Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1986 Page 39
The typical cult member has been described as ―someone who has a lot of goodness in him,
who‘d like to see a better world.‖3 And as a Christian, I certainly desired a better world.
Other literature on the subject says that ―. ..young people who are highly vulnerable to
cultic appeals are usually very idealistic. They have been frustrated in earlier attempts to
bring about positive social change and have become disillusioned with their own collective
action. Such individuals -basically ‗religious‘ in orientation while at the same time desirous
of making the world a better place -are prime targets for groups like the Unification Church
of Mr. Moon. A Moonie recruitment poster suggests: ‗If you want to change this world and
are longing to find the way ...you are the person who should hear the Divine Principle
Seminar!‘‖ 4 The YWAM brochure states: ―Will you dare to be disciple and make your mark
in history for Jesus Christ? If you have committed your life to Jesus and have a genuine
desire to make Him known to the world ...‖
It has also been said that most young people who become a part of New-Age groups have
either a very nominal religious background or no formal religious affiliation whatever, and
that those who have had a conventional religious background describe it negatively: their
spiritual fellowship needs are unmet their church or synagogue did not supply the answers
to life‘s major questions.5 A follower of Witness Lee comments: ―I found myself to be a
frustrated Christian because I found that something was missing in my life. ..I began to
meet with Christians whose lives were for the Lord. They simply loved the Lord Jesus and
constantly were in His word. They cared for Christ! They lived for Christ! They loved Christ!
My spirit rejoiced! I felt at home! The missing void inside of me was filled.‖6 One of the
students at DTS reflected. ―I come from a fairly dead atmosphere of Christians and it was
good to be with some [people] for once who really wanted God [to be] number one and to
live for Him. When I went to Hawaii, everyone was into the Bible more and growing in their
Christian life, which I saw as an attraction.‖
Certainly, the fact that an organization wants to do good things and has a vital relationship
with Christ does not make it a cult- I wish that more groups had the zeal for God that was
expressed by YWAM. But the point is that many of the people who are attracted to this
organization are the same types who are vulnerable to cultic techniques. It is important to
keep this in mind as I mention other harmful similarities between cult groups and YWAM.
Intercession
The second lecture given at DTS was on ‗―Intercession.‖** Intercession is a form of praying
comprised of nine specific steps that a YWAM lecturer once ―received from the Lord.‖ The
steps are as follows.
1) Make very sure that your heart is clean before God by having given the Holy Spirit
time to convict [to identify the sins of which you are guilty], should there be any
unconfessed sin. ―If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me‖ (Ps.
66:18).
2) Acknowledge that you cannot really pray without the direction and energy of the
Holy Spirit. ―The Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we know not how to pray as we
ought‖ (Romans 8:26).
3) Die [become impervious] to your own imaginations, desires, and burdens, for what
you feel you should pray. ―Lean not to your own understanding‖ (Proverbs 3: 5, 6)
―He who trusts in his own mind is a fool‖ (Proverbs 28:26), ―My thoughts are not
your thoughts‖ (Isaiah, 55:8).
4) Ask God to utterly control you by His spirit ―Be (ye being) filled with the Holy Spirit‖
(Ephesians 5:18) ―Then Thank Him for doing so.‖ ―Without faith it is impossible to
please Him‖ (Hebrews 11:6).
The typical cult member has been described as ―someone who has a lot of goodness in him,
who‘d like to see a better world.‖3 And as a Christian, I certainly desired a better world.
Other literature on the subject says that ―. ..young people who are highly vulnerable to
cultic appeals are usually very idealistic. They have been frustrated in earlier attempts to
bring about positive social change and have become disillusioned with their own collective
action. Such individuals -basically ‗religious‘ in orientation while at the same time desirous
of making the world a better place -are prime targets for groups like the Unification Church
of Mr. Moon. A Moonie recruitment poster suggests: ‗If you want to change this world and
are longing to find the way ...you are the person who should hear the Divine Principle
Seminar!‘‖ 4 The YWAM brochure states: ―Will you dare to be disciple and make your mark
in history for Jesus Christ? If you have committed your life to Jesus and have a genuine
desire to make Him known to the world ...‖
It has also been said that most young people who become a part of New-Age groups have
either a very nominal religious background or no formal religious affiliation whatever, and
that those who have had a conventional religious background describe it negatively: their
spiritual fellowship needs are unmet their church or synagogue did not supply the answers
to life‘s major questions.5 A follower of Witness Lee comments: ―I found myself to be a
frustrated Christian because I found that something was missing in my life. ..I began to
meet with Christians whose lives were for the Lord. They simply loved the Lord Jesus and
constantly were in His word. They cared for Christ! They lived for Christ! They loved Christ!
My spirit rejoiced! I felt at home! The missing void inside of me was filled.‖6 One of the
students at DTS reflected. ―I come from a fairly dead atmosphere of Christians and it was
good to be with some [people] for once who really wanted God [to be] number one and to
live for Him. When I went to Hawaii, everyone was into the Bible more and growing in their
Christian life, which I saw as an attraction.‖
Certainly, the fact that an organization wants to do good things and has a vital relationship
with Christ does not make it a cult- I wish that more groups had the zeal for God that was
expressed by YWAM. But the point is that many of the people who are attracted to this
organization are the same types who are vulnerable to cultic techniques. It is important to
keep this in mind as I mention other harmful similarities between cult groups and YWAM.
Intercession
The second lecture given at DTS was on ‗―Intercession.‖** Intercession is a form of praying
comprised of nine specific steps that a YWAM lecturer once ―received from the Lord.‖ The
steps are as follows.
1) Make very sure that your heart is clean before God by having given the Holy Spirit
time to convict [to identify the sins of which you are guilty], should there be any
unconfessed sin. ―If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me‖ (Ps.
66:18).
2) Acknowledge that you cannot really pray without the direction and energy of the
Holy Spirit. ―The Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we know not how to pray as we
ought‖ (Romans 8:26).
3) Die [become impervious] to your own imaginations, desires, and burdens, for what
you feel you should pray. ―Lean not to your own understanding‖ (Proverbs 3: 5, 6)
―He who trusts in his own mind is a fool‖ (Proverbs 28:26), ―My thoughts are not
your thoughts‖ (Isaiah, 55:8).
4) Ask God to utterly control you by His spirit ―Be (ye being) filled with the Holy Spirit‖
(Ephesians 5:18) ―Then Thank Him for doing so.‖ ―Without faith it is impossible to
please Him‖ (Hebrews 11:6).
