thomas vemmelil (December 26, 2011)
This is nothing but "the Great Babylon". It is absolutely a matter of Babylon. To call a pastor “reverend”—that is Babylonian. To set up a Christmas tree and to honor Santa Claus— that is Babylonian. To call yourself by a denominational name that is Babylonian. All denominational names are Babylonian factors of division and confusion. Any group that still practices Babylonian things or holds them is not the pure church. We must beware of divisions because divisions are another form of Babylonianism. It was at Babel, which means confusion, that the language of mankind was confused and confounded. Babel is the Hebrew term for Babylon. Anything divisive causes confusion, and confusion denotes Babylonianism. Today there are hundreds of free groups; they are everywhere. But what they are practiising is divisive and confusing; hence, it is Babylonian.

a. s. mathew (December 26, 2011)
SHARONITE: Please write more at that topic in the coming days. When two Bishops were ordained in a Kerala denomination having only a few Churches in the U.S., then the American saints got together to bring them to give a great welcome function. They will come anyway many times to the U.S., and at that time, the cordial red welcome mat might have opened. Each local Church had to raise money, and the amount was several thousand dollars. There are financially suffering believers in every congreation of India; Brother, as you have clearly stated, these are reformed " PERUNNAALS", but we critize the the Orthodox and other Episcopal Churches for conducting Perunnaals as "gentile practice". Jesus has mentioned so mnay times "poor" He came to preach the gospel to the poor, and He fed the poor. The prosperity gospel might have taken away the word " poor " from the dictionary, but the day of
judgment will bring that word "poor" by
JESUS.

sharonite (December 26, 2011)
I fail to understand the usefulness of these festivals at the headquarters of each pentecostal organisations every year. Is it not just a sheer waste of money? Can the leaders tell us who is the ultimate beneficiaries of these PERUNNAALS?

For conducting such events, they are extorting money from poor believers from their local churches collectively and individually. Then comes the regional or central convention Perunnaals. For all these show-businesses, the poor believers are squeezed. Although we are not against an annual get-together of the believers at any given time or place which should be convenient to everyone; our view is that the expenses be minimised by avoiding unwanted celebrations. Even many of the Roman Catholic churches have done away with expensive 'perunnaals' and use the money thus saved for marriage of poor believers and for other noble causes. When will the Pentecostal leaders OPEN their eyes this way?

Any feedback from our learned columnis