Wednesday, October 8, 2014

The Pit

1John 4:1-6, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."

Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

1Timothy 4:1, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"

*NOTE: When the author renders the word 'Church' as shown here, he is referring to man's Business Entity Institutional 'Church'. When he renders the word in all lower case, he is referring to Christ's Authentic, legitimate and Biblical House church.

Seducing spirits. Just the term brings up memories about my past. Specifically, on some of the things I did to support my 'Church.' I wondered; could performing a seemingly innocent task in 'Church' become a conduit for evil? They say that hind sight is 20/20 and this morning I had such an epiphany. Here's the scene: While serving in my last Institutional 'Church', I was engaged in helping out in what we called, 'the sound pit,' otherwise known as the media room. It was located in the back left-hand corner of the auditorium and was where all of the stage light controls, sound and video recording equipment was operated from. Almost every sermon, singing special, wedding, skit or other event that took place on the 'Church's stage was recorded for posterity reasons.

Sound pits in general can be positive tools in getting the correct message out to the masses, so please don't get the idea that I am down on all those who operate one. I'm not. I just want to expose the other side of the coin. This piece will focus on the underlining dark side of how a sound pit can be used to advance an agenda no one seems to want to talk about. Can evil agendas abound in 'Church'? Yes. To say that they can't is an exercise in willing blindness. Let's face facts; the devil seldom comes at us with pitchforks and pointed tails a-waving. He's more subtle than that. Instead he comes at us with the things we like the most; pleasure, good times, theatrics, music and so on. Can we deny that these elements are offered every time the 'Church' doors are open? No. So what's the connection?

Just like in a secular theater, music and lights could be elevated or dimmed to create certain moods. Creating moods to spend money is a big business. Companies such as Mood Media out of Charlotte, NC Provide in-store media to over 590,000 locations in over 48 countries world wide. Their largest clients are shopping malls, department stores, bars, gyms, hotels, resorts, restaurants and even 'Churches.' Most people experience what companies like Mood Media does everyday without even realizing their experiencing it. They Provide the background music, visual displays and closed circuit security systems in a lot of the facilities we enter while on the go. Pumped through the music are hidden messages to buy and have fun. They call it "mood enhancing." Its so subtle we just don't pay it any attention. I call it "mind raping." In my opinion, it's a form of subliminal subduction. The music and underlying messages seduce us into a buying 'spirit'; hence the term, "seducing spirits".

Seducing spirits are with us all year 'round. Have you ever heard someone say, "You need to get into the Christmas spirit?" Or, "Don't'cha just love the spirit of Halloween?" What are they saying? They're saying that we need to get in the mood Procreated by the current holiday season or event. Have you ever heard of 'Spirit Week' at school? How about a theme day at work, like, Dress Up Like a Nerd Day? How about our traditional holidays? Valentine's Day, St Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Labor Day and back to Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas? Each one of these has their own mood, or spirit. How are we seduced into embracing these spirits? I'll give you three guesses.

These companies that create mood are on a mission. Their mission is to create a pleasant mood setting atmosphere to get people to relax so that they can feel good about spending their money on whatever their clients (the retailers) has to offer. For instance, we've heard of restaurants playing fast music to create at faster turnover of customers. This in turn allows the Proprietor to have an opportunity to serve more tables throughout the business day. And this, of course increases their bottom line. Other days a bar or tavern might adopt a holiday theme, like St. Paddy's Day. They'll decorate their taverns with green derby's, shamrocks, four leaf clovers and cardboard cutout pots of gold complete with rainbows. They offer to sell green beer, green pretzels and green eggs and ham to attract more patronage. Over the speakers ring the sounds of Celtic music and Irish diddies. You get the idea, don't you? You say, "Well, that just get's everyone in the mood!" Exactly! It helps 'seduce' people into getting in the 'spirit' of the theme.

In elevators, we used to hear Muzak, which Provided a calming effect on it's passengers. Incidentally, Muzak was Mood Media's former name. These are just a couple of examples. I'm not suggesting that all 'Churches' employ companies like Mood Media to install hardware within the skeleton of their facilities. What I am suggesting is that much of the same philosophy is employed within the sound pits of most 'Churches.' And, whether conscious of it or not, they have the same goals; to relax their inhabitants and help create a feeling of well-being and willingness to spend. After all, an Institutional 'Church' is nothing more than a business entity, which gathers income to sustain it's overhead. Those who deny this are simply delusional.

Here's another example aimed at our common traditional Institutional 'Church.' On Wednesday nights, most Independent Fundamental Baptist 'Churches' hold regular "Prayer Meeting Services." Allow me to illustrate how they set the mood they're looking for. In my old 'Church', before the service begin, and as the parishioners are finding their seats, the pastor had instructed the sound pit personnel to play soft music over the auditorium and lobby speakers. We were also asked to have the lights on stand-by to be dimmed when the prayer time began. As soon as all of the announcements were given, and prayer requests were taken, the congregation prepared for the ritual of praying as a group. As folks 'assumed the position' on their knees, we in the pit were to dim the lights to a very low level, except for the spotlight directly over the pulpit. This light was to be dimmed as well, but not as low as the others. We wanted to create the illusion that God was Projecting His glory down from on high to rest on that one focal point. This was to create a mood of solemness and the 'feel' of being in the presence of God. This really enhanced the mood of the service because the area around the pulpit was enhanced to appear as 'holy ground.' When the assembly was finished praying (and for some, napping), the lights were turned up to their original level and the sermon would begin as scheduled. Again, the purpose of all this was to create a mood of emotion. One of the emotions could be vulnerability. 

Vulnerable people are oftentimes overly trusting people. Who do they trust? If they're regularly attending an Institutional 'Church', usually they'll trust those who give the message. And, if the messenger says we should do this or that, many of those within earshot will comply. If the messenger says, "We OWE TEN Percent of our Incomes to God!", the listener will most likely plop his or her ten percent (or more) into a conveniently placed envelope and hand it right over to those taking up the collection. Mission accomplished. The mission of the usage of the sound pit was to get people in the mood to spend. But, this isn't just about getting people to tithe or give offerings. This goes far beyond what our minds would even consider. This Process has to do with who controls who. The one's in charge don't just want our wallets; they want our hearts.

The sound pit has several functions. One is to record the various specials that would be sung by the choir, singing groups or individuals. The placement of microphones, their stands and wires were essential for Producing the right sound quality desired for playback at a later time. Many people had requested cassette or CD copies of sermons and music specials almost whenever the doors were open. We would charge people an average of $3.00 to $5.00 a recording to absorb the cost of the tape or CD being used. This all may sound a bit redundant because almost every Institutional 'Church' has some sort of sound system as standard equipment in their midst. Now, the people not only can be indoctrinated at 'Church', they can take a copy of the Tithing tape series with them and be even more indoctrinated at home.

Some 'Churches' even have invested thousands in elaborate Radio Studios and stations where sermons and Christian music are broadcast far and wide. To what end? Was it to saturate the airways with the gospel? Perhaps. But there are a lot of those, aren't there? Nowadays, all we have to do is stream our message in cyberspace. Why should a small 'Church' want to duplicate the business of owning a radio station if it wasn't a dream of the pastor? Should we believe that those putting on the 'show' have nothing else better to do with their time? Let's be real. Those involved in 'Church' show business are too busy Producing their message than reproducing God's Word and His message. They do it because it's a business. It's religious show business geared to put butts in the seats and money in the plate. I know, I don't sound very popular right now, but, facts are facts. And the facts are that our mainstream 'Church's', as most folks know them, have become an industry. A big part of any entertainment industry is Producing sights and sounds to amuse the audiences they target. Where is this Producing accomplished? In the Pit.

Okay, so why am I stirring this pot? As I was day dreaming about my past exploits in 'Church', I realized that many of the activities I was involved in centered around entertainment. Then I got to thinking... What is the purpose of entertaining? It's to amuse an audience. And what does the word amuse mean? It's the opposite of the word 'muse.' Muse means, 'to think.' Amuse means, don't think. This is where we get the name 'Amusement Park' from. It's a place where one could really let their hair down and throw caution to the wind. It's the choice environment for foolishness, carelessness and over-spending. If anyone has been to a major theme park, you know what I'm talking about. If someone is having a good time, in most cases, they'll over spend to allow the good times to roll. They'll spend so that the good times won't end. 

The same principle applies to today's 'Church.' If someone is touched by a missionary's story, or a college singing group's songs, or the plea for a building Project expansion, there are those who will freely give of their money. No one likes to give up their money if it doesn't feel good, am I right? So setting the mood of amusement sets the stage and primes the pump to get folks to let go of their hard earned dollars. I'm not against giving mind you. I'm against income tithing under false pretenses. I'm also against giving to an organization's 'want' instead of a real 'need.' I think that we can do a much better job of giving directly to the poor, naked, lame, blind and hungry without filtering our money through a board of Trustees. This got me to thinking about another angle associated with amusement; Impulsive behavior.

I wondered, was I in the 'Don't Think' industry for 'Church'? And if so, was I allowing myself to get carried away and acting impulsively? I began recounting the events that led to this epiphany. Here's the story: Back in 2009, I was involved in making a music CD with a very talented brother in the 'Church.' He was gifted in playing all kinds of instruments and even had a small make-shift recording studio in his home. We had sung several live duets together in 'Church' and were asked by some to record an album together. We thought it was a good idea at the time, so once a week, when our schedules permitted, I would show up at his home and he'd record our voices on separate tracks and engineer, mix and  Produce the songs. I was of little help as I understand almost nothing about music. I couldn't tell you the difference between a baritone or a tenor, let alone what a note is. But, I did like to sing. I wasn't very good at it, but others seemed to encourage it; (most likely for their own amusement). As a duet, my friend and I were a good match. He'd play the instrument and supported me with background vocals as I sang the lead.

To me, it was an intoxicating time. It had never occurred to me that perhaps, I was being enticed by a seducing spirit. I always wanted to record a song album, but didn't have the resources to make it become a reality. Now I had the means available to me in my buddy's basement. I thought; "Wadda we waiting for?" I was bursting with excitement and couldn't wait to get started. What was the harm? Even if I looked both ways before Proceeding, I didn't see any danger. What I didn't realize at the time is that seducing spirits specialize in enticing people into not thinking before they react. They entice people into reacting to what feels good. In short; they amuse. Have we ever reacted without thinking things through? In this case, that's what happened to me. Because of my excitement at the Prospect of cutting my first album, I had a small difficulty in keeping my mouth shut until the album was completed. Before we even got started, I told a very good friend of mine what we were planning. This good friend is a Trustee in the 'Church' and one of the advisers to the pastor. 

At the time, this was the only pastor this 'Church' had ever known. People were very loyal to him and treated him as a elderly stately saint. He founded this 'Church' and ran it for 35 years. Anyway, after telling my Trustee friend about our intentions, he advised me to ask the pastor for permission to begin recording. My response was quick and to the point. I asked, "What for? We're not using the 'Churches' equipment or facilities. Why would we need his permission to accomplish something on our own time using our own resources?" I figured, why even bother telling him? It's not like I have to ask him permission on how to choose my barber. I started thinking, "If we're tithing, why couldn't we use the 'Church's' sound and recording equipment if we wanted to? We're paying for it, aren't we? It was community Property, wasn't it? Why did we have to run it by him? He's not the only member here; nor is he the top dog." I felt a little resentful, I must admit. I was tithing all this money, I'm not getting paid by the 'Church' like he is; and I wasn't even asking to use the 'Church's' equipment. Do I have to ask his permission to floss too?

It was explained to me by my trusted Trustee friend that the pastor was a very particular manager, and everyone that is a member of his congregation needs to observe certain courtesies. I should've thought, "I thought this was God's congregation", but I was too eager to get the album Project rolling I didn't want to cause a road block by not complying with the pastor's Protocols. I took a second and reasoned within myself that it wasn't a big deal, so to show the proper respect, I went and asked for the pastor's blessing. I gotta admit; at the time I had the feeling that I was going before the pope to gain his favour. It was a little humiliating and embarrassing. But, I figured, why rock the boat? 

He gave his blessing and we began recording. We only got as far as recording four songs before things started falling apart. After failing to back-up his files, his computer crashed; so he says. I think what had really crashed was the fact that after several weeks of recording, I confided in him my newly found awareness regarding Institutional 'Church' and how different it was from what the Bible taught. Again, I had difficulties in keeping my mouth shut until after the recording was finished. Apparently, he didn't like my new train of thought on the matter and decided to pull the plug on our Project. I never saw him again, even though I had made many attempts to straighten out any misunderstandings. In that early stage of Biblical church awareness, I was unable and ill equipped to express my new beliefs in a convincing way. In hind sight, I should've done more study and gained more of an understanding on how to express it before I let the cat out of the bag. But, by the time I opened my mouth, it was too late. To him, I had become a threat and a cancer within the 'Church.' As a cancer, he did what any surgeon would do at an early stage of detection; he cut me out.

Anyway, I soon found out that the 'Church' Property wasn't community based at all. It was private. It wasn't just a private Property; it was an empire. Very little could be done by those associated with this Organization without the pastor's say-so. In fact, the 'pit' had become a sort of public relations tool to get the message out. Not so much the gospel message, but the "Here's how we do things at Blah~Blah Baptist 'Church'" message. It became, to me anyway, a Propaganda tool for indoctrination, solicitation and compliance towards the agenda of those in charge. We see the same strategies used in the military and politics all the time, but seldom realize that these same techniques have crept into our 'Churches' as well. To what end we may ask? Control. If these people can control our minds, emotions and will, even to the slightest of degrees, they can control what we do with our money, time and efforts. Actually, not all of our money, time and efforts... I'm guessing around ten percent of it. If the money angle doesn't work as well as hoped, at least they can get a good percentage of people to conform to supporting the agenda in labor, services, skills or materials. (All for the common good, of course!) Cough! Cough!

So, how does the message of getting involved get out to where one could generate this type of cooperation? The microphone. The same microphone that's wired to 'The Pit.' Those associated with the media, social media and broadcasting can attest that these seemingly innocent tools can be used to garner effective cooperation from those within the sounds of the voices being broadcast. It's the same principle as, money isn't the root of all evil. The LOVE of money is the root of all evil. Look at the power and money generated by the Producers of Joel Olsteen and gang. Remember the PTL Club under Tammy Fay and what's his name? Jim Baker? They cashed in millions. I wonder if these people had the availability to use these seducing spirits that 1Timoth 4:1 speaks about. Something tells me, they did (and do). And what do they use to help them accomplish their goal? The Pit. What's happening in our Institutional 'Churches' today is just occurring on a smaller scale. If we're not aware of it by now, we're just distracted by seducing spirits. Those who do see what I'm driving at, but don't want to disrupt their routine of playing 'Church', are simply turning a blind eye to what's really happening around them.

Most times that we walk into an Institutional 'Church's' door, we are being seduced by the sights, sounds and voices being Projected from the Pit. It's starts at a very low level of Institutionalized thinking and escalates from there into larger and more sophisticated technical forms of delivering their message. Another angle to gain control of our minds, wallets and com-pliability is this: We all should know by now that certain factions of the government wants to control the masses. At least, that's what history teaches. And history does tend to repeat itself. 

Hitler's Propaganda Machine was very successful in controlling Nazi Germany's youth, and today it's happening again in some of our nation's technical schools. There are actual training classes available where kids are being coached in turning in their own parents if they are suspected of being domestic terrorists. Do you know what the definition of a domestic terrorist is today here in the U.S.? They're defined as being Christians who believe the Bible and in defending their homes and families. The best way to reach these students is through indoctrination. It's better to indoctrinate in numbers than one at a time. The more people who are gathered together into one place on a regular basis, the easier it is to control what they do and how they act. To this end, millions meet in 'Churches' on a regular basis and are persuaded by their pastors to follow a certain course of action. The government will take a few high Profile pastors aside and tell them, "For national security sake, we need you to convince as many junior pastors to spread our message of obedience to our laws throughout their congregations,..." and so forth. Then the trickle down effect begins. We are taught to obey our government, whether right or wrong. What tool is used to get this message across? The Pit. It sounds as though the Pit is used universally to get the message across by those who control the mic, doesn't it? It's almost eery how this sounds like the power trip my old pastor was on when my Trustee friend insisted that I ask him permission to use someone else's recording equipment. The building with the steeple, corral's the people, and after awhile they all become sheeple. Baaaaah!

In and of themselves, the technology used today isn't generally evil; neither are the people who run them. They're simply unaware that this issue exists. But, I believe it is used with evil intent by spiritual wickedness in high places ~ Eph 6:12. It's subtle, seductive and at times, subliminal. Does this sound like someone we know? Be that as it may, it's there. Where is it leading us? Ultimately, to a One World Society with a One World Religion as it's bell cow. It's message slithers out from a pit, is broadcast through a 'Churches' sound pit, to lead folks back into the very pit it originated from. I'm talking about lost 'Church' members. Those that are saved have no worries as far as their eternal security is concerned. They're just the unwitting deceived that's having their pockets willingly picked. 

Why did I post this? I figure that if people within the Institute won't believe what God's Word has to say regarding a business model for 'Church', perhaps they'll see and believe their own surroundings. If the evils of media can be used against Christian ideals as in Rock Music, pornography and political agendas, etc..., they can be used in more subtle ways in an Institutional, or even house churches. 

My intention is to disrupt the sandbox, so that people might take notice and become more aware of their environment. Scrutinize what's being Proposed from the mics in our 'Churches' and see if it stacks up with what the Bible teaches. This is just one more aspect of Institutionalized 'Church'-life most people take for granted and don't even notice. I'm bringing it to light because it is a piece of the puzzle that needs to be moved into it's Proper place so that we can see the bigger picture. In today's social media minded world, we now have the capabilities to question anything we want. We need to keep in mind that the Devil's activities aren't at all that well hidden. In fact, he usually does his dirty work right out in the open for all to see. It just may be the one piece needed to get someone's attention and help them to question other anomalies within their business entity 'Church' organization and realize that their Lord wants them to come out from among them and be ye separate. Try the spirits and see if they're from God. What messages are coming out of your pit? Good day and God bless.

2 comments:

  1. Great article! I never post on blogs. I made a video on youtube called "The False 'Church System' Deception" last year and was delighted when I stumbled across this website a couple of months ago. Is there any update as to the status of the blogs here? It looks as if all activity has stopped. As I researched, I read that Bobby was having kidney problems. Can anyone (or Bobby himself) tell me what his status is? I look forward to a reply. Thank you. -Servus Christi-

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Servus Christi, Thank you for your welcome comment. There hasn't been much activity in the form of new articles because I feel that after posting almost 100 of them, they would keep the reader pretty busy. Absorbing what has already been posted seems to be a job in itself. Also, I haven't really been inspired to write about the same theme from another angle. I'm not opposed to writing new articles, but I haven't really thought of new ideas that haven't already been conveyed. I sent an e-mail in response to this comment. I hope it goes through. Thank you for your interest and kind words.

    ~Bobby K

    ReplyDelete