The Invisible Money

HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN DRAMA

2019-02-05T13:49:00.001-08:00

Actually, the History of Christian Drama started as long as the world began and if we want to tell the story of Christian Drama you can imagine that all the book of this world can never contain the outcome from Genesis to Revelation. To learn more about this refer to my write up on Origin of Christian Drama and Film.

Now let's take a brief look on what has happened in Christian Drama World after Bible time. I categorized this into three major period of time, namely;

i. Medieval Period

ii. Puritan Period

iii. Modern Age

MEDIEVAL PERIOD: During this period of time Churches in Europe frequently performed what they called Mystery Plays. It is about retelling different stories of the Bible. This can also be referred to as Liturgical Plays because it was totally based on everything pertaining to Church mode of worship which was developed totally on presentation of Bible stories in churches accompanying by hymns and other kind of Christian Religious Songs. As the drama became more popular in those day it became more secular as well because many un-church people and non-clergy also showed interest and began to participate, this lead to its movement from the church by the year 13th or 14th century, which was later took over by the guilds, each guild, each guild took upon itself a particular piece of scriptural history and is why it was called Mystery Play through guild control.

According to Wikipedia:

"The mystery play developed into a series of plays dealing with all the major events in the Christian calendar, from the Creation to the Day of Judgment. By the end of the 15th century, the tradition of acting these plays in cycles on festival days (such as the Feast of Corpus Christi) was established across Europe."

During this same medieval period, Mystery Play was developed into what was called Morality Play. these were allegories in which the protagonists represented or personified various moral attitudes and this promoted the effects of living a life of virtue and good character worthy of emulations.

PURITAN AGE: During this age that fell between sixteenth and eighteenth century, the work of drama or theater was generally seen as wicked, ungodly and unscriptural, this made church of God made serious attempts to do away with it and pronounced it illegal.

Wikipedia has it that in the United States around eighteenth century the condemnation of drama or theater was widely spread which led President Timothy Dwight IV of Yale College to declare in one of his "Essay on the Stage" that "to indulge a taste for playgoing means nothing more or less than the loss of that most valuable treasure: the immortal soul."

Imagine the meaning of that sentence deeply. The essay simply waged severe war on drama or going to the theater. The man said in another words that to get yourself involve in drama or theater going was like playing with your eternal and invaluable soul meaning that doing so would lead you to hell.

MODERN AGE: The twentieth churches now rediscovered the use of theater as a kind of unique form of outreach to win soul for Christ: most especially evangelicals.

In Britain during this period it was illegal for any human actor to portray a divine personality on stage, this place a severe restrictions on Christian theater. Does it possible for Christian Drama ministers to act without presenting God, Jesus or Angel?

Wiki then has it that; in 1941/1942 there was a ground breaking radio drama called 'The Man Born to Be King" that destroyed the ban by including Jesus as character and even given him ordinary speech rather than biblical language. The law didn't cover Radio Portrayals then. Though the piece drew a lot of complaints, but there was nothing anyone can do, that was how that barrier was broken. See how God used the weak thing of the world to cause breakthrough in the world of Christian Drama.

The play of T. S. Eliot called Murder in the Cathedral explore Christian theme of martyrdom and sacrifice; brought into lime light what has happened in the church history.

Many plays were also produced explaining Christian subjects, remarkably revealing Jesus Christ Superstar and the Gospel or Godspell. This brought many churches again to be turning to the use of drama as a means of reaching out to others about their faith in Christ. And small Christian theater began to spring up in Britain and America. Heaven’s Gate, Hell’s Flames were used for evangelism and a company called Covenant Players was founded 1963 for the purpose of producing Christian plays written by its founder. The same way Truth Star Productions’ ICT Research Institute was founded in Nigeria for the purpose of online and offline research and to produce Christian movie across the earth apart from its own ministry’s film; The Pillar and Ground of the Truth (PGTM) Films in 1990. During this twentieth century as well in Nigeria we have many hero of drama, those who supposed to be called pioneers of Christian drama, Duro Ladipo, Hubert Ogunde, Moses Olaiya, etc. I learnt that most of them began their theatre career in the church but later end up in the secular. We also thank the Almighty for raising the real pioneer of Christian drama; Mount Zion Faith Ministry in 1985. The Pillar and Ground of the Truth Ministry in 1990, EVOM World Network, and others for the propagation of the gospel through drama, theatre and home video films.

APOLOGY

2019-01-24T13:10:00.002-08:00

I will like to tender my apology to all followers of my blog and those who are yet to follow for the break in transmission so far. It was due to some circumstances beyond control. Please I need your prayers.

I thank God for the gift of life. Glory is to the Almighty.

I also appreciate those who have called me on phone for permission to use my write ups as Lectures' Handouts in their Drama College, Theses in Universities, etc. Thanks for contacting me before you proceed. God blesses you all. But I will sincerely appreciate if you can follow my blog and try to make a little comment on how useful the blog is to you.

Moreover, in answer to some of the questions asked on phone and for the benefits of all University undergraduates and post graduate students making some research on Christian Drama for their final year projects, In a couple of weeks now I will like to add some other facts to that which have been written and posted, because my life is all about service, service to God and humanity. Nobody on earth acquired any knowledge except it been given to him by God.

NB: IF THIS BLOG HAS BEEN USEFUL FOR YOU IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, TRY TO CLICK FOLLOW ON THE TOP OF THE PAGE AND IF POSSIBLE MAKE YOUR COMMENT. THANKS!

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CHRISTIAN DRAMA ARTS

2011-07-24T00:39:00.000-07:00

Many misconceptions have gone forth against the Ministry of Drama in the body of Christ. These misconceptions are born out of ignorance and lack of education among Church men and women alike. Let us study few of them:

1. They attribute backsliding tendency of dramatists to their roles in drama presentation. When a Christian drama minister backslides; people say it is because he played a negative role in drama, that’s why he backslides. Hence, many talented Christians run away from drama Ministry. Let it be known today that Christian Drama Minister is a practical Evangelist and is also target of the devil’s attack like any Minister of the Gospel – Evangelists, Pastors, Prophets, Apostles, Choristers, etc.

What we suppose to do rather than discouraging drama Ministries therefore is to encourage Christian Drama Ministers to live holy, be watchful in prayers and fasting and also to be praying for them as we are praying for other Ministers of the Gospel. They should also learn and be taught spiritual warfare.

2. When a drama Minister plays a role direct opposite his personal way of life, some would say he is lying indirectly. This is not true as far as the meaning of Christian Drama is concerned. Christian Drama does not come from the mind of a Christian playwright but from the mind of God Himself to warn all mankind.

Take for example:

When someone acts the scene of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride against God, and change to animal as Nebuchadnezzar did. Does that means he is now an animal? Or does that means he is a liar? No, He is not lying! He is acting what the word of God says. But if you say ‘yes’, that means all other preachers of the Word are also liars whenever they are explaining Bible stories to their congregation as if they were there when the events happened.

Those people who believe in this erroneous idea are lacking the knowledge of God and they can be taught from the following Bible passages; which I can describe as scenario:

2Cor. 8:9: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, for your sakes He became poor, in order that you might be made rich through His poverty.

1Cor. 9:18 – 23: What then is my reward? That when I preach the gospel I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel. For though I am free from all, yet I have made myself servant to all, so that I might gain the more. And to the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain the Jews. To those who are under the Law, I became as under the Law, so that I might gain those who are under the Law. To those who are outside Law, I became as outside Law (not being outside law to God, but under the Law to Christ), so that I might gain those who are outside Law. To the weak I became as the weak, so that I might gain the weak. I am made all things to all men, so that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I might be partaker of it with you.

Luke 12:16-21: And He spoke a parable to them, saying, the ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, what shall I do, because I have no room in which to store my fruits? And he said, I will do this. I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and I will store all my fruits and my goods there. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat drink and be merry. But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul shall be required of you, then whose shall be those things which you have prepared? So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

Acts 21:10-12: And as we stayed more days, a certain prophet from Judea named Agabus came down. And coming to us, and taking Paul's belt, and binding his hands and feet, he said, The Holy Spirit says these things: So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man whose belt this is, and will deliver him into the hands of the nations. And when we heard these things, both we and those of the place begged him not to go up to Jerusalem.

1Cor. 1:26-29: For you see your calling, brothers, that not many wise men according to the flesh are called, not many mighty, not many noble. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and God has chosen the base things of the world, and things which are despised, and things which are not, in order to bring to nothing things that are; so that no flesh should glory in His presence.

3. They also say, “Drama perpetrates immoralities among Drama Ministers.” No. Only the unguided inter-personal relationship can breed immoral deeds. And this is true of all corporate living. Careless inter-personal relationship among choristers, evangelical teams, ushers, even prayer warriors, and council of the ministers can breed Spiritual contamination.

CASE STUDY ABOUT UNGUIDED/CARELESS INTER-PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP

1. A Pastor embracing another man’s wife after the Church service in the presence of the youths that wait behind for their meeting and the youths later conclude among themselves that embracing each other is not bad. This leads them to be befriending each other.

2. A choir leader that is in love with all the choristers except a lady who has promised not to stain her white garment with sin, and she told the Pastor about what is going on amidst the choirs, but because of the special interest the Pastor had for that choir leader, he did not agree and said, “Bro. James cannot do that”, until He impregnated one of the Choristers.

3. A married Deacon having extra-marital affair with one of the Deaconesses in the Church.

4. A reverend/Bishop fornicating with his female secretary when his wife is not around.

5. What about a General Overseer who had sexual intercourse with his female Interpreter. When the secret leaked, he ran to a far village to continue the work of the Ministry, because of shame, and the Church collapsed. All efforts to raise the Church up again were in vain.

Please let us stop here because all those events are sorrowful events but, we only study them just to tell Pastors or Layman who believe that ‘Drama breeds immoralities’ to change their heart because I believe that this erroneous idea came from the pit of hell fire just to discourage the Ministry of Drama in the Church of God because of its effectiveness in soul winning.

Therefore, if Christians or workers in the Church would allow the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to guide them in dealing with the opposite sex, it shall be well without immorality.

CONCLUSION

Let us thank God Almighty who has started raising His End-Time Army with hundreds of dramatic and theatrical talents to counter the new waves of modern theatre and pornographic films which is full of devil-inspired plays and immorality. Will you rise up and thank God!

Also thank God for raising this higher institution: THE PILLAR CHRISTIAN DRAMA & FILMS ACADEMY, to train and equip the body of Christ worldwide.

THANK YOU JESUS!

IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN DRAMA AND FILM IN THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY

2011-07-16T16:29:00.001-07:00

If God Himself who is the founder of His Church can effectively use divine film in the ways I have describe below, the importance of Christian Drama and Film in the Church and Society cannot be over emphasized.

(a) Christian drama or film is indispensable in communicating the mind of God to human beings in general.

So also, its importance in the Church of God cannot be under-estimated because many people usually respond positively to altar calls after an anointed drama ministration or film show.

Now, listen to what a Minister of the Gospel said. Pastor J.A Bolarinwa, Vice Principal of The Redeemed Christian Bible College, Lagos; when lecturing on “Effects of Drama on Evangelism” at a conference organized by Evangelical Film Maker and Dramatist Association of Nigeria, said, “Many books cannot contain testimonies of conversion experiences of people through Christian Drama in films and videos. I had once organized a four-day open air crusade for a Church planting exercise in my pastoral assignment. My experience was that the first two days of the crusade were poorly attended; only few people responded to the altar call after the laborious evangelistic sermons. But with the introduction of two Christian Drama on video to the evangelistic campaign during the remaining two days, we had a crowd on each of the days. The messages in the video tapes played were so powerful and meaningful that people were broken and did not even wait for altar call before they started talking to God about their lives as revealed by the characters in the drama presentation in the videos.”

(b) Another point is that “Actions speak more than thousands of words.” Pastor J.A Bolarinwa also said that he had once watched a Pentecostal preacher dramatizing the healing of the sick man at Bethsaida involuntarily lying flat on his back while preaching. He said this message sunk deep into the heart of the audience. This is an extent drama had gone in the art preaching.

(c) How can a Pastor meet emotional need of his Church’s members when teaching them some specific truth from the Word of God like:

(i) The agony of sinners in hell.

(ii) Spiritual blindness, etc.

Christian Drama or Film can be of great help.

Jesus also used drama in terms of parable when explaining some Truth of God’s Word.

Selwyn Hughes says in his daily devotional reading booklet – “Everyday with Jesus” (March – April ’96 edition):

Thursday 18^th April Last paragraph:

“Our Lord talked much about the Love of God in His messages to the multitudes but they never comprehend that Love fully until they saw it – dramatized - at Calvary.”

No wonder many universities in the developed countries of the world are using drama to teach Language and some other fields of subjects.

ORIGIN AND IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN DRAMA/FILMS

2011-06-25T21:45:00.000-07:00

Is anybody there who has dramatist talent, it’s time to take you through a series of lecture that will surely help you to start using this talent to the Glory of God, move near to learn.

ORIGIN AND IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN DRAMA/FILMS

What is Drama?

Dictionary cannot explain what “Drama” really is, but out of the knowledge the Lord has given to me, we can define it like this:

Drama is an action performed by every human being before an audience or spectator which could be man or God.

Therefore, whenever you’re re-doing what has happened in the past such as a hunter re-doing how he hunted and killed a dangerous animal, you are doing a drama.

When pre-doing the future events such as a soldier practicing target shooting, crawling through the bush with their bellies firing an imaginary enemy, you are dramatizing.

Charlyn Wessels, a lecturer in English as a foreign and second Language (EFL/ESL) at the Stevenson College, University of Edinburgn, stated in one of her books thus: “Drama is doing. Drama is being. Drama is such a normal thing.” It is something that we all engage in daily…….. you get up in the morning with a bad headache or an attack of depression, yet you face the day and cope with other people, pretending that nothing is wrong. You have an important meeting with yourself before hand and decide how to present a confident, cheerful face, what to wear, what to do with your hands, and so on.

Your partner has run off with your best friend, yet you cannot avoid going in to teach a class of inquisitive students, getting on with our day-to-day lives re quires a series of civilized masks if we are to maintain our dignity and live in harmony with others. For as Shakespeare said: All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players” (i.e. actors and actresses).

Yes, it is true, Charlyn Wessels is right, so also is Shakespeare. We shall understand step by step as we continue in our Lecture.

BIBLICAL BASIS OF DRAMA

God is the author of drama. Drama has been manifested since the beginning of the world and what surprise us there is that God our Creator is the first ACTOR.

According to the Advance Learners Dictionary, Actor is a person who takes part in something that happens. In no doubt, God was an actor on the day of creation. Gen. 1:1-4

The Bible itself is Drama revealing the acts of God, the acts of Angels, the acts of men, the acts of Jesus and lastly the acts of Apostles.

When we thoroughly go through the Bible, we will discover several places where the message of God could not have been understood except for the use of Drama:

1. The marriage drama of Hosea with Gomer – Hos. 1:2-8,3:1-5

2. The prophetic drama in the early Church concerning Paul’s arrest and bondage. Acts 21:10-12

3. The drama of `Jesus and Lazarus. Jn.11:1-45

4. The drama of Job’s life explains really why Christian suffers. Book of Job.

5. The drama of the first Christian drama Actor – Jesus, the son of God who came and dramatized God’s Love for the world. Jn. 3:16. His crucifixion and death are dramas with eternal benefits and lesson. Let us study Jn. 19:23-37

Jesus dramatized His Love for mankind by dying on the cross. Jn 15:13.

Allow me to ask you this reasonable question: Can God die, if not a drama?

Jn. 1:1-3, 14, 1Jn. 3:16a. Jesus, being God died.

What a define Drama; that we may understand the extent of His Love for us.

WHAT IS CHRISTIAN DRAMA?

Definitely, from what we have been discussing so far, the term “Christian drama” would have been understood.

Christian Drama can be defined as the art of communicating messages received from God to human beings through the media of theatrical speech and actions backed by Christ the Anointed One.

God instituted Christian Drama through His only begotten Son who came and dramatized His Father’s Love for us.

Also, Bible is a combination of SCRIPTS. That is why it is called SCRIPTURE. 11Tim. 3:16

WHERE COMES CHRISTIAN FILMS

God is really interesting in film and the source is from Him. Isa. 44:24, Jn. 1:3

Moreover, we should not forget that this God we are talking about is OMNISCIENCE.

Now let us turn to our Instructor, the Bible to see how this is true that God is the source of Christian Film.

From Genesis to Revelation, it was known that God usually communicate His mind through dreams, visions and revelation to whosoever He wishes, to warn the person or others through him/her or to show what is going to come to pass or what has alre ady come to pass.

You too will, in no doubt, believe with me today that the words, dreams, visions and revelation means nothing but DIVINE FILM with the following proofs:

PROOF 1: God is the first FILM MAKER. Know today that the book of Genesis is the first divine film made by Almighty God and shown to Moses who wrote the Book

PROOF 2: God is the BEST FILM WATCHER and the BEST COMMENTATOR.

You said how? Open Dan. 4:14-18

(i) The whole earth is the stage.

(ii) All human beings on earth are actors and actresses. A minister of God, Rev. Dr. I.K.U. Ibeneme told the brethren; on the day of his passing away from this earth into the eternal rest in Heaven, that “This world is a stage and each man comes and plays his part and then departs after completing his part, but God remains.”

(iii) Surely God is the best film Watcher because He is watching and making at the same time.

And up till today, He is still watching every individual life and filming it in His Wonderfully Made Spiritual Camera (WMS-CAMERA). And He will show it to you on that fearful day – the judgment day. Wonderful!

PROOF 3: In addition to the above proofs, let us now consider the following define films, made by God and shown to men and the powerful works they have wrought:

1. Divine film shown to Nebuchadnezzar: Dan. 4:1-End

2. Divine film shown to Isaiah: Isa. 6:1-9

3. Divine film shown to John the Beloved: Rev. 1-19

4. Divine film shown to that heathen king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar about the end-time events: Dan 2

5. The first Divine film projected on the wall of King Belshazzar’s palace: Dan. 5: 1-6 (vs. 17) (24).

6. The Divine film shown to Daniel about end-time events: Daniel chapter 7-12

7. The Divine film shown to some of our present age Ministers of God about Heaven. Some wealthy children n of God do not want to die because they are not privileged to see a divine film of the Glorious Home that Jesus had prepared for them. Jn. 14:1-3. No one ever want to come back to this world after seeing the beauty of Heaven.

Rev’d. Oral Robert saw Heaven at the age of 8 and didn’t want to come back to this world.

Evangelist ‘Funmi Ayoade saw Heaven at the age of 16 and didn’t want to come back to this world.

Certainly, we have now seen that God is the first FILM MAKER, He makes divine Film and reveals it to whosoever He wishes for many different reasons.

God who is always the First and the Best Film Maker, saw that divine works to change the heart of men and to make them tremble before Him when they see reality, that is why He spoke through king Solomon that “where there is no vision (Divine Film) the people perish.” Pro. 29:18

We must at this point understand that God knows what He’s doing and that He also means what He says. In Joel 2:28, He promised.

No wonder He is raising His end time army to be de-populating hell to populate Heaven through Christian Drama and Film. He has planned for it since the beginning. What a wonderful God we serve!

If you have any Question: E-mail me: truthstarpro@gmail.com

or phone Talented Apostle on: +2348035318544. God Blesses YOU!

THE INVISIBLE MONEY FROM ABOVE

2011-05-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

Talented Apostle has these to say concerning the invisible money from biblical points of view!

INTRODUCTION: Indeed the Lord is gracious and kind to all mankind for He has endowed them with different talents, which I define as “the invisible money from the above”. You too will believe with me today that “Talent” has no other meaning than “the invisible money from Heaven above”. And every man on earth was born along with this money that is invisible to human eyes.

DISCUSSION: Jesus Christ; the only Superior Tutor of the Universe who the world history also believed He came to the world without human sexual intercourse, one time said this: “No one can receive anything except it is given him from above.” As a matter of fact, all talents owners owe God money and souls and they will pay them back whether they like it or not.

1. Compare the following Bible verses: Luke 19:13 - And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. (King James Version)

Easy to read version says: So he called ten of his servants together. He gave a bag of money to each servant. The man said, Do business with this money until I come back.

The New English Bible says: But first he called ten of his servants and gave them a pound each saying, “Trade with this while I am away”

Through Bible research, I understand that the word translated ‘a bag of money’ or ‘a pound’ from the above verses of the Bible means Mina in Geek Language and that a Mina is enough to pay a person for working three months – Three good month salary!

2. Mathew 25:15 - And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. (King James Version)

Easy to read version says: He decided how much each servant would be able to care for. The man gave one servant five bags of money. He gave another servant; two bags of money. And he gave a third servant one bag of money. Then that man left.

The New English Bible says: To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two, to another one, each according to his capacity. Then he left the country.

Through Bible research, I also learned that a talent was about 60 to 80 pounds of gold, silver and copper coins. Now do a simple arithmetic to know how much money the lord gave to his servants to trade with.

Some are with the invisible money given to them freely by God when they were coming to this planet earth and they were still complaining that the world is not easy. “We don’t have money for this or that.” Some say, “Why did you God create me to be suffering?”

They always sit down complaining, while the money the Lord gave them can give them occupation that no one can take away from them.

CONCLUSION: Children of God! “get out of spiritual Glaucoma” and make use of the money the Lord has given to you to do business, because you are going to give account of how you use or waste the money.

The reason why God gave you this money is to win soul to His Kingdom, at the same time God knows that if you use it sincerely, you are going to be blessed through it, that is why Jesus said in Matt. 6:33 that “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His Righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” And don’t forget that whenever you are using your gift, it will surely bring you before great men – Prov.18:6

TAKE NOTE AND GOD WILL HELP YOU

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The Invisible Money

2011-04-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

Every Human Being on Earth is Endowed with Talents which I called: "The Invisible Money". And my God has Empower me to Show you how you can turn your God - Given Talents into money!