On Mega-churches and TV Ministry

A Fable :What Price Grace? ©
One pastor having misled his flock by heretical teaching wanted to put a stop to it. Not from any sense of guilt but he had made millions and besides was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He had made people believe white was black,- that in his case was making God pass for the Angel of Disobedience. Now in his battle with cancer all his illgotten gains went into his physician’s fees and the undertaker’s bill.
Before he died he had utmost satisfaction that he made peace with God. Only that he didn’t specify exactly who heard his confesson or pardoned his wicked life. God or Devil?
When angels came to the throne of God the Ancient of the Days said, ‘He made peace with me or I forgave his foolishness from the day he climbed the pulpit.’
Angels read out his life and his work and said the dead man’s flock was still going strong and was perverting his Word. Angel Gabriel was certain that the megachurch of the late pastor was still a Coven of Wickedness. ‘O Lord God you only have the dead carcass. The soul of the dead is still waxing eloquent.’
God called Satan and said, ‘You have your man. Do what you will.’
God who had forgiven was the god of the living so He set things in motion to clean up the Church.
benny

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Apocalypse, the play

Place:in the spirit world
Time:hereafter
Phantoms in white are floating around and two among them discuss about a coming event.
Angel #1:The Venerable in Years have at last agreed to attend the show. Do we kick our heels high and present a dance routine?
Angel #2: we have past the age of levity. We have no ears to trick us; nor have we a heart to admire nimble footed chorus line.
The angel who is rather new to the world feels rather embarrassed and asks, “OK I spoke out of turn. You are rather familiar with what the Old Man likes.”(At this moment a horde of specters like voice of great thunder gravitate to them.)
In unison, “ Here we have a showstopper ,a new song parts written for four beasts.”
Angel #1: “Four beasts?”
“The chorus:”yes, the lion, I roar;you be the eagle”
Angel #2 ‘”yes I have talons”
Angel#1 you mean talent. Is it not?”
Angel#2: Don’t be a square. Don’t be too literal.
Angel #3 “ I play the part of the ox.”
Angel#1 ( brightly) It is a hoax then.
One angel buts in, “I play the part of man.”
(The crowd disperses in merriment. It is obvious the coming event has made them all livelier.Angel#2 also follows them asking the Angel#1 to come and enjoy the show.)
Angel #1 spots a mount with a lamb on it.
(aside) Mt. Sion.
A voice, ‘What did you say?’
Angel#1 ‘ Who are you?’
The voice: John of Patmos
Angel#1: ‘The show isn’t meant for you. Go back to your devotion,if that makes you feel better.
Angel#1 catches up with Angel#2 and asks in whisper,”Who are these an hundred forty and four thousand each having a symbol  stuck on their foreheads?
Angel#2: These are cues for a quiz show.(points to the four beasts)
Angel#1 ‘What do they represent?’
Angel#2 ‘since we are not the ones to guess, I will tell you. They represent Ezekiel. You know your Bible. Don’t you?’
Angel #1,’Oh Ezekiel’s vision by the river Chebar.’
Angel#2:’Right-o’ These 144000 are words from the Bible that we have not fully understood. They are going to tell us what they represent.
Angel#1‘Oh I see. I always had difficulty to digest the verse Mt 5:29-30
Angel#2: “Are you going to see with your eyes or with your inner eye?
Angel#1 with a laugh,”You know well we have no physical eyes but inner eye.”
Angel#1( in serious vein) Then I don’t have to be concerned. Come the show has begun.
Meanwhile St.John the Divine furiously scratches in a scroll:’And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion….’(rev:14:1)
benny

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Salt of the Earth

Not long ago a Russian Jew who could finally immigrate to Israel made a starting discovery. He averred that all the hallowed names of Talmud teachers were encoded in the Torah. It made a ripple I think until some one demonstrated from a page picked at random out of a novel the name of late princess Di. He made up the name in step code from letters of each line. The trick was in knowing what to make. In this fashion one may with equal felicity pick out Lucifer or devil from any page in the Holy Book.  The question is this: is it worth the trouble?
In somewhat cavalier fashion we make doctrines out of text and attach great importance sentences taken out of context. Many cults would have no leg to stand on if it weren’t so. The ‘Mad Monk of Russia’ yes that one and only incomparable Rasputin indulged in orgies because of a Pauline verse, ‘Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?’(Rom 6:1) Only that he conveniently skipped the verse that followed the quote. He was always for grace flowing as if from a tap.
On the other hand there is another sect equally pernicious and narrower in their outlook.
In my time I have seen the rascally lot who call themselves Pentecostalists. They dress themselves in white, deny themselves (at least for public consumption) of man’s art such as medicine, TV or cinema. They have a form of godliness but they are as with any cults, ravening wolves. (I speak this from my direct experience.)
There are no two opinions as to the driving engine of two Covenants that make up the Bible. One is squarely based on Works while the New Covenant that replaced the old is solely dependant on Grace. Then mixing them both is straight from the devil’s kitchen. Remember the parable of wheat and the tares (Mt.13). While we do our apprenticeship here and now we do so as human beings. I am a humanist first and then a Christian (in the sense of belonging to a particular faith). The relevance of grace only applies to our flesh: we do our best humanly possible and where our weaknesses have made this less than adequate grace of God takes over.
In short if we cannot be faithful to what God has given our body and a rational mind, to know the difference between good and evil, we are like salt that has lost its savor.
Benny

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