By William R. Cunningham
April 2, 2000

Introduction

"Hundreds Of Cult Followers Die In Church Fire In Uganda. Several hundred followers of a doomsday cult recently burned to death in a church fire in a remote part of Southwestern Uganda..." That was a news headline relating to a tragedy in Uganda. The cult leader was preaching that the world would end on December 31, 1999. He changed it to December 31, 2000 when nothing happened. Why did the people follow him? What would convince someone to believe that someone would know when the world would end? Regardless of whether they were all murdered in that church (there were over 400 dead), they still followed a cult leader. Why?

Now you may think that you are very distant from that and thank God that you are a Christian and not practicing any cultic religion. However, many Christians are following a cult leader whether they realize it or not even though whom they follow may not be a cult leader. Christianity itself is definitely not a cult due to the freedom that we have in Christ. Cults are typically characterized by bondage to a set of rules, separation from all other peoples, and loyalty to a lead person. In general a cult leader has control over his followers. What he or she says is the law and the truth. Followers don't question or they cannot question the leader. Consider Jim Jones. Many people followed him to their deaths. Why? They believed him until the last moment. Perhaps some realized that something was wrong but it may have been too late.

You go to church on Sundays and you worship God (or at least you go through the motions). You do your duty in your church and you listen intently when the minister preaches. Do you question? Do you ask questions? Where did he or she get that statement? Why should I do what he says? Have you ever asked yourself those types of questions or have you just accepted what you were told without really knowing if it was true or not?

The Bible tells us to love God with our whole heart. We can't love God's Way and another way (religion, self, etc.). If you love the way of your church (whether you realize it or not) then you don't love the way of God. The thing that you love is the thing that you will pursue. The thing that you pursue is the thing that you treasure. Where your treasure is, is where your heart is (the center of your being). Is the focus of your life God or Religion? Is your heart pure or divided? Are you therefore part of a cult (at least in your own mind) or part of the true body of Christ?

Many Christians don't bother to seek God because they are too involved with their church-their cult. Many Christians can't talk peacefully with someone of another denomination or even religion because they are too preoccupied with their own beliefs and the differences between their doctrine and others. You can't be free to do what you want because the church, the cult, has paved a path for you already. Your life therefore does not include God and the pursuit of His kingdom.

It turns out that the object of our affection, the true treasure of our heart is not God rather, it is church, the culture club-the cult. We hold dear its teachings and its sweet bondage on our souls. We can't do what God wants. We can't do what we were wired to do because the puppet strings of our cultic head does not permit it. We can't express freely what is in our hearts because we fear excommunication or punishment by our cult leaders-the church officials. Who is God? The pastor is God or so it seems in the minds of many. There are some that hold the words of their pastor dearer than the message of the Holy Scriptures. Why? The treasure that they hold so dear is not heavenly but earthly. The object of your affections may not be gold and millions of dollars but it is your church. The place where you go like a good soldier and do your part in the plan of the man that pulls your strings. You are bound and cannot live a true Christian life because Churchianity, which you really practice, does not allow for compromise. It does not allow for the pursuit of truth. It does not allow for you to have a pure heart yearning and pursuing the God of creation, our heavenly father.

This lesson is going to deal with the true object of our affections (at least what it should be). I am going to discuss with you, rather frankly, the oppressive nature of your culture club called the church, which in many cases operate as a cult. Your pastor is your guide. Whatever he says goes. If he says jump in the name of Jesus then you will try to fly. If he says we don't believe such and such then you will resolve in your heart that such and such is indeed a lie. Why? The pastor said so. Well what about God? Who? I hope that you will become free to depend on the Holy Spirit to guide you and teach you and to realize that anyone, including myself, can be the source of oppression to you if you allow it.

Our lesson will come from Luke 12:13-21 and verse 31. Let's first analyze the scriptures and then we will apply the principles that we learn to our own lives.

The oldest son would always get double the percentage of inheritance that any of the other sons would get. Therefore, the amount of inheritance that was received was a fixed or standard amount. Sometimes people would call on Rabbis to settle legal disputes. The man was just in demanding his share of the inheritance.

Jesus' response was rather harsh but it got right to the heart of the matter. The emphasis was on the fact that materialism is not the most important thing to your life. There are two things that we can learn from this one statement.

1. Our life means more than the things that we have accumulated.

2. Just because something is "legally" right or justified does not make it proper.

Jesus' statement regarding materialism is very interesting if we consider the teachings of prosperity. The prosperity teachers tell us that God will bless us with THINGS. This is taught to the point that people just want stuff. They aren't concerned about life itself or the ultimate truth. They don't pursue the truth that is in God-that is God. They pursue things and more things. We are taught to pursue materialism in the name of Jesus. This is justified by saying that God wants us blessed, which is equated to the acquisition and abundance of things. We believe it because we are told to believe it and we are told it is true. Besides, we never learn any other way except materialism.

Have you ever stopped to think about the things that you hear? Our egos and flesh are so excited about the good news of materialism that we just don't think about it nor do we want to. Now I'm not saying that this means that God does not want us to have nice things. Frankly, I don't think He cares. I don't think it matters to God one bit whether you live in a two-room row home, a one-room apartment, or a mansion. What difference does it make? Those things are only temporal anyway. If you are happy with a one-room apartment or a 10-room mansion, then well. The problem isn't with the abundance of things, rather in the pursuit of that abundance. Consider the following scripture before we get back to our lesson text.

Don't seek to be rich. It is meaningless anyway. Besides, seeking to be rich reveals a problem with lust-a lust for money and riches, which is the root cause of many sins. Riches will fail you in that one day it will be gone. However, the things of God's Kingdom will never go. Now back to our lesson text.

Here was a man that hoarded his abundance. He didn't need all of it so instead of giving generously to those who could use it; he decided to store it all for himself. The sin wasn't in the fact that he had abundance. That was never mentioned. The sin was in the fact that he hoarded his wealth (See Proverbs 11:4, 28; 28:22; 30:8).

We see here that a person that stores treasures on earth and not in heaven is a fool. The important thing is not in the abundance of stuff. The important thing in life is not measured by how much stuff you have. Your heart should be heavenly, pursuing those things that are of God (and of the right motive). Again, an abundance of things doesn't matter.

God's Kingdom is the realm over which God rules. It is the realm in which is governed and operates according to God's Way. Are you pursuing God's Way or are you pursuing things. Seek God's way and the things that you need will be given to you.

Here again we see the negative impact of our cultic church. We are taught that things can measure blessings. Preachers say all the time how he or she drove a beat up car or an old car as if to say that anyone who drives such is not blessed. So what if you drive a ten-year-old car. If you are content with it and it works well then fine! If you decide that you want a new car, even if it is a Mercedes Benz (and you can really afford it) then again, fine! So what? Who cares what kind of car you drive as long as you are not buying the car to stroke your ego or any other destructive motive. I really don't think God cares what kind of car you drive.

The fact of the matter is that our ultimate goal is God and not things. Our ultimate destination is a life eternal with the Father. So what does this life have to offer to us and what does this life mean. Solomon said it very well.

Everything is meaningless. I remember a karate instructor of mine, Mr. Walter Jenkins, say that everything we see is an illusion. In a certain number of years the things we see will not exist. The magnificent car will one day be in a trash heap. The wonderful house or building will one day be torn down. What does it all matter? What does it all really mean to us? Nothing. It is all ultimately meaningless.

However, the prosperity teaching and the Charismatic movement of the cultic church say otherwise. Its dogma tells us of the importance of things. Our blessings and approval by God are determined by the acquisition of things. We are therefore taught to strive after meaningless stuff and forsake what has the most meaning to us. How can a few decades compare with an eternity? Again, I am not suggesting that you give up the stuff that you have. I am suggesting that you re-evaluate what is important to you and repent and begin to pursue the Kingdom of God.

The "things" that we may pursue are not always riches and possessions. Sometimes these "things" are not tangible. You may strive to speak in tongues (instead of a closer walk with Christ). You may strive to be a miracle healer (instead of knowing Christ). The point is that there are just as many objects of affections within the church community as there are outside of it. We will talk more about that in the next section.

So what's the point? The point is that Christianity is not about stuff or things. It is about Christ and an eternity with the Father. Things are necessary on this earth else we wouldn't live long. We need food and some sort of protection. Now let me explain what the cultic church has done to the Christian community or at least the professed Christian community.

What is important to you? Are things important to you? Are you desperately trying to obtain more stuff apart from pursuing God? Now don't get me wrong. I am not suggesting that you should forsake things and become all-spiritual. That would be another extreme, which is also wrong. There are two things that I would like to leave with you.

1. The ultimate object and affection of your life should be the Kingdom of God

2. Your life is not dependant on how much stuff you have regardless of how much stuff you have

I hope that you would strive to know Christ and to know God's Way. Instead of expending all of your energy on obtaining stuff, spend a significant amount on living a Christian life and pursuing God's truth.

We can easily identify materials as stuff and things. For example, we can easily resolve that we should pursue diamonds, riches, gold, etc. However, there are more things than what meets the eye. Consider the following things as examples of what I am referring to.

1. Prestige

2. Speaking in Tongues

3. Tithing recognition

4. Pride

5. Aura of spirituality

As you can see, things aren't always tangible. If you are trying to reach some higher level in your prayer language or a higher level in speaking in tongues, for example, then you are deceived if you are not pursuing the Kingdom of God with even more vigor. Your prayer language is meaningless. It is just stuff that will get you nothing more from God that simple faith in him would. Speaking in tongues as a skill is meaningless. It is just more stuff that you can be proud of and show off with. Sure if you happen to be in a room with people that speak another language then I would say that the gift of speaking in another language that you never learned would be very beneficial-to those that you are speaking to. Do you see what I am trying to say?

Many Christians have forsaken the first objective, which is a relationship with God almighty through Jesus Christ. Their hearts are divided between their cult (church) and the Kingdom of God. They do not have pure hearts. Consider the following scripture.

If your life centers around your church, or anything else for that matter, besides the Kingdom of God then your heart is not towards God. Your heart is toward the thing that you love. This could be your church, which is the topic of the lesson, or it could be your job, position, company, etc. Do you find yourself striving to live up to the doctrine of you church or the beliefs of your church? Do you find yourself quoting your pastor instead of God's word? Worse yet, do you find yourself criticizing and comparing other organizations with your church? This last one is especially dangerous. Consider the following scripture.

Love God with all that is within you (your whole being). Do you love God with your whole being or do you love your church with your whole being? Who are you trying to please, God or church? Do you find yourself evaluating your activities based on the "statement of faith" of your church or the general teachings and expectation of your church? If so then you are trapped in a cult. Your church has become a cult to you (not that the church is actually a cult). Your devotion is to your church not God. Consider the following scripture.

With all the zeal that the church of Ephesus had, they still left their first love (the first work). The first love is believed to refer to their love for each other and/or their love for Christ. It is not about doing this or doing that. You know as well as I know that many churches, if not most churches, are busy. They are busy having services, functions, and events. However, what really is important is that the love of God is manifest regardless of the activity.

Does the love of God emanate from you or are you too busy judging based on your cult's rules and regulations. The most important thing is to seek God's Kingdom. Love God with all that is in you and allow that love to manifest in your life. Don't cut people off just because they don't believe the way you believe whether they are part of another denomination or religion. Judging people and condemning them because they are not part of your cult is very wrong and very non-Christian like. Jesus ate with the sinners and communed with them, which he was ridiculed for by the religious leaders

I hope that I have heightened your awareness of the true focus of your heart. I pray that you will evaluate yourself to see if you are truly of the faith or truly practicing the faith. Begin to pursue God's Kingdom simply because you love God and want to get closer and closer to him. Live a life in Christ to please God and don't strive to please your church. Your church will one day pass away but the Kingdom of God will never pass away. Everything associated with this world is temporal. Why spend so much energy striving to acquire something that is only an illusion. Seek God and develop a pure heart-a heart that is focused on the LORD God almighty.