BIFF & BLARRY SPEAK TO THE CONTRARY CHAPTER 4: ENTER GLADYS [GLADYS walks into the room.] GLADYS [firmly, quickly, and meekly]: What are you two arguing about now? BLARRY & BIFF [together]: The same as usual. BIFF & BLARRY [together]: Church stuff. GLADYS: But neither of you are being nasty to each other, right? BLARRY & BIFF: Right. BIFF: Gladys, Im so glad youre here. Just your very presence makes me feel happy. In fact, I used to think (being one interested, as you know, in name-meanings, and etymology) that your name probably means something like she who gladdens or she who makes happy, but then I found out, just the other day, that your name means small sword in Latin, princess in Irish, and is a Welsh form of the name Claudia, which means lame in Latin/French. I can see princess applies to you well, but the other two make me think a little deeper... GLADYS [eyes turned upward]: Like... maybe Im lame in the spiritual sense, and like Mephibosheth who got to live and dine with King David for the rest of his life, Ill get to live with King Jesus despite my wounds and damages and... BIFF: Yes, I can see that. GLADYS: Or small sword... like a little warrior, just a little warrior, like David, but who eventually could beat up the great Goliath in the strength of the Lord! BIFF: Yes, exactly! Wow, Im glad to see you have such great self-confidence in the Lord today! GLADYS: Well, its easy, when its you writing a realistic fictional thing, and having me say it... BIFF: Well, its not really me! Maybe just a version of you, a more confident one (like Blarry and myself also appear to be, here), or a composite character (as Blarry and myself are). GLADYS: Compisite? BIFF: COM-posit, yeah. Like, a conglom... like a blending or combination of different personalities or characters... BLARRY: Isnt that what all human beings are anyway, Biff? [winks at Biff] BIFF: Yes, youve been learning well from me, Blar! GLADYS: Its not the same, though, as like demon-possession, right? BIFF: Of course not... I mean, it CAN be, in the worst-case scenarios... but theres also a good side to being in-dwelt by other spirits, we know full well, because we know the Holy Spirit in-dwells with us. So at what point can we really distinguish ourselves from God With Us? Or, like, our holy angels, guardian angels, who help us out, and speak counsel to us, as well as God... they speak to us, and within us, just as much as we speak to ourselves... and in some people (I mean some prophets and prayerful Christians especially) God may speak from within them more than He does or can with many other believers... get me now? GLADYS & BLARRY [together]: Yeah, that makes sense. GLADYS: [after a pause] ... we got to be careful, though, about the source of spiritual manifestation, or voices, though-- BIFF: Of course! We sure DO have to be careful. Because devils and false angels can also speak to us, and make it seem like its coming from within ourselves, as easily as the good spirits can -- and sometimes seemingly easier! (Like when were being tested, or were lacking sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.) And even after were Christians and know we can be forgiven, its a real risk, and unhealthy for us to sin, because that makes us vulnerable and open to demonic influence, voices, and even -- in the worst cases of backsliding and apostasy -- to demonic oppression and possession! Thats why the Apostle John tells us to Test every spirit that manifests, in any way, to see whether it acknowledges and says that God was manifested in human flesh, in the form of Jesus Christ. If it does, its a good spirit; if it doesnt, or cant, or starts blaspheming and cursing or something, then its an evil spirit!
Posted on: Fri, 01 Nov 2013 13:23:19 +0000
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