Of cults, counterfeit religion

A definition of counterfeit, cultic religion will be briefly expounded and the conclusion will verify as to whether we have cultic counterfeit religion in Zimbabwe.

Counterfeit is the imitation of something genuine with the intent to deceive or defraud.
A cult on the other hand is a religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian charismatic leader.

There are many other dictionary definitions, but all point to one and the same thing. Counterfeit Christianity is the most precise description befitting a cult.
It is universally acknowledged that a cult is a group of people who unite around the charismatic leadership and ideology of a particular leader or group of leaders who manipulate people in the organisation to achieve desired results.

The cult followers are conditioned to listen to no one else except teachings of their leadership. They often become people who do not exhibit the fruits of the spirit. Galatians 5 v 22: “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness or self control.”
This is clearly depicted by the hate and slanderous response to fruitful criticism.
Their speech, their language, lacks gentleness, self control and more often than not is likened more to gangster type of behaviour who spare no foul language to win whatever battle is at stake.

Love in a cult is based on agreement. If you don’t agree with them, then you are subjected to verbal warfare. This is unlike the ministry of Jesus Christ who despite rejection and condemnation would not allow his followers to use unbecoming language.
The cult counterfeit religion is likened to an abusive relationship in which a woman is battered but continues to protect the husband even in extreme cases of maltreatment.

The woman becomes conditioned to abuse and whether to classify it as an addiction to abuse or an adaptation to abnormal maltreatment leaves one to wonder. Counterfeit religion is likened to counterfeit money which normally has to be detected under very high-powered light.
In the same vein counterfeit Christianity can only be discerned by the light of the word, 2 Timothy 2v15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.

Cults try and give new meanings to biblical teachings and their redefinitions are counterfeit and radically magnified to try and look better than the original, Hebrews 13 v 8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever”.
The end result is that we see a Jesus represented who is no longer the Living Word.

We are asked to receive a miracle-working Holy Spirit, who no longer at his coming reproves the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, a spirit who bestows gifts to perform signs and wonders, but is powerless to purge the wicked, deceitful heart, and to sanctify the believer.
Cults look good, glittering on the outside, but their real objective is to engross people in their teachings, exploit their time and dip their hands into the pockets of their unsuspecting victims.
Cults have ministering gimmicks tried and tested over time which have the ability and capacity to enslave even the wise, the learned, the rich and poor.

The cult leaders are wise, intelligent, appealing, articulate and with the amazing ability to be believed even in the presence of overwhelming evidence against their teachings, practices and hypocrisy.
Cults have been refined over years and employ sophisticated mind-control techniques which subjects its recipients to the manipulative system without an aorta of doubt.

Even if the leader was to repent it would take them time to believe that he was after all a fraud.
They promise instant success once one conforms to the purity of their biddings.
The mindset of the followers is tuned to believe that once he or she sticks to their teachings they will be as successful as the leader who often lives in mansions and drive state-of-the-art vehicles.
The victims of the cults are made to be dependent on the system, hence the use of items like water bottles, towels and barricades of miracles without which they feel insecure.

The dependency syndrome can be so severe that one is made to believe that leaving the group is the same as leaving God (or leaving an opportunity to succeed in life).
To disagree with leadership or the system’s teachings is tantamount to disagreeing with God.
To them anyone who is not successful according to their definition of success is because he or she is outside the framework of their programmes.
Any betrayal is subjected to character assassination to make one feel guilty yet the reality of it is that this is often the course adhered to by those without an argument.

Instead of debating on the subject at stake they attack the messenger not the message.
One is made to spend a fortune on their recorded messages, stickers (which are often exorbitantly priced) which further indoctrinates one into believing the cult without questioning. Such followers live in a dream or fantasies on visions that never reach fruition.
They make the followers think that they depend not on the money that they pledge but that they are supernaturally fed with gold and silver from on high. The properties amassed are therefore accredited to the cult leaders and not followers at large.

The cult leader often surrenders a certain percentage to the higher master who is often referred to a “spiritual father”, who in turn anoints them with magic powers to perform the trickeries that have dazzled many.
The system also targets successful business people. Most of these people fail to resist because whilst cults gain from them the businessmen gain by receiving lucrative business deals since cults can be huge and require many services. These unfortunate men and women are displayed as models of success some even parading their vehicles for all to see.
They make prey of those who are not in sound knowledge of the Bible.
They say the Bible cannot be comprehended by mere knowledge but by revelation.
They do not understand that both knowledge and revelations are Godly credentials.
They therefore recruit novices who are made to believe that under the anointing of the so-called prophet they instantly understand the ways of God more that any other churches.
There are always people positioned in a cult to hide the real issues at stake.

They use deceptive baits like helping the poor (yet they have enough resources to do such kind of hoodwinking ).
Those in the group are made to feel on high and to maintain the smiling faces and in the process tenets of deceptive doctrines are introduced.
According to them no one else has truth and it is not necessarily what you believe in that matters but believing in the group is the answer to your very survival.
Cultists render unwavering, unquestionable and overzealous commitment to their leader not necessarily to Jesus Christ and to them their leader is infallible (not subject to error).
Thus the leader is in the ranks of the supernatural and is accredited a special mission (in their mind to save humanity).
The leader is considered a revivalist who is autonomous, supreme and is not subject to any interrogation. Cults encourage isolation from those of different beliefs hence the long and cumbersome programmes that are meant to leave very little time for outside influence. They try and distance one from his or her relatives so one is made to pay all attention more to them and close their ears to family members, especially those not in agreement with their engagements.

Amazingly, however, most of these followers bother relatives for bus fare and money to give offering to their leaders, irrespective of the fact that they depend on relatives whom they, however, defy when it comes to their belief. Most become a nuisance to their immediate families and become more of a menace and liabilities to say the least.
Cult followers are under instruction to ignore, destroy any materials against the movement. They are well trained to give a deaf ear to any contrary information.

Thus information is not criticised on the basis of truth but on whether it supports them or not. They are therefore so preoccupied with duty and services that they rarely have time to make meaningful reflections.
Whenever one is involved in a system that exhibits the following traits extreme caution becomes critically essential: Not being allowed to question teachings.

Being told there is no other church that practises truth. Being told your pastor is not in a position to bring God’s blessing upon your life.
Having your choices in life being replaced.
Unless you conform to the teachings you are made to feel guilty. Putting down other churches and heralding their own. Stopping one from reading anything negative about themselves. (They say it’s for your spiritual protection). Defending all that they do.

Do they operate by humility or are they arrogant?
One has to attend their teachings first before becoming a Christian. Are they scared of criticism and very defensive unlike Jesus Christ’s model?
Extraordinary effort to prove their leaders are the best. Have a flair of worldly flavour in dress, outlook and presentation (can almost be confused with Holywood movie stars).
Some do not attend burial ceremonies of close relatives, they only finance them.
The supreme leader is reachable by the inner tier members, the rest see him on pulpits.
Pretend to be humble whilst challenging other men of God to spiritual contests (This is also prominent with sangomas of West Africa). Subjected to massive unending and extravagant promises which no one has the audacity to question since the leader is infallible and his acts and deeds are not to be questioned.

Jeremiah 5v31 “The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?”
Surely the word of God is very clear that unless people’s eyes are opened they enjoy to be cheated, to be under the counterfeit and vehemently protect a cult.
The only way to save people from cults and counterfeit worship is to love and pray for them irrespective of their abusive traits.
The Jews spat at the Messiah but He instantly forgave them.
We don’t mention any names but we call all to repentance for the time of their judgment is near. From the foregoing it is very clear that most of the aspects examined and analysed are now consistent with what we see, hear in many of our modern-day churches.

Leviticus 10v1 “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them and fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.”
In conclusion, surely there is no doubt that the cultic, counterfeit worship has brought a season of strange fire on the land and before we know it God will consume these prophets with the fire of heaven before our very eyes.
Keep opening your eyes because I sense God’s intervention in the very immediate future.

David Manyere is a pastor at Kingdom Mysteries Church.