9 Ways To Identify A Christian Cult
In Japan, we’ve had some nasty cults. Some government sources say we have nearly 5,000. When the Aum Shinrikyo used Sarin gas the subways on 20 March 1995. As Jesus followers, we have seen churches go evil under destructive leadership. These would be defined as Christian Cults. How exactly does a church go from good to evil? It’s completely about leadership. Let’s talk more.
God is love. God is freedom. God is light. We can’t all know the details of every church, but we can certainly give you some advice on some of the things to watch for as most cults probably started out good. What are signs of a cultish church?
- You sense the meetings are not about seeking God and flowing with His love but more about doing some type of work of achieving aggressive goals.
- Pastor doesn’t associate with other pastors in the area or sees other churches as threats.
- Church projects image that they are the only true church. (This is a big one as no one ever has a corner on God).
- Leadership is not really accountable to some direct connections to their denomination (everyone needs correction and good counsel). There are no spiritual fathers involved in the day to day.
- A sense that their church is the only happening church
- Members are not allowed to associate with former members who are committed to Jesus but decided to change churches.
- Money becomes a big discussion point and strong emphasis is given towards pushing people to give
- Church says that they are replacing the birth family as the ‘true’ family
- The church operates more and more like a business than a spiritual energy recharging station.
There are many more signs that we could list up regarding a cultish church, but the best thing you can do for any church is pray. The Holy Spirit will guide you on whether to stay there and help them get right before God, or