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Another Church Gone Bad, Why? - By Jeff Redington Lets look at some dynamics that can play into a group, and possibly a church. These dynamics can lead to a very abusive situation. Where good people are captivated by the bad, and may have no way out. They may need an act of God to escape, because they have been in the group or church so long, and the worse situation of all, the group has turned into a destructive force, and possibly a cult, and they are enslaved by the group and their leaders. Dynamic One: Being Submissive. You are living for God, you are doing all within your daily walk to please him, and the religious organization you belong to. You are devoted to the cause. You believe with all your heart, and would do nothing to offend anyone. You love God, you love your brother, and would possibly even give your life for the group, and its teachings. This is you. You are a Christian, and so much more than the group requires. We could not find a better person. The honest person, trying their best to please God and man. Dynamic Two: The Controller. You have in almost all groups of people those who are submissive, and those who are the controllers. The controllers are usually in charge. They call the shots. They are there because they do not like to be told what to do. Their ideas are better than the rest. In fact, if they don't get their way, they will throw a fit, like a child, and go away to somewhere where they can be in charge. They are the bosses, not because they have purchased anything, or earned anything by years of service. They can walk right in and go right to the top. They know people and they are intimidating. If they cannot be in charge, they will not remain, but move on. These personalities are like little Kings walking about on the earth, and they will have people in submission to them. Some are married, and some are not. Some may never be married, because they do not know how to let someone else be in charge, or possibly fear to let someone else make decisions. These when they have lost their health, and can no longer call the shots anymore, may just give up. Because what they have lived for all their lives, "...to be the boss...and in charge..." is no longer possible. So we have the "...honest submissive person..." and we have the "...controlling person...", and the two of them get together, and make a team. Sometimes a good team, because the one is so submissive, and the other is so controlling. They may find a happy medium, where they both except one another for who they are, and they get along. However, in some cases this could be very abusive, on the part of the controller. What we have seen, is this controlling person, may not be satisfied to just control one person, but has a taste for many to control. They want to conquer, and that is their goal. We see this in countries, politics, and what is sad, this same spirit of conquering can come right on over into the Church. In the Church this can turn into a very abusive situation. The "controller" is out to control the church, the group, and to mold it completely under his or her control. This is not limited to a man, but women have done the same thing, turning the congregation, or the group into a little kingdom, that they are in total control of. The people are told to submit, and many scriptures are used to support their position. Herein lies the problem with this personality in the church or group, they by their very nature can be found to abuse the people of God, or the group they belong to. Dynamic Three: No Controlling Body. One problem, is that many groups, and churches have no bylaws in effect to deal with such an one, the controller. They have not put in place any rules, board of directors, an elder board, or deacons, with the authority to overrule a person who may get out of control. We are looking here at a situation where things can get out of control in a hurry. The group or church has never experienced this, and do not have any clue as to what they face. They may eventually find themselves transformed into a cult, under the controller, who is attempting to satisfy an out of control appetite. So the leader has gone astray, and when others see this, they can do nothing. Their hands are possibly tied, by the lack of rules or laws to handle this situation. When they try to correct the "controller" he or she simply installs his or hers own controls. They deal with the problem, as perceived in their mind. You, the correcting agency, or person, will be eliminated, because you are taking away the most important thing in their life, "control". Control is their "god", and equality, and having all things in common, are not in their vocabulary. No amount of pleading will take away their very life, they live for control, and they will not stop at anything, to stop those who will take this from them. No Control of this person, by the group or the church. No one saw it coming, and when finally they do see it, they cannot bring change that will save the group or church. You see, this person is no prophet from God, but a controller. They have no concern for the welfare of the church or group members, they can eliminate all the original members and be satisfied with a whole new group of members. They could care less what Gods word teaches. They only care to keep in control. They will go against the scriptures, and make up their own rules, "Based on scripture...", but possibly completely opposite of the very spirit of Christ, or the long standing teachings of the group. Suddenly you are put out of the group, and you are the bad one, all at the hands of the controller, or controllers. They are in charge. They have no need of the humble, the submissive, except to laud and praise them. Once this adoration ceases to come from you, the submissive, you are dispensed with, you are useless to them. You possibly cannot be controlled anymore, you must go. This is a Church gone bad. This is a group gone bad. And for the members this can be a hell on earth. The foundation of the group is not the rules of the group, bylaws, or a controlling body, all set to the promotion of Christ and the Holy Scriptures, but rather a personality, a controller, and this person is in control. They are the rule, the bylaws, the controlling of the body, they rule all the ministry, and all the people in turn. There word is final, they have so much power, yet they can act so humble. They basically tell their members to follow them, but you cannot, if you try to be in control like them... they will have to shut you down. So you will have one set of rules for the controller, or controllers, and one set of rules for the rest, who are being controlled. What I have described here is another description of the Church of God Restoration and their destructive Ministry. They abuse the little children of God, who so much want to serve the Lord with all their hearts, yet they like the children of Israel, are being totally misused, by a "Pharaoh" Spirit that is in its ministry, that will tell its people when they cry out, "... don't give them straw anymore..." and "...let them make bricks now...", placing more burdens on an already heavy work load. This ministry only gets meaner and harsher with time, they yell at their people in their sermons, they scream at times,... all to intimidate their people into total submissiveness. God have mercy on anyone who would attempt to escape. Even when you escape and they finally let you go, they may even pursue you just like Pharaoh of old, and God may still have to bring you deliverance at the Red Sea.  Even though the people of Israel escaped Egypt, they still had to get completely away from the reach of Pharaoh and his army. Even though you have escaped from the Church of God Restoration, you still need to get away from their influence, association, and way of life. A good distance is needed so that their abusive ways can not be brought back on you. The Church of God Restoration, with Danny Layne as its leader, and all of the ministry under him, are no more than Pharaoh and his army, "Controllers" enslaving the people of God, forcing them to work harder and harder every year. What once may have been the land of Goshen is now a living Hell on earth, and the abusers are the leading Monarchy, building Temples and Palaces to themselves, and so what if they loose half their slaves every year, they just get more where those came from. The Church of God has very few of its original members, you have to ask yourself, "Why?". It is because they have left, and not because they were the ones in the wrong. It has in almost every case been the direct result of this ministry and its abusive power over the people, and when this ministry feels threatened, they destroy. Oh they may give in for a moment, Pharaoh did, after all the things God did to him, yet his heart just grew harder my the minute. The leaders of the Church of God Restoration have hardened their hearts over the years, they operate on a whole different level, not a scriptural one either.... but one where they will be in charge, no matter what, they are not going to hear a Moses, who is saying let my people go. "Let my people go...", that was the message of Moses, "Hey, stop abusing the people of God, Pharaoh...". Again, the message to the Church of God Restoration is this, "Let my people go, thus saith the Lord of Host, the God of Israel...", repent of your wicked ways, and stop what you are doing, you do not own these people, they belong to God, not you. The Church of God Restoration, making slaves of Gods people, thus making themselves the very enemy of God. When your church or group has gone bad, what do you do? You may be like the people of Israel, enslaved, and may not leave so easily, it will be hard, and you will suffer much, you may barely get out with your life. You may have to leave behind your things, your homes and possessions, just taking enough to travel with. It may be that God will need to raise up some to be "Moses", and bare the message, "Let my people go...", and confront Pharaoh himself, his armies, and lead the people out. It may be that many can escape themselves, and that others can start a "resistance", who are still in the group. When a church goes bad, there will be destruction everywhere, and so much hurt will be the result, yet it is not the will of God that his people remain enslaved, under the control of a tyranical, abusive, controller. It is the will of God that these abusers be confronted. That the people of God be allowed to live in the Land that flows with milk and honey, a place of freedom. The people in the Church of God Restoration are enslaved by its leaders, and all who know this need to tell them to "...let Gods people go...", the whole of all people who know them, need to tell them this, they need to stop their enslavement practices, and give way to the will of God. When your church or group has gone bad, you may learn the cruel lesson, that no bylaws, ruling board of elders, controlling body of deacons, no rules at all, may leave you open for the very likes of the Church of God Restoration, and many other cults, who are out of control, and yes... in control. Of course this is by no means all the dynamics in a group or church gone bad, it is merely a look at three dynamics, that if left in place, without any correction, may and possibly will lead to a cult, a very bad group, and maybe a destructive cult. |