[Admin note: This is a survivor story from an ex-member who left in 2010 during the first crisis/exodus. All personal details have been removed by request of the ex-member]

When I left Shepherds church, about 3 months later, I went to [a healthy church] conference, which they do every year at the end of the year…it starts on … my birthday….

While I was in worship there, I heard the Holy Spirit ask this question: do you believe that I forgave you?

I said, yes I do.

Then I heard another voice in my head shout “No you don’t” Then after that I shouted back at the voice, “Yes I do!”

And then it was like a weight lifted off me

And all of the sudden, I was full of the Holy Spirit.

It was the best feeling ever.

When I left shepherds church, they told me I worshipped idols

They condemned me and made me feel like I wasn’t following Jesus

I wondered in my mind all the time if I was doing something wrong.

It was that tormenting, lying spirit

It controlled a part of my heart to not truly walk in the freedom of Christ

And Jesus set me free. Yippee!

I will never forget it

I love the faithfulness of my one true Shepherd Jesus

 

I had 4 years of their control and “impartation” to be set free from haha

Anyway, I was at this worship event at CSU____ about 6 months after I left Shepherds church

I remember praying for the campus and for their ministry, that they would not be able to deceive people.

And then the Holy Spirit said, Read 1 John 2:27

I don’t think I had read that verse up to this point in my walk.

So I opened my Bible and this is what it said: 1 John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will[a] abide in Him.

Then I felt led to just flip the bible open to another passage and this is what I landed on:

Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

I felt like God was saying that I should have nothing to do with their shepherding lie…exposing them was ok

We made some effort to help others for a time

But we also went on to have nothing to do with them

The Bible exposes their lies in so many verses