Abuse, Control, and Manipulation: Life in a Cult

WOW, what a sight! Can you imagine seeing icebergs floating by in your own town on a regular basis? 

Icebergs can be massive. During their whole life time they deal with melting, changing, rolling, breaking apart, and moving... always moving, always changing. They are completely unpredictable in how they act as they move and what they look like at any moment as they slowly melt and move.

Icebergs are a perfect analogy of abusive people. A man or woman, husband or wife, or a group of people can be controlling and manipulative, which is abuse. 

They can be mildly abusive in their control and manipulation to outrageously controlling, manipulative in abuse.

From mild to outrageous: abuse is wrong. God designed us to be free. Free from the abusiveness of wicked, controlling, and manipulative people.

John 8:31-36

"...So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 

“If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

They answered Him, 

“We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus answered them, 

“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed..."

Psalm 118:5-9

"...From my distress I called upon the Lord;

The Lord answered me and set me in a large place.

The Lord is for me; 

I will not fear;

What can man do to me?

The Lord is for me among those who help me;

Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

Than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

Than to trust in princes..."

Psalm 142:5-7

"...I cried out to You, O Lord;

I said, 

“You are my refuge,

My portion in the land of the living.

“Give heed to my cry,

For I am brought very low;

Deliver me from my persecutors,

For they are too strong for me.

“Bring my soul out of prison,

So that I may give thanks to Your name;

The righteous will surround me,

For You will deal bountifully with me.”

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord! 


Praise the Lord, O my soul!

I will praise the Lord while I live;


I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

Do not trust in princes,


In mortal man, 

in whom there is no salvation.

His spirit departs, 

he returns to the earth;


In that very day his thoughts perish.

How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,


Whose hope is in the Lord his God,

Who made heaven and earth,


The sea and all that is in them;


Who keeps faith forever;

Who executes justice for the oppressed;


Who gives food to the hungry.


The Lord sets the prisoners free.

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;


The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;


The Lord loves the righteous;

The Lord protects the strangers;


He supports the fatherless and the widow,


But He thwarts the way of the wicked.

The Lord will reign forever,


Your God, O Zion, to all generations.


Praise the Lord!

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