EXJWS THAT ARE NOW CHRISTIANS

A CULT TEST

There are more than 1000 different Cults in the world today. A simple test will tell you if the church you're in or considering joining is a cult or not. Although some of these questions may not fit for each and every cult thatТs out there. These questions will give you a very good start in identifying what a cult is really all about.

1. The first thing to watch out for is controversy about the group itself. If any controversy is found investigate this group's history thoroughly, outside the group. If you find any controversial group speak with as many ex-members as you can to understand why they left the group.

2. watch out for any Church saying itТs the ONLY TRUE CHURCH in the world today. They may also say that you canТt find God anywhere else, even on your own. Further, saying you must go through them to get to God, there simply is no other way God operates.

Watch out for any Church saying there was a great apostasy in Christianity at some point in the past. Also, look for the majority of their new members being only those who do not know and or read the Bible that well.

3. watch out for Scripture twisting. One of the tell tail signs of this will be how they teach from the Bible using only isolated verses from all parts of Scripture. They will rarely, if ever, have you read an entire chapter from Scripture to demonstrate their points. They will teach an entire system of beliefs they say from Scripture, that the average Joe would have never seen from reading the Bible on his own, in its own context.

They will quote their verses to prove their points while at the same time totally ignoring the full context of what that Scripture is really all about. Most of the time you will find them using only part of a verse to prove their point, while at the same time the second half of that verse or surrounding verses totally contradict the point they were just trying to make.

Even if the surrounding verses contradict the point they were just trying to make. They will often ignore what these verses say or explain them away as meaning something other than the obvious. Once a cultist gets the wrong interpretation of a verse stuck in their head. It can be a very difficult task indeed to get them to read the entire chapter to get to the real context of that passage of Scripture.

Watch out for the cultist not admitting but implying that two verses of Scripture may contradict each other, but that they choose to believe in just the one verse over what any other may say.

4. watch out for "Extra Biblical" teachings not found directly in the Bible. They may say the Bible is their sole source of truth but will show by their Bible study habits that it alone is not enough to get the true or complete message from God. They will often have extra literature and or instruction that goes along with their Bible reading.

Watch out for those who imply that itТs not a good idea to study the Bible all by yourself or without the groupТs literature or instruction to help guide you in your understanding. They may also claim to have extra revelation from God which no one else has access to, and that you need them to help you in your understanding of truth. Further, they may also say, or imply, that there would be no way you all by yourself could understand the true message of GodТs Word without them showing you what it "really" means.

5. watch out for any Church saying that "works" are absolutely necessary for your salvation, despite anything you may read in Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians, etc. In fact, they will often misuse parts of the book of James to counter all that you will find written in Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians. They will teach that you work your way to God through group activities and by correct behavior dictated by the group. This may come in many different forms, yet still, works within just that group will be the single determining factor in how you please God. These works, that the group dictates, can only be performed from within the group. They will say that any person who might do these same works outside the groupЕwell, that really doesnТt mean anything to God as far as theyТre concerned.

6. watch out for any group telling you to cut yourself off from family and friends who might oppose the group, possibly even turning you against your own family and friends who donТt "believe" as the group does.

7. watch out for isolation tactics which put up major barriers socially for the members, which keeps them very isolated from the rest of the outside world.

Watch out for controls on the family members or friends youТre allowed to have relationships with, the people you can associate with, your schooling or career opportunities, and controlling the social activities youТre allowed to participate in. Spying on the members of the group in this is a big sign of a cult.

8. demonetization of the rest of the world and all other people outside the group is another big sign of a cult. Also, fear of death and judgment by God outside the group is a tool to keep the members inside the cult.

9. watch out for any group that disallows its members from speaking with any ex-members of the group, or would even look down upon you for speaking with them yourself.

10. watch out for the group controlling your thinking and or leading your thoughts and thought process, without you ever really examining issues for yourself. Yet you come out thinking you have examined the issue using only the groupТs logic, leading questions, and answers already laid out for you. Which is not you thinking, but rather the group controlling your thinking.

11. watch out for controls on your information intake, reading, and or study. Are you really allowed to openly examine ALL THINGS to come to the truth as the Bible states, or is what youТre allowed to examine controlled and limited by the group. Are you forbidden to read any so-called apostate material?

12. covering up the past history of the group is something else to beware of. Does the group have any old knowledge or truth that is now forbidden beliefs or teachings for the group members?

13. not being allowed to ask serious questions about the groups teachings is another thing to watch out for. Be sure to watch for any controls on your questions about the group, its teachings, or your research into the history of the group.

14. watch out for deception tactics. Do the ends justify the means? Is deception allowed in certain circumstances? Are you being instructed to hide certain facts from either new converts or others outside the group? Is there any secret activity or knowledge given by the group that only certain ones inside the group may know about or participate in?

15. does the group have a leader or leaders, past dead or living, that seem to be something more than man (or woman)? Do they have the power to lay down the law of God so to speak? Do they have the power to instruct you in your current beliefs, possibly changing what you believe now with a simple word? Do they have the final authority in how you understand your Bible, either in part or in whole? Are they standing between you and God in any way, at any time? Do they say they will talk to God for you and then tell you what He says and what He wants you to do?

Last but certainly not least and my final test of what makes up a cult is what I call the Jesus test. If you ever meet up with a "Real Christian" and told him or her that you have Jesus in your heart, He is the Lord and Savior of your life, and that you have a true personal relationship with Jesus Christ as in you and Him are like true friends. The real Christian will rejoice in this alone and know that you have found Christ and that you are saved. They will never question your salvation based upon where you go to Church, or anything of this nature. They will only center on your personal relationship with Christ.

However, the "cultist" will say that having Christ as your Lord and Savior is all fine and dandy, but that you are still not saved unless you belong to their church, and or follow a strict set of guidelines, practices, or beliefs that only they alone can provide.

Watch out for anyone implying that Jesus dying on the cross only made a type of down-payment to open the doors to salvation. Cults will always add to the gospel of Jesus Christ by saying there are certain things that you must do in order to enter into His salvation, besides simply accepting it as a free gift. A cult will always bring another gospel, or add to the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you want to know the one and only complete gospel, see 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

1 Cor 15:1-4

1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,

2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

Another important verse you should remember is Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God;

9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

There are many more examples of a cult that could be added if I wanted to write a book on the subject. But this should be enough to give the average individual a basic knowledge of what a cult is really all about.

If you find ANY church or group doing any of these types of things mentioned above, or anything similar, and you know of ex-members that say they are now real Christians in a good Bible believing Church. Seek them out and really talk with them about why they left. Ask them what they found out about the group, and did they come to a true personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Ask them how Christ has changed their life. Listen to them and examine what they say carefully.

ItТs always a good idea to talk to as many ex-members of the group as you possibly can. And always remember to continually read your Bible everyday and strive for a close and personal relationship with Jesus Christ all the days of your life. Chances are great that you will not have all the answers when you first come to Christ. Ask Jesus Himself to answer your questions. Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you. DonТt worry, Jesus will never lie to you. However, there are some religious men who will.