Wolves among us~~

[day2day]

Can anyone tell me more about false religions & cults? what to look out for?

 

[MusicalProgrammer]

In my experience, one of the most dangerous is the New Age--or One World Religion based on "peace" and "tolerance"--movement, which mixes a bit of truth with many lies, spinning a dangerous web of deception; unfortunately, I've seen too many people get caught up in it (for example, several members of my wife's family).

 

[Evie]

Can anyone tell me more about false religions & cults? what to look out for?

well,I left my church of 7 years just last year. It was so heartbreaking to leave. So without putting down my old church,I am just bluntly gonna tell ya some garbage that happened. This is not gossip,just junk to look out for. Your Pastor should line up with the Word,He should not be speaking in his flesh from the podem,the leaders should not be in a click and gossip about others,if you the concerned member of that church went to Pastor or leader and asked for a meeting- you were yelled at from the top of their voices(elder and the Pastor's wife did this alot) when offerings were taken- the money never went to the church rebuilding a new and bigger church. The week my nephew committed suicide,the Pastor from the podem said "if you have just lost a loved one,get over it" He also has said things like" if you are for me stand up". Time for me to leave. The most recent thing there is- praying over the elderly and telling them that God told him and the leaders that they were to stop taking there medicine. So with all due respect,pray that your eyes and ears are always open. I have healed and have moved on. Alot more garbage has happened there the whole 7 years that I was there,but I just wanted to pass that by you. It was defently a cult, (read in Revelation where it talks about the churches.)

 

[MusicalProgrammer]

if you the concerned member of that church went to Pastor or leader and asked for a meeting- you were yelled at from the top of their voices(elder and the Pastor's wife did this alot) when offerings were taken- the money never went to the church rebuilding a new and bigger church. The week my nephew committed suicide,the Pastor from the podem said "if you have just lost a loved one,get over it" He also has said things like" if you are for me stand up".

Wow, that's horrible. What a stumbling block for new believers, especially...

 

[angelwind]

well,I left my church of 7 years just last year. It was so heartbreaking to leave. So without putting down my old church,I am just bluntly gonna tell ya some garbage that happened. This is not gossip,just junk to look out for. Your Pastor should line up with the Word,He should not be speaking in his flesh from the podem,the leaders should not be in a click and gossip about others,if you the concerned member of that church went to Pastor or leader and asked for a meeting- you were yelled at from the top of their voices(elder and the Pastor's wife did this alot) when offerings were taken- the money never went to the church rebuilding a new and bigger church. The week my nephew committed suicide,the Pastor from the podem said "if you have just lost a loved one,get over it" He also has said things like" if you are for me stand up". Time for me to leave. The most recent thing there is- praying over the elderly and telling them that God told him and the leaders that they were to stop taking there medicine. So with all due respect,pray that your eyes and ears are always open. I have healed and have moved on. Alot more garbage has happened there the whole 7 years that I was there,but I just wanted to pass that by you. It was defently a cult, (read in Revelation where it talks about the churches.)

My goodness Evie...I am glad you are here and I hope you are recovering from that church. I got into a very unhealthy church early in my walk too...nearly had a nervous breakdown there.

My advice to the OP is not to be afraid to pray...get close to the Lord for yourself and read your Bible. It is allright to think and test what you hear. Also be very grateful for the Holy Spirit...who will lead you into the truth...thank God for Him.

 

[ertsky]

i find that when a ministry is Christ centered you can "feel" it empowering you and encouraging you. you feel burdens lifting.

likewise when a ministry is going wrong you feel it sort of discouraging you and making you feel condemned and powerless to measure up.

the law casts down and condemns but grace encourages and gives life.

i am aways suspicious of any teaching that makes me feel like i've got to measure up to it's standards first if i want the blessing rather than focussing on the finished work of Jesus.

the best ministries seem to be making me aware of whats already mine in Him.

i find that when the Lord is in it all i have to do is believe first then recieve.

i try to stand fast in the liberty in which Christ has made me free and anything that feels like a yoke of bondage i run away from.

obviously the word as revealed in the heart of the believer by the Spirit is able to send lies straight back to where they come from.

i find i can of my own self do nothing and if it weren't for the Great Shepherd i would be decieved in an instant.

to quote an old hymn

"i know a fountain where sins are washed away
i know a fountain where night is turned to day
burdens are lifted and blind eyes made to see
what a wonderwork of power in the blood of calvary

there is power wonderworking power in the blood of the Lamb"

 

[day2day]

i find that when a ministry is Christ centered you can "feel" it empowering you and encouraging you. you feel burdens lifting.

likewise when a ministry is going wrong you feel it sort of discouraging you and making you feel condemned and powerless to measure up.

the law casts down and condemns but grace encourages and gives life.

i am aways suspicious of any teaching that makes me feel like i've got to measure up to it's standards first if i want the blessing rather than focussing on the finished work of Jesus.

the best ministries seem to be making me aware of whats already mine in Him.

i find that when the Lord is in it all i have to do is believe first then recieve.

i try to stand fast in the liberty in which Christ has made me free and anything that feels like a yoke of bondage i run away from.

obviously the word as revealed in the heart of the believer by the Spirit is able to send lies straight back to where they come from.

i find i can of my own self do nothing and if it weren't for the Great Shepherd i would be decieved in an instant.

to quote an old hymn

"i know a fountain where sins are washed away
i know a fountain where night is turned to day
burdens are lifted and blind eyes made to see
what a wonderwork of power in the blood of calvary

there is power wonderworking power in the blood of the Lamb"

Hey thanks for your post . It gives me something to look out for

 

[day2day]

My goodness Evie...I am glad you are here and I hope you are recovering from that church. I got into a very unhealthy church early in my walk too...nearly had a nervous breakdown there.

My advice to the OP is not to be afraid to pray...get close to the Lord for yourself and read your Bible. It is allright to think and test what you hear. Also be very grateful for the Holy Spirit...who will lead you into the truth...thank God for Him.

Thanks, many times we end up in churches. where leaders say to the flock that it's wrong to question them or God.

 

[ertsky]

yeah it's such a great area for thought i've been thinking about it

in colossians 2

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

i am reminded of the mark heard lyric

"it takes a steady step
it takes God given sight
just to tell what is the truth
what is wrong and what is right

in this world thunder throbs in the darkness
but out in the eye of the storm
the freinds of God suffer no permanent harm"

thankyou you got me thinking

 

[angelwind]

yeah it's such a great area for thought i've been thinking about it

in colossians 2

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

i am reminded of the mark heard lyric

"it takes a steady step
it takes God given sight
just to tell what is the truth
what is wrong and what is right

in this world thunder throbs in the darkness
but out in the eye of the storm
the freinds of God suffer no permanent harm"

thankyou you got me thinking

Welcome to Cf ertsky...it is good to have you among us...

I can give you a cyber-hug...because I am a grandma...

 

[Evie]

I have a friend who is still at that church and one night I did a scripture search for her on how the church (my old church)is not lined up with the Word. Here they are:

Col 2:18-19 (Word should be your guide not the opions of others)
Isiah 5:20 (learning to choose bewteen right and wrong)
Proverbs 26 (what this book says about leadership)
Isiah 3:14 (leaders will be held accountable for how they serve-they need to lead by example)
a lack of spiritual leadership leads to ruin 1Kings 22:52-53
a difference in ipioin need not affect spirutual unity Rom 14:1
how to see if Pastor is genuine Jn 7:16-18, 1 Cor 1:17 and Mi 2:11
and thanks for your concern,I have grown so much in our new church and have healed. I feel very renewed in my spirit sort of speak that I have grown. What an amazing Pastor I have this time. We have had him over for a BBQ and for pizza one night. Just a humble man of God! Matt has taken him to him to lunch and too the movies several times. My kids love him! I just finished a 13b week bible study with him from the book of Romans and man was that every great.

 

[Evie]

Welcome to Cf ertsky...it is good to have you among us...

I can give you a cyber-hug...because I am a grandma...

hi nana,may I have a hug also? I love nanana's!!!!

 

[angelwind]

hi nana,may I have a hug also? I love nanana's!!!!

Bear Hugs to you Evie!!!! And some kisses too!!!

I'm so glad you found a good church and Pastor they are out there.

 

[Evie]

Bear Hugs to you Evie!!!! And some kisses too!!!

I'm so glad you found a good church and Pastor they are out there.

yes,they are one of a kind and God sent!!

 

[mrs.wilde]

i don't believe it's necessary occult or some specific thing. i believe if we are not true followers or uncommited christians we can be wolves. because they can be stumbling block to believers.

 

[Knowledge3]

Can anyone tell me more about false religions & cults? what to look out for?

Mt.7.15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Mt. 24.11Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

2 Corinth 11.13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

2 Peter 2.1But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

Does that help?

Do not be afraid,the Lord is with us!,to protect,comfort,and guide us.We try our best to serve Him. More Christians need to be reminded that the Christian faith in it's essence is based on the love of Jesus Christ and His Cross.

 

[Tavita]

The scriptures Knowledge3 gave were written to christian churches, not to those involved in 'another gospel', so it's best to know your scriptures and to be on guard and test the spirits constantly. Don't believe everything you hear from the pulpit but check the scriptures to see if what they're saying lines up with God's word. We are personally responsible for our 'own' faith towards God. We are also called upon to use discernment; God sometimes uses these people as a test to see if we're obeying His word.


(2Co 11:4) For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.

(1Jo 4:1) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

(1Jo 4:2) By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;

(1Jo 4:3) and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

 

[SeekAnd]

I always try to apply 1 Thess 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Evie's custom title says it better than I ever could.
I think anyone who doesnt like to be questioned is hiding ignorance or worse.

 

[JesusServant]

I too got caught up in a cult-ish church. Of course little by little you question, but when you're not allowed to question anything and always feel condemned no matter how much you do, you need to be careful. I cannot blame my church for everything nor the devil and I won't. I also made some bad judgments as I stumbled recently. So I take responsibility and repent for my own wrong-doing. But now I am without job or wife and lost a couple of family members along the way last year. Now my family has kind-of 'dis-owned' me and I am trying to get back on track on my own through prayer, but that is not easy nor wise. Please pray I am led to a good church soon where I can get re-involved in the community as I feel quite lost right now.

Hind-sight is 20/20 and looking back I would have never kept going to this church if I would've known the wreck it would've made my marraige and some-what caused me to stumble back into old habits. I definitely know what I believe no matter how much people laugh at me. That part I can handle. But I cannot handle not being a part of my community and not being a positive one especially and it's slowly killing my spirit to serve. I do not want to fall back into selfishness as that has never been what I'm about, but at one point in my life I found myself there and I'm slowly going back... sigh

Funny how you start to respond to what someone else is saying and you open up all this stuff... But if you all would throw up a prayer for Steve while you're at it I sure would appreciate it.

God bless and hang in there, I know in my heart He has a good home for us after this is all said and done, but we all need a good place of encouragement and positive unity while we're here as well.

 

[Evie]

I always try to apply 1 Thess 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Evie's custom title says it better than I ever could.
I think anyone who doesnt like to be questioned is hiding ignorance or worse.

are you talking about the " in God we trust,all others we virus scan" title?