ALLAN'S

Cults are formed under spiritual personalities and religious ideologies. We have many cults and some mature to be occultism. We also have many spiritual organisations with cultic tendencies. Some four thing to watch out for in any organisation.
1. Authoritarianism.
This is where you have one spiritual leader almost in the level of being deityfied. He is treated as a dami-god. His words are final and no one can question his words or deeds.The person could be operating under some charismatic gifts hence the endorsement. Some recruit their members through extreme teaching of the doctrine of honor.
Remember no man is above God and no man is above the standards of scripture.
2. Isolation.
The first phase of Isolation is to criticise every church, every pastor and every minister hence creating an image of the church being the only true church.
Second level is secularisation of everything, school, media, family, society.This is the recipe of brainwashing and manipulation. Many cults thrive on this concept. Some people are in cults but they think they are in a spiritual movement.
Remember Jesus never left a church but a body hence there is no monopoly of truth.
3. Strange spiritual encounters
Some will claim to have encountered Jesus, Angels or patriarchs of old. They end up giving extra biblical citations and teach what cannot be verified scripturally. This is a strange area and many end up teaching strange doctrines. The rule of faith can be summarised under solar scriptura which means if it’s not written its not of God. Galatians 1:8

4. Sell fear.
Part of cultic teachings are centred on Apocalyptic books and eschatology which is the study of the end times.Two approaches are used.
News paper eschatology which entails assembling of latest news and using scriptures to justify end time realities. Secondly they use escapism eschatology theology. The concept of we are going to a better place where there is no suffering hence we will escape this world of pain. This doctrine disengage members from being vibrant in life and death becomes their motivation as a channel of exit and entry into a dimension of bliss.
There are many cults and many churches with cultic tendencies. Remember the berean church, they were grounded in truth. You need to be a student of scripture and test every spirit. Many will come in His name but some are wolves in sheep clothing. Stay awake spiritually.