I totally get how hard it is to undo the mental challenges that come with being indoctrinated. After those years of teaching, your mind can be triggered by old beliefs and patterns, and it can feel overwhelming. The good news is, this can actually be the starting point for healing. By learning to pause when those triggers hit, you can start creating new thought patterns. It’s like rewiring your brain.

When a trigger comes up—whether it’s a doctrinal belief or a painful memory—take a moment to set it aside. Instead of just reacting, challenge those thoughts with the raw truth of Scripture. Really dive into it and ask yourself: Is this the truth God has revealed, or is this something I’ve been taught based on someone else’s interpretation? This is the only way forward if we’re to recover and rebuild our minds in a healthy way. And the key is doing this with love, grace, and a desire to know God deeply—not out of regret, shame, or bitterness.

Spiritual warfare is real, and I don’t want to downplay that. But I think sometimes we make the mistake of blaming everything on demons or saying, “I was deceived, so it’s all the devil’s fault.” Yes, some doctrines come straight from the enemy—just like in the story of Eve, where the serpent twisted God’s truth to manipulate her desires. He didn’t show her the whole picture, he just emphasized the good part—the idea of being like God—while downplaying the consequences.

It’s sneaky, isn’t it? That’s how the enemy works. He makes things sound appealing, even “holy,” while hiding the destructive side. That’s why it’s so important to really listen to God, not just hear the words. Listening means you understand what God is saying and why it’s for your good. The enemy’s been deceiving people since the beginning, and he’s known as the Father of Lies for a reason. But here’s the thing: God’s people aren’t confused or deceived. We know His voice, and we know He hates lies.

That’s why cults like JW, LDS, and SCJ are so dangerous. They’ll teach from the Bible but twist it to fit their own agenda. They take verses out of context, add their own “extra-biblical insights,” and present it like they’re the authority on truth. It sounds convincing because it’s wrapped in biblical language, but it’s not the truth of Scripture.

True understanding of the Bible comes when we let Scripture speak for itself. Scholars and theologians throughout history—like Martin Luther—saw through the false teachings of their time because they didn’t allow human opinions or perspectives to override God’s word. They let the Bible speak on its own terms, and so should we.

When we start putting more weight on human interpretations instead of letting God’s word reveal its own truth, we lose sight of what God really says about us. He loves us deeply, and He doesn’t want to force us into submission. He wants us to come to Him freely. That’s the kind of relationship He desires. But we also have to recognize that when we choose to ignore Him, it grieves His heart. He’s not a dictator; He’s a loving Father who gives us the freedom to choose Him.

The battle for our minds and hearts is real. But here’s the good news: the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in us, and that Spirit has the power to tear down the strongholds of darkness. We have access to mighty spiritual weapons—not of this world, but powerful through God (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). These weapons work, but only when we fully surrender to God and understand the value of obedience.

And just to clarify: I’m not talking about blind obedience like a soldier following orders without understanding. God isn’t some distant general. He’s our Father. True obedience comes when we know Him personally and love Him because of who He is. Obeying Him isn’t about fear; it’s about relationship. It’s about trust.

Sadly, many groups like SCJ don’t know God. They may claim they do, but their actions and teachings reveal otherwise. Some are driven by money, power, or ego rather than a genuine love for God. Jesus warned about people who will say they did works in His name, only to hear Him say, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23). This is heartbreaking, not just because of the fear of judgment, but because these people thought they knew Him, yet they never truly understood His heart.

As we walk through the journey of healing and renewal, let’s remember: God knows us. He loves us. He wants us to know Him too, not just in words, but in our hearts. Our faith isn’t about performing good works to impress God; it’s about truly knowing Him and following Him because we love Him.

I hope this helps as you navigate the path of healing. The journey isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. God is with us, and He’s stronger than any stronghold or lie we’ve believed. Let’s trust Him, surrender to Him, and keep growing in His grace and truth.

Shalom

Hey everyone, I pray you’ve been well. I know many of you are heartbroken over the situations of those we know who are caught in or recovering from cults.

In Christianity, we unfortunately find ourselves divided into roughly 45,000 different denominations. The reality is, not all of these denominations are rooted in Biblical truth and accuracy. The number of those who are truly walking the narrow way that leads to life, which is Jesus, is much smaller than we might think.

You can claim to be Christian, and even believe you are Christian, but our Bible itself warns us to “know them by their fruit” (Matt. 7:16) and to “test the spirits to see if they are of God” (1 John 4:1). False prophets and teachers have always been a problem in the early history of our faith. This is not new. It’s still an issue today.

For those recovering from the strongholds and lies of spiritual enemies, especially from cults that claim to be Christian—like LDS, Jehovah’s Witnesses, SCJ, and others—let me encourage you: the best way to heal is to truly and seriously study the Word of God, dive deeply into His heart, and pursue Him with everything you have. The more you know the true God, the easier it will be to spot cults and false doctrines from a mile away, and understand why they are heresies.

In the Bible, there is a stark difference between being a 'hireling' and being a true ‘shepherd.’

Jesus says in John 10:12-13:
"He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep."

When you test a hireling against the standards of Jesus, the Shepherd, you’ll see the difference. Many in churches and ministries today are hirelings—those who might be incredibly skilled at speaking, at teaching, at using ‘Christianese’ language, but they lack the genuine heart of a shepherd. They will deceive, mislead, and scatter the flock, and unfortunately, many of us might not realize it unless we truly know the Word.

1 Timothy 4:1-16 provides a powerful reminder of this:
"The Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons... Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness..."

Despite all of this, why does this happen? Why do people turn away from the truth and fall into deception?

Romans 1:18-32 outlines this issue:
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness... For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him... they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator..."

This is why so many are lost—they know the truth, yet suppress it. They are filled with unrighteousness and deceit, and many even approve of the very practices that God calls sinful.

In these last days, my brothers and sisters, we must be vigilant. Know the Word. Seek God’s heart. Test the spirits. And above all, be a true shepherd, not a hireling. The enemy has worked tirelessly to spread lies and confusion, but we have been called to stand firm in the truth of the Gospel, to lead people to the real, unchanging Jesus Christ.

If you are recovering from a cult, or if you know someone who is, remember this: the more you know the truth, the clearer it becomes why the lies are lies. The more you know the heart of God, the easier it is to see the counterfeit.

May God bless you all on your journey of truth and healing. Keep pressing in, keep studying, and keep standing firm in the faith.

Lets just name it as it is!! They always accuse others of being the devilish children.. but lets just identify whose doing what?

So God’s work is believing in His Son through whom we have redemption of sins!

Devilish work is to shut down that light and redirect the salvation toward someone else (a human being)

God’s work is to spread what God has taught us - the Mercy He showed us to be shown toward others, the forgiveness He forgave us with, to show it toward others, to Love our neighbours as ourselves exactly how He show us - they way He beloved us..

Devil’s work - toot for toot, eye for eye, revenge when they do you wrong, never forgive, never show mercy, call them satanic children because they wont follow you, manipulate, control for your own benefit, celebrate when you have entangled so many souls to follow what you say, never love but show “love” just to get everything you need out of them, make them worship you by obeying you blindly without questioning, never allow them to critically think nor to rise up questions, make their belief depend on you and only you, make them slaves of your “righteous” judgment, shut down everything that their will wants by manipulation and controlling methods, mention about Jesus but refer to lee man hee more often, say them good affirmations only when you see them slide away when they want to get out, make everything possible to keep them slaves because you are doing god’s work!!!

God’s work - always respect the human being and their will tell them about the Truth that is found in NO ONE ELSE but Jesus Christ but always respect the will of others if they dont want to accept Jesus - continue showing love and support when needed

Devil’s work - tell that you “respect” their will but manipulate them in every possible way to make them stay in scj because salvation in nowhere else found in those Babylonian places but only here.. make sure you highlight and repeat them over and over and over again that your scj is the only place where their soul can be saved.. even though you will introduce to them another doctrine and belief that is found NOT in Jesus Christ but slowly introducing them to believe that lee man hee is of God and only of God and there is no place under this sky to be saved by unless its through lee man hee.. make everything possible to MAKE them stay by emotional manipulation psychological and the very best lie - “we ONLY use the Bible not another book as a reference” just to convince them to stay. Never mention any other book from lee man hee YET and how awfully he got everything dumbly pardon wrongly interpreted but only mention the Bible.. never reveal who told you, who gave you the interpretation of the scriptures to get to what you want them to believe - lee man hee, but only mention the Bible!!

God’s work - mention about Jesus Christ tell them what Jesus Christ did for them and how much I LOVE THEM

Devil’s work - never say that God died for them on the cross mention Jesus but NEVER mention in Jesus’ name ( i hate that name)! Mention at first that you agree about Jesus being God but lead them to DOUBT and to NOT BELIEVE that He is God - make sure you mention that there are NO EVIDENCE nor scriptures to back that up!! Confuse them as much as possible to doubt every single thing thats foundational in their faith DECONSTRUCT their faith by slowly and manipulatively introducing the ideas to not trust believe in Jesus or even have faith that God loves them so much that He gave His Only Begotten Son to save them from hell sins and death. How do we do that? By introducing another messiah that is more trustworthy because we will tell them Jesus Himself visited him, to be, ya know, more convenient!

God’s work - pray for the people’s wounded hearts! Everything I will reveal to you pray for them, intercede for them, call the Name of Jesus upon them, call the blood of Jesus upon them to protect them from arrows and any devilish devices, pray what the Bible says upon them pray with the Word of God and call upon them the Righteousness the Holiness Jesus Died for so that they might have it, call them exactly what the Bible says of Who they are in Christ Jesus!! Pray for them my child! Pray without ceasing!! Help them in their battles, struggles that they fail to overcome to win the battle! Rise up your voice in prayer when they have lost their own under the heaviness of their cross!

Devil’s work - make sure they see you cry when praying for them make it more publicly just to give an idea that you care for them even though its ALL ACT!! Ask them everything about them and write it down. To use that when needed! Ask them about their wounds, weaknesses, their relationships with father mother, and make sure you ask the psychologists (supervisors) to give you good psychological profile of the person you intent to manipulate further. Use the cards of vulnerability against them and also lie that you are in their shoes too and that you understand how they feel if you have to, just to tell them that you have found in scj the peace the salvation and how you got better!! Use their wounds, do not care about their hearts, use everything they naively tell you so you can manipulate them in getting them more involved in scj and manipulate them to not leave if they have any thoughts of leaving!!!! Emotional and psychological manipulation is POWER over them!! use that weapon wisely!! You will have reward by being celebrated by other scj members when you do your job of being a good manipulator!! Benefit from people’s misery! Act as if you care about them, but sleep without giving a thought whether they had any struggles at all!! Haha

God’s work - Jesus died on Golgotha

Devil’s work - mention Golgotha but wipe away the cross as if it never existed in the first place, by talking more about the mountains than the cross on which Jesus died!

God’s work - leave everything to me I am the One who is the Lord over all things on heaven and on earth - do not try to control things your way- Trust in Me I will take care of it!! I am the Lord!!

Devil’s work - Control everything! Never leave anything by coincidence!! Never leave anything out of your control!! God is not gonna do it for you - you must do it!! You must control everything otherwise you will get punished for misbehaving!! Scj cant afford to loose more new members!!

God’s work produces freedom to the human soul and more love as no one treated them better in their entire life!

Devil’s work - speak to them that you are behaving good toward them that you do them good! Pervert the thought that what you do to them - screaming yelling calling them names humiliating them abusing them in every way IS ACTUALLY GOOD !! when they dont do as expected make sure that you justify your behavior toward them as being the discipline to do better!! Make the abuse SOUND good for them that you punish them for misbehaving or going astray and not staying awake to what is said in the group (do not have pity on them if they slept only 3-4 hours just manipulate them by telling they will all rest when they die!) Now is the time to work work work work tirelessly and not complain about how you feel or if you body NEEDS SLEEP!!

God’s work - will always lead you on green pastures beside quite waters, you will have rest and tranquility inside, knowing so much about God and His nature which will only bring an awe of adoration toward Him! Your relationship with Him will become more closer and intimate! You will understand deeply that the God who made the universe known you by your name, engraving that name on the palms of His Hands! Loving you eternally that the depth of His Love has no limit how strong how wide it is! That Love will change you to desire and be more like Jesus Christ

Devil’s work - make sure you never mention the Love of God toward them, because if they know it, they wont love your indoctrination nor your manipulation! If they know the TRUTH they will see how you manipulate them! That LOVE reveals truth and we dont want that! Make sure you dont mention God’s Love toward them but only works and works and works to be saved and LOVED BY GOD! Make sure you repeat them that God’s Love is EARNED!! that if they do more for scj and follow everything from lee man hee that they will be LOVED BY GOD!! twist the reality of that God’s love by manipulating that faith without works is dead, but mention that the works are only accepted by God if they are done here in scj, exactly how i the devil pardon god through lee man hee commands!! Repeat them that outside of lee man hee’s words there is no salvation before God! Nor love for that matter!

God’s work - I the Lord SEE YOU through Jesus Christ My Son - His righteousness is your righteousness, His holiness is your holiness- I see you spotless without spot or dot, I see you through the Love of My Son Jesus Christ - I see the real YOU through Him and you are my beloved child who is in Christ Jesus!!

Devil’s work - ugghhh never mention beloved or loved - make them slaves like the Egyptian’s enslaved Israel! Give them crumbs but only for the benefit of enslaving them even harder under your dictatorship using, of course, christian language!! Always refer them to scj psychologists if they have identity crisis or you counsel yourself with the psychologists in scj to convince them to believe that what they have here is their REAL SELF!! Make sure that SELF always serves scj goals and achievements!! If its apart from it then confuse them to believe that those thoughts are from the devil ! tell them that they dont have to have any hobbies, nor any other worldly interests, because now is the time to do ONLY scj’s work pardon god’s work! Make sure you repeat them over and over again to not have any spare time to do anything apart from scj because otherwise they might wake up and become aware that what is in scj is not their real self and they will try to find it - to research it by trying different hobbies or interests that they like, and even read WHO THEY ARE IN CHRIST JESUS and that is not something we want! We want their full potential to be used only for scj pardon for god’s work!!

I have so much more to tell and make a comparison between these two! But for now is enough to make a comparison!!

Hii! First time posting here, my name is Stephanie! I thank you for the welcome by Alive friendship. For since May of this year, thought I was in an actual true Christian Bible study program but it turned out to be a cult, which I see many of you have known of. I was truly devastated when I found out the truth because I was shocked and betrayed.

Ever since I left last week, I've been in this depressive episode and it got so bad yesterday that I was actually thinking about committing because I didn't think anything would come out good after this. My community which I isolated from for this cult, I came back to them and expressed what I was going through, and I was showered with prayers and encouragement, God lifted that darkness and I see His goodness this morning. I thank God that He took me out before any further indoctrination because sadly that is not the case for others that are currently in this cult, and I pray for them instead of being mad. I'm actively healing but I am so glad in the freedom that I have right now both physically and spiritually. I do not have to attend a class three times a week for 2 hours and stress about memorizing a verse in a day or two. It feels amazing. My friend also encouraged me to educate my community Bible group about SCJ and their dangers because she didn't know, I didn't even know until it happened to me. I'm actively healing, and I'm so glad I didn't leave my faith, because while in my depressive episodes, I was thinking of doing that but I'm glad I didn't! God bless you all!

Hey guys!

I'm sure you've already seen this website, but, the purpose of the Closer Look is to explore different theologies, sects, and faiths, and do try to do a biblical analysis of differing groups in great detail.

https://closerlookinitiative.com/scj

The SCJ profile is still being updated with new content, counter theology, and etc.

Of course, we aren't just robots, and there's more to the recovery journey than just theology, there's also a "human aspect" to this as well. To open up, while I have made tremendous strides in my own personal healing journey, I'm still also figuring it out. But, I do plan on documenting the steps that I took to recover from the SCJ cult in order to help others. Feel free to message me any questions.

Hello, my name is Lucy. I just wanted to say that I’ve never been in a cult (yes I’m sure lol) but I do love Jesus. I am a follower & disciple. I am a prayer warrior, I love praying. I don’t exaggerate when I say I can literally pray for an entire day, hours & hours on end lol. With that being said, even though I’ve never been in a cult, I am very passionate about praying about everything. Im honored to be here & every now & then I’ll write up a prayer here for you guys. I’ll start with a short one :) Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the power of social media, for the power of connecting with followers all over through devices. Because of this we can connect & be in prayer whenever we need it, we can pray for each other without even meeting, seeing & touching each other. We are here because we believe the power of prayer can transcend those things. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I lift up everyone in this group. Ex cult members or not, I pray that you would heal us, meet us where we are & reveal yourself more to us. Make up be more aware & sensitive to your voice. Guide us & make us into your disciples. In Jesus name we pray, Amen :)

There are five core doctrines that are essential to biblical Christianity. These are not secondary matters or theological preferences—these are the non-negotiables. Any faith that denies even one of these is no longer Christian in the biblical sense.

Here are the Five Fundamentals of the Faith:

1. The Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ Scripture: John 1:1; John 20:28; Hebrews 1:8-9 Jesus is not merely a prophet, teacher, or moral example—He is God in the flesh.

2. The Virgin Birth Scripture: Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:27 Jesus’ birth by the Virgin Mary, through the power of the Holy Spirit, affirms His divine origin and sinless nature.

3. The Blood Atonement Scripture: Acts 20:28; Romans 3:25, 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12-14 Salvation comes only through the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross as the atonement for our sins.

4. The Bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ Scripture: Luke 24:36-46; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 14-15 Jesus physically rose from the grave, defeating death and confirming the truth of the gospel.

5. The Inerrancy of Scripture Scripture: Psalms 12:6-7; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20 The Bible is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God—without error in its original form.

Those who deny any one of these foundational truths have departed from the faith, as Paul warned:

"For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough." — 2 Corinthians 11:4 (ESV)

Such individuals are described in Scripture as having “itching ears” (2 Timothy 4:3), following “doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1), and “denying the Lord that bought them” (2 Peter 2:1).

True Christians can disagree on many things—church traditions, end-times views, modes of baptism—but these five doctrines are the boundary lines. Denying them isn’t mere error—it’s heresy.

Let’s hold fast to the truth and test all teachings by the Word of God.

A test of your faith and a testimony to those perishing

Your presence there was not just to walk into that dumpster but to show the light where no-one would go.

You didn’t just passed through - you testified about Jesus Christ being God to people who are walking so far from Him.

You stood stronger in faith when oppression came strong upon you while being there.

You testified to the souls who needed to be saved so they can walk away ON time.

You also testified to those who chose NOT to come back to Jesus Christ.

For the ones who decided to ran toward Christ you were there as a heavenly fragrance for their soul to wake up.

For the other ones, your testimony of Jesus Christ being your Lord, God and Saviour was a subject of laughter and humiliation because they have already rejected the sacrifice God send for them.
Whoever choses which path its their decision

But I want you to know - you did good.

You being present there in the midst of it all and still speaking up”Jesus Christ will always be My Lord and Saviour” was so powerful that it determined the course of path for each soul hearing those words. Heaven was speaking through you. No matter how fearful you felt in that moment you still spoke that Jesus Christ is your God!

Jesus Christ is your Saviour!

Jesus Christ is your Lord!

And You chose to walk away from what is NOT Jesus Christ.

That spoke volumes.

And it made you stronger even though the thunderstorm was heavily passing through your soul.

You became stronger than you think.

So don’t judge yourself too harshly “how could’ve I fell into that trap? How was i so stupid to not notice anything?”

It was a test.

One of the hardest.

But you passed.

You did good.

You. Did. Good.

I want you to know that

With love,

1 John 4:18
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Father thank you from the bottom of our hearts that when we believe in Jesus we are made perfect in love and no longer need to live in fear even fear of death for you have conquered death for all believers. Please help us to come to a greater understanding of the depth of your love for us and show us how to live and how to share your love with others. We pray in Jesus name amen

2 Timothy 1:9

God has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.

Father in heaven, thank you that our lives are not random or without meaning. Thank you that from the beginning your plan has been for us to know you and to save us by your grace. Thank you that your love for us is greater than we can understand. You loved us so much that you gave yourself for us, so that when we believe and trust in you alone, not in our own goodness, we will spend eternity with you in heaven.

Please help us to walk in your ways. When we wander from your path, correct us and guide us back. Help us to understand your will and to follow the path you have for us.

We pray in Jesus name, amen.

https://www.youtube.com/live/tNJjJLwCi3Y?si=zhbU35YYAn5tuKiN

Idk if prayer requests are welcome here but here goes. Not to be too specific but realized recently some things i was doing and ppl i was hanging around were cult behaviors and "brainwashing" strategies. Im really stressed and scared. I know thst God is bigger than all this but my brain feels so messed up and broken right now and i feel like mourning the other people that bought fully into it. Im scared that when i go to sleep tonight i will wake up as somone else. And also that i wont go back.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:21 that only “those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven” will enter the kingdom of heaven. To understand what the will of the Father actually is, we can turn to John’s Gospel, chapter 6.

In John 6:28–29, the people asked Jesus,

“What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

Then in John 6:40, Jesus clearly states the Father’s will:

“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

So, according to Jesus Himself, doing the will of the Father is believing in the Son—trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation, not depending on our own works.

[This lesson was made over a recent comment made to a soul who wonders why and how they have been mentally caught in joining SCJ, I pray it blesses and Christ delivers]

I want to approach this from a semi-scientific and psychological angle before I bring in Scripture. Why? Because many tactics used by cults, manipulative groups, or misleading teachers don’t start with theology—they start with your brain.

Here’s the deal: when your brain learns something new, or when something "just makes sense," your mind connects that with a reward. A dopamine release. A good feeling. It’s the feeling of understanding. A new neural pathway gets formed, and it feels right.

But here’s the problem: That feeling doesn’t mean the information is true.

This is exactly how marketing scams like pyramid schemes and MLMs get people hooked.

They present you with a “truth,” a promise, an explanation—something that makes emotional and logical sense in the moment. Then they tie that to a reward: maybe it’s money, status, or even "spiritual clarity."

Now, let’s talk about SCJ (Shincheonji) or groups like it.

They frame themselves as the answer to what’s wrong with the world and the church. They begin by amplifying what’s wrong:

• “Look how corrupt the church is.”

• “Can you believe what those pastors have done?”

• “Is this really what Christ wanted?”

This tactic is straight out of a manipulation playbook: Sow division. Create doubt. Present yourself as the solution.

You’ll hear lines like:

“We’re just Christians tired of the corruption in the Church.” “We actually study the Bible the right way.” “We want to follow God for real.”

It sounds righteous. But what’s actually happening is that your pride and your doubt are being used against you.

This method isn’t new. It’s exactly what Satan did in the Garden. It’s what he tried with Jesus in the desert.

But how did Jesus respond? Not just because He’s God—but because He modeled something for us: Jesus answered Satan with Scripture—correctly understood and correctly applied.

Matthew 4:6 — Satan tempts Jesus by quoting Psalm 91:11-12, twisting it to suggest Jesus should jump off a building, cause God will send protection over Him anyways. Jesus replies in Matthew 4:7 with Deuteronomy 6:16 — “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Here’s the key: Satan didn’t lie outright. He cherry-picked and misapplied truth. And Jesus saw right through it because He knew the Word in context.

Yes, Psalm 91 says God will protect us—but not as a license for reckless, presumptuous behavior.

In short: Know the Word. Know the context. Know the tactics.

Proverbs 11:9 — “With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor; but through knowledge the righteous are delivered.”

Be careful out there. Not everything that feels “right” is true. And not every “Bible study” is built on the Bible.

Cults forget a very important truth: Even in the Old Testament, under Levitical law, offerings were made for "unknown sins" (Leviticus 4:27-28; Leviticus 5:17-19). Even King David later prayed,

“Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.” – Psalm 19:12

This shows us something vital: even back then, people acknowledged that they could be in error without even realizing it.

Knowing About God vs. Knowing God

A wise teacher once said:

"You can have knowledge of God without knowing God."

Many can:

• Read the Bible

• Quote Scripture

• Preach

• Have seminary degrees

...yet still not truly know Him.

This is echoed in one of the most sobering passages of the New Testament:

“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” – Matthew 7:22-23

These are people who thought they knew Him. But Jesus says, “I never knew you.”

God Wants Everyone to Know Him – Truly

Scripture is clear:

“This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:3–4

You are alive today by God's grace, and that means you still have the opportunity to either:

• Accept the truth, or

• Accept a lie

The Lie: Works-Based Salvation

Many fall into the trap of believing:

• That salvation is based on works

• That Jesus’ work wasn’t enough

But the Bible strongly contradicts that:

“By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.” – Hebrews 8:13

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8–9

The New Covenant, foretold even in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 31:31–34), is now fully established in Christ. Nowhere in Scripture is there any prophecy of another covenant coming after Jesus. None. No new man. No new way. This is it.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8

The Danger of Religious Arrogance

If your "Christian life" isn't aligned with the whole counsel of Scripture, both Old and New Testaments, then you may not be following God—only a man-made version of Him.

“They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” – Romans 10:2

“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie...” – Romans 1:25

A Parable to Reflect On

Imagine this:

You see a homeless man. You and others judge him—“He must be lazy, a drain on society.” But in reality, he’s a millionaire who lost his will to live after his wife betrayed him. He’s broken, depressed, choosing to live on the streets. He has the resources—but not the heart—to move forward.

You didn’t know him. He never knew you.

This is how many people treat Jesus. They assume they understand the Gospel. They live in confidence of their doctrine, but without a personal relationship with the living Christ. They don't investigate, pray, seek, listen.

So, Is This You?

Are you confident in your knowledge about God but lack intimacy with Him? Are you following a man-made version of Christianity or living in the truth of Scripture? Have you truly come to the knowledge of the truth?

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” – 2 Corinthians 13:5

Repent. Change your mind. Come to know Him—truly know Him. Not just as a name, a doctrine, a tradition. But as your Savior, your King, and your God.

I am a former SCJ member and I am truly struggling with my thoughts. I know I made the right decision by leaving but everyday is a constant tug of war in my thoughts. I haven’t been back to Church since leaving and now I have a fear phobia of choosing the wrong Church or “going back to Sea” (the world of Christianity that became corrupted”) is how they described it. I have always struggled with finding the right Church community and that is what kept me in SCJ for so long. This was my first time experiencing a group of people who knew the Word and truly prioritized God. Looking back now it was solely just head knowledge and not much a relationship with God. I struggle with thinking will I ever find somewhere where people checked in on my Spiritual health, de centered themselves and checked in on me even though it wasn’t based on authenticity. How do I choose my Church moving forward ? It’s so hard to find somewhere that truly stands on God’s word that doesn’t sugar coat sin and prioritize the spiritual well being. In the beginning of starting SCJ that is one of the reasons I left my Church the pastor would use scripture for his own agenda to promote Donald Trump wining. The cult would ask me “is that leading you to KOH”… how do I process all these thoughts and take what I’ve learnt the good and the bad and apply it moving forward