INTRODUCTION

Many of the counter-cult Web sites also offers apologetics and/or a review of the essentials of biblical Christianity. Somewhere the cult got off track form what the Bible clearly teaches.

They ALL have abandoned the Bible as the final authority for faith and practice. They allowed the teachings of one or more founders to lead them into error. The words of that special person are held as equal to or higher than the plain teachings of the Word of God.

They do not have an accurate view of Jesus Christ. He was BOTH God and Man. This is easy to confuse or distort.

The better reference books about cults line out what the Bible says side by side with what their official publications say about God, Jesus, Sin, Salvation, Heaven/Hell, End Times, Human Nature, etc. Just look in a library or Christian book store. Some cults are orthodox on a few of these doctrines but go into serious error on other points.

If you are concerned about a family member, friend, coworker, neighbor or other person that is in a cult – then do your homework. Learn form these Web sites and good books where they go astray. You invest time in learning what the Bible says about these key points. PRAY and PRAY and PRAY. Then enroll MUCH prayer support. Keep preparing and knock for God to open the door. He will open the right doors right on time.

NEVER under estimate the power of personal testimonies. Seek and find the true stories of those who were into that cult and were delivered. They may have it on the Web and/or on a tape.

Note that most cults do not tell those who have begun a relationship with them all the crazy things that they really believe. That is why investigating the counter cult Websites is important.

There is nothing special about the list of links that follows. You can find MANY more links just by putting the name of the cult into a Web search engine followed my the word evangelism. For example Mormon evangelism, Jehovah Witness evangelism, etc. Or input the term counter cult. Then be diligent to explore the first few dozen hits that seem useful. ALSO go to the Links page on the better sites and follow them. That often leads to real treasures.

Some search engines include

http://www.goggle.com/

http://www.yahoo.com/

http://www.altavista.com/

http://www.alltheweb.com/

LINKS

Mormons

Mormon Research Ministry

http://www.mrm.org/

MRM is an evangelical Christian ministry that has been challenging the claims of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1979.

Mormon Info
We challenge you to question Mormonism. Our focus will be a source of current events and other information related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

http://www.mormoninfo.org/

Joseph Lied

http://josephlied.com/

Word for the Weary - Questioning Mormonism

http://www.answeringlds.org/

Lots of good things here.

Recovery from Mormonism

http://exmormon.org/

A Site for those who are

Questioning their Faith in the Organization

And For Those who Need Support

As they transition their lives to

A Normal Life.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Beyond Jehovah’s Witnesses

http://members.aol.com/beyondjw/index.html

This site contains information for:
People who have left the Witnesses
People who are thinking of leaving
People who have been forced to leave
People who are thinking of joining

Beacon for former Jehovah's Witnesses

http://www.xjw.com/

for people out of the
Watchtower Society of Jehovah's Witnesses
seeking a balanced Bible perspective

Answers to Jehovah’ Witnesses

http://www.serve.com/larryi/

Much here and many awards won. Cannot find a summary statement.

Watchtower Observer

http://watchtower.observer.org/

This is a HUGE site that is highly recommended by other sites.

Watch the Tower

http://www.watchthetower.com/

"Official Web site for Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses"

Free Minds

http://www.freeminds.org/

Huge site with lots of material and highly recommended by other sites.

Web Ring with 94 JW related sites

http://r.webring.com/webring?ring=jehovex;list

MASONS

Ex-Masons for Jesus

http://www.ephesians5-11.org/ex_masons_for_jesus /

Ex-Masons for Jesus is an organization of Christian men and women who were once members of a Masonic Lodge or one of the affiliated Masonic organizations such as Eastern Star, DeMolay, Job's Daughters or Rainbow Girls.

Ephesians 5:11

http://www.ephesians5-11.org/

MUCH here

The Question of Freemasonary

http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/masindx.htm

MORE

More links on cults

Go here for many more links http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/cultsect/ccmlinks.htm#major

Probe ministry articles

http://www.probe.org/menus/wp-cults.html

Watchman Fellowship

http://www.watchman.org/

Watchman Fellowship is an independent Christian research and apologetics ministry focusing on new religious movements, cults, the occult and the New Age. We serve the Christian and secular community as a resource for cult education, counseling, and non-coercive intervention

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ALSO APOLOGETICS

There are various sites that deal with cults and also apologetics like the following.

Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

http://www.carm.org/

Apologetics organization whose purpose is to equip Christians with good information on doctrine, various religious groups (Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.), cults, Evolution, New Age, and related subjects.

Apologetics Index

http://www.apologeticsindex.org/

Apologetics Index (apologeticsindex.org, apologeticsindex.com, and countercult.com) provides research resources on religious cults, sects, new religious movements, alternative religions, apologetics-, anticult-, and countercult organizations, doctrines, religious practices and world views.

Ankerberg Theological Research Institute

www.ankerberg.com/

Many products and articles by John Ankerberg. Apologetics is one of many topics.

Christian Research Institute

http://www.equip.org/

The Christian Research Institute exists to provide Christians worldwide with carefully researched and well-reasoned answers that encourage them in their faith and equip them to intelligently represent it to people influenced by ideas and teachings that assault or undermine orthodox, biblical Christianity.

This is the ministry of Hank Hanegraaff. He is on the radio as the Bible Answer Man.

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CENTRAL REFERENCES

When dealing with counter cult ministry and apologetics at some point you need to have some simple central references.

HOW can you discern truth from error if you do not have a reliable standard?

HOW can you raise the conversation above your opinion verses their opinion?

HOW can you deal with the argument that Christianity is just for Americans?

HOW can you deal with the fact that there are so many denominations?

that disagree so how can anyone know the truth?

WHERE can you point to that is a summary of what the Bible teaches?

WHAT are some summaries that have been used as central references

by many believers for many years?

Here are some resources for you to examine.

IFMA Confession of Faith (this statement is accepted by many missions agencies)

http://www.ifmamissions.org/doctrin.htm

Lausanne Covenant

http://www.gospelcom.net/lcwe/statements/covenant.html

For the following resources go to the link at the end of the list.

Apostles Creed

Nicene Creed

Westminster Confession of Faith with Scripture Proofs

Westminster Larger Catechism

Heidelberg Catechism

Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

http://www.reformed.org/documents/index.html?mainframe=index_docu.html

At that same location there are MANY more creeds, confessions, catechisms and other related resources.

This includes

Martin Luther’s 95 Theses

Jonathan Edward’s Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

http://www.reformed.org/documents/index.html?mainframe=index_docu.html

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ONE SENTENCE

There is one sentence that helps me the most. It was composed by the Reformers to clarify what they stood for in opposition to the Roman Catholic Church. There are oceans of wisdom in these words. I keep in written on a large piece of paper that is taped to the ceiling over the pillow in my bed. I look at it from my bed. I look at it from my reading chair. It is my anchor. God has used it to dispel much confusion. He has shown me how each part is critical individually, plus each two parts plus the whole taken together. It helps me to read it when written in this form.

Salvation is

by grace alone,

through faith alone,

in Christ alone,

based on Scriptures alone,

to the glory of God alone.

On a related note go to: Cambridge Declaration

http://www.alliancenet.org/intro/CamDec.html

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FUNDIMENTALS OF THE FAITH

This also brings up the question of

WHAT are the fundamentals of the faith?

Here is a compilation from several lists

Inspiration of Scripture

Virgin birth

Deity of Christ

Blood Atonement

Bodily Resurrection

Trinity

Second Coming

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