Examination of a few of the Cults

By NiteOwlDave
niteowldave@gmail.com

The following verses in Matthew 24: 4-5 are prophetic in view of the growing number of religious cults today. Jesus said,

“Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ', AND SHALL DECEIVE MANY." How true.

Most cults claim to be Bible based when, in fact, they borrow elements of biblical truth, or add to the inerrant Word of God. They are false and will face the wrath of a Holy God, certainly in the afterlife.

The apostle John in the Book of Revelations warns in the third and fourth last verses in the Bible, Revelations 22:18-19,

"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. “And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book."

What is a cult?

The commonly held definition is that a cult is simply a belief system. More correctly, a cult is a group led by a dictatorial leader who demands unquestioning adherence to his doctrines that are generally taken from the Scripture, but out of context.

With the Bible being our measuring stick, let us examine here a few of the more prominent cults in North America.

ROMAN CATHOLICISM

Without going into detail, the largest cult in the world is the Roman Catholic Church (RCC).

Roman Catholicism takes from and adds to the Bible. The RCC insist its members embrace a pope and his new “truths” and confess their sins to a priest. The church teaches salvation is by faith and works.

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

The modern day Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) was founded by Charles T. Russell in 1876.

Over the years, the JWs have gone by the names Russellites, Millennial Dawnists, Watch Tower Society, and International Bible Students.

JW teachings are undeniably wrong when held up to the light of Scripture.

Aside from the facts that a JW refuses blood transfusions, will not salute the flag or honor any government, will have no part of war, or honor traditional Christian holidays, to list a few restrictions.

1. Deny that Christ literally rose from the dead as the Bible states, but teach that Christ was raised an invisible spirit;
2. Deny that Jesus Christ is equal with the Father as the Bible states, but teach that Jesus was the first "created" being;
3. Deny the biblical teaching of an eternal soul, but teach that the soul fades away at death and that man will never face God for an accounting;
4. Deny the biblical teaching of the three-person Godhead, the Trinity;
5. Teach that God began to set up on this earth His kingdom in 1914, and that only 144,000 JWs will become part of that kingdom;
6. Denounce all organized religion, and teach that all ministers except themselves are frauds;
7. Denounce the existence of a literal Hell, teaching that it is an invention of the Devil who will ultimately be completely annihilated.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

Christian Science, "discovered" by Mary Baker Eddy in 1866, is neither Christian nor scientific.

The textbook of Christian Science is "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," which Mrs. Eddy wrote, she said, by divine inspiration.

This unbiblical cult:

1. Denies the existence of a personal God. God is taught to be a divine principle, a state of mind;
2. Teaches that Jesus Christ was a divine idea—not a real person;
3. Denies biblical creation, but teach that man is "the expression of infinite mind";
4. Denies the biblical teaching of sin and teaches that sin "is simply a belief, an illusion";
5. Denies the biblical teaching of a literal Satan;
6. Teaches that angels are only exalted thoughts;
7. Denies there is a literal Heaven;
8. Denies there is a Hell;
9. Teaches that sickness and disease are not real. They are "mental errors";
10. Teaches that death is not real, only a "mortal dream".

UNITY

Closely allied to the unbiblical thought of Christian Science is The Unity School of Christianity, founded by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in 1922.

Extremely hard to pin down its beliefs, Unity is a hodgepodge of thought. Unity:

1. Teaches that God is a principle. When man attains complete unity with this principle, good health and prosperity will follow;
2. Teaches that Jesus Christ was not a person;
3. Teaches that salvation is the "energy of light through which creative mind rules heaven and earth, when his mind of love synchronizes with creative mind";
4. Denies the biblical teaching of the fall of man, the new birth, and the reality of sin and Hell;
5. Teaches the Hindu doctrine of repeated reincarnation until perfection is attained.

MORMONISM

Mormonism, also known as the Church of the Latter Day Saints, was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr., in Fayette, New York, in 1930.

Smith wrote The Book of Mormon, which he claimed, was divinely inspired.

A claimed visitation by an angel named Moroni at age 14, when he was given new revelation written on gold tablets, was the basis for the Mormon book, which is given equal authority to the Bible.

Upon the death of Smith, who was shot and killed by an angry mob, Brigham Young became leader, who established new headquarters in Utah.

Mormons believe:

1. With the Book of Mormon, the Bible, and a few other chosen writings, the Mormon Church believes it is the only true church and is in possession of all divine written revelation;
2. That sect founder Joseph Smith was born as God's infallible prophet;
3. That man was not created by God despite what the Bible says, and that man pre-existed in a celestial world before becoming human;
4. That man was in the beginning also a God, the same as Jesus;
5. That eventually man may return to God status and reach the perfection of the deity;
6. That a living Mormon can be baptized on behalf of another Mormon who died without being baptized. The Holy Spirit—a needed element for salvation—enters a Mormon through water baptism;
7. That until it was outlawed by the federal government, plural marriages were promoted and practiced by the cult. While the practice is now outlawed, the written doctrine has not been changed;
8. That marriages extend into eternity;
9. That, according to many Mormons, Christ was married to Mary and Martha, sisters of the resurrected Lazarus;
10. That salvation is gained by doing good works and following church orders.

Conclusion: Mormon cult teachings are diametrically opposite to what the Bible teaches. It is therefore a "doctrine of devils" and is totally false.

SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISM

One of the fastest-growing and most deceptive religious cults is Seventh-day Adventism (SDA).

For public consumption the sect preaches the biblical "gospel.”
A deeper look shows it preaches poison.

Most believe the fundamental difference between traditional Christianity and SDA is that the Adventists chose to observe Saturday as the Sabbath as opposed to Sunday.

The present SDA movement began with the mistake of William Miller who predicted the coming of Christ in 1843, then 1844 when Christ was a no-show.

His followers would not admit to an error, so they claimed that Christ had in fact come—not to earth but to a different part of Heaven.

The false foundation of the Seventh Day Adventists was inspired from a Mrs. Ellen White, whose vision spawned the following unscriptural doctrine that states:

1. Christ came back in 1844 and has been in the "Sanctuary" of Heaven since then to complete the atonement He began at Calvary;
2. The SDA are a select "remnant" group chosen by God who alone have total truth;
3. They are the 144,000 of Revelation 7, and they alone have the message of the last days;
4. The three angels of Revelations 14:6-11 are a prophecy of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church of the "latter" days;
5. That Sabbath-keeping will constitute the "seal of the living God" and is the final mark of salvation;
6. Observing the Sabbath on Sunday and not Saturday will be the "mark of the Beast" (in other words, one's salvation is determined by which day is observed as the Sabbath);
7. That the "scapegoat" in Leviticus 16 was symbolical of Satan, upon whom the sins of the people were laid, thus making Satan our sin-bearer;
8. That Jesus inherited our Adam's sinful nature, and therefore possessed an inborn inclination to sin;
9. The verses which speak of a Christian, upon dying, being "present with the Lord" are false, where death means soul sleep;
10. That there is no Hell, where those who are not Christians at death will in the end be reduced to ashes;
11. That the Millennium of Revelations is bogus and that Christ will not reign on earth for 1,000 years.

The Seventh-Day Adventists do teach enough Biblical truth to blind the eyes to the wretched wrongs that are cleverly mixed in with the truth.

BAHAISM

With its roots in Persia, Bahai is one of the strangest religions in the world.

The present movement is the outgrowth of an earlier cult founded by the "Bab,” a Persian prophet.

Bahai acknowledge Jesus as being a great prophet, but proclaim Mohammed as greater.

Following the execution of the "Bab" by Mohammedan authorities in the public square at Tabriz, Persia, in 1850, the movement was taken up by the Bahaullah who had been designed by the "Bab" as the final Messiah who would cause the whole world to accept the Koran (the Mohammedan Bible) as the final word of Allah.

Since 1957 when prophet Shoghi Effendi, called the final Messenger, died, there have been a dozen leaders elected to oversee and direct the affairs of Bahaism.

Bahaism teaches that:

1. God is unknowable except through Bahai prophet;
2. Divine revelation is continuous and progressive;
3. The evolution of man's spiritual and social position occurs in cycles of one thousand years;
4. The mission of Bahaism is to unite all men in one faith and one religion—Bahaism;
5. The final age of peace will come through God's prophet, the head of Bahaism.

Conclusion
So what conclusions can we draw from this brief look into a few of the more-popular cults?

Well, they each swipe elements of clear Biblical theology.

They then add or subtract from the Holy Scripture to make a bogus, hodge-podge theology.

They refuse to accept the Bible as the total, God-inspired, don't-mess-with-it, all-inclusive Word of God. The cults each claim they have been given new revelation through their prophets. This then makes THEM God's final witnesses to the world.

There can only be two sources of final witness—God of Glory or destructive Satan from the pit of Hell.

35 Reasons Not to Become a Jehovah's Witness

By NiteOwlDave
niteowldave@gmail.com

So, you are thinking of becoming a Jehovah's Witness? Boy, are you dedicated. Boy, are you in for a rule filled ride that ends up at a dead end.

Besides the non-biblical theology of the door-knocking JWs, the package of man-made rules you will face, as a member of the Watchtower Society is not only tough, but also bizarre.

Check them out.

1. You cannot celebrate holidays such as Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, or any other national holiday.
2. You must not take an oath of allegiance to your country, join the military, vote, or support any political party.
3. You can, if you wish, collect unemployment or welfare benefits. This is encouraged because you will have more time to go door-to-door with their Society's magazines.
4. You cannot celebrate birthdays.
5. You cannot clink glasses together.
6. You must not throw rice or confetti at weddings.
7. Large gatherings are frowned upon by the Watchtower Society unless organized by them for Bible studies. (Usually the Bible is not used much; their other books are claimed to be "better" to learn from.)

8. You must not associate socially with anyone not a Witness except to conduct a Bible (book) study.
9. Your children must not associate with other children unless they are Witnesses.
10. Your children cannot join organizations such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Red Cross, S.P.C.A., any other boys or girls clubs, and team sports at school or elsewhere. Their time is considered better spent distributing the Society's magazines and books.
11.To avoid "wordly associations," adults may not join groups such as the volunteer fire brigade, the YMCA, or service club, etc.
12. A minimum of 10 hours a month is encouraged for door-to-door soliciting of funds for the Society's books and magazines. Monthly reports must be filled in. (Apparently, Jehovah God will consult these to see if you are worthy to survive Armageddon.)
13. On public holidays you must attend meetings and sell literature where possible.
14. You must not read any literature published by Christian churches or any other religious organization. These are taught as being from Satan.

15. You must not acknowledge the Cross as a Christian symbol. It is considered to be of pagan origin.
16. Jehovah's Witness provides no Sunday School for your children. You must provide four hours per month studying the Watchtower Society's publications with them.
17. You must take off from your job to attend all Watchtower conventions, held three times a year. Absence is frowned upon.
18. There are certain rules of conduct to follow in your bedroom. You may check with your elders for details. If you disobey you may be “disfellowshipped” as in expelled.
19. Certain forms of birth control are unacceptable. Your decision is not considered. You must check with the elders first.
20. Beards are frowned upon as they reflect a rebellious and independent attitude. Moustaches are okay.
21. If your family members are not JWs, you must have nothing to do with them. If any have been expelled, have NOTHING to do with them or you may be shunned yourself.

22. Make sure all your magazine and book studies are done and underlined each week.
23. All meetings must be attended. There are five meetings per week, on three different days. If you miss, you must have a good reason. Sickness is not always a good reason.
24. You must view all people who are not JWs as "worldly" and part of Satan's organization. They will all perish at Armageddon. Only JWs will be saved, so why bother associating with them?
25. If you ever choose to leave the Jehovah's Witness organization, all your JW "friends" will shun you, even if you have not been "disfellowshipped". You will also get frequent phone calls of "encouragement" which you may find harassing.
26. If you ever attend a Christian church for ANY reason (including family weddings, funerals, etc.), you will be “disfellowshipped.”
27. You must never disagree with the Society or it will be said that you are disagreeing with God, because the Watchtower Society claims to be the ONLY organization on earth that has been chosen by Him to guide his people.
28. You will not have the free choice of conscience. You give up that right when you become a Witness. The Society will make almost all decisions for you.

29. You will be forbidden to give or take blood transfusions or blood products. You must not even store your own blood for a transfusion as it is said this belongs to God. If your child requires a transfusion, it is your duty to try to prevent the doctors from transfusing the child even if it means stealing the child from the hospital and letting the child die.
30. Unless you are one of the 144,000 who are the only ones who may go to Heaven, you are not to partake of the bread and wine during communion.
31. All the above rules are subject to change without notice and without recourse. Be in constant expectation of "New Light" which could reverse everything.
32. If you disobey any of the above rules and refuse to turn from your rebellious course, you will be “disfellowshipped,” and an announcement will be made to the whole congregation. All members worldwide will shun you, even family members, so expect no invitations to family weddings, funerals, or reunions, etc.
33. If you wish to be reinstated, you must do as the elders tell you—attend all meetings, coming in after the opening song and prayer, sitting at the back of the hall, talk to no one, have no participation, leave before the final song and prayer, and have no contact with other members. Until reinstated, you will have no part in field ministry. Depending upon your offense, the time of punishment may last up to a year or more.
34. You must not pray for “disfellowshipped” ones. They are dead in God's eyes.
35. The JWs reject Jesus Christ as being the Son of God through whom we are saved.

Christ In The Courtroom

I generally quickly skim and delete the many "forwards" from e-mail acquaintances. I find that much e-mail is rather mindless lists or silly observations. Recently, the following forward caught my eye and I read every word. The author was not identified. Give it a read.
Regards,
dave


After living a "decent" life, my time on earth came to an end.

The first thing I remember was sitting by the defense table in a courtroom. I noticed that the prosecutor was a villainous-looking guy who turned my way and snarled. My lawyer was a kind-looking gent who, for some reason, looked familiar.

We were all ordered to stand as in marched the judge, a man who wore flowing robes and had an awesome aura about him.” Let us begin," the judge ordered.

The prosecutor arose and declared, "My name is Satan, and I am here to show you why this man belongs in Hell."

He proceeded to tell of lies I told, about things I had stolen, details of me cheating. Satan spoke of other perversions that were once in my life.

The more he revealed, the further down in the chair I sank. I was so embarrassed I couldn't make eye contact with anyone. The Devil told of sins even I had forgotten about.

As upset as I was at Satan for airing all these things, I was equally upset at my representative who remained seated and silent and didn't challenge a thing.

I knew I was guilty of everything stated, but what about the good stuff I had done in my life. Didn't the good things kind of equal the wrongful stuff?

Satan finished in a flurry. "This man belongs in Hell! He is guilty of all that I have charged! There is not a person who can prove otherwise."

My lawyer eased to his feet and asked if he could approach the bench. Over loud objections of Satan, the judge motioned him forward.

For the first time I was able to see him in his full splendor and majesty. I realized why he seemed so familiar.

This was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior. He reached the bench and said softly to the judge, "Hi Dad." He then turned and spoke to the hushed courtroom.

"Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned. I won't deny any of these allegations. And, yes, the wage of sin is death. This man does deserve to be punished."

Jesus took a deep breath and turned to his Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed,

"I died for this man on the cross so that he might have eternal life.

"He called out to me for My salvation. His name is written in the book of Life, and no one can snatch him from me.

"Satan still doesn't understand that. This man is not to be given justice: He is to be given mercy. There is nothing required of this man. I completed his salvation.”

The judge lifted his mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. "This man," he proclaimed, "IS FREE. The penalty for him has been paid in FULL. Case dismissed!"

As my Lord escorted my from the courtroom, I could hear a furious Satan seething, "I won't give up, I'll win the next one."

I turned to my Savior, Lord and Lawyer, "Have you ever lost a case?" Christ replied with a loving smile, "Everyone that has come to me and asked me to represent them has received the same verdict as you, 'PAID IN FULL’."