Rebranding Church
It’s a common distraction.
This rebranding thing is really tempting. It is based on the faulty belief that God has made a few marketing mistakes along the way and, fortunately for him, the right people have finally come along to set things straight.
Certainly old buildings need new paint and when we don’t take care of physical upkeep of the church and our own spiritual growth, they can easily fall into disrepair. Also the longer we neglect what our hearts and communities need the more difficult it is to start back up. Eventually, when conditions become bad enough there often comes the temptation to scrap the whole thing and start over with a few fresh ideas.
Welcome to the cults.
Hubris over humility.
A cult is a rewritten system of beliefs centered on its founder’s personality. It is perpetuated by keeping secrets that promise prestige and power to those who simply give everything they have. Also every cult is based on the performance of the believer. It’s call Salvation by Works.
Cults counterfeit faith in God with faith in some earthly character who claims insider information. If the claimed religion outlives the founder others will step in to perpetuate the myth. By this time it is an institution with a lot of money and property. As its financial holdings increase the need for security measures also grow. This is just as true for its unique dogmas. They too must be protected.
How to avoid cults?
Read the Bible very carefully and and study it as you would any great work of literature.
Do not be afraid to read Bible commentators from various religious backgrounds.
Do not only read literature approved by the leader of a church or movement.
Understand the seriousness of the trap and do not go along with what you know to be false teaching.
Always beware of those who purport to know more than God. That was Eve’s big mistake.