The righteous are being sacrificed at the altar of "Church Growth" in the name of 'change.' by Dean Gotcher

The righteous are being sacrificed at the altar of "Church Growth" in the name of 'change.'

by
Dean Gotcher

Where will you spend eternity? Only God is righteous in and of Himself. Only in Christ Jesus is His righteousness imputed unto men of faith in Him alone. Christ Jesus came in the flesh (took on the form of a man, i.e. as a child obedient to His Father in all things, even unto death, taking our sins, i.e. our disobedience to His Father upon Himself, sent by His Heavenly Father) to 'redeem' us from His Heavenly Father's wrath upon us for our love of the flesh (our love of pleasure and the things of this world) over and against love of Him, and to 'reconcile' us to His Heavenly Father, that we might partake in His and His Father's holiness, glory, and love. While many might give lip service that Jesus "is come in the flesh," they, by turning to the dialoguing of men's opinions, 'liberate' man to live in the flesh, encouraging man to "tolerate" the carnal nature of man instead of repenting, i.e. daily dying to himself and socialist causes, following Christ Jesus instead. When Jesus Christ came in the flesh he put to death the power of the flesh (the law of sin) over us, that we might walk in the spirit, thinking and acting according to His Father's will instead of according to our will, i.e. according to our opinion and the opinions of men, i.e. according to the will of the flesh.

"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." 2 John 1:7-11

God is love and chasteneth those He loves. If any refuse His chastening (the exposing of his love of the flesh by the Word of God) he is a bastard, i.e. not of God. "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15 Those in "Church Growth" have placed their foundation of thought and action upon the opinions of men (upon the flesh of man) instead of upon the Word of God, selecting (extrapolating) from it only those verses which support their carnal (socialist) cause, seeking after the approval of men instead. Turning to the opinions of men (poll, surveys, and feasibility studies, i.e. how men "feel" and what they "think") they have rejected sound doctrine, i.e. making men's opinions the foundation of righteousness, martyring (excommunicating, with or without writ) the righteous who point them to the Word of God instead.

"And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." Luke 16:5

"Every one that is proud in heart [controls his own life] is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil." Proverbs 16:5-6

The subtlety of deceit is that by focusing upon the mercy of God, in the "light" of the flesh, i.e. directing his steps according to the opinions of men, man negates the wrath of God, 'justifying' his flesh instead. Strengthened by the consensus of men he thereafter perceives and behaves toward any who expose the flesh as being divisive and hateful, i.e. irrational and therefore irrelevant when it comes to the things of the "church," needing to come back into the "fold" for the goodness of all. This is a socialist (Marxist) construct, where man finds worth, not in God alone, but in man working together with man for man and God instead. Unity, community, and "human relationship building," supplementing the righteousness of Christ with the wickedness (the flesh) of man, negates the gospel message, that all might come to know not only the Son but come to know the Father as the Son does. It is in the name of 'change' that the assembling of the saints (the redeemed and reconciled) have been supplanted with the socialist structure of the "contemporary church," negating the Father, doing it in the name of the Son.

Believers are not leaving the "church" because they have left the faith. They are leaving the "church" because the "church" has left the faith. The "church" is now doing what two did in the garden in Eden, rejected the authority of God's word, tuning to the opinions of men instead, 'justifying' themselves in the "light" of "human nature and human 'reasoning.'"

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8, 9

"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;" Rom 1:17, 18

"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2 Thessalonians 3:3-12

"For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Luke 14:11

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

The issues at hand is not how to "Grow the Church," i.e. following after "ministers" (facilitators of 'change') who fear men, i.e. who love the opinions of men but where will you spend eternity (and who will you spend it with), i.e. with those who fear God and love His Word instead.

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord [consensus] hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

The Father reproves his children according to His Word. When a "man of the Word" refuses reproof from the Word of God, turning to the opinions of men instead, he is not a "man of the Word," but only an impostor (a deceiver).