Monday, March 22, 2010

Unholy Devotion - Why Cults Lure Christians by Harold L. Bussell

























From the Back Cover

"As Christians we are smugly confident that the cultists are far removed from our own world. Surely none of our friends or family would ever be tempted to get involved with such 'crazy' groups. The jolting evidence presented in this book would indicate otherwise."
- Ronald M. Enroth
in the foreword

Some of the lessons of Jonestown are still to be learned. The cultic vision of Jim Jones had its roots in a typical evangelical church environment. The fact is that the seeds of tragedy can grow subtly in our religious lifestyle like tares among wheat.

The lure of the cults is not doctrine, but style. Not reasoned faith, but the promise of a better life. Many evangelical youth are drawn to cults because too often the marks of spirituality they set forth uncanningly resemble the qualities we exhibit in our Christian churches. Harold L. Bussell, an eye witness to the cult mystic, has dealt with many youth who fled their Christian heritage to follow the deceptive gleam of a cultic promise. Why?
  • We overemphasize subjective religious experience.
  • We confuse the Gospel with our response to the Gospel.
  • We spiritualize issues to justify our actions.
  • We have confused and inflated expectations of Christian fellowship.
  • We evaluate leaders on their ability to sway us emotionally.
  • We have not encouraged our young people to think critically.
These are only some of the reasons why cults lure Christians. But the author does more than point out faults; he sensitively shows from Scripture the corrective truths that can lead us and our youth towards spiritual maturity.

In Unholy Devotion Harold Bussell effectively sounds a warning that the road to a cult is paved with good inventions, but issues the challenge that "the truth will set you free."

Harold L. Bussell is Dean of the Chapel at Gordon College. He holds degrees from Bethany Bible College (B.A.), the University of Santa Clara (M.A. in Counseling Psychology), and Andover-Newton Theological Seminary (D.Min.). He is a former pastor and has worked with Teen Challenge in Europe.

Foreward

When most Evangelicals think of a cultist, the image that probably comes to mind is the persistent Jehovah Witness at the front door or the brainwashed Moonie selling flowers on a street corner. We wonder how thinking people can ever be attracted to cultic groups whose teachings are so distant from biblical truth. We pity them for the spiritual darkness that envelopes their lives.

As Christians we are smugly confident that they -- the cultists -- are far removed from our own world. Surely none of our friends or family would ever be tempted to get involved with such "crazy groups"! The jolting evidence presented in this book indicates otherwise. The primary objective of the author is to look at certain commonalities that cultists and Christians share before you conclude that such a suggestion is ridiculous or inappropriate, I recommend that you read this important book carefully.

Traditionally, Evangelical scholars have focused their attention on the heretical doctrines of cultic movements. Distinguishing false teaching from biblical truth should always be a primary concern of Christian cult-watchers. However, a unique aspect of Dr. Bussell's perspective is the assertion that Evangelicals are seldom attracted to cults and aberrational Christian groups because of their doctrine; rather, the appeal is that basic human and spiritual needs are being met. Cults are successful because they promise what the author calls that illusive "something more." His point is that Christians are just as vulnerable as anyone else in reaching out for a perceived "spirituality."

I remember how startled I was to learn that a former student of mine had joined the Mormon church. Intellectually he knew that the teachings of that movement are contrary to Scripture. Yet there were certain overpowering personal needs in his life that were going unmet; he was offered the bosom of a family in the form of the Mormon church and he succumbed. He had found a sense of community.

This book will disturb and threaten some readers. It will be difficult to escape the implication of the author's conclusion that cultic tendencies can be found in our own Evangelical backyard. For example, we need to hear what Dr. Bussell says about our vulnerability to destructive manipulation in some forms of group sharing so popular in Evangelical (and cultic) circles. Those of us who have researched cults know how effectively they use guilt, fear, and spiritual intimidation to exploit people. This book illustrates how Christians often open themselves to similar exploitation.

In the course of my own research, I have talked with many Evangelical Christians who, for a variety of reasons, have become involved in a cult or aberrational Christian group after having made a commitment to Christ as Saviour. Upon leaving the group, they have found the journey back to be painful, often lonely, and sometimes long. A common observation they have shared with me is the disappointment that few mainline Christians (including pastors) can comprehend how and why they were lured into a cult. At last I have a book that I can recommend which will explain clearly and powerfully why it can happen to us, not just to them.
- Ronald Enroth
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

Contents
Ch. 1 - Thank God I Am Not One of Them -- Or Could I Be
Ch. 2 - But You Can See The Love On Their Faces
Ch. 3 - The Lord Led Me
Ch. 4 - They Even Share Their Burdens and Pray Together
Ch. 5 - But We Have a New Testament Church
Ch. 6 - You Just Have To Hear Our Pastor
Ch. 7 - But Mormons Don't Drink or Smoke
Ch. 8 - The Problem of Pain
Ch. 9 - The Many Paths to Spirituality
Ch. 10 - Please Don't Water the Garden


This book may be purchased through www.amazon.com


Saturday, March 13, 2010

Fast Facts on False Teachings by Ron Carlson & Ed Decker


























From the Back Cover

Get the Facts Instantly!

Cult experts Ron Carlson and Ed Decker combine their extensive knowledge to give you quick, clear facts about 16 major false teachings of today. Their short, informative chapters highlight the major teachings and contrast them with the truth revealed in God's Word...

Fast Facts on False Teachings is an easy-to-use resource that gives you powerful insights for sharing the gospel with people ensnared by false religions and philosophies.

Ron Carlson is president of Christian Ministries International. A graduate of Bethel College and Theological Seminary, he has spoken in 79 countries on 6 continents, and is recognized as one of the foremost lecturers on cults and Christian apologetics.

Ed Decker is the founder and International Director of Saints Alive in Jesus, a counter-cults ministry. He is known for his bestsellers The Godmakers, The Godmakers II, and What You Need to Know About Masons.

The Grand Poo-Bah says I am including the Table of Contents from this book for one specific reason. In a book with sixteen chapters dealing with various different cults, some well-known and others not so well-known, the authors, who are cult experts, have included a chapter on prosperity theology.

Prosperity theology is the cornerstone of the Faith Movement and Victory Churches International (the Canadian arm of the Faith Movement.) If you are currently attending a church that teaches God wants you rich, that Christ died so that you could be wealthy, rest assured, make no mistake about it, YOU ARE INVOLVED IN A CULT.

Contents

Ch. 1 - Atheism
Ch. 2 - Buddhism
Ch. 3 - The Character of God
Ch. 4 - Evolution..the Incredible Theory
Ch. 5 - Freemasonry and the Masonic Lodge
Ch. 6 - Hinduism, Yoga and Reincarnation
Ch. 7 - Islam
Ch. 8 - Jehovah Witnesses
Ch. 9 - Jesus and the Cults
Ch. 10 - Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church
Ch. 11 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Ch. 12 - The New Age Movement

Ch. 13 - Prosperity Theology (Faith Movement)

Ch. 14 - Roman Catholicism
Ch. 15 - Satanism and the Occult Explosion
Ch. 16 - Transcendental Meditation

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Cult Proofing Your Kids by Dr. Paul R. Martin
























From the Back Cover


YOUR CHILD COULD
BE LURED INTO A CULT

NO MATTER HOW SPIRITUAL YOU ARE, NO MATTER HOW STRONG
your family, you could lose your child to the siren call of the cults.
Time and time again Dr. Paul Martin has seen dedicated Christian young people fall into the trap of cults and fringe churches. Himself a victim of a cultic fringe church, Dr. Martin now reaches out to other former cult members, assisting hundreds of them to find healing.

Now Dr. Martin shares his expertise in the first book about cults designed especially for concerned Christian parents...There is nothing more heartbreaking than losing your child to a cult. But with Cult-Proofing Your Kids, you now have the tools you need to prevent that from happening -- or to fight back when it does.

"A very practical tool for parents, counselors, youth leaders, and anyone else concerned about the potential dangers lurking in today's spiritual supermarket."
Ronald Enroth, Westmount College, author of Churches That Abuse.

Paul R. Martin, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist directs the Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center in Ohio, a counseling center for former cultists. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Cult Awareness Network and is an advisory board member for the American Family Foundation.

Contents

The Cult Problem
  1. What is a Cult?
  2. Fringe Churches
  3. Why Do People Join Cults?
  4. Myths of Cult Involvement
  5. Spotting a Cult
Teaching and Parenting Cult-Free Kids
  1. The Healthy Family
  2. Parenting Tips
  3. Cult-Proofing Your Schools
  4. Developing Critical Thinking Skills
  5. Cults and Friendships
  6. Cults and the Church
  7. Cults and Society
Recovery From Cult Involvement
  1. When Your Child Joins a Cult
  2. Pitfalls to Recovery

Appendix C: Recommended Reading

Andres, Rachel, and James R. Lane, eds. Cults and Consequences: The Definitive Handbook

Ankerberg, John, and John Weldon. Cult Watch: What You Need to Know About Spiritual Deception

Breese, Dave. Know the Marks of Cults

Bussell, Harold. Unholy Devotion: Why Cults Lure Christians.

Enroth, Ronald M. The Lure of the Cults and New Religions: Why They Attract and What We Can Do.

Hassan, Steve. Combatting Cult Mind Control.

Howard, Jay, with Timothy Fink and Nathan Unseth. Confronting the Cultist in the New Age.

LeBar, Rev. James J. Cults, Sects, and the New Age.

Martin, Walter R. The Kingdom of the Cults.

Sire, James. Scripture Twisting: 20 Ways the Cults Misread the Bible.

Tucker, Ruth. Another Gospel: Alternate Religions and the New Age Movement.

Watson, William. A Concise Dictionary of Cults and Religions.
...

All of the above books are available at www. amazon.com

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

The Healing Promise by Richard Mayhue

























From the Back Cover

If you need healing, what can you
expect from God?

"Jesus brought the healing promise of God but His enemies killed him. Just what that healing gift involves is the subject of this important and encouraging book..."
from the foreword by John MacArthur

God can heal, this is a truth clearly evident from Scripture. We can agree, with absolute certainty, that God still possesses the power to do the miraculous.

But is God using the Faith Healers?

In The Healing Promise Richard Mayhue provides straight answers without compromising the Bible or God's miraculous power.

The Healing Promise includes --
A special interview with Joni Eareckson Tada where she talks about coping with the attitudes towards healing she encounters every day.

A chapter by Andre Kole, the man behind many of David Copperfield's illusions, on techniques used in healing meetings.

A special interview with John and Patricia MacArthur about their experiences when Patricia was badly injured in a car accident.

Richard Mayhue is Vice President and Dean of The Master's Seminary in Sun Valley, California.

Foreword

Everybody dies. Everybody gets sick. Everybody has been injured. Avoiding these pirates of peace and pleasure is a lifelong enterprise for everybody. Because they mean pain, suffering, debilitation and separation, we all pursue triumph over them. Eliminating death, sickness, and injury from life would bring bliss! No disease, no disaster, and no death would mean no fear, no anxiety, no dread. A life like that would be Utopian. People would do anything and pay anything for it.

If someone had the power to heal all disease, eliminate all injury, and end all death, the world would surely make that person the object of their love and adoration. Right? Wrong. Jesus had the power and demonstrated it, but His enemies injured Him and then killed Him. Amazingly, they wounded and murdered the One who came to end their pain and death forever! Such is the irrational selfishness of man.

Jesus brought the healing promise of God, and it was clear to see that he could fulfill it. He banished disease from Palestine. The prospect of physical healing drew people to Him and His apostles by the thousands. And they were not disappointed, for they were healed. This massive demonstration of both the power of God over the effect of sin and the compassion of God for the experience of suffering clarified the reality that God was offering healing to those who came to Him. Just what that healing gift involves, both now and in eternity, is the purpose of this important and encouraging book...
John MacArthur
Pastor-Teacher
Grace Community Church
Sun Valley, California


From the Preface

...some of the designed features in The Healing Promise include:
  1. Seeking Scripture to understand God's will in the matter of healing.
  2. Setting Scripture above experience when interpreting claims of healing.
  3. Seeing God's hand in our health and healing at all times.
  4. Exposing outright fraud or false doctrine.
  5. Interacting with those who have also written on healing.
  6. Equipping Christians to biblically deal with sickness in their own life, in their family, in the body of Christ, and in the world.
  7. Allowing God to be God.
I have prayed that God would use The Healing Promise as a ready reference tool for pastors and lay people who must continually minister to the sick and suffering. It is also intended to equip the saints for understanding the issues of life and death, and to be effective in ministering to those who now suffer. Portions of this material can encourage and strengthen the sick because through it they can better understand the truth of God's word and the direction of God's will. My chief objectives include 1) glorifying God in all His majesty, 2)honouring God in His ministry to the church, to both the healthy and the ailing, and 3) letting God's Word be the final arbiter in these issues...

Contents

Part 1: A Perspective for Today
1. God's Healing Promis

Part 2: Faith Healing
2. Contemporary Confusion
3. Are Faith Healers for Real?
4. Understanding Reported Healings

Part 3: God's Healing Ministry
5. Before the Cross
6. Jesus and the Multitudes
7. The Apostolic Legacy
8. Is There Healing in the Atonement?
9. Is James 5 for Me?
10. Demons and Sickness
11. Answers to "What About...?" Questions
12. What About Miracles?
13. God Heals Today!

Part 4: A Christian's Response to Sickness
14. What About Faith, Prayer, and Doctors?
15. Joni Earekson Tada on Sickness
16. On My Back by Divine Design
17. When Suffering Arrives
18. Your Healing Promise

"The Broken Heart"

O Lord.
No day of my life has passed
that has not proved me guilty in they sight.
Prayers have been uttered from a prayerless heart;
Praise has been often praiseless sound;
My best services are filthy rags.
Blessed Jesus, let me find a covert in they appeasing
wounds.
Though my sins rise to heaven thy merits soar above
them;
Though unrighteousness weighs me down to hell,
thy righteousness exalts me to thy throne.
All things in me call for my rejection,
All things in thee plead my acceptance.
I appeal from the throne of perfect justice
To thy throne of boundless grace
Grant me to hear thy voice assuring me:
that by thy stripes I am healed,
that thou wast bruised for my iniquities,
that thou hast been made sin for me
that I might be righteous in thee.
that my grievous sins, my manifold sins,
are all forgiven
buried in the ocean of thy concealing blood.
I am guilty, but pardoned,
lost, but saved,
wandering, but found,
sinning, but cleansed.
Give me perpetual broken-heartedness,
Keep me always clinging to thy cross,
Flood me every moment with descending grace,
Open to me the springs of divine knowledge,
sparkling like crystal,
flowing clear and unsullied
through my wilderness of life.


This book may be purchased through www.amazon.com