Posted in theology

Meditating on the Beatific Vision

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

The following is from the newsletter I receive monthly along with the booklet Free Grace Broadcaster from Chapel Library. Chapel Library is a ministry from Mt. Zion Bible Church in Pensacola, FL. This ministry sends out, at no cost, edifying material from solid pastors of long ago. They supply free evangelistic and discipleship materials to churches, missionaries, ministries, prison chaplains, and individuals for the glory of God. They offer print and digital formats, as well as audiobooks. You can read their material online or request it through the mail.

They also oversee spurgeongems.org and JohnBunyan.org as well as the chapellibrary.org website.

The editor of this month’s letter introducing the quarterly Free Grace Broadcaster #276, Summer 2026, Jeff Pollard, wrote:

I invite you to think deeply with me about the following text: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom 8:29). Have you ever meditated on this passage? Not eastern meditation-the mind-emptying sort. I mean meditation of the biblical sort: Have you ever drawn away from everyone, turned off all your distracting devices, and found a quiet place to pray and meditate? The meditation I’m speaking of does not empty you, but fills your mind with a verse or passage of God’s Spirit-breathed Word. Have you prayed earnestly about God’s truth and thought about it until you began to experience the wonder, the depth, the beauty, and the mystery of it? If so, have you ever meditated on this passage?”

This month’s issue focuses on the topic of “Beatific Vision” from 1 John 3:2. “We shall see Him as He is”. Pollard continued:

“Our Christian life points in one direction, one goal- conformity to Christ for all eternity. The greatest conformity to Christ, the greatest joy that we will ever experience, the greatest fountain of love and glory from which we will drink, will come from gazing upon God- the beatific vision. God in His glory will glorify His people with the image of His glorious Son.“

Friends, in these hectic, bewildering, dark days, focus on your blessings. On this side of the veil, the great blessing that Christians have is salvation, promise of heaven, and the deposit of the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. On the other side of the veil, we have the promise of eternity in glory with Jesus, the GREATEST blessing of all. We shall see Him as He is!

Posted in encouragement, Uncategorized

Groaning and Singing

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I love the pre-dawn. It is quiet and cool and dark but the light is coming, and already is.

I live in an area which is fairly rural, and there is not much traffic. Though I live on a major artery in the county, there isn’t enough traffic even during the day to really bother me. However, in the pre-dawn, there is none at all. I can hear from afar off the dogs bark, cows moo, occasional owl screech, an early rooster…

EPrata photo

At about 6 am there is always one bird. From out of the darkness, suddenly, there will be a happy series of lone chirps. He is loud, and the sound is joyous to me. Not to anthropomorphize too much, but the bird really does sound happy. The piercing, lengthy call sounds like he is waking up his brethren. Perhaps it is an ovenbird.

After the first bird goes first, then in a few moments the dawn chorus begins. The dawn chorus is a worldwide event. At Cornell, they wrote, “The dawn chorus is one of the most conspicuous vocal behaviors of birds, and one of the least understood. Near sunrise, birds often sing more loudly and vigorously than they do at other times of the day.“

EPrata photo

I like to think they are thanking their Creator. He knows them, and I like to think they know their Creator back. God says, “I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.” (Psalms 50:11). We know that all creation groaneth in travail until now, (Romans 8:22). They groan…do they sing in joy as well?

Birds suffer for man’s sin, (Genesis 6:7; Jeremiah 12:4; Ezekiel 38:20; Hosea 4:3). The Bible says they flee away when calamity comes as well. (Jeremiah 4:25; Jeremiah 9:10)

Yet they sing:

10You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills;
11 they give drink to every beast of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
they sing among the branches.
13 From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. (Psalm 104:10-13)

Imagine the ‘dawn chorus’ in heaven! Birds will sing all the time because there is no dusk and no dawn, only day! (1 John 1:5, Revelation 21:25).

I believe that in heaven when He brings His bride to her place and presents our dwelling place to us, our rooms will not have screens on the windows. Because why would they? No biting insects or animals will creep in and harass us. All creation will be reconciled to its Creator and there will be no reason to have bars or screens to keep things out, or in. Maybe a bird will swoop in to my room and sing in joy at the perfection of the Creator and gladness to be part of it, and I will join. Together we are all groaning now, but the Day will come when we will all sing in joyous praise to the One who made us. Birds too.

In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the first bird each morning, knowing that before the day’s groaning begins, there is joy in creation among the created.

you lookin at me

Posted in discernment, personal revelation, whisper

Listening for God—or Listening to Ourselves?

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By Elizabeth Prata

SYNOPSIS: The passage rejects the idea that Christians receive personal “whispers” from the Holy Spirit. Criticizing popular Christian women authors, it argues that God’s revelation is complete in Scripture and that believers should seek guidance through prayer, biblical wisdom, and spiritual discipline rather than subjective impressions or inner messages.

Continue reading “Listening for God—or Listening to Ourselves?” →
Posted in theology

What Does “Throwing a Sandal” Mean in the Bible?

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

In my daily Bible reading, I came across a phrase with which I was not familiar:

“Moab is My washbowl; I will throw My sandal over Edom; Shout loud, Philistia, because of Me!” (Psalm 60:8)

Why is throwing your shoe over a country or region an insult or a statement of dominance, as it appears to be in the verse?

You have heard scripture interprets scripture. In this case we can refer to Ruth 4:7 for an explanation of the shoe handling:

Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the way of confirmation in Israel.

I looked it up some more. This is where commentaries come in handy.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible says the same as the Ruth 4:7 verse above, and goes on with a bit more context-

He here expresses the utmost confidence that he would succeed in this, notwithstanding the adverse events which had occurred. It is supposed that there is allusion in the expression “I will cast out my shoe,” to the custom, when transferring a possession, of throwing down a shoe on the ground as a symbol of occupancy. Compare Ruth 4:7. In the middle ages this was expressed by throwing down a glove; in the time of Columbus, by solemnly taking possession and setting up a cross; in other times, by erecting a standard, or by building a fort. 

You may have heard that ‘throwing down a glove” (gauntlet) in the Middle Ages meant the fight was on. History.com and Merriam-Webster Dictionary explain,

The term “gauntlet” comes from the French word gantelet, referring to the heavy, armored gloves worn by knights, according to History.com. Meaning: It was a literal, public act of defiance that, if accepted (by “taking up the gauntlet”), required personal combat to resolve a dispute

Apparently in Bible times, throwing the shoe was the signal that one side was prepared to fight for victory, in other words, ‘I’m coming for you! – and I will win!”

It’s helpful to pursue some of these long-ago idiomatic phrases that help us understand the verse more deeply.

Posted in theology

I Didn’t Go to Heaven — And Neither Did They

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

SYNOPSIS: Modern “heaven tourism” claims continue resurfacing through books, interviews, and testimonies, but many contradict Scripture and even themselves. Christians should exercise biblical discernment, reject subjective revelations, and trust the sufficiency of God’s Word alone regarding heaven, hell, eternity, and salvation.

EPrata photo
Continue reading “I Didn’t Go to Heaven — And Neither Did They” →
Posted in theology

An Immutable God in Unstable Times

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Charles Spurgeon wrote a commentary on all the Psalms. It is called The Treasury of David. You can find it online in several places, such as here. Or here.

It’s obvious to anyone with eyes that sin is drenching the world n higher and higher quantities. Sin running rampant in the flesh is a terrible thing. Runaway violence, anger, and thievery seems to have become the norm. Yet God still holds the universe in His hand and controls all the unfolding commotion with a steady progression toward the fulfillment of all that He has said will occur.

I hope that Spurgeon’s exposition of Psalm 75:3 encourages you.

The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved. When anarchy is abroad, and tyrants are in power, everything is unloosed, dissolution threatens all things, the solid mountains of government melt as wax; but even then the Lord upholds and sustains the right. I bear up the pillars of it. Hence, there is no real cause for fear. While the pillars stand, and stand they must for God upholds them, the house will brave out the storm. In the day of the Lord’s appearing a general melting will take place, but in that day our covenant God will be the sure support of our confidence.

“How can I sink with such a prop
As my eternal God,
Who bears the earth’s huge pillars up,
And spreads the heavens abroad.”

Selah. Here may the music pause while the sublime vision passes before our view; a world dissolved and an immutable God uplifting all his people above the terrible commotion.

Through the commotion of the world, look up to God where there is peace. EPrata collage
Posted in theology

Serving Behind the Front Line

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

SYNOPSIS: I reflect on the dignity and necessity of support roles, comparing them to biblical examples like Baruch, Jonathan, Ruth, Barnabas, and Timothy. I emphasize faithful service, humility, loyalty, and contentment, arguing that ALL roles, whether front line or background support – ultimately glorify God and strengthen His people.

Continue reading “Serving Behind the Front Line” →
Posted in theology

Summer Reading: Paradise Lost

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

When someone says “summer reading” it usually brings to mind beach reads, AKA light novels, that are aimed to entertain. Since people take vacations in summer, they bring with them a novel that isn’t mentally demanding, just aiming to soak up the book in their hand and the sun above as they escape briefly from their workaday life.

I’m the opposite. Summer reading for me means I choose demanding books because I’m off work for the summer. During school my mental capacities are stretched to the max. I teach reading to a succession of 6 small groups over 4 different grades using 3 different reading programs. It’s a lot. I love it, but it drains me mentally.

When I get home, I’m a zombie and it takes a pot of tea and an hour to recover. I have nNo capacity for demanding novels.

So in the summer when I’m off and I’m not being challenged mentally, it’s the perfect time to make my TBR stack of classics, or ‘books I’ve always wanted to read but haven’t yet’ or ‘a book that is hard for me. Four summers ago I tackled Moby-Dick. Then it was Treasure Island. Then Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. So this summer it’s going to be…

I saw it advertised on Grace Books’ website and it is not only one I’ve always wanted to read but this edition is a beautiful book. I mean, you had me at ‘gilt edged’. And ‘cloth bound’. Yes, I judge a book by its cover. Come at me, lol.

It’s John Milton’s epic poem, “Paradise Lost’. Written in 1667, the publisher promises that it is an unabridged version but there are margin notes for unfamiliar words. So already I know the language is going to be demanding. And harder for me personally, is the fact that it is written as an Epic Poem. I have a rough time with poetry, I just don’t understand it.

An Epic Poem is (according to Encyclopedia Britannica), “long narrative poem recounting heroic deeds. Outstanding examples of the written epic include Virgil’s Aeneid and Lucan’s Pharsalia in Latin, Chanson de Roland in medieval French, Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando furioso and Torquato Tasso’s Gerusalemme liberata in Italian, Cantar de mio Cid in Spanish, and John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queene in English.”

I read The Aeneid, The Odyssey and The Iliad, when I was in my early 20’s. Forty-five years later – ahem – my brain may have dimmed somewhat. In fact, I when I was in High School and just after, I read most of the standard classics listed in top 100 lists and I’m glad I did back then because reading or re-reading them now is much harder. But every summer, I select a classic to read or re-read, and that is my Summer Reading!

The version issued by Grace Books was on 40% off the regular price at the time (it’s still 10% off now), so of course I could not resist. The book itself (according to the blurb) contains:

Explanatory notes are included in the margins for allusions to Greek mythology and obscure words.

  • Introduction by Dr. Leland Ryken
  • Cover design by Stephen Crotts
  • 50 vintage illustrations by the renowned Gustave Doré; modified to cover nudity
  • Genuine cloth cover with gold foil print and a ribbon page marker

What is Paradise Lost about? Adam and Eve’s rebellion and humanity’s fall from grace. One reviewer of this edition on Amazon said,

“Having biblical backgrounds in its plot of being about Adam and Eve‘s temptation and humanity’s fall from grace, “Paradise Lost” should be read for its unparalleled sonorous language, it’s profound exploration of human freedom, disobedience and rebellion, and its impact on Western literature. It offers a complex, timeless, psychological portrait of Satan serving as a foundational text for understanding the archetypal antihero.”

OK, this should keep me busy! Here are the photos of this beautiful edition. I appreciate Gustave Doré’s illustrations. He was a famous French artist, printmaker, and caricaturist who died in 1883. He is best known for his wood-engravings illustrating classic literature, especially Dante’s Divine Comedy. What I really appreciate in this edition is that though the language has been left alone, the illustrations have been lightly edited to cover up the nudity in Doré’s illustrations.

Beautifully illustrated cloth cover
Gorgeous end papers!! AND a ribbon!
Crisp font and white pages for easy reading, side notes with explanations and scriptures.
One of Dore’s illustrations. He was a master at his craft.

I mentioned I do judge a book by its cover. Here are two others I’ve recently acquired. The Pilgrim’s Progress was a free gift from Chapel Library, and the Van Dyke I bought myself. See what I mean? If I am going to own books, they might as well be beautiful. My other reading selection this summer is a re-read of Pilgrim’s Progress. I’ll also finish the Grisham I started, as well as Lady Audley’s Secret, Lord willing and the eyes don’t fail!

Happy reading and book-ing this summer! What is on your TBR list?

Posted in theology

The Bible’s Brutal Honesty About Lying

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

SYNOPSIS: This essay explores God’s hatred of lying, tracing deception through Scripture, modern culture, media, government, and everyday life. Using biblical examples and commentary from pastors and theologians, it argues that dishonesty corrupts society, reflects Satan’s influence, and violates God’s standards. Yet through repentance, Christ offers forgiveness, restoration, and the call to pursue truthfulness.

Continue reading “The Bible’s Brutal Honesty About Lying” →