What does it mean to be saved and saved from what?

Jesus saves us from sin, death, the devil, and the tribulation to come. (Matthew 1:21, Hebrews 2:14-15, 1 Thessalonians 1:10) We are saved by the washing and rebirth of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:8-11, Titus 3:5) This Spirit gives life. (Romans 8:11)

Romans 8:
⁹ But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. ¹⁰ And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Why do Christians focus so much on the resurrection?

Let's ask scripture.

Notice the context of the scripture that nearly everyone uses to define the gospel. 1 Corinthians 15: 

1Now I would remind you, brothers,a of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 15 We testified about God that he raised Christ

In the same chapter about the gospel:

And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:14-21)

So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. (1 Corinthians 15:42-43)

Peter's famous speech in Acts chapter 2: 

23this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

29“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.
Peter's message to Cornelius, the "words by which you will be saved" included the resurrection: 
And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,  but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. (Acts 11:14; 10:34-43)

I hope this has helped us all see that the resurrection is an essential part of the gospel. The resurrection frees us from death and sin.

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25)

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11)

That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10: 9-10)

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives (Hebrews 2:14-15)

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55)

Jesus Christ, the Faithful Witness

"I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” - John 8:18

Who is Jesus a witness of?

"I am the one who bears witness about myself."

Halloween

I read that the early Catholics celebrated Halloween by making fun of death and the devil because they have been conquered. We have nothing to fear from them.

"That by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil" Hebrews 2:14
For my household, it is a celebration of our freedom from fear and superstition.

I encourage everyone to look into the history of the holiday. Generally, churches that have the holiday on their liturgical calendar know the history of a holiday rather than relying on more recently written articles that rely on pagan sources that change history. In the case of Halloween, it was a Christian Holiday, All-Saints Day first.

In the year 609 or 610 Pope Boniface IV established a date for All Saints’ Day on May 13^th. And later, in the early 700s AD, Pope Gregory III changed the date to November 1^st. Decrees like this took some time to propagate from Rome to the more remote areas where the Church was found. But the change in date had nothing to do with any pagan practices. Pope Gregory IV extended the celebration on this day to the entire Western Church in the early 800s. And again, the change took time as it spread from Rome.
The point is this: a common day for commemorating the Saints has been around throughout the Christian Church from very early times. And the fact that it falls on November 1^st today has nothing to do with paganism.
OK, so what does this have to do with Halloween? In the Bible the day begins at sundown or evening. This is why we have Christmas Eve. Halloween is All Hallows’ Eve‘, that is All Saints’ Evening. Halloween is the beginning of All Saints’ Day starting at sundown on October 31^st.
These days we have “Trick or Treat,” costumes sometimes too gruesome to describe: witches, goblins, werewolves, vampires, zombies, Lady Gaga; Jack-O-Lanterns, skeletons, spooky sounds, grave stones, candy and a celebration of gore and all that is un-Holy.
Many of the Christian Churches in the Reformed traditions claim that Halloween is a pagan celebration. Very often they do this by referring to Neopagan and Wiccan writings. And there are many in the Neopagan and Wiccan communities who have tried hard to claim Halloween as an ancient pagan holiday that had been stolen by the Christian Church.
Don’t ever expect truth from Neopagans and Wiccans. They already live in a fantasy world created by their own fakelore. - http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=23974

This article is also a good one considering that the Orthodox church does not have Halloween as part of their Liturgical calendar, and does not officially support the holiday: http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2009/10/orthodoxy-and-halloween-seperating-fact.html

Choosing a church made simple: It is by hearing the message of the gospel that we are saved.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3:14-15)

It is by believing in Jesus that we are saved. 

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already,

because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.(John 3:18) 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift

of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

It is by hearing the message of the gospel that we are saved.  

"He will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household."
 (Acts 11:14) 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes"

(Romans 1:16)  

So what should our church focus us on? 

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly

portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by

hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the 

flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit

to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

(Galatians 3:1-5) 

"Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?" 

(Galatians 3:2) 

For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so
 that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having 
escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (2 Peter 1:4)

Precious and magnificent promises. 

 
Whoever believes in him is not condemned. (John 3:18)

Is Jesus your Mediator? Praying in the name of Jesus.

"In the name of" means that we have Jesus' authority to pray to the Father. It doesn't just mean that we use his name in our prayers.

Acts 19:13-16 shows someone using Jesus' name. But more than just using his name is needed: "Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded."

Only children of God can rightly claim the authority of Jesus' name. Jesus said to pray "our Father". Not all people are children of God. (1 John 2:29-3:1)

Ephesians 2:18 "For through [Christ] we both have access to the Father by one Spirit."

Those who do not have the Holy Spirit have no access to the Father. Romans 8:8-16 shows that only those who have Christ dwelling in them, who are born again, are children of God. see also John 1:12.

"How do I find a church" part two

In this series about choosing a church I am trying to give basic principles to go by. Focus on the gospel (discussed in part one), avoid certain mistakes like putting your hope in a denomination or choosing a denomination based on prosperity or law (will be discussed in future posts). I was going to try to avoid talking about my choice of denomination. This is because cults focus on your choice of denomination so much (this will also be discussed in a future post). They think that being part of the right group, having understanding of a certain doctrine, or listening to the right teachers is of paramount importance when it comes to salvation. This is not true. It is faith in Jesus that saves and I (and most ex-cult members) had faith in Him before choosing a church.

I have so many people discussing the problems that they have had in trying to find a faithful church that encourages them in the faith that I have decided to tell you why I chose the denomination I am in.


First of all, my church has a confession and sticks to it. I know what I am getting when I attend an LCMS church. The law/gospel distinction, the deity of Christ, the efficacy of baptism, the gift of Holy Communion, are all in the confessions and aren't going to change. Every church member is catechized and this should prevent significant holes in theology. When we join a confessional church, we study the Apostles Creed; we know what the resurrection of Jesus is and means; we know that Christians have the hope of a bodily resurrection. Understanding of the kingdom is part of learning about the Lord's Prayer. When we learn about baptism, we are taught to avoid the error of thinking that our act of obedience is what saves us. When we learn the Ten Commandments, we learn that no one keeps God's law perfectly. When we learn about Holy Communion, we realize that this isn't something we do for God, but something that He is doing for us. And that brings me to

The Confessional Lutheran Difference

 

In a Confessional Lutheran church, the emphasis is on the gospel. It is understood that it is the gospel that saves. It is the gospel that empowers. (Romans 1:16) Every sermon includes the gospel. The promise of what Christ has done and is doing for us.

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature" - 2 Peter 1:3-4

Holy Communion emphasizes the gospel, because it is the gift of eternal life, the gift of Christ's body and blood. (John 6:51, 54) His promise of forgiveness. (Matthew 26:28) Baptism emphasizes the gospel, because it is the promise that Jesus died and rose again, for the one who is baptized. (Acts 2:38-39, Romans 6:3-9)

Everything, everything, is about Jesus. It isn't about you. It isn't about me. It isn't about our faithfulness, our obedience. It is about His faithfulness. And it is about His faithfulness, His promises, that we need to be constantly reminded. "Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you." - 2 Peter 1:12

"The law is good! 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' it’s something we should strive to do, but not because you’re going to get something for it and not because it proves you are a Christian. Jesus proves you are a Christian, baptism proves you are a Christian, the Lord’s Supper proves you are a Christian—to you. God is proving it to you!" - Reverend Jonathan Fisk

Christ's "invisible presence", Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Antichrist

In each of the scriptures below notice the word translated "coming" is the same.

2064 [e]
erchomenon
ἐρχόμενον
coming

2 John 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.

Matthew 24:29 "But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

Now look at the links below to see quotes from Watchtower publications that show that they meet the description of the antichrist given in 2 John 1:7. They say that Christ does not return in the flesh:

Christ's invisible return in 1914... Why is this an important teaching to Jehovah's Witnesses? 

Do Jehovah's Witnesses believe Jesus was resurrected?

 

"Though my father and my mother abandoned me, the LORD gathers me up." Psalm 27:10

I posted this on facebook on Father's Day:


"Happy Father's Day to the Father who is always there for me, my Abba. Lord you took me out of the dark pit I was in and placed me into your heavenly kingdom, not because of any merit in me, but because I need you. Thank you for your love and your faithfulness. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for always being here for me."


One of my friends replied that I am her hero. That is a very encouraging thing to say to me, and I love her so... but this isn't about me and my sacrifice for the Lord. 

We have heard of people leaving their family for less, I am sure. For an unapproved career or marriage? Christ is everything, everything. Of course I would leave my family for Him.

"everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Philippians 3:8

Yes it takes great faith to leave everything you have ever known. This faith, even this is not my doing, but is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Am I so amazing that I did this? No, of course not. It is about Christ. It is Jesus. He does everything.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

When we see a Christian doing something that we consider amazing...

We know who the real Hero is. 

Praise God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Cults deny the doctrine of Justification

False teachers believe that we should prepare for judgment day by being faithful to the law (if not the ten commandments, their own) that this will cause us to progress in sanctification so that we will be obedient and ready for judgment day. This contradicts, among other scriptures, Galatians 3.

They might not use the word justification, or they might talk about justification but give it a different meaning.

We believe that Jesus has done everything needed to prepare us for judgment day; that upon belief in Him, we have been given His righteousness, even as we are still sinning, still being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14) That is the doctrine of justification.

"But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe." Romans 3:21-22

For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying that a person has life.” This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.” Galatians 3:11-12

"But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners." - Romans 4:4,5

Who 

           forgives

                         sinners. 

Weren't the ten commandments the only laws written on stone?

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone. 2 Corinthians 3:6-7

Then obviously the letter in 2 Corinthians 3:6, which is the Old Covenant, not the New Covenant, and which kills and brings death, is the ten commandments, since the letter spoken of here was written on stone.

So the New Covenant is not of the ten commandments, but is of the Spirit, which gives life.

Compared to Galatians 3 which says that we receive the Holy Spirit by belief, not by obedience, not just at the beginning of our Christian lives, but continuing on in our Christian walk.

Romans 3:28 "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." WOW!

God's Character and The Law; Coming to know the only True God (John 17:3)

Does the Law show God's character? Is it a good way to get to know God?

God's eternal moral law, the law that never changes and is written on everyone's hearts, that is the sum of every law that He ever gave: "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:12

Many of Israel's laws were regulating things that were already established... but no, loving your neighbor, doing to others as you would have them do to you, does not permit beating your slaves, etc. So no, God did not give permission for that...

Which statement is true? 

We are never permitted to sin. or We cannot avoid sinning.

They are both true. Thinking only one is true causes so many misunderstandings.

The laws given to Israel were not God's perfect plan for people. Jesus said about those laws, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning." Matthew 19:8

Jesus also said repeatedly, "you have heard that it was said" "but I say to you" in Matthew 5.

For understanding we have to turn things around. The reality isn't God demanding sacrifices, the blood demanded in the OT. The reality is Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:2) God giving us His own blood. (Acts 20:28)



The Bible tells us that there is one way to get to know God: 

JESUS

Jesus washed His disciples feet. He taught that we should love our neighbor, that we should do to others as we want them to do to us.That we should love our enemies and bless those who hurt us.  

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. John 14:9

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20 

"How do I find a church?" part one

I have had several Christians who have left cult groups ask me this question, so I decided to dedicate a section of my blog to trying to answer.

I chose my church based on the gospel. There are churches that don't preach the gospel consistently, that seem to preach good morals and such, but not make the gospel clear. I didn't want my children to grow up in a church and mistake Christianity for being a good person. Read this article, maybe you will know what I mean: http://beliefsoftheheart.com/2013/07/23/i-wonder-if-sunday-school-is-destroying-our-kids-2/

So... my choice of church was based on the distinction of law and gospel. This is how we make the gospel clear. Obviously, both God’s law and God’s gospel come from God which means both are good. But, both do very different things. Serious life confusion happens when we fail to understand their distinct “job descriptions.”


"Whoever can't properly distinguish law and gospel is no better than a heathen or a Turk."-- Martin Luther was saying that nothing distinguishes Christianity from Islam or Judaism once you confuse the law and the gospel.

And Saint Paul writes about this quite a bit in the book of Galatians:

"Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?

I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ." (3:1-5)

After I listened to a radio program on understanding law and gospel, I knew which church I belonged to. Here is a link to the radio program: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhiteHorseInn/~3/mGOg1ZeyGzI/wi20120902.mp3

"I am going to vomit you out of my mouth."

When I left the organization, I was told by my mother that Jehovah would vomit me out of his mouth. (First of all, I find it interesting that Jesus is speaking here and Jehovah's Witnesses don't realize it.)

I have seen many evangelical Christians using this same scripture and applying it to a variety of things, mostly in denying the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, denying confession and absolution, or pushing their new legalism.

The scripture confused me for several reasons, so I was going to ask someone about it, but remembered the three rules of understanding scripture: Context, context, context! Let's take a look: 


Revelation 3:15‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

What did Jesus mean here? What makes someone lukewarm? He answers this question Himself:


17‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked."

It is that they don't see their sin and their constant need for the grace and mercy of God.

My feelings as I was received as a member of Christ Lutheran Church today...

I wanted to mention first that I became a member of the universal church, Christ's body, before this. I received the Holy Spirit and confessed my faith in Jesus in 2011 and was baptized in 2012. This baptism was into Christ, not into the church where the baptism took place...

Church membership then has been a separate step for me. You may remember in previous posts that I had decided to become a member of a church and completed classes to that affect, but it wasn't "official" until today.

In some ways becoming a member of the church was similar to a Jehovah's Witness baptism. I was asked questions in front of the congregation. I can't remember the exact wording, (Those who know the real questions, please forgive me!) but it was something like this: Do you believe the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, died and was buried, and rose again 3 days later? "I do." Do you believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God? "I do." Do you intend to receive the gifts that Christ bestows upon you? "I do." Do you intend to live as a Christian with the help of God? "I do." Do you intend to be a part of this congregation? "I do." Do you agree to support this congregation with the help of God? "I do."




So it started out as confessing my faith in Jesus. It is always wonderful to do that! Then ended with agreeing to be a part of the congregation.

To become a member is described as being "received". I like this wording. It shows how it is, that I am received into the family. In this was very different from becoming a member of Jehovah's Witnesses, not only did I never feel accepted, but you have to go through steps, first you are a "publisher" keeping track of time spent in the "ministry" (trying to get more members). To join this church, I didn't have to prove that I am worthy by performing a certain number of works. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Leading up to this, my health has been poor and my finances have been poor. I miss church more often than I attend, do not volunteer in any capacity, and I have very little to give. But they are so willing to give to me. (Tearing up.) I hope from this point forward that I can be more involved in the church, but I also know that if that doesn't happen, I am loved.

See this blog post where I talk about my first visit to this church: http://onemediator.blogspot.com/2012/10/for-where-two-or-three-have-gathered.html

Who is the Great Crowd?

• 
  

  
  "for you were slaughtered and with your blood you bought people for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.” Revelation 5:9-10
   

  "a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands." Revelation 7:9
  The people "out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation", is the great crowd!
  

Cult characteristics:

A lot of people that argue against the JW or who leave the JW are in another cult. Here are some things to watch out for:

Cults twist the word of God to say what they want. For example, they will claim that true worship disappeared for a time and had to be restored, which contradicts Jesus' words at Matthew 16:18 and 28:20. Or they will teach that Jesus has appointed them to teach in His place which contradicts Hebrews 1:2, 1 Timothy 2:5, and 1 John 2:27.

They focus on a message other than the gospel that Paul preached, and put heavy burdens on the people.
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." Galatians 5:4,1

They focus on things that we should fear.
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18 (and Romans 8:15)

They teach that salvation and survival of the end times relies on our own efforts.
"Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness." Romans 4:4-5 (and John 6:29)

"Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come." 1 Thessalonians 1:10 (and Romans 5:9)

Now that you know some ways that cults contradict the Bible, take a look at my other cult characteristics page which takes a secular approach: http://onemediator.blogspot.com/2014/05/cult-characteristics.html

Korah rebelled against Moses...

This is a quote from the writer of Seventh Day Adventist doctrine Ellen G. White, does it sound familiar to Jehovah's Witnesses?

“If you seek to turn aside the counsel of God to suit yourselves, if you lessen the confidence of God’s people in the testimonies He has sent them, you are rebelling against God as were Korah, Dathan, and Abriam.” Testimonies 5, p. 66.

E. G. White compares herself to Moses, when Korah, Dathan, Abriam and others rebelled against the leadership of Moses, God destroyed them (Numbers 16). EGW was using fear to control people, and also in effect, calling herself their Mediator from God.

Cult Characteristics:

Cult members do not realize that they are in a cult. Because all cults have different beliefs, cult experts have identified common characteristics of cults, which they use to identify new cults. University of California at Berkeley (19 Characteristics)
Recruitment

1. Deception - Group identity and/or true motives are not revealed. The group leaders tell members to withhold truth from outsiders.2. Emotional Leverage/Love Bombing - Instant friendship, extreme helpfulness, generosity and acceptance...Group recruiters "lovingly" will not take "no" for an answer-invitations impossible to refuse without feeling guilty and/or ungrateful. "Love", "generosity", "encouragement" are used to lower defenses and create an ever increasing sense of obligation, debt and guilt.
3. Exploit Personal Crisis - They use an existing crisis as a means of getting you to participate. They exploit vulnerability arising from:

• Broken relationships
• Death in the family
• Loss of job
• Move to new location
• Loneliness/depression
• Guilt/shame
• Stress/fear

4. Crisis Creation - They employ tactics designed to create or deepen confusion, fear, guilt or doubt. i.e. "you aren't serving God the way He intended." Questions areas of faith never before examined or explored and attack other faiths specifically.5. All The Answers - Provide simple answers to the confusion they, themselves, create. Support these answers with material produced or "approved" by the group.

Programming

1. Intense Study - Focus is on group doctrine and writings. Bible, if used at all, is referred to one verse at time to "prove" group teachings.2. Opposer Warnings - Recruiters are told that "Satan" will cause relatives and friend to say bad things about the group to try to "steal them away from God." Recruits soon believes group members, alone, are truthful/trustworthy.
3. Guilt and Fear - Group dwells on members' "sinful nature" (many use public confession). Guilt and fear arising from "failing God" are magnified to manipulate new member.
4. Schedule Control & Fatigue - Study and service become mandatory. New member becomes too busy to question. Family, friends, jobs and hobbies are squeezed out, further isolating the new member.
5. Attack Independent Thought - Critical thinking is discouraged as prideful and sinful, blind acceptance encouraged.
6. Divine Commission - Leader(s) claim new revelation from God, within past 200 years, in which all but their group are rejected by God. They, alone, speak for God.
7. Absolutism - They insist on total, unquestioning obedience and submission to the group, both actions AND thoughts. Group "love" and acceptance becomes dependent upon obedience and submission. Unconditional love...isn't.
8. Totalism - "Us against them" thinking. Strengthens group identity. Everyone outside of group lumped under one label.

Retention

1. Motive Questioning- When sound evidence against the group is presented, members are taught to question the motivation of the presenter. The verifiable (sound documentation) is ignored because of doubts over the unverifiable (presenter's motives). See Opposer Warnings (#2 above).2. Information Control - Group controls what convert may read or hear. They discourage (forbid) contact with ex-members or anything critical of the group. May say it is the same as pornography making it not only sinful and dangerous but shameful as well. Ex-members become feared and avoidance of them becomes a "survival issue."
3. Isolation, Separation & Alienation - Group becomes substitute family. Members encouraged to drop worldly (non-members) friends. May be told to change jobs, quit school, give up sports, hobbies, etc.
4. Coercion - Disobedience, including even minor disagreement with group doctrine, may result in expulsion and shunning.
5. Phobias - The idea is planted that anyone who leaves goes into a life of depravity and sin, loses their sanity, dies, or will have children die, etc. Constant rumors of bad things happening to people who leave. No one ever leaves for "legitimate reasons."
6. Striving for the Unreachable - Group membership and service are essential for salvation..."Work your way into God's favor." NO matter what you do, it is never enough.

http://www.prem-rawat-talk.org/forum/uploads/CultCharacteristics.htm

About Jesus and Michael the Archangel:

Lets take a look at the book of Jude:

3Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

5Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved^c a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 

*notice it does not say that the Father saved them, 

it does not say that Michael saved them, 

but it says Jesus, Jesus saved them.

 _____________________________________________________________

6And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— 7just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire,^d serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

8Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.

9But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”

*Let's compare this to verse 4. Verse 4 says that Jesus is our only Lord. 

Now Michael is acknowledging that Jesus has more authority than he. 


In Revelation 22:16 who sent the angel to the congregations? In verse 6, who sent the angel?