The Kingdom of the Cults

I wish to pause in my look at Paul’s prayer for the saint’s ability (God granted) to comprehend the Love of Christ so that I may share something I have been researching lately...


"The Kingdom of the Cult’s" by the late, very respected Christian apologist Walter Martin. Visit the website: http://www.waltermartin.org/

Unless you are aware of this book, I believe it will do you well to read through all I have placed on this post, for the thoughts presented here are vital to understanding cults, how they work, and how Christians can deal with them.

I’ve had the 1997 version of "The Kingdom of the Cult’s" for many years. Even before I was involved with the small cult known as "THE Church in Indianapolis" for a few weeks before I came to my senses in Christ’s grace and truth. Unfortunately, I did not read much of the book prior to my entrapment there of which Christ has long since set me free. Had I paid some serious attention to the likes of this book, I may never have been there in the first place. After recently reviewing the first 3 chapters of this book, I went directly to Amazon.com and purchased the 2003 revision which was edited by Ravi Zacharias and the daughter of Walter Martin, Jill Martin Rische. This book has insight that no Christian should be without if you wish to contend for the true definition of genuine Christian faith as handed to us by the original penmen of the Holy Scriptures.

You too may see why I say this from just a few brief excerpts of "The Kingdom of the Cult’s". A large part of the text on this post is from his book. Please consider its importance and relevancy.

In Walter Martin’s book (1997 pg. 14) we find:
"It has been wisely observed that men are at liberty to reject Jesus Christ and the Bible as the Word of God; that they are at liberty to oppose Him; that they are at liberty to challenge it. But they are not at liberty to alter the essential message of the Scriptures, which is the good news that God does care for the lost souls of His children, and so loved us as to send His only Son that we might live through Him."

As Jesus, Paul, Peter and other Holy men of God have made it clear in Scripture, we should not be slack in our being aware of and watching out for those who would come in the guise of "a messenger of God" and twist the words of God from the original meanings to fit their twisted "new revelation" version of the original truth. As Walter Martin says, though we can permit liberty (as we pray for salvation) for those who reject, challenge, or oppose Jesus as Lord and Savior (for God will judge the outsiders), we should not have any tolerance for such outright lies/practices regarding the Christian faith coming from pretenders who twist and pervert the original Truth given from the first Apostles and Prophets and early church leaders of our Christian faith.

Jude 3
"Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."

It’s DONE! We don’t need any more additional so-called truth. For this makes a lie when we add to or take away from His Holy Words. The Apostle Peter, who was with Christ in the flesh, said to the first believers "as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises," (2 Pet 1:3-4)
This is a fact forever and the promise includes "EVERY WORD of GOD" needed for salvation and preparation for heaven has already been given, period.

Prov. 30:6
"Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar."

Job 13:7-11
"Will you speak wickedly for God, And talk deceitfully for Him?
Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God?
Will it be well when He searches you out? Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man?
He will surely rebuke you If you secretly show partiality.
Will not His excellence make you afraid, And the dread of Him fall upon you?"

A few other telling quotes from "The Kingdom of the Cults" (1997):
"The Biblical perspective then, where false teachers and false teachings are concerned, is that we are to have compassion and love for those who are enmeshed in the teachings of the false prophets, but we are to vigorously oppose the teachings, with our primary objective the winning of the soul, and not so much the argument. It must never be forgotten that cultists are souls for whom Christ died."

"Within the theological structure of the cults there is considerable truth, all of which, it might be added, is drawn from Biblical sources, but so diluted with human error as to be more deadly than complete falsehood."

And from the chapter called "Scaling the Language Barrier", Mr. Martin brings out the importance of knowing how any particular cult ascribes new definitions to words to fit their own format of conditioning and controlling their followers or potential followers and keeping them from seeing the true meanings which could set them free:

"On countless occasions the author has been asked, "Why is it, that when I am talking with a cultist, he seems to be in full agreement with what I am saying; but, when we have finished talking, I am aware of a definite lack of communication, almost as though we were not talking the same language?"

"...proper usage of definitions as a practical tool will rob the cultist of at least two of his advantages: surprise and confusion."

"There is a common denominator then, and it is inextricably connected with language and the precise definition of terminology. It is what we might call the key to understanding cultism" emphasis mine

"The average non-Christian cult owes its very existence to the fact that it has utilized the terminology of Christianity , has borrowed liberally from the Bible, almost always out of context, and sprinkled its format with evangelical cliches and terms wherever possible or advantageous...... On encountering a cultist then, always remember that you are dealing with a person who is familiar with Christian terminology, and who has carefully redefined it to fit the system of thought he or she now embraces." emphasis mine

"The solution to this perplexing problem is far from simple, but once the Christian realizes that for every Biblical or doctrinal term he mentions, a redefinition light flashes on in the mind of the cultist, and a lightning-fast redefinition is accomplished, thus allowing the cultist apparently to agree with the doctrine under discussion, while firmly disagreeing in reality with the historical and Biblical concept. Then the Christian is on his way to dealing effectively with cult terminology. This amazing operation of terminological redefinition works very much like a word-association test in psychology.
It is simple for a cultist to spiritualize and redefine the clear meaning of Biblical text and teachings so as to be in harmony with the historic Christian faith. However such harmony is at best a surface agreement, based upon double meaning of words which cannot stand the test of Biblical context, grammar, or sound exegesis." emphasis mine

Lord willing, I will be sharing more as I go through this book in the next few weeks. For now I wish to say a few pertinent things to some of you.

Just considering the few quotes I have above, we see the importance of knowing the language of a cult. Walter Martin usually referred to the larger and established cults like Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Christian Science. But you can see in those three examples common characteristics found in most any American cult, be they large or small. I plan to go into more details about this in a later post.

As a personal note to some of you who are aware of the relatively new (20 years) smaller (a few hundred people including affiliates in other cities) cult in Indianapolis known as "THE Church in Indianapolis" I say the following.

I can not agree completely in the statement I have heard: "Those who were in a cult should never speak out against the cult they were a part of for this will appear to other as having an ax to grind or being a disgruntled ex-member". While I see the concern, it is the risk (as well as other risks like the slander they may endure for leaving the cult) they must take for the truth to be known to others that they may be warned. Of course it is vital that they should have their minds renewed in the freeing grace and truth from God’s Word and that they themselves are not yet affected by the false teaching they were once entangled in as a yoke of bondage. They should be very careful not to mutate into another false teaching by avoiding being a Berean and living by Every Word of God through prayer. Their mind and soul should be cleared completely of this virus known as a false teaching as come to fully understand and stand upon the "Truth of the Gospel" in its genuine and balanced form so as to avoid the potential of it mutating into another form of a false teaching coming from within themslves. And, they should be sure they have cleared their hearts of ill will towards their former cult leaders. After this is sure, these very people are the key to making the grace-freed, Holy Spirit empowered Church of Jesus Christ aware of the new language that they have learned while being a part of this particular "new teaching" they have known.

I myself can know from God’s Word what the genuine is as far as Truth goes and I can therefore discern from this some of the error of a cult. And yet, being a part of this cult, for the little time that I was, limits my understanding of the language of "THE Church of Indianapolis". I have learned much of what I know from others who have been in there and escaped the deception and shared with me while I was yet living close to them in the city. And of course from "Families Against Cults".

However, there are many who have exited and prayerfully will exit this cult, who have many years experience of learning the new language of Mike Peters and his men, who can, after some time of renewal and recovery, help others beware of their language and what it REALLY means so that we aren’t taken by surprise or confused, as Walter Martin has said could happen if we are unprepared. It may be for this purpose that they have endured this cult and it’s abuses to them and their families for the time that they have. No one can do as they can do in exposing this false teaching/practices. Please be in much prayer for this responsibility you may have here. You may be instrumental in saving other souls from this affliction of a false and perverted teaching and practice in the future, as God continues to tear down the building standing on a false foundation.

I look forward to sharing more on this revealing book "The Kingdom of the Cults" exposing present day cults, how they operate, and what we can do about them as Christians of the only and original "Truth of the Gospel".

Get the book! You won’t regret it. But be sure you don’t find yourself regretting not reading it like I did in my earlier years of life.

God Bless!

DISCLAIMER