![]() Are you in a Cult? How many of you reading this right now would answer Yes, not many at all. Most of us would answers that with a NO because we are all pretty sure what a cult looks like. Most of us can recognize the major cults like the Mormons or the Jehovah's Witnesses with out even thinking much about it. Most of us can even point out the smaller cults like the Westboro Baptist's family cult or Harold Camping and his doomsday cult. Now the question I pose to you is, could you be attending a "church" or "group" that could be heading down the slippery slope towards becoming a cult and you may not even realize it? First we must look at what a cult is. They are two major types of cults. First in the non Christian cults. this consists of groups like the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. These groups don't hold to the basis core doctrines of Christianity and often will deny Jesus Christ as their Savior or the deny the Trinity. Most of us if not any here reading this do not fall into associations with this group. The second group is what I call the "wolves in sheep's clothing" cults. These groups are harder than the first group to recognize and they may not start out as a cult but now have turn into one. This is the group that a Christian, even a well ground Christian, could find them self part of without even knowing it until they examine the "group" a little closer. What makes this group so dangerous is that they teach biblical doctrine but as they are doing so they add on extra insights to their teachings or requirements to your membership that are not biblical if you want be part of their "group" or "church". Many of these wolves in sheep's clothing cults start with good intentions. They have started their "group" or "church" because they want to reinvent how we do church or get back to a more biblical way of doing church instead of following more institutional lines of church hood. Sadly however many are started because they get their feeling hurt or removed from a church because of their teachings and than try and form another "group" or "church". This is where the problem comes in with these "groups" or "churches" when the leadership has no accountability. This can lead down a dangerous road to cultic behavior and actions if one person has all the power and control within the group to rule as the father figure giving commands and orders to others in the group to follow. Remember Jim Jones in the 70's? He started out very much the same way an off shoot from a church and had a "different" view on how to do "church". Look where that ended up. So what should one look for to see if he or she could be in a cult? I will outline below some of the key characteristics of a cult and what leader of a cult could look like . You can use these points and compare them to the "group" or "church" you are attending for worship or to fellowship with to see if you recognize any of these warning signs.
Here is what the leader of the cult may look like.
What do these cults promote ?
Above we have seen what an outline of "Christian" cult or wolves in sheep's clothing cult may look like. You may be reading this and sitting there thinking to yourself well that's not my "group" or "church" and if that is the case praise God. However if you are sitting there and wondering wow how did I get sucked into this, don't feel bad it can happen to the best of us. If you recognized that you are in a Cult praise God that He has opened your eyes and now you can free yourself from that entrapment. If you have recognized you are in a cult and need help getting out of it or advice on doing so feel free to contact us here at Empowered by Christ.
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