False Messiah–Keith Raniere
We have just finished watching the excellent mini-series called “Seduced” on Stan which portrays how India Oxenberg was seduced by the NXIVM cult (pronounced “Nexium”). What astounds me and makes me want to write about this is to show how easily one can be deceived into accepting, believing, and totally wholeheartedly following such an evil and deceptive cult. Basically, it was a sex-slave cult that focused on entrapping especially well-known actresses and business people as well as ordinary people all under the guise of being a self-improvement movement empowering women. But underneath all the glitz and glamour was the evil dictatorial and false messiah-type figure Keith Raniere who all along was setting up a harem of sex slaves all for his own self-gratification. It goes beyond belief how people could let themselves be seduced in such a way but the series reveals that the people at most risk are often the most intelligent. In fact, they were the ones often targeted. Keith Raniere was worshipped by his followers and still is by some but he was nothing more than a sex predator and a false teacher. Watch the trailer here…
The relevant point for me is how all too often these seducing cults occur and how easily people are sucked into believing a lie that is so obviously wrong to people on the outside. But as one of the main persons involved actress Sarah Edmondson says, “When people look at things like this, their natural instinct is [to say], ‘That would never happen to me, only stupid people fall for stuff like this.’ I want to dispel the myth of how people get involved. Nobody joins a cult on purpose…”
“When people look at things like this, their natural instinct is [to say], ‘That would never happen to me, only stupid people fall for stuff like this.’ I want to dispel the myth of how people get involved. Nobody joins a cult on purpose..."
Deception will increase as we get closer
This is so relevant to us today in these end times. We must become extremely vigilant and very watchful and wary of what we might be getting sucked into and how we might be being drawn into deceptive philosophies. Jesus’ first words to His followers in response to their question to what will be the sign of His coming was to watch out that they would not be deceived.1 And we know that that is where the devil is at–he is the great deceiver. He has been active of course deceiving mankind for millennia starting with Eve in the garden of Eden but he will be most active in the final years of the church deceiving the whole world enlisting followers through his mark of the beast system. And he will have the help of his demonic hordes many of whom will be released at the midpoint of the seven years at the 5th trumpet being described by John as being in the form of locusts.2 There will be a plague of these demons and part of their purpose will be to enforce the whole world to take the mark of Satan. Now we could easily say that there is no way we would be fooled into taking this obvious devil branding but India Oxenberg and many other women involved in the NXIVM cult willingly took Keith Ranieres branding tatoo mark which was really his initials on the side. This should be a wake-up call to all of us.
How do we protect ourselves from being deceived?
So how do we protect ourselves against being seduced by cults and people claiming to be Christ? A good question and so relevant because I fear that many people including Christians will allow themselves to be deceived. We are not that good at detecting the truth and the fact is that we are easily swayed and our moral compass can so very easily be changed into believing lies. One of the ways to identify a cult is that they nearly always have a strong personality at its helm. Followers believe in the leader and once brainwashed they can be told to do evil things against their wills. In my 2 Peter “False Teaching” sermon series I make the point that false teachers can nearly always be detected because they are driven by greed and sex.3 Start the “False Teaching” sermon series in 2 Peter by clicking here.
I believe that today the church at large is in grave danger just as the established church in Nazi Germany was in grave danger in the 1930s. They capitulated to the demands that the fascist government put upon them by allowing themselves to be syncretised into a false religion. They kowtowed to the demands of the Nazis.4
"The German Christian movement made significant changes to German Protestantism to bring it in line with Nazi racial ideology. Instead of classifying people as Christians or Jews based on their faith, as the Protestants had always done, German Christians began to classify people by racial heritage, as the Nazis did."
Is another holocaust possible?
There are many ways in which the 1930’s German Protestant church capitulated to Hitler’s demands. He saw the church as weak and an obstacle that was easily overcome. Even though Hitler was raised as a Catholic and was still publicly declaring himself to be a Catholic as late as 1933, he came to detest the church saying that it was a religion fit only for slaves. It is my fear that our modern-day church will become an even easier obstacle to overcome and become quite easy to dismantle in the last seven years. Another great holocaust-type persecution is not only possible but entirely likely. There will be a great rebellion or turning away from the faith.5
Standing firm until the end
So what do we do as concerned and serious followers of Christ? Just what Jesus said to His disciples 2000 years ago in Jerusalem. He said, “Watch out…” He also said that many will turn away from the faith and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.6 He said people’s love will grow cold but the only thing we can do is to stand firm until the end. Only those who stand firm will be saved.7 This flies in the face of OSAS8 proponents as they believe that no Christian can be lost once they are true believers and followers in Christ. They see salvation as unconditional in the sense that nothing can affect it which is backed up by taking Romans 8:38-39 out of context. All of the things listed in these verses are external forces outside of the believer but notice that at the end of verse 39 that it says [nothing can separate us] from the love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I hope that you can see the condition here that the believer has to remain, abide and be in Christ in order to not be separated. Matthew confirms that there is a condition for salvation–we need to stand firm until the end and it is possible in the meantime to be deceived, seduced, and to lose one’s love for the Lord.7
I recommend watching the series, “Seduced” if you can as it will put more knowledge in your toolbox on how to remain vigilant in these precarious times. [WARNING: sex themes and swearing which may not be suitable for younger audiences]
