Believe Correctly
The Way?
~ Hank Crull
Dateline: The Voice, BBN Radio for June 2003
One of the major lessons that my Heavenly Father has taught me over the years is how
important it is to believe correctly.
You see, it is impossible to live rightly without believing rightly. I was saved by
myself in bed one night when I was age twelve. However, I did not attend a strong, Bible
teaching church, and no one was saved in my family at the time. Consequently, with
little correct Bible doctrinal teaching.
I floundered as a Christian. Every wind of incorrect Bible teaching that I happened
to run across tossed me around like a cork on a stormy sea. It made me nervous,
anxious and uncertain in my walk for the Lord.
Later, when I was a young naval officer in a navy school, two other friends and I ran
across a religious group called the Way International. At the time, we did not know that
this group was a cult. Also, at the time, one of those two friends and I were saved.
The other friend was possibly not, but I am sure, by the Holy Spirit’s influence,
that this group was off base spiritually. One of my friends and I decided not to go to
the meeting. Thank the Lord that He placed that chaplain in our path!
In my spiritual ignorance, I almost got involved with a cult. I could not lose my
salvation, but I would have become totally ineffective in my Christian walk had I joined
the group. Sadly, today many cults are filled with ignorant church members who do not
know what the Bible really teaches. However, my second friend did get involved with the
cult and accepted their belief system.
A Year or two later, I ran into my second friend again. He invited me to his house
for dinner. He did not tell that he was going to have a meeting of this cult in his
home that night. By this time, I had learned of the heresies of this cult. Like every
cult, they deny the deity of Christ. So I went to his home with a Biblical argument for
the deity of Christ. When I got to his home, thankfully no one showed up, and I shared
the truth of the deity of Christ with him from Hebrews 1:8.
The Bible says, "But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for
ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom."
That is a point blank statement from God the Father clearly proclaiming
Jesus Christ as God. When I showed this verse to him, he still could not grasp Christ’s
deity, because he had been blinded by the cult’s wrong Bible teachings. It was at that
point that I realized how gracious God had been to me in protecting me spiritually.
I realized how close I came to becoming ignorantly involved in a cult, all because
of a lack of knowing and believing proper Bible doctrine.
Hopefully, this will underscore for you, as God did for me, how important it is to
know and believed God’s Word. It truly will set you free if you believe and act upon
it, and it will protect you spiritually as well.
May 31, 2003
~Hank Crull
Hank is currently Area Representative for WYFQ radio, Charlotte, NC.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hank’s story called to mind a similar personal experience I had about a year or so
ago.
After years of Bible teaching and even serving as a minister as well as degrees from
the Southeastern Baptist Theaological Seminary and Duke University, I nearly got caught
up in the Way cult. You may well say as a Christian, "This would never happen
to me!" One should never say "never." Circumstances can change anyone and place you into
conditions that will impinge upon your relationship with Christ and His Church.
My experience started years ago (1959) at Philadelphia College of the Bible,
Philadelphia, PA. After months of study and an unfortunate personal experience with one
of the woman teachers there it came clear to me that I was not ready for the college
experience.
Very disappointed and discourage I pulled out of the school suddenly one afternoon
and moved my belongings to the YMCA and spent time trying to decide on what I would do
from there. Four other friends and myself had organized a quartet and saxophone group ~
quite busy with all the studies and the traveling to different churches for concerts
and the practice all that involved.
Roger, the piano player and tenner singer of our group had become a very close friend
and is until today, finding out my distress concerning the school and all that happened
came by my room at the YMCA and had prayer with me. We talked about the school and our
group and what they would do from there. I joined the US Navy and did't hear from Roger
and other boys in our group for the four years I was in the service.
Roger lives in California and is currently involved in a church there and is the
organist.
I have kept in touch with Roger over the years.
My discouragement with the United Methodist Church and the ministry in general led
to severe bouts of depression. Three or four years ago I wrote Roger telling him about
my situation and discouragement . . . knowing that he would answer my letter with
references confirming me in his prayers and suggestions. About a week later he called
me on the phone, the first I had spoken to him since 1959, and he ask me if I had ever
heard of or had contact with a caring group called the Way. I told him that I
had not and promised I would look them up.
I felt encouraged with the potential of finding a group recommended by such a close
brother in Christ.
Another brother in Christ that I have kept in contact over the years was a pastor
in my home church in the 1950s. Reverend Yeager, almost as though a guardian angle,
called me the next day. This was astounding and a shock in that we hadn’t talked or
communicated in years.
He and Dorothy send us a Christmas cards every year and a couple of years ago we
began frequent E-mail contacts on the WWW. One time we spent about two hours or so
", chatting On-Line. However it had been months that we hadn’t made contact
and simply out-of-the-blue he calls?
I told him of my friend, Roger, and his recommendation that I look up The Way.
Now, Reverend Yeager is in his 90s but sharp as a tack. He told me of the cult,
The Way, and the many reasons I should steer clear of them at all costs.
I share this experience with you so that you can know that, (1) even though the
Scripture says, "God works in mysterious ways his wonders to preform," the devil,
Satan, also works in mysterious ways trying to snatch you away from the true
Way, the way of Jesus Christ.
In your time of need stay strong to the Word of God and find Christina friends to
nurture, support and pray for you.
Since leaving the ministry I have for many reasons neglected the church. We spent a
year or more in the wilderness of Texas. We then moved back to Virginia to be near our
two sons and their family. It has been wrong and unfortunate that we have been unable
to find a church to attend. Glenda and I both miss the church very much. Health
conditions now make it nearly impossible for us to find a church we are comfortable
with so we spend hours together and separately in our own and personal relationships
with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Our Bibles are well worn and read. We keep BBN Radio running continually and it
is my meditation and inspiration each and every night at the side of my bed. Because
of a complicated and painful back operation I by necessity have to sit with my back
strait. Sitting in a pew is out of the question.
My contact with Christian brothers and sisters is through my ministry on the internet.
I consider the WW Web to be my ministry and The Craig Pages is my contact with
those of you that are part of our service to the Lord.
As my story here reveals, it is so easy for one to fall into the grasp of a Cult
proclaiming to be the best spiritual connection between God and man. It is unfortunate
but true, the cults are out there and they spare nothing in their dedication and
admirable work and efforts to come to homes and try to entice you to become deceived
by their false teaching and doctrine. I would that Christian people were so dedicated
to reaching the lost for Christ as these cults are in reaching unsuspecting folk that
are lonely and lost out in the world.
Stay close with the Word!
~~Bob Craig
Bible Gateway Scripture Verse of the Day . . .
