Posted by OldtimerToo on June 10, 2004 at 06:32:21
In Reply to: Old Activist Site posted by Mike W. on April 17, 2003 at 21:11:26:
The wording about God the Father makes it sound like Jesus is believed to be a created being, like the Jehovah Witness cult.
So does the phrase about being given "holy spirit", even though they claim to differentiate between THE Holy Spirit (big "H", big "S") and human holy spirit (LITTLE "h", LITTLE "s")--that's DEFINITELY JW theology.
So is the doctrine of "anihilation", where "dead's dead", and the "resurrection" is where the monotheistic modalism's "Jesus" (remember--members of the trinity do not exist, and it's JESUS ONLY now, so their "another Jesus" would recreate souls from his memory, since EVERYBODY is anihilated at the point of physical death, and only the "righteous" are recreated.
And, THE Holy SPirit, again judging by their phrasing (i.e. the use of the phrase "manifestation" of God), sounds more like an indication of belief in monotheistic modalism--versus the Trinity--like the United Pentecostal cult (i.e.: "Jesus Only" baptism, the Father BECAME the Son, who BECAME the Holy Spirit, salvation by works, and baptism by their leadership only, plus ONLY "in Jesus' Name"--and specifically NOT in "the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost", which is claimed to mean to ONLY baptize "IN JESUS NAME ONLY" plus STAYING with their group ONLY, to fellowship).
I'd beware of private vs. public doctrine, here. They might be using OSAS as a draw, but somehow making it contingent on a Berg-like "all-or-nothing-package-deal-FIRST" acceptnace. And, it's salvation by a monotheistic modalism created "jesus". Beware. How can a Jesus who did NOT "raise up the temple of His own body" save you?
A CREATED "another Jesus" (2Cor 11) would be enough for me to stay away, as well as the JW and UPC similarities.
Their proviso of "we accept...as long as" may vary from what the webpage seems to offer. "fruit" may be exclusively defined by their "electd forlife EXCEPT...Elders. I'd REALLY be wary of "groupthink" in this regard. It looks like a "red flag" to me!
From their bylaws, the "sovereignty of the local church" may resemble the "Witnes Lee and the Local Church" doctrine--"sovereign" is an odd word choice in their context. In the case of the Local Church cult, that means that only THEIR fellowship is valid, and another version of "deceivers yet rue" justification is used for Acts 28-type "sheep stealing" of immature Christians from other fellowships.
I'm also suspicious that they say that Jesus' Kingdom will ONLY last a thousand years, rather than the orthodox/traditional phrase of "world without end", or an equivalent.
No "TVs, movies, books or magazines" is scary and cultic; also VERY LEGALISTIC, especially with the immediate "double-talk" proviso--"don't do it--but we don't forbid...".
It reminds me a lot of a fellowship I joined back in the late '70s, called Shiloh Youth Revival Centers, who recruited members of the streets of major cities, tokk various work contracts as a group a,d "forsook all" to their leader and his staff. He refused to pay to fix new members' rotten teeth, etc., while demanding church funds be used to "improve the si=ound system" on his million dollar Bluebird Coach touring bus. He and half the "eldership" were kicked out, and the group "re-grouped" under Calvary CHapel of COsta Mesa,CA.
"Shiloh" had VERY orthodox dosctrine, but was a "cult of the personality" of its autocratic leader, was secretly VERY exclusivistic, adn never had a grey head in the buch of them--NO WISDOM, with the wrong kind of zeal.
I'd stay away.