Category Archives: Spiritual Abuse-Cults

Cults: Watchman Nee

Watching Out For Watchman Nee

http://watchmanforjesus.blogspot.mx/2010/05/why-i-can-no-longer-endorse-any-of.html

Notes from webmaster David Cox

Firstly, know the history of Watchman Nee.

He was a house church pastor that started that movement in China. During his life, he spent many years in prison. That is nothing to gloss over as insignificant. It is my understanding that none of his works have survived.

I say that to make the point that everything we now have “as being a work by Watchman Nee” is actually notes taken from his followers, and mostly through his follower, Witness Lee. So there is doubt whether anything original in his handwriting survived. Nothing was printed before he died.

Whatever the relationship was between Watchman Nee and Witness Lee is not something the world will ever know completely. Maybe Witness Lee got it all right, or maybe to continue with the majority of his teachings, Watchman Nee winked at Witness Lee’s errors. So we are talking about “proximity teaching“, that of what a disciple heard from his master. But probably the only valid attitude here is that we accept Lee’s representation of Watchman Nee’s writings as valid. There had to be other followers besides Lee, and none have spoken up complaining about Lee’s take being wrong (at less none I have found). So I don’t know how you can talk definitively about Nee. What really is his teaching?



Secondly, is the issue of authority.

In Nee’s book on Spiritual Authority, he advocates for submission of the members under the pastor. From what I understand, this includes important areas such as a person’s life vocation and mate. I do not hold to that position. Each Christian should find God’s will for their own life, and good counsel is very important. But in the end, the yes or no decision is in the individual’s hands, not that of his pastor. I have crossed cultists that reference this work as almost “Bible”. It opens the door to mind control by the cultist.

From what I have read from his books, Watchman Nee is exactly in the same group as Jesse Penn-Lewis, E.M. Bounds, etc. of the Holiness movement before tongues. It is highly devotional reading. The problem is to always compare everything you hear and read to Scripture.

New notes from May, 2025 forward. I am reading anew Nee’s work “Spiritual Authority“.

 

 

 

FP: False prophets worship other gods

False prophets worship other gods

False prophets worship other gods
By David Cox



False prophets worship other godsThis article establishes that false prophets seek to worship other gods, and they teach and arrange things for the same within their church. Although this is not apparent, it is very true.

First of all, the worship of the true God of heaven is focused in an identification, an understanding, and an imitation of the divine character. This is essentially holiness. This character of God is discerned through studying the Scriptures, and once discerned and understood, then the believer would apply this divine character to their own life.  Continue reading FP: False prophets worship other gods

FP: Using Scripture or Following Scripture?

Using Scripture or Following Scripture?

Using Scripture or Following Scripture?
By David Cox



Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

In this installation of our ongoing study of the false prophet, we look at how the false prophet understands and treats (mistreats) Scripture. We look at the distinct different of view from the true man of God towards Scripture, and the false prophet’s view towards Scripture. Note that a true man of God esteems “time is short” to obey what God teaches because there is a point in which God will “cut us off” as he cut off Israel if we blatantly refuse to obey his Word and Will.

 

Continue reading FP: Using Scripture or Following Scripture?

How to tell if you are in cult #7

How to tell if you are in cult #7 is another post on where repentance should dominate in the person of the pastor and in the environment of the local church.

 T. When public confession of sin and open repentance (so others can verify if you were sincere or not) is exchanged for organizational cover-ups, where lowly members are publicly exhibited and shamed, and administration, leadership, and their favorites have their sins hidden by the group.

Continue reading How to tell if you are in cult #7

Cults: Double Standards and Hypocrisy

Cults: Double Standards and Hypocrisy is a post about how cults have double standards, but the true work of God does not.

The entire mindset of a cult is to construct an organization which serves the cult leadership. A biblical local church is an organization built to serve God and His purposes, to do the work of God. This difference is very abundantly clear when one has been hurt by a cult organization. Continue reading Cults: Double Standards and Hypocrisy