In That Day Teachings

The Parable of the Prophets

Prophets Rock and Roll with Good Time Prophecies

While the Unchanging Church Backfires in First Gear

(This story compares differences between 1957 Chevrolet and 2007 Audi A8 sedans.)

Back in 1957 there were four prophets to the car industry: Bob, Tom, Dick and Harry.  Tom, Dick and Harry spoke breathlessly and agitatedly as follows:

In the next 50 years cars will be…

Awesome, cutting edge, significant, soaked in luxury, at a new level, in sync with the environment, shaking the old order, high technology, dread champions of mileage, taken to new levels of power, called to a higher transport and raised to higher emissions purity.  And the industry leaders will be shaken to the core, there will be a new vision of how to navigate, cars will change like butterflies, the world will have incredible expectation of automobiles, people in the auto industry will find new ways to prosper, there will be a change of rhythm of manufacturing and it will be tumultuous but equations will equal.

People were really impressed with Tom, Dick and Harry.  They paid them glorious accolades because what they said was nebulous and pleasing to everyone.

However, Bob spoke with authority as follows:

In the next 50 years carmakers must…

Stop using drum brakes on all wheels............... And use discs with antilock brake systems.

Stop using iron engine heads & blocks............. And use aluminum low-emission engines.

Stop using two valves per cylinder.................... And use four.

Stop using carburetors..................................... And use fuel stratified injection.

Stop using regular leaded gas........................... And use premium unleaded gas.

Stop using 14” metal wheels............................. And use 18” aluminum.

Stop using nylon bias tires................................ And use radial.

Stop using steel frames & bodies...................... And use aluminum.

Stop using generators....................................... And use alternators.

Stop using tube radios...................................... And use navigation/CD/satellite radios.

Stop using just one radio speaker..................... And use twelve entertainment speakers.

Stop using metal dashboards............................ And use soft materials and air bags.

Stop using solid rear axles................................ And use all wheel independent suspension.

Stop using two speed transmissions.................. And use six.

Stop using two-wheel drive.............................. And use four.

But people hated listening to Bob.  No one wanted to hear him or read his words.  He was right, but it was not music to anyone’s itching ears since it involved hard, actual change.

In 2007 a fellow by the name of Robert Winkler Burke said the modern media church which broadcasts its message through the United States and by satellite around the world must…

Stop preaching the lie of the rapture................. And preach God’s overwhelming scourge.

Stop waiting for God to manifest Himself.......... And preach we must manifest God Himself.

Stop preaching dispensational fear.................... And preach overcoming peace.

Stop dreading a governmental mark of 666...... And preach it is a mark of spirit, soul, body.

Stop preaching in outrageously evil spirits......... And worship God in spirit and truth.

Stop modeling greed and self-interest............... And be non-profit leaders of non-profits.

Stop insisting God’s rules are inviolate.............. And preach God delights in breaking rules.

Stop extorting and demanding tithes................. And preach Jesus criticized tithing people.

Stop preaching eternal security......................... And preach only God guarantees absolution.

Stop preaching foreign affairs intrigue............... And preach personal overcoming of evil.

Stop purchasing costly jets with donations........ And travel with commoners and be humble.

Stop preaching fear of a Euro-anti-christ.......... And be sure not to be of any ungodly spirit.

Stop pandering to spirits of envy of success...... And preach fear of God and his scourging.

Stop selling each other’s evil books.................. And promote listening to the spoken Bible.

Stop idolizing easy-on-the-ears “prophets”....... And allow rebuking prophets to speak truth.

Stop praying for an uncorrected revival............ And repent of being unworthy of revival.

Stop preaching six-day creationism.................. And admit the earth is as old as science says.

Stop cursing who comes in God’s nature.......... And bless those who come in God’s nature.

Stop fighting the ACLU’s efforts...................... And fight the Church’s efforts to deny God.

Stop fighting the full baptism of the Spirit.......... And encourage full baptism of the Spirit.

Stop fighting the full baptism of the Fire............ And encourage full baptism of the Fire.

Stop evil controlling techniques in crowds......... And repent massively of using evil control.

Stop preaching only “about” Jesus.................... And manifest His essence so others learn.

By Robert Winkler Burke

2/2/07 Copyright 2007

www.inthatdayteachings.com

Once upon a time a very great robot who traveled in his spaceship from galaxy to galaxy noticed a huge area of cosmic dust.  Having learned much in his travels, he assembled a planet out of the dust.  Then out of the dust on the planet he made little robots much like himself.

He told the robots to call him their Maker.  Further, he made an instruction manual for them.  Then he told them to take care of each other and the planet.   And he said that he would return some day.  Then he left.

Some of the robots read the maker’s manual, most did not bother.  And in time, the robots misbehaved to the point that life on the planet became very chaotic.   And of course, the planet was being polluted.

Finally things got so bad the robots became alarmed for their future.  They asked, “What will become of us?”

Two prophetic robots emerged who said, “I know the future based on the manual.”  But each of them had a different vision.

The first robot said, “Our Maker will return and eliminate every bad thing, but reward the rest of us with spaceship rides to other galaxies!”

This played well to the robots, since all believed themselves to be in the group “rest of us” and none believed themselves to be in the group “every bad thing.”

But the second robot said, “Our Maker built in each of us two-way radios to communicate with him instantaneously.  And there is a place in each of us for his essence.  If we diligently obey the manual and talk with our Maker, he will finish the work he began in us.  And we can make this planet good.  The Maker is waiting for us to begin.  We should not wait for the Maker to come to us!”

This played very poorly to most of the robots, who in truth had become lazy.  So by majority vote the robots agreed to make the first robot prophet their leader.  And the second robot prophet they shut off.

But another robot said, “Though we have shut off this robot, if he was right another will surely come as he did with the same message about us all having a two-way radio to our Maker who wants to update our corrupted operating systems.”

Another robot replied, “Yes, but this kind of message is too hard on us.  We like the first prophet because he says we are fine enough.  But who made the mess we are in?  And how is it going to get better while we wait and do nothing until the Maker arrives?

Said another, “Perhaps we are afraid to use our two-way radios because we don’t want to be rebuked and reprogrammed by the Maker!”

Said another, “Maybe this was the Maker’s plan all along: that he wants us to perfect the planet his way through his two-way radio, through his indwelling in us, that we might share his glory in achieving such good.  But we imperfect robots keep insisting he return to fix all immaturity but out own.  So rather us being surprised by a return that would go harshly for us, he waits patiently for our maturing in humility and communication and oneness with him.”

“But stop!” cried another.  “This is too much information for my computer!”

“No,” said the other in reply, “Rather isn’t this why we have computers, to figure complicated matters?  From dust the Maker created us in his image not to remain dumb destroyers of the planet but to be this planet’s perfection.”

To which the leader and first prophet of the robots replied, “The Maker will return and make this planet perfect.  We will have nothing to do with it.”

But the robot said, “Something inside me says even now the Maker is returning in us, and you are all correct that he will make this planet perfect, but not without your all having your chance to have everything good to do with it.  But you must love your autonomy less and your Maker more.”

By this time the whole group of robots were getting disturbed with the thoughtful robot, so they turned him off just as they had done to the other robot who was annoying.

This kept happening – thoughtful robots who were turned off by the majority – until the majority of the robots came to believe the Maker had been returning and communicating with them all, and inviting them to be so indwelt, improved and empowered with his superior goodness.

Eventually the planet of robots perfected their world, but not without struggle.  In fact the struggle was part of the perfecting process.

And the Maker did finally return.  He scolded the robots, saying to them, “Did you not see me in that prophetic robot who spoke truly about the future?  Why did you turn him off?  Did you not see me in the thoughtful robots you also turned off?  In truth, I have been returning in your midst the entire time.  When you saw and heard them, you saw and heard me.”

The Maker also eliminated the stubborn robots, including the prophetic robot who spoke of an easy future for all who waited and did nothing.  Then the Maker left once again.

The robots came to believe whether the Maker was present on their planet or away to other parts of the universe, it made little difference because with their two-way radios, the Maker was with them always.  And they saw, and confirmed and honored the Maker in each other.

But the robots who had been turned off because they spoke truly about the future, they had disappeared.  For the Maker had taken them from the planet to be with him wherever he was always.

So in the end the prophetic robots who predicted an easy and escapist future had the worst and most terrible ending while the reverse was also true.