Panatas, Piñatas and Pinocchios

PANATAS

Throughout the world, that is, the world within the Church of Christ, members have been given instructions to conduct a one month long vow prayer, or in Filipino, Panata. For the uninitiated, a vow prayer or Panata is a time set for a specific prayer for a special purpose.  For example, there is a week-long vow prayer when it is before the special worship service like Thanksgiving at the end of the year.

What is boggling many people’s minds now (yet unable to utter) is why is there a need for a vow prayer that is one month long? Consider this, one of the most important and most sacred occasion inside the Church of Christ is the Holy Supper that is observed once a year. So sacred is this that even some of the most inactive brethren strive to attend this Holy occasion – because this is done to remember the sacrifice and death of Jesus Christ. And yet we only hold a one week vow prayer for it.

But for this Evangelical mission on the 30th of October, brethren are required to attend for one month. Why? And if you are not fully aware, it’s so happens that the 30th of October in America is already the 31st in the Philippines, which just happens to be the birthday of the “most important man in the world“, brother EVM himself. Coincidence? Obviously not. Imagine that – a one week preparation to remember the death of the Saviour Jesus but one month preparation for the birthday of EVM. Even the officers are softly groaning at the endless trips to the chapel for the 10 minute prayers and hearing over and over the petition for the safety of the Administrator.

Is it wrong to conduct this? Well why don’t they answer this; was this ever done for brother Eraño’s birthday? Was there ever a month long prayer for ANY event on his birthday? Not in our lifetime. Why not? Because even brother Eraño knew how important vow prayers are:

Deuteronomy 23:21 “When you make a vow to the Lord, be prompt in doing whatever it is you promised him, for the Lord demands that you promptly fulfill your vows; it is a sin if you don’t.”

Is there an option? Yes:

Ecclesiastes 5:5 “It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.”

And yet what can we see? These kinds of decisions that are backbreaking to the officers. Decisions for activities that make brethren fail because they are so horrendously difficult and unnecessary. Why have a month long vow when a week will suffice? What makes this occasion more important than say, Thanksgiving or Holy Supper? Is there a month long vow prayer for someone to be baptised? Isn’t baptism more important than a video Bible Study? Baptism is the vital step in entering the Church isn’t it? Speaking of bad decisions, whatever happened to that decision that we “kneel” at every vow prayer? That was murder for the elderly officers. Thank God that was retracted.

PIÑATAS

What is a Piñata? It is a game based on Mexican tradition where a colourful cardboard figure (formerly made of clay pots)  are hung on a string and children would take turns trying to hit it with a wooden stick. If it breaks, all kinds of prizes fall out.

This is the image I get whenever I hear news of the residents of 36 Tandang Sora being mercilessly bashed over and over. This past week, food was again not permitted. Whenever the “goon squad” inside Central office are in a pissy mood or something was unsuccessful (such as last week’s Worldwide Aid to Humanity), it is taken out on the residents. The human piñatas.

Tell us, when is it ever allowed to let someone go hungry? Or deny someone a meal? You who are responsible for this, remember the words of Jesus:

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 

43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

PINOCCHIOS

Remember the wooden puppet who wanted to be a real boy, whose nose grew whenever he told a lie? That’s what I see whenever I see and hear one of these young lads preaching; Those young boys better known as the Special Task Force or STF. Many of them, especially the Original group, who lied their way into high positions in the Church, by reporting the elder Ministers, by bearing much (yet imaginary or temporary) fruits, and/or by simply being friends with the current Administrator’s son in law (Mr. de Guzman) who was expelled by brother Eraño. When he was alive.

We need to be alert whenever we are in attendance and one them are preaching. They are slowly putting in wrong doctrines. I will give you specific examples because if we are not very aware or don’t have a deep understanding of our doctrines, we will be misled.  Here are just some:

1. “We know that ends of the earth in the Bible refers to our time or in these last days”.  Question for you, readers, is this correct?

WRONG. Not every passage that states “ends of the earth” refers to the last days. Look up Deuteronomy 33:17; 1 Samuel 2:10. Are those referring to the last days?

2. “Above us, we pray for our beloved brother Eduardo…”

 

Question: is he above us? NO.  Ephesians 4:6 says “There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but he works by using all of us, and he lives in all of us.” GOD is above us. NOT EVM

3. “We must obey all of God’s commandments!” Really? ALL of them?? Such as…

Leviticus 2:1 – “When you offer sacrifices to give thanks to me, you must use only your finest flour” (Wouldn’t that be wonderful? No more Super special offering that The Auditor can snatch! Just flour)

Leviticis 4:27-28 – “When any of you ordinary people disobey me without meaning to, you are still guilty. As soon as you realize what you have done, you must sacrifice a female goat that has nothing wrong with it.” (Imagine the Council dragging an entire herd!)

Matthew 10:9-10 – “Don’t take along any gold, silver, or copper coins. And don’t carry a traveling bag or an extra shirt or sandals or a walking stick.”

 

So I ask again, should we obey ALL OF GOD’S COMMANDS? The correct way is that “we obey the commands that God commands us to do” There is a huge difference.

 

Back to my point; let us all be aware of these things. Subtle changes may come in and some are not realising that these false teachings are slowly being accepted. The STF Pinocchios boys will lie and deceive. They live amongst us. We cannot avoid them, but we can be Alert and we should know the difference.

 

They preach about love but without feeling. They preach about marriage without experience. They preach about mercy without showing it. That is why I feel it is important to remind everyone to remain aware. They are what Apostle Jude spoke of…

“They are like clouds blown along by the wind, but never bringing any rain.”

 

Speaking of clouds with no rain, let me end on this note: The recorded Worship Service lesson taught by the Administrator this weekend was again, sad to say, embarassing. He called those who say that they can no longer feel the Holy Spirit in the gatherings as “TANGA“. I looked up the translation for that word, it says “stupid, idiotic, gullible”.

 

Is it right for the Executive Minister to call the members as TANGA? STUPID?! These are not expelled people. The ones who say this are obviously still members of the Church who in attend gatherings. If brethren are yearning to feel that power, when our souls are longing for that inspiration and our hearts are crying out for the Spirit and it is not there, is it because of Stupidity? Or perhaps because of those preaching? The clouds without the rain.

 

“And let your instruction be sound and fit and wise and wholesome, vigorous and irrefutable and above censure, so that the opponent may be put to shame, finding nothing discrediting or evil to say about us.” Titus 2:8