There are ignorant un-Christ-like hate-filled people out there guilty of IMAX-level projection engaging in ad hominem, name calling, and character assassination attempts who are trying to make themselves feel better about themselves by saying that I am "trying to start [my] own cult." Other ignorant people who lack the ability to think critically for themselves will simply hate me and engage in the same Christ-less behaviour just because of what these ignorant clowns have said about me. They have never met me, they do not know me from Adam, and they have never personally talked to me to learn anything about me or my faith. Yet they believe what they have been TOLD about me. You should never discount someone else just because of what some ignorant clown has TOLD YOU. Give them a chance; listen to them or read them in order to make up your own mind about them based on legitimate facts, reality, and truth.
I have no desire to be a leader of something. The cults are already here with the 40,000+ Christian denominations that exist today. I have a personal desire to return to first century New Covenant Christianity, as recorded in Scripture and practiced by the early Christians of the first three centuries. I am seeking to be free of these opinion-laden cults of men and to return to the Lord Jesus by making Scripture my ultimate authority. That is all. If you are content with the establishment and their lies, good for you. Where are you most likely to find accurate biblical truth? Those of the first three centuries who were directly taught by one or more of the apostles, or by one or more of the disciples of the apostles, who spoke the same language and had the same customs and culture as the apostles, and maintained unity of the Spirit and the faith for 300 years? Or us, who are removed from those teachings, the language, customs, and culture by 1,900 years, and have splintered into 40,000+ opinionated denominations, groups, and sects? The answer is obvious, but for some reason we tend to think we are "smarter" than the previous generations. All one has to do is read the apologetic defenses of the early Christians to see how that is not true.
While most professing believers are comfortable being religious nominal (name only) "Christians," I want to live it by practice. As James wrote, "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Like the song from Petra says, "Sometimes God's children should be seen and not heard." Where are the Christians who are supposed to love their neighbours and their enemies and put the words of Christ into action? At the end of the Instruction on the Mount, Jesus told us what those who hear His words and obey them are like. If you dressed as a homeless person and walked into most "churches" today, the majority of people would look through you and ignore you, give you looks that tell you that you are not supposed to be there, tell you to sit in the back, and not acknowledge that you are there. Is this how they learned Christ Jesus?!?!? Is this how a "Christian" is supposed to behave and act? Yet they claim I am "trying to start [my] own cult"??? *LOL* They should really look in the mirror, because they are already part of one! These people "honour God with their lips, but their heart is far from [Him]," "teach as doctrines the commandments of men," "neglect the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men," and "reject the commandment of God in order to establish [their] tradition" (Mark 7:6-9).
A distinguishing mark of Christians is their integrity. That integrity is demonstrated by following the Lord Jesus—regardless of what others do—simply because He is Lord. That integrity is demonstrated when we desire to be aligned with Him, subjecting every aspect of our lives to His leading, regardless of how it contradicts our opinions, our feelings, our proclivities, how we were raised, what we were taught, or what we might presently believe. That integrity is demonstrated when we do right because it is right, and when we keep our word no matter the cost to ourselves. We are to act upon revealed truth, not merely be informed by it. That is the difference between obedience and disobedience and rebellion. Christian integrity conforms to the Lord Jesus and His revealed Word, no matter the cost to self. The lack thereof is conformity to the traditions of men.
Like Ephesus, many believers today have lost their love for Jesus and for others and need to overcome their lack of love. Having been like Ephesus, I am learning to love others the way Jesus commanded me to, to love my neighbours as myself and to love my enemies and do good to them. Like Pergamum, many believers today have believed the wrong things and need to get rid of the lies. Having been like Pergamum, I am getting rid of the lies of the past 1,700 years and conforming to the faith of the first 3 centuries. Like Thyatira, many believers today have become too tolerant by putting up with sinful behaviour and false teachers among themselves. Having been like Thyatira, I am willing to be unpopular by calling out sinful behaviour and false teachers among Christ's Body. Like Sardis, many believers today need to stop living a double life and realize that their works are not as good as they think. Having been like Sardis, I realize my works are not what they should be, and I need to be fully committed to the Lord Jesus. You cannot serve two masters: choose either the Lord or choose the world, but you cannot have both. Like Laodicea, many believers today think they are rich and have it all together but are actually poor and falling apart, needing to get serious about their faith. Having been like Laodicea, I have become serious about my faith, wanting to be obedient to the teachings of Christ Jesus. Unlike these people, I have a desire to be like Philadelphia, to keep the Lord's Word, stand strong, and not deny His name, and like Smyrna, to be faithful unto death. I can only pray that the religious nominal believers out there who are constantly giving Christianity a bad name by their behaviour and conduct before the world would become faithful followers of Jesus by obeying His commandments and teachings.
When someone elevates Jesus as their authority to the center of their life and their faith, who is the one who attacks that person to try and tear them down? The Devil! When you confront the establishment, challenging their power, position, popularity, and/or pay cheque, of course they will turn on you and claim you are "trying to start [your] own cult." These ignorant un-Christ-like hate-filled people can say whatever they want about me. I will be all too happy to bear that cross in order to reform and conform myself entirely to Scripture and the Lord Jesus.