One True God

There are many who claim that they are on the path to the knowledge of God, who are experiencing a higher spiritual plane. But what is spiritual is not necessarily Biblical. The Word of God says in the book of 2nd John:
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

The Bible shows us what is accurate and what is not - and there are many cults in the world today that are centered on a particular person or ideology. And, in the occult, you find people who are devoted to the worship of spiritual beings rather than the one true God. We have to be careful that our religious practice is not predicated on a particular individual and that our beliefs and actions are inspired by and consistent with the teachings of Scripture.

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There was certainly a reason why God said that we are no have no other gods before Him. We are warned against idolatry, setting up false gods instead of the one true God. And, in Isaiah 44, we read this:
5 One will say, 'I am the Lord's'; Another will call himself by the name of Jacob; Another will write with his hand, 'The Lord's,' And name himself by the name of Israel.
6 "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.

No other God.  We get ourselves into trouble when we worship people, things, ideas, or even spirits that are not from God.  The good news is that we can come to know this wonderful God through a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.

There's a disturbing story out of Colorado about people who did not adhere to the ways of God.  They set up a false, human god, named her "mother God," and then somehow she ended up losing her life.  I came across the story at ChristianNews.net, which republished part of a story from The Independent; it led like this:

Seven people are facing charges related to abusing a corpse, as well as child abuse, after a cult leader’s mummified body was found decorated with Christmas lights and glitter in what appeared to be a shrine in southern Colorado in the US.

It goes on to say that 45-year-old Amy Carlson, "who was known as 'Mother God' by her followers, was found dead in a home in a small town in called Moffat in Colorado on April 28, according to...official documents. However, no details about the cause of death have been revealed."

The name of the cult: "Love Has Won."

An update on the CBS4 website out of Denver says: "the group has reappeared online. It appears the cult has changed its name." It goes on to say:

Calling itself “5D Full Disclosure,” members of the group posted a blue full page on a site stating, “God was here. She ascended, now it’s our turn.”

It also reports:

Two known members of the group posted on Facebook dated May 20 with Amy Carlson’s picture in the background.

One person said, “How did this happen. Everybody still loves mom… nothing changed.” It is a live stream entitled “The Return of the Oracles.”

Another story at The Independent website states, "The group are facing various counts of child abuse, abuse of a corpse, tampering with deceased human remains, and false imprisonment." It also relates that, "Several children at the property were reportedly taken into the custody of Child Protection Services."  The story relates that one member of the group has had a court appearance.

So how does this happen? BBC reports:

Little is known about the origins of Love Has Won, which is believed to have emerged in the late 2000s under a different guise.

A follower encouraged Ms Carlson to join their movement, paving the way for her elevation to the head of Love Has Won. Its disciples do not appear to have a fixed set of beliefs. Instead, they practise and preach a fluid theology consisting of New Age philosophy, conspiracy theories, and messiah worship.

Their messiah was Ms Carlson, who was known as "Mother God".

Her teachings were sacrosanct, and her claims were even more fantastical than her title. She was Jesus Christ in one of her 534 past lives, could cure cancer, and could speak to the spirit of the late actor Robin Williams, she would often claim.

OK, let's get to the point: There is no messiah other than our Messiah.  No human being can save the soul.  We should never worship a person or group of people in order to meet the spiritual needs of our hearts.  We have to be careful not to get off track in our pursuit of "salvation" so that we seek it in things or people who do not satisfy.  There is no god other than the One True God.  There are scores of unworthy counterfeits, but fall far short of the criteria of savior. 

I think of the name of this group, Love Has Won.  I'm not sure how the seven people charged in relation to this woman's murder are carrying that out, but we have to realize that the world has its values, which do not necessarily line up with Scripture.  And, the enemy of the soul is at work in a significant way.  We have to be discerning so that we do not corrupt the practice of the Christian faith by interjecting worldly ideas.  When the Church adopts that philosophies of humanity to solve its problems - and we are seeing that with greater regularity, it seems - we become guilty of designing our own religious practice that does not conform with the simplicity and the power of the gospel message.