Originally Posted By: dan brothersIt is appointed for every person to die... and on that day.... their knees shall bow to the name of Jesus.
Our bodies will die, but our souls will never die... they are eternal... we are eternal spirits.
Our time on earth is the testing ground of time to see if we will honor Jesus with our lives... or will we give Him the finger... as we continue along in our rebellion of sin. Rebellion is the sin... Eve started it, and rebellion continues. Sin is not drugs, drinking and whoring around... those are just the fruits of rebellion.
God Almighty is the manufacturer and He wrote an instruction manual for mankind to read... if their rebellion keeps them from reading it, then it's up to born again believers to do their job as Customer Service Representatives.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.
I'm glad that I ask Jesus to prove Himself to me in such a way that I would know He was REAL... and not just because some guy or book says He was. He will prove Himself, if you just get serious about wanting to know the Truth... the Facts of Life.... and Abundant Life.
Characteristics of a cult:
The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.
Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.
Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).
The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).
The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).
The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.
The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).
The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).
The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt in order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.
Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.
The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.
The group is preoccupied with making money.
Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.
Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.
The most loyal members (the true believers) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group.
http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm
Y'all know what they say...
If the shoe fits....
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