Am l in a "Christian cult?

Quite possibly.

 

Maybe some things have happened to alert you to the fact that all is not well

where you worship?

 

We'll look at the following:

1. What is a cult?

2. What are the "Christian" churches that are cults?

3. Are there Christian churches with cultish doctrine?

 

The purpose of this teaching is to measure

all cults & religious systems against

 the Word of God as found in the

 King James Bible.

 

************************

Many people believe that when they die they are going to heaven.

 Are you one of them?

 There is nothing wrong with wanting to

 go to heaven - the Bible says that we

 can be sure that we have

eternal life. (1 John 5:13)

 

ALL THE RELIGIONS AND THE CULTS OFFER ETERNAL LIFE WITH THEIR UNIQUE SYSTEM

 OF BELIEFS.....BUT WHERE IS THE TRUTH?

 

GET EVERYTHING ELSE WRONG

 HERE ON EARTH ...BUT DON'T MESS

 UP WHERE YOU'LL SPEND ETERNITY!

 

 WHAT IS A CULT? 

(From Bob Larson's "Book of Cults"- an excellent book) These are 18 general characteristics of cults.

 

 CAN YOU FIND YOURSELF IN HERE SOMEWHERE? 

 

1.  ABSOLUTE LOYALTY. The sect or cult demands this and is enforced by veiled threats to one's body or your eternal spiritual condition. 

 

2.  ALTERED DIET. Some cults have diet standards.

 

3.  CHANTING AND MEDITATION. Objective intellectual input is avoided with repetitious songs, hymns or chants.

 

4.  CONFORMITY. Dress, language, interests erode individuality.

 

5.  DOCTRINAL CONFUSION. Logical thought is replaced by "truths" that are presented in complex patterns.

 

6.  EXCLUSIVITY. Those outside the cult are seen as inferior - a "we" vs "they" situation.

 

7.  FINANCIAL INVOLVEMENT. Always talking about money and the blessings that will come to you from giving them your money.

 

8.  ‘HYPNOTIC’ STATES. Repetitious singing, chants or meditation.

 

9.  ISOLATION FROM OUTSIDE. Can be separated from friends, family and society in which you have previously functioned.

 

10. LACK OF PRIVACY. Critical thinking not encouraged and personal secrets may be used against members.

 

11.   LOVE BOMBING. Affection and constant attention give a false sense of comradeship.

 

12.  MEGACOMMUNICATION. Long confusing sermons/lectures/talks given with catch phrases and glib rhetoric.

 

13.   NEW RELATIONSHIPS. Marriage to another cult member and the destruction of past family relationships.

 

14.  NONSENSICAL ACTIVITIES. Activities with no apparent purpose given by group or leader.

 

15.PAVLOVIAN CONTROL. Behaviour modification by alternating reward and punishment which leads to confusion or dependency.

 

16.  PEER PRESSURE. Any doubts about the cult are overcome by offering a sense of belonging.

 

17. SENSORY DEPRIVATION. Fatigue, along with prolonged activity can make one vulnerable to suggestions and beliefs.

 

18. UNQUESTIONING SUBMISSION. Any questions about leadership or practices is discouraged.

 CULTS VS THE KING JAMES BIBLE 

We'll compare the cults to the inerrant & infallible Word of God - the King James Bible (KJB).

We'll look at the following headings:

1.  Who Is God?

2.  Who Is Jesus Christ?

3.  What is the nature of man?

4.  What are the requirements of atonement?

5.  What is the source of revelation?

 GOD 

THE KING JAMES BIBLE

"...there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things..." 1 Cor 8:6

"...before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." Isaiah 43:10

"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM..." Exodus 3:14

"For there is one God..:'1Timothy 2:5

 CULTS: 

1. Impersonal and unknowable essence - (Bahai's, Hindus)

Divine Idea, principle and example - (Christian Science, Unity)

Non-Trinitarianism - (Jehovah's Witnesses, The Way, Mormonism, Armstrongism, Unification Church, Christadelphianism)

 

 CHRIST 

THE KING JAMES BIBLE

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John1:1

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..." John 1:14

"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." 1 John 5:7

CULTS:

1. Merely a human being without divinity who attained a "Christ Consciousness" (The Church Universal and Triumphant, The International Community of Christ)

2. A created being - (Mormonism, JW's, Armstrongism, Christian Science, Christadelphianism)

3. One of the many avatars or revelations of God (Hinduism, Divine Light Mission)

 

 MAN 

THE KING JAMES BIBLE

"All have sinned...” Romans 3:23

"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners..." Romans 5:19

In Eden, Adam fell by disobedience, hence all men are conceived in sin with a depraved nature destined for damnation unless they trust the blood of Jesus as payment for a holy God.

 CULTS: 

1. Man is divine - an emanation of the Infinite Impersonal (Theosophy, Christian Science, Rosicrucianism, Unity)

2. Sinful but capable of attaining the same "Christ consciousness" that Jesus did (Church Universal and Triumphant, Holy Order of MANS)

3. Destined to be a god (Mormonism, Christian Science, Worldwide church of God)

 ATONEMENT 

THE KING JAMES BIBLE

The Old Testament sacrifices foreshadowed the Lamb of God "slain from the foundation of the world." (Rev 13:8);

The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1John 1:7);

Man may have peace with God "through the blood of his cross" (Col 1:20);

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12; "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2: 8-9

 CULTS: 

1. Good works and deeds will cause us to achieve our at-one-ment with God (Roman Catholicism, Unity, Jehovah's Witnesses, 7th Day Adventism, Bahaism, Armstrongism, Chrstadelphianism, the Church of Christ).

2. Re-Incarnation - to fulfil the law of karma (Scientology, Krishna Consciousness)

3. Universalism - all will be saved (Mormonism, Christian Science, Unification Church).

 REVELATION 

THE KING JAMES BIBLE

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." (2Timothy 3:16) "...but the word of our God shall stand for ever." Isaiah 40:8

"The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." Psalm 12:6-7 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword ...and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

 CULTS 

1. The Bible needs additional subjective or written material for our age (Roman Catholicism, Seventh Day Adventism, Mormonism)

2. The Word of God needs to be properly translated with accompanying explanations (Jehovah's Witnesses, The Way, Roman Catholicism)

3. The Bible is one of many equally divine books (Unity, Bahaism)

  HOW DO CULTS ARISE? 

ANY SYSTEM OF RELIGION - MAJOR OR MINOR, SUPPOSEDLY ‘CHRISTIAN’ OR NOT. THAT WILL NOT BELIEVE THAT "SALVATION IS BY FAITH ALONE IN THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST ALONE" inevitably has some or all of the 18 points. Cults arise from wrong doctrine.

The MAJOR NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS are nothing but MAJOR CULTS: Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Roman Catholicism, Confucianism, Shinto, Taoism, Zoroastrianism etc.

The MINOR "CHRISTIAN" CULTS are nothing but MINOR CULTS: 7th Day Adventism, Christian Science, Mormonism, Christadelphianism, Unity, Unification Church, The Way International, Armstrongism, Jehovah's Witnesses etc.

 ERROR IN CHRISTIAN CHURCHES 

 Even though some Christian churches adhere to 'faith alone', they can also teach wrong doctrine.

These are what are known as `cultic' Christian churches. The Lutherans, Uniting, Pentecostal, Church of England and others have signed agreements with the Roman Catholics.
These are the Pentecostal churches, Charismatic churches & Faith Movement churches. The Uniting  Church and the Church of England endorse homosexuality and homosexual ministers. They also endorse women Pastors. The Baptist church have women pastors. Almost all have embraced the un-Scriptural Alpha Course. The Presbyterians don't believe in the Rapture and have put an albatross around their necks with their belief in Calvinism. They also believe with the Catholics, that God has finished with the Jews.

Many teach Biblical prosperity, deliverance, new Biblical revelations, tongues, belief in present day Apostles and Prophets, being "slain in the spirit”, prophecies, signs, wonders, Apostolic anointings & healing lines. All of these are un-Scriptural.

All churches now embrace the modern translations of the Bible especially the NIV and the NASB. No-one seems the least concerned that these modern versions are based entirely on a Greek Text made up by the unsaved men - Westcott and Hort who based their work on the writings of Origen -THE PAGAN from the 2nd cent.

SATAN CAN'T GET A SAVED PERSON UNSAVED, BUT HE DOES ALL HE CAN TO LEAD BELIEVERS ASTRAY SO THAT THEIR WITNESS IS BLUNTED WITH WRONG DOCTRINE, WRONG TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE AND THE MISAPPLICATION OF BIBLE VERSES.

  Where there is wrong doctrine you'll find wrong practices manifesting in the 18 points mentioned.

There are many cults that weren't mentioned in this paper. As time goes by  you will see more of the 18 points manifest themselves as un-Scriptural doctrine is taught.

 

THOSE WHO BELONG

 TO CULTS MAY BE VERY

SINCERE.... BUT SINCERELY MISGUIDED.

Harley Hitchcock

This website’s front page is:
www.AustralianBibleMinistries.com

 

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