At the beginning of this year, we made the claim that international cults will use the Protestant Reformation as a ‘sheepskin’ to mislead society into thinking they are Christian charities.
It has been an absolute tragedy to observe just how many Protestant Churches show little regard to their history, heritage or express any real interest in celebrating 500 years of the Protestant Reformation.
Instead – liberal cults and NAR cults (Hillsong, etc.) seem to care more about making a big deal about the Reformation in order to mislead people into thinking they are legitimate Christian organizations and groups.
Jordan Hall of Pulpit & Pen shared his concerns about another world-wide cult trying to give the impression they are legitimately part of the Christian Faith.
Jordan Hall posted the following on FaceBook:
You might have been sent this mass mailing about Martin Luther, in ‘celebration’ of the 500th year of the Protestant Reformation.
The booklet extols the virtue of Luther and the 95 Theses, who it called “A Bold Reformer.” The booklet rightly calls the Roman Catholic Church “darkness.” It spoke of Tetzel and the indulgences that so vexed Luther. It spoke of Luther appealing only to the Bible for his sole authority. It called him a champion of truth. It called Luther, “God’s Servant.” On the back cover, the booklet celebrates “the Five Solas” of the Protestant Reformation.
All’s well, right?
Well, no. You see, 2 Peter 2:1 says, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.”
This booklet, you see, was mailed out by the Seventh Day Adventists. The booklet omitted a few things about their cult.
1. Seventh Day Adventism is a group that evolved from the Millerite cult of the 1840s, a doomsday cult whose prophet claimed Jesus was going to come back in the Spring of 1843. When that didn’t happen, they said their math was wrong and that Jesus would return on October 22, 1844 (this is known historically as “The Great Disappointment”). The word “Adventist” in their name refers to their failed End Times prophecies.
2. The chief prophetess of Seventh Day Adventism is Ellen G. White, who the Adventists still regularly advocate. It was through White that the denomination was officially formed in 1855, still clinging to the bulk of teachings from the Millerites. She herself made four failed rapture prophecies. She originally claimed that no one would be saved past 1844. She regularly claimed to visit Heaven. She prophesied the Civil War would result in slavery being continued and reinforced. She is the classical definition of a false prophet.
3. Teachings of the Seventh Day Adventist cult (aside from Saturday-Sabbath worship) include denying the existence of hell, a continuing judaizing of the dietary kosher laws, and most atrociously, an “Investigative Judgment,” in which our eternal fate (Heaven or Annihilationism) rests in an investigation into our good and bad deeds. The Investigative Judgment is a clear contradiction to the belief in Sola Fide taught by Luther and extolled as the chief doctrine of the Protestant Reformation (along with Sola Scriptura, which is also denied by the Seventh Day Adventists).
Seventh Day Adventism is a doomsday cult, founded upon false teaching, still promoting the prophetic revelations of a clearly false prophetess, and deny the essential doctrines of Protestantism.
Another fun fact: Ellen G White claimed to have been given a prophetic viewing of Luther’s account of his night in the Black Cloister when he came to the truths of Protestantism (some of you have heard me preach on this), but they’ve been proven historically wrong. While White devoted four chapters in a book to Martin Luther’s example as a reformer, she didn’t embrace any of his core doctrines.
So, why on Earth send out a booklet heralding Luther and the Protestant Reformation to a heavily Lutheran demographic, like one would find in Sidney, Montana?
The answer is very simple; cults try to emulate churches, and they “sneak in destructive heresies” under the cloak of likeness. In the middle of the booklet is a mail-in to receive a free 26-part Bible study guide. When you receive it, you’ll discover that they’re most certainly not teaching the doctrines of Martin Luther.
“We’re just like you,” they say.
No. You are not.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses will give you literature asking you to celebrate Easter with them, even though they don’t believe in the bodily resurrection. Mormons will give you literature calling themselves like-minded Christians, when that was a title they once adamantly rejected.
Don’t fall for it. Cultists are sneaky little devils.
Source: Jordan Hall, FaceBook, https://www.facebook.com/jordan.hall.5836/posts/10212893121499485, Published 09/09/2017. (Accessed 09/09/2017.)
Categories: Alternate cults (ALT), Hillsong, Liberal/Emergent Movement (LIB), New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), Resources, Uncategorized