul Over Christ

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-06-22T00:05:04-07:00

by Van Robison From my personal perspective, it seems somewhat amazing that Paul, who wrote a number of letters which we believe to be a vital part of the New Testament, is quoted, emphasized, and elevated to a status of "super apostle". Paul like Peter, without Jesus Christ is neither here nor there, which is to say, they are nobody apart from Christ. As Christians we seem to believe that Paul was infallible, and if indeed the Holy Spirit did inspire every word Paul penned, then his writings would be inerrant. It is a certainty that Paul wrote nothing in the English language. Therefore whether Paul's writings are totally accurate in translation is a question mark. The commission given by Jesus Christ to His disciples, was to convey Jesus Christ and the teachings of Christ to others, and at the same time, heal the sick and cast out unclean spirits (Matthew 10:1). There is no question from what we read in the New Testament, that Paul was an extremely abusive man, who thought nothing of force and violence (Acts 8:1-3) against the followers of Jesus Christ up to the time of his conversion. In today's church world, there is hardly any doubt that many preachers defer to Paul in many ways, and think more highly of Paul than Paul thought of himself. Read more...

Church In The Garden Of Eden

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-06-20T00:01:38-07:00

by Van Robison In the beginning there was a serpent (Genesis 3). While the Bible does not put it in these terms, the serpent appears to have had "church". During church the serpent beguiled Eve with glitter and glamor. He made promises to Eve that if she would partake, she would be wise. Much like many preachers today who preach the glamorous "prosperity gospel". And like many preachers today who promise that if you sew a seed into their bank account, you will reap a 10-fold or 100-fold return on your spiritual investment. Eve was so overcome by the persuasive and charismatic personality of the serpent-preacher that she was hypnotized by his flatteries. Eve dutifully seduced her husband with the her own charms and he could not resist, and he likewise partook of the serpent's deceptions. Read more...

Darkness Disguised As Light

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-06-18T00:18:09-07:00

by Van Robison Falsehood proclaims it is truth. Darkness is the great pretender of being light. Church says "I am the Way", but that is a lie. Many pastors prey on childish adults for money. Evil says I am good. The spiritually blind cannot see truth. Satan wants to be God. Many rulers lack wisdom. Sheep often follow wolves disguised as shepherds. Those who love to control others are insecure. Leaders flatter themselves with self importance. The love of money is the downfall of many preachers. The wicked hate exposure. Rulers think they are infallible. False prophets are liars. Using the name of Jesus Christ is no guarantee of truth. Read more...

The Rock House Of Jesus Christ

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-06-16T00:00:59-07:00

by Van Robison Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone of His Rock House. Without Him there would be no building. In this case, the building is not made with hands, but is a spiritual entity. Not only is Jesus Christ the Foundation, but He is also the one and only Head of His Rock House--the Body. All man-made institutions are made of shifting sands, which is to say that they will all eventually crumble. There is nothing eternal or everlasting about man-conceived organizations and institutions. Kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall in the realm of human beings, but the Kingdom of God is everlasting. Read more...

The University of Professor Jesus Christ

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-06-14T01:13:46-07:00

by Van Robison The world in which we live is highly impressed with "education". Many companies and corporations require some college education in order to work in a specific endeavor. I believe that society would be far better off if it totally dumped the college and university system we know, in favor of technical and trade school education, along with on-the-job training. There is much about the college world that is unessential "education", and that is a waste of human time and money, as well as the fact that some of the so-called education is more social engineering and indoctrination than useful knowledge. Worldly education is highly controlled and is therefore often an agency of politics, political indoctrination, humanist indoctrination, and manipulated by behind-the-scenes powers that control "education" for money, profits, and the manipulation of human beings into certain kinds of thinking. Read more...

Shadows

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-06-12T00:24:26-07:00

by Van Robison A human shadow is not the person. A human shadow is also dark and not light. A shadow does not give detail, only an outline. You cannot catch your own shadow because it is always elusive. When you chase your shadow it always moves away with you out of grasp. Read more...

Church As Seen From A Distance

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-06-08T19:47:11-07:00

by Van Robison Following Jesus Christ and going to church are not one and the same. Church leaders are spiritually blind, because Jesus Christ did not found churchianity. He didn't teach "take up your cross and go to church", or "take up your cross and follow pastors." What Jesus Christ founded was spiritual in nature, not carnal churchianity. Jesus came teaching principles to live by 24/7 and He exemplified His teachings by living those principles Himself. On the other hand churchianity teaches institutionalism. Institutionalism says--build physical buildings, submit to pastors, sit in pews, go to church, have organizational control over the people, and many other customs and traditions of men. Read more...

Saltless Preachers--Candles Without Light

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-06-03T00:45:24-07:00

by Van Robison Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 5:13-16 that they were the salt of the earth. He also said they are the light of the world, and that they were likened to candles giving light. He said to let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. The followers of Jesus Christ are to be salt in the earth and a light in the world. Unfortunately many preachers today are saltless and their candle has no light, because their real interest in life is having power and control over others, as well as majoring on money--their real god. Some preachers, especially some money-obsessed television preachers use the name of Jesus Christ for personal gain. They come as angels of light, but in reality are wolves in sheep's clothing. Read more...

Nuts and Bolts of Spiritual Abuse

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-05-27T23:01:17-07:00

by Van Robison In the beginning of human creation, God the Creator offered Adam and Eve no mediator or go between, between God Himself and Adam and Eve. They had direct contact and communication with their Creator. There were no human priests, no human pastors, nor any professional clergy and no church organization. Adam and Eve were thrust from the presence of Almighty God because they listened to the voice of a wolf in sheep's clothing. They did what God said not to do, and the penalty was separation from God which equates to death. When Adam and Eve were cast out from the Garden of Eden, it was their IMAGINATION that had gotten them into trouble. That is to say that what they thought was right, was actually wrong. This is human nature. Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way which SEEMS RIGHT unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." From the time of Adam and Eve, virtually all human beings have what we call human nature. We call it the natural mind of man, and which mind does not understand the things of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). Read more...

The Myth of Doing Church

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-05-20T21:41:57-07:00

by Van Robison The great role model for the life of human beings is none other than Jesus Christ. The purpose of Peter, Paul, and all the other apostles had nothing to do with making personal disciples to follow Peter or Paul, but their purpose was to convey to others the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Paul is not Jesus Christ. Paul was no different than any one of us, other than the fact that he says he was appointed to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentile world. Paul had no intention of establishing sectarianism. The church world today is greatly divided and very sectarian. God is not divided, nor is He the author of confusion, but to say that the church world is not in confusion is to have one's head buried in the sand. Read more...

Manipulated Christians

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-05-14T00:02:09-07:00

by Van Robison Most of us as Christians have heard all our lives "Jesus is coming are you ready", or "Jesus is coming soon", and "we are living in the end times", and similar phrases that have shaped our thinking. After many years, any thinking person has to wonder exactly when is "soon" that Jesus is coming again? One church I was associated with many years ago published a booklet entitled 1975 in Prophecy!, which led the readers to believe that "end time" events would come to a basic conclusion around the year 1975. The author now deceased, who was Herbert W. Armstrong was dead wrong. Like countless other "prophets" who have made specific predictions, and who set dates for specified events, Herbert W. Armstrong misled many people. Read more...

Perpetual Money Machine--Churchianity

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-05-07T00:30:49-07:00

by Van Robison Jesus Christ never taught that the forgiveness of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, salvation through Christ, or eternal life are purchased with money--ever. This is very easy for anyone to verify by reading the teachings of Jesus Christ in the four Gospels. We are expected to multiply our talents and not to bury what God has given us, but Christ never took up tithes and offerings during His earthly ministry. The church world is very wealthy in material goods. Some massive church organizations are worth billions upon billions of dollars in land, temples, church buildings and endless investments. Some churches are not wealthy, but nevertheless money is an endless object. Read more...

Twisted Scriptures excerpts

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-05-04T22:39:37-07:00

Here are some excerpts from Mary Alice Chrnalogar's book, Twisted Scriptures: A Path to Freedom from Abusive Churches.

Pied Pipers in the Pulpit

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-05-02T21:59:18-07:00

by Van Robison There was something magical about the flute playing of the Pied Piper. With his magical flute the children of the town of Hamelin followed the Pied Piper out of town where it is said that an underground passage opened up that led to Transylvania. Much like the magic of the Pied Piper of legend, our world today has many, many Pied Pipers. Pied Pipers play their magical flutes and the people cannot resist. In the world of Pied Pipers, the instruments are varied and the magical music played is all produced to seduce. Read more...

Ice Cream Churches and Velcro Christians

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-04-27T00:11:49-07:00

by Van Robison Most people love ice cream and it obviously comes in more than thirty-one flavors. Churches, like ice cream, are often very appealing to the senses. It could be that your church is strawberry in flavor, or perhaps vanilla, or maybe butterscotch, or one of many other varieties of ice cream churches. The flavors are endless. What is it about ice cream churches that attracts millions of people the world over? And why do believers in ice cream churches stick to their pastors, priests, clergy, churches and denominations like Velcro? Read more...

License to Preach

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-04-23T00:07:46-07:00

by Van Robison In the world we live in, the "license" is a key element of our culture. For whatever reason, in our society we are led to believe that having a "license" is a guarantee of being professional, qualified, legal and certified. We are led to believe that a license or a permit is necessary for almost everything under the sun such as: license to be a doctor, license to be a lawyer, license to be a "pastor", etc. The list is endless in the realm of life on earth. To believe that having a college education is a guarantee of professional service is too ludicrous to believe. Read more...

Spiritual Abuse videos

info@batteredsheep.com — 2007-04-18T01:33:40-07:00

There is a 3-part lecture video series on spiritual abuse by Jeff VanVonderen over at the Recovery University website. According to the website, "These presentations are part of a 10-part course entitled Breaking the Silence on Spiritual Abuse. The series includes presentations by Dave Johnson and Lynn Heitritter."