Since about the age of 10 I have been a follower of Jesus (I now call Him by His Hebrew name - Yeshua). My husband has also been a Believer from a young age. We raised our two children in mainstream Christianity - specifically the Southern Baptist denomination. Both of them chose to follow Yeshua when they were young in years as well. Faith, church, the Bible has been the center of all our lives!
However, we started seeing that many things we had always believed were in the Bible simply were not true! At first my husband and I were not aware that the other was having a crisis of faith. Little did we know that the Holy Spirit was working on the both of us concerning issues that were pivotal in our faith walk. Eventually we started talking about things we were seeing differently and we realized that we were both seeing the same things!
So about a three years ago, we started making changes in the way we live out our faith:
We now observe the Sabbath on the 7th day of the week instead of the 1st day of the week as commanded in Exodus 20:8-11.
We observe and celebrate the Biblical holidays of Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles as commanded in Leviticus 23 instead of the Roman Catholic Church holidays of Easter, Halloween, and Christmas.
We eat according to the Biblical dietary guidelines in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.
We wear tassels on our outer garments according to Numbers 15:38-40 & Deuteronomy 22:12.
Overall, we strive to keep ALL of Yahweh's (God's) commandments as He instructed in the Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy, aka Old Testament).
Apparently these changes were enough to make us look, well, peculiar, even among our Christian brothers and sisters. On more than one occasion we have been accused of being in a "cult". I am assuming, reader, that you have a similar picture in mind upon hearing the term "cult". Perhaps the vision in your mind at the moment even includes a long robed man standing with a glass of Kool-Aid in hand, or possibly a group of bald-headed people (again in long robes) passing out flowers at an airport. At least that is what immediately comes to my mind when hearing the term "cult".
I will be honest with you. I was taken by surprise when that term was first hurled at us! I couldn't help but wonder how anyone who knew us could possibly think that we joined a cult! Then I read this verse in the Bible:
"But I confess this to you: I worship my fathers' God according to the Way, which they call a sect [aka cult], believing all the things that are written in the Law and in the Prophets." Acts 24:14 (HCSB)
Huh! How about that? This was the apostle Paul talking! Apparently my family and I are in good company.
A few years ago I had a conversation with someone from my former church fellowship. I was trying to understand why this person had become adamantly against our teenagers hanging out together. Apparently the changes in our beliefs had become so vastly different that it was considered a threat for my teen to continue a relationship with theirs. But what was so perplexing to me was when I asked this person if I could show them in the Bible what we believed and why, would they be willing to read/hear it, I was shut down! Instead of saying, "Yes, please show me on which Scriptures you are now basing your beliefs", I literally got the hand!
This person went on to compare my family's beliefs to that of Catholicism. The comparison was startling to me. After all, it is because of the Roman Catholic Church that most people today keep the Sabbath on Sunday instead of the seventh day as commanded! It is because of the RCC that most people today celebrate Easter, Christmas - even Halloween - instead of the commanded holy days found in Scripture! Yet my family and I were basically being accused of living contrary to the very Word of Yahweh! I was stunned, and still am, actually.
Being accused of being in a cult was at first a bit hurtful, but now it doesn't really bother me. It still puzzles me, but I am OK with it. Being thought of as a threat to those whom I once considered brothers and sisters IS hurtful, but I am learning to live with that, too. Overall the most hurtful thing is when someone refuses to sit down and examine the Scriptures together with us. However, all we can do is keep living the best we can according to the Scriptures, pray, and be ready in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2) if and when someone does want to get together to study the Word with us.
Living according to the Word of Yahweh should make us look different. After all, we are to be in the world, but not of the world (see John 17)!
Let me leave you with a few verses:
"Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine," Exodus 19:5 (HCSB)
Side note: The KJV uses "peculiar treasure" instead of "own possession".
"for you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. The LORD has chosen you to be His own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth." Deuternomy 14:2 (HCSB)
"And today the LORD has affirmed that you are His special people as He promised you, that you are to keep all His commands,' Deuteronomy 26:18 (HCSB)
"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called," Ephesians 4:1 (ESV)
Shalom!