March 18, 2013

Wolves In Sheep's Clothing

By Becky Porter

Many Christians have been hurt by pastors and leaders in the body of Christ.  Sometimes those wounds are so deep, it has "crippled" and "paralyzed" them, hindering them from going forward in the things of the Lord, even altering the way they view God because they do not understand why He allowed them to get hurt by one of His own shepherds.  God deeply desires His people to be completely free, unhindered, unfettered and able to live their lives for Him, and He wants them to know His great love for them!

Saw:  I see an animal that has been caught in a poacher's trap and it is struggling to get free. 

Interpretation:  The animal was innocently and happily traversing the forest and doing what it was created to do, unaware that danger lurked nearby.  On its journey, the animal became hungry and that is when it stumbled upon the metal trap.  The poacher had very cleverly disguised the trap, using leaves and twigs from the forest floor to make it undetectable, and displaying delectable bait on the trap that the animal could not resist.  The poacher has many years of experience at trapping animals such as this one and he knows just what kind of bait to use to draw the animal.  The poacher recognizes the value of this kind of animal, and he has a plan for selfish gain - sometimes he even traps the animals as a type of cat and mouse game, just simply because he can!

The animal has now become ensnared and is struggling to free itself, but the more it struggles to get free, the deeper the jagged jaws of the metal trap dig into its flesh, inflicting more pain than the animal can bear!  Finally, utterly exhausted and having used every last bit of energy, the animal now lies panting and out of breath, feeling hopeless and fearing it will never get free!

Suddenly, a very kindhearted stranger appears out of nowhere and approaches the animal, and bending down, he very gently opens the jaws of the trap and releases the animal.  The animal is ecstatic to be free, but as it tries to take its first step it collapses in pain - its leg has been broken and the flesh around the wound has become infected and it is bleeding and swollen.  If the animal were left alone it would surely die, because even though it has now been set free, it cannot walk and it cannot feed itself, and it would either die of starvation, or be eaten by another animal.  Before it can resume a normal and healthy life again, its wounds need to be tended to.  The stranger realizes all of this, and he gently picks up the animal and takes it home and tends to its wounds and feeds it.  The healing process takes place over a period of time, and the animal flourishes under the care of the stranger.  One day, the animal gets up and walks around without any help or support from the stranger, and it is clear that the animal is now strong enough to be released back into the wild.  The day the stranger lets the animal go is one of mixed emotion, both for the stranger, as well as the animal, because during the time of healing, the two had bonded and become very close, but both know that their time together has come to an end and their paths are now diverging.  As the stranger sets the animal on the ground, it looks up into the stranger's face, as if to say "thank you", and then turns around and scampers off into the forest as fast as it can go, extremely happy to be back in its natural habit, doing what God created it to do!  The animal is now much wiser after its experience and it has learned its lesson, and never again will it get caught in a trap!

I hear the Lord saying:  There are many wolves in sheep's clothing that have ensnared My people, and it grieves My heart deeply.  Some of these are My shepherds that desire to serve Me, but there is an unregenerate part of their hearts that they have not yet surrendered to Me, and there is still a very fleshly side of them that wants for their own gain.  They use their position of authority, anointing, gifting and charisma to draw people to themselves instead of to Me, and they desire their own voice to be heard instead of Mine.  The unsuspecting are drawn to the anointing they see on the lives of these individuals, and they feel a very deep level of trust for them because they know they are one that has been called by Me, and they feel they are safe with them, never suspecting them to be capable of any wrong doing.  Usually the wolves continue to camouflage their true nature/character/identity/motives for a season, all the while making sure their victims are securely ensnared and have wholeheartedly bought into their belief system and whatever it is they are trying to "sell" or convince them of.  Unbeknownst to the victims, the wolves are actually operating in a form of witchcraft, for to use manipulation, control, domination, shame or intimidation to try and change a person's opinion or to try to force them to do something they don't want to do is actually a form of witchcraft. 

A wolf's true nature is always revealed in time, and then much deep wounding and confusion occur for My people, for they have great difficulty believing what they can see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears because it does not line up with the image they had of that person, for they had placed them on a pedestal and made them an idol and believed them to be someone who was beyond reproach.

The behavior of these wolves in sheep's clothing should not be, and it deeply grieves My heart and it kindles My anger.  I will deal with them according to their sins - vengeance is Mine - I will settle accounts with the abusers and I will recompense the victims.  When one of My own shepherds is the abuser, they will be held even more accountable because of the position of authority I entrusted to them over My people.

I will turn what was darkness into My marvelous light.  What the enemy meant for evil, I will turn and use it for the good of the victim, and for the good of many!  When one of My own has been deceived by a wolf in sheep's clothing, there is a very special gift and anointing that I give to them - I give them double for their trouble!  For all of the pain and heartache they had to endure, they will have more than their fair share of My good gifts, My harvest, and My abundance!  Others in the body of Christ sometimes look at My people who have been endowed with rich and beautiful gifts, and sometimes they covet those gifts and think it is not fair that someone has something they do not, but they have no idea what those people had to endure to receive all that they now possess. 

I know you do not understand why I took you on some of the paths you have traveled, and at times you felt the pain was more than you could bear, but know that you are better and wiser after the experiences, and much has been imparted to you in the midst of the struggles, for as you have struggled and then overcome each adversity, I have given you an Overcomer's anointing.  This anointing will break yokes of bondage off of people in a life changing way in areas of their lives where they have become deeply ensnared and entangled and cannot get free!  You are not the same person you were before the experiences, for you are now MUCH stronger and MUCH wiser!  You have a very strong level of wisdom/understanding/discernment, and it came at a GREAT cost to you - you suffered greatly to receive it, but those who endure get the crown of life!  You have chosen well - you have chosen the less traveled path, and you will find many rich treasures along this path!  You will travel far and wide and share your life experiences on your journey, and many will be healed, delivered, and set free and loosed from bondage that they have struggled with for a lifetime!  Everything you went through will be well worth it when you receive the prize I AM going to give you, for not only will it change your life, but it will also change the lives of MANY!  I AM opening the door for you now, run through that door and into My waiting arms!  Together, we will walk hand in hand, and together we will walk into My long awaited Promised Land! 

Quickened Prophetic Song:  Whom the Son sets free is free indeed - you are free!  Don't you know that you're free, that you're free indeed?  You are free!  The prison door is standing open, so come on out - come on out!  Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.  You are free!  You are free!  You are free!

Matthew 7:15 NKJV

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 AMP

But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear]. For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane. [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good. [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God. For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].

James 1:12 NKJV

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Becky Porter