Does anybody here know anything of this "church" and/or its pastor, a man named Randy Nusbaum? I am looking for info on them and am interested in meeting any ex-members. Thanks for your time.

[www.christaslife.com]

I know this man and church. It is undoubtably, in my opinion a cult. The "pastor" distorts the gospel and uses it to control the minds and behaivior of his members. I know that he is singlehandedly responsible for wrecking the faith and lives of many people...all in the name of Jesus. He has caused extreme damage to myself and family. If it were not for educational books on mind control and spiritual abuse, support groups, and experienced therapists, I don't know where I would be right now.

What exactly is the doctrine he teaches? How does he use the doctrine he teaches to control those under him? Can you elaborate a bit on this please?

I have heard of this group through a couple friends of mine, but have never been there nor seen this man personally myself.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2008 02:25AM by zeuszor.

While I do not go along with the Christian teachings on the website they seem pretty mainstream - ostensibly.

I am very familiar with this group and not only have I listened and meditated on the themes they speak about, I have had quite a bit of interaction with them. I can say that although the teaching they speak on is right on and great doctrine, they are very much deceived in the reality of it. I say that with much sadness, because I see how deep the deception really goes. And with an even greater sadness I will say that without a huge intervention in these people's lives, they will remain in this state of false humility, thinking their suffering is of God and not of unbelief (rooted from fear). Please pray.

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boatn4life
I am very familiar with this group and not only have I listened and meditated on the themes they speak about, I have had quite a bit of interaction with them. I can say that although the teaching they speak on is right on and great doctrine, they are very much deceived in the reality of it. I say that with much sadness, because I see how deep the deception really goes. And with an even greater sadness I will say that without a huge intervention in these people's lives, they will remain in this state of false humility, thinking their suffering is of God and not of unbelief (rooted from fear). Please pray.

So, what exactly does Nusbaum teach?

zeuszor:

Why is it that you ask what he teaches when you have the website with all of the teachings to check out for yourself (christaslife.com)? Perhaps, that is not the question you are really trying to ask. What made you inquire about this website and teachings, if I may ask?

With groups like this, what is said publicly and what is taught privately are usually two different things. The public face usually belies the true nature of a given group and its leader. Sure I could read their website, but their self-description means little, and I wanted to hear about it in your own words. I know that this is the case with Trinity Foundation, a Dallas group of which I used to be a member. Ole Anthony is teaching people that they, individually, are the Antichrist. Ole teaches people that their minds cannot be trusted and will lead them away from God, and one of the the first things that he taught me when I walked into TFI was that I should discard everything that I had been taught in the church world and that I was at TFI to start over, with Ole as my teacher. Yet you will not read anything like that on TFI's website. I have been told that this group and TFI are very similar in their respective origins and histories (beginning with a man named, I believe, Lumen), and that the teachings of Nusbaum and OA are nearly identical, as they were appropriated from the teachings of this Lumen person. I have been told that Nusbaum is like Denton's version of Ole Anthony.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2008 09:46AM by zeuszor.

What you refer to in your experience at TFI as far as how the nature of man is the antichrist is part of the teaching at NCF (their church). There is also the vibe that the whole church world OUT THERE is off and in needing of their doctrine (which I believed at one time also). Now this would seem pretty obvious as false (as most of their teachings are), however there is such a distorted twist of the gospel that it is difficult to discern unless you listen enough and/or you have other past teachings/experiences to give you a contrast.
The main focus is "Christ and Him crucified," or "The revelation of Christ," or living "The Lamb life, who lay down their lives for others." All of these are biblical in the right context, however they are not interpreted through a spirit of grace, but through the spirit of bondage to fear. They have an appearance of love and unity, but the root is fear. When people are not established in grace and true acceptance, they will interpret everything through the spirit of bondage to fear, and in turn completely distort everything. They will spend endless hours in the scriptures and find their false doctrine all through these scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. Their lives will be lived like a slave who subconsciously believes to know the Lord means to suffer and to not receive blessings. The blessings that are understood as blessings are not by faith, but of happenings where they find someone's old junk by a dumpster and call it "the Lord's provision." A slave doesn't know any better and can't see anything better because they deep down don't accept themselves (just as the Israellites were slaves for 400 years and God needed to break them of their slave mentality in the wilderness).
The deception is strong because any despair they feel inside from this oppression is interpreted as an attack from the enemy and an opportunity to "know the Lord." This becomes the way of life for this follower of Christ. When the Lord tries to bring intervention to help them through a person, they may "lay their life down" in listening to them, but inside they think that the person coming to help them just doesn't get the "deeper life" issues that those who REALLY are after the Lord see. Because they lack real fulfillment and life, they seclude themselves from others and stay away from anyone that would threaten this false doctrine that they've nurtured and which has protected them. There is so much more, but I hope this answers your question.

Boat:

Zeusor has a history of wanting to join fringe groups, after a few sessions with the choosen group he than goes on the attack to try and discredit them.
He has no legitmeite interest in any group other than to seek and destroy.

If he bothered he would go and check it out for himself instead of trying to rally ex members he can use and gain information from. Than hopefully get another tv appearence.