The cults

John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am (present tense) the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

He then said in Matthew 22:37, “Thou shall love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. The second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Believers in recession:

Why do the Gentile nations rage against Jews and Christians? Because we say there is but one God who saves, and his name is Jesus Christ. But the Kings of the earth say there are many Gods, and for this, they hate and fight against Jews and Christians.

And why did the LORD have the Jews defeated and scattered? Why is the church today so divided? Because there is this desire to raise men and women to the throne of God. Israel’s Kings decided to worship other gods.

King Ahaz, King of Judah, sold out to the Assyrians, making his son pass through the fire to Moloch, and consulted wizards and necromancers.

Manasseh, King of Judah, did evil in the sight of the LORD, worshipping the idols Of Canaan, and setting up altars to Baal.

King Ahab turned to the gods of his wife, Jezebel. Elijah challenged their gods and defeated them at Mt. Carmel.

Now, let’s move forward 2700 years to those who set themselves up as gods.

Jim Jones established his cult in America, then moved it to Guyana. Over 900 died after being poisoned.

Sun Myung Moon was a Korean religious leader and founder of the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity church. His disciples addressed him as Father. He destroyed the lives of many of his followers.

Society of Krishna consciousness is known as the movement of Hara Krishna. The Beatles wrote a song to him, “My Sweet Lord.”

David Koresh was head of the Branch Davidians, a sect and offshoot of the Seventh-day Adventists. He claimed to be the last prophet. Seventy-six followed him to their death.

Heaven’s Gate cult, led by Marshall Applewhite, convinced his followers that a spaceship was on its way to earth, trailing behind the comet Hale-Bob: results, death by poisoning.

Every cult led by men and women has raised and then set their leaders up as gods or prophets. Men who read the Bible then convinced others they alone could save men from their sins. They establish specific rules, tell the people how to behave and what their attitude should be, and control of all communications. Some even draw sexual pleasure from their young women.

They will punish their followers for breaking the rules, threaten punishment, even starvation or torture. One day, Jim Jones, while giving a sermon, one of his members fell asleep and, for that, was whipped.

The Pope of Rome is revered as Father, vicar of Christ. Mohammed is given the honor of a prophet, greater than Jesus.

But true believers know there is but one God; his name is Jesus Christ. And we are to love him with all our hearts and souls.
Your thoughts.

And don't forget some of the more popular cults like the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christadelphians, mind science cults and of course the Word of Faith movement.

The Apostle Paul puts it this way at Acts 20:27-31, "For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. Vs28, Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. Vs29, I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; Vs30, and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, (why?) to draw away the disciples after them. Vs31, Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears."

Now, notice Paul says the church will be attacked from "within" and from "without." Also, notice that in the immediate context Paul is mainly addressing church overseers. Having said that we are still responsible for "exposing" false teachers. If you don't, here is what Ezekiel 3:18-19 states, "When I say to the wicked, You shall surely die; and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. Vs19, "Yet if you have warned the wicked, and he does not turn form his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself."

You can also read 2 Peter 2:1-3 and. "Ephesians 5:11, "And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but INSTEAD EVEN EXPOSE THEM."

IN GOD THE SON,
bluto

My idea is that there will be all kinds of birds when the forest is so big.
Anything can be a vessel for God to educate folks.
Jesus Christ is a noble vessel.
Those who go the wrong way in Israel are
lowly vessels.
God showed them to us to educate us.God never does anything meaningless.Just like that sentence, everything God made is good.

bluto, you wrote, "We are still responsible for "exposing" false teachers." That my friend is a well thought out statement. Every Christian should have a plaque hanging on the wall stating, "I am responsible for "exposing false teachers."

Well thankyou for that, I appreciate it. I to am an "old" guy but not as old as you. I've been a Christian for 60 years now and been in "apologetics" for about 58 of those years. My mentor was the late Dr. Walter Martin. I'm also a Vietnam vet who arrived in country in January of 1968. Two weeks later the Tet offensive started and I'm fortunate (thanks to God) to be alive to proclaim the goodness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Folks, be thankful you even wake up in the morning. Keep up the good work 10-22-27! Btw, what is the significance of "10-22-27?" If it is your birth, "WOW." Keep up the good work.

IN GOD THE SON,
bluto

They better do an eye exam first.

I appreciate the subtlety!

We need to first examine and understand the model which is Jesus Christ; than learn to walk in it!

Sure. And then take the plank from our own eye.

Perhaps it could be used as an adjunct while practicing walking on water... .

Just in case .

I like it. When life gives you planks...go swimming. Repurposing things should be a Christian hallmark. Repurpose suffering as a platform for comfort. Repurpose trial as a platform for opportunity. Jesus even repurposed death as a means for life.

Keep repurposing. BTW...what can you do with old fruitcake?

No worry, the Lord has saved a few of us for his purposes.

Really? I thought we were all created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

You failed to mention that the the church of Rome as well as the Greek Orthodox church are within "the cult of Mary".

"The Council of Ephesus in 431 sanctioned the cult of the Virgin as Mother of God; the dissemination of images of the Virgin and Child, which came to embody church doctrine, soon followed... The Virgin Mary, known as the Theotokos in Greek terminology, was central to Byzantine spirituality as one of its most important religious figures. As the mediator between suffering mankind and Christ and the protectress of Constantinople, she was widely venerated. The Virgin is the subject of important liturgical hymns, such as the Akathistos Hymn, sung at the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) and during Lent..."
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/virg/hd_virg.htm

And the Allah of Islam is a false god (the former moon god), and that there is idolatry at the Ka'aba. They claim that they do not worship the black stone of the Ka'aba, but for all practical purposes the Hajj means worship of the Ka'aba (which the Koran falsely claims was set up by Abraham and Ishmael). "One Muslim apologist confessed that the idol of moon god Hubal was placed upon the roof of the Kaba about 400 years before Muhammad. This may in fact be the origin of why the crescent moon is on top of every minaret at the Kaba today and the central symbol of Islam atop of every mosque throughout the world...Islam is repackaged polytheism Islam is paganism in monotheistic wrapping paper. Islam is veiled neo-polytheism."
https://www.bible.ca/islam/islam-moon-god.htm

I was thinking more along the lines of: surfing! Ah, I have heard fruitcakes make great door stoppers .

Here's my short answer.
Those who live for Friday and Saturday night.

The self-denial that stands steady and apart from God stands upon yesterday’s wrecks and will live only long enough to see others take their place. For these, eternal life has no meaning, and for whatever it is that satisfies their soul, it indeed is not the truth. Those who put nothing away permit no rest for their cause and cannot distinguish the righteous from the unrighteous: they have closed their eyes to history’s instruction and have accomplished nothing worth mentioning in their lifetime.

As for the unseen things that threaten them, they will neither move away nor brace themselves nor prepare themselves for that inevitable fall into the abyss of sorrow.

Held by the influential anchors of life, having locked the door from within, they stand upon the edge of a cliff waving their fists at a sea of tormented figures. Unable to move them from that same dreadful end, they live on the breath of every new science, of every passing new thought and judgment, always longing for that promise of a fuller and richer tomorrow: yet to what end do they despair?

Will they be satisfied with any complex explanations; will they ever be content; will any authority ever satisfy them? Will a new order of priests arise to bring their offering to the altar, or will the old order remain, every man a priest unto himself? Can a man rise up and find new inspiration in natural objects, objects that are but tokens of his past?

Their thoughts support neither death nor immortality nor hope or remorse, and whatever is in its place is neither good nor bad, even if out of its place. For theirs is a world of shadowy figures, shrill sounds, and raging wars, each washed in tasteless shades of gray!

God’s language is composed of powerful words, fuller and more promising than any other known script. His words cut into stone by the finger of his hand and etched into the hardest of hearts. From the distant past comes the voice of promise, hope, love, and grace: the voice of a loving Savior reaching down from heaven in utterances heard throughout His eternity.

The light that lighteth the world will pierce the blackest of darkness like a golden arrow cutting across a midnight sky. “Quicken me, O Lord, with your loving kindness, for I am a broken man!” And from above, I heard His voice, “Come forth!” and what a scene it shall be! For our Christ is the resurrection and the life, and for those who believe in Him though they were dead, they shall live.

The old man has been made alive, a new thing ventured, a sleeping heart awakened, and a tormented soul healed. But that final test of faith remains for many, and for the many, who will fall at the feet of that anarchic camaraderie of Friday and Saturday nights?
10-22-27

Cowabunga dudette. Hang 10.
And paperweights. I've also heard you can make ninja shuriken.

I'm glad that was your short answer.
Why do you believe people as you described were ever saved?

I thought his post won the best dreaded scourge award yet lol 😋