Month: February 2020

Posted in potpourri, theology

Prata Potpourri: archaeological discoveries, riding a camel, lost gift certificate, how to open a book, more

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I went on an archaeological dig once. It was in Tuscany, Italy. We were trying to find structures that would help date the land and buildings of this particular property. Its owner, an Italian Count, was hoping it would date back to Charlemagne. It turned out I made a significant discovery, one they hadn’t expected! They became soooo excited when the structure I was digging became known once again to the light of day. What did I discover? What was so exciting? A latrine! Continue reading “Prata Potpourri: archaeological discoveries, riding a camel, lost gift certificate, how to open a book, more” →

Posted in ecclesiastes, theology

Moondust, or, Dust to Dust?

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I have Netflix and I enjoy watching the series called The Crown. It’s a fictionalized-kind-of-realistic peek into the Royal Family of Queen Elizabeth II from 1947 to 1969 (so far). Future seasons are supposed to cover the time of her reign into the 21st century. It is a praised series for its acting, cinematography, and relatively accurate portrayal of the Royal Family and the historical incidents they became involved in. Continue reading “Moondust, or, Dust to Dust?” →

Posted in encouragement, theology

The Sand and the Rock

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I grew up in The Ocean State, Rhode Island. Yes, it’s small, really small. You’re never far from the ocean. My grandparents had a summer house on Narragansett Bay and we were there constantly in the summer, every weekend. When I got older my mother let me ride my bike the 3 miles to their house. I’d spend all day in the water or on the sand. Continue reading “The Sand and the Rock” →

Posted in theology

Word of the Week: Fruit of the Spirit, Faithfulness

Posted on by elizabethprata
By Elizabeth Prata

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23).

The word we’re focusing on this week inside the fruit of the Spirit list is- faithfulness.

As a reminder, the fruit of the Spirit is love. All other fruit stems from that one fruit. There is one fruit of the Spirit, it isn’t a plural. It’s one bundle.

fruit goodness verse 1

The Greek word in this verse for faithfulness is pistis. Helps Word Studies explains,

pístis (from 3982/peithô, “persuade, be persuaded”) – properly, persuasion (be persuaded, come to trust); faith.

Faith/pistis) is always a gift from God, and never something that can be produced by people. In short, “faith” for the believer is “God’s divine persuasion” – and therefore distinct from human belief (confidence), yet involving it. The Lord continuously births faith in the yielded believer so they can know what He prefers, i.e. the persuasion of His will (1 Jn 5:4).

Pistis in secular antiquity referred to a guarantee (warranty). In Scripture, faith is God’s warranty, certifying that the revelation He inbirthed will come to pass.

Faith (4102/pistis) enables the believer to know God’s preferred-will (cf. J. Calvin; see 2307/thelçma).

Reflection: Faith is only (exclusively) given to the redeemed. It is not a virtue that can be worked up by human effort.

Resources:

Ligonier Devotional: Goodness and Faith

Faith is another fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Gal. 5:22). But when the Apostle refers to faith, he speaks not merely of “believing in God.” Paul also calls us to “believe God.” Believing in God is not that remarkable — even demons do that. What the Lord wants is a people who trust in His promises alone (James 2:14–26).

GotQuestions: Fruit of the Spirit- What is Faithfulness?

Faithfulness is believing that God is Who He says He is and continuing in that belief despite the vagaries of life. Functionally, that means we trust what God says in the Bible, and not necessarily what the world or our own eyes tell us. We trust He will work out everything for good. We trust He will work His will in us. And we trust that our situation on earth is nothing compared to our future reward in heaven. The only way we can have such faith is by the Holy Spirit’s influence. He testifies to the truth and impels us to seek God. The Spirit makes us faithful.

Arthur W. Pink:

Faith endures as seeing Him who is invisible (Heb. 11:27); endures the disappointments, the hardships, and the heart-aches of life, by recognizing that all comes from the hand of Him who is too wise to err and too loving to be unkind. But so long as we are occupied with any other object than God Himself, there will be neither rest for the heart nor peace for the mind. But when we receive all that enters our lives as from His hand, then, no matter what may be our circumstances or surroundings—whether in a hovel or prison-dungeon, or at a martyr’s stake—we shall be enabled to say, ” The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places” (Ps. 16:6). But that is the language of faith, not of sight nor of sense.

Posted in christianity, theology

What does Christianity have that all other religions do not?

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

All religions are not equal. All other religions except Christianity are false.

See, the problem is sin. It’s not which god to worship. It’s not how to worship. It’s not how to be a better person. It’s not how to ‘connect with the divine.’ The fundamental human problem is our sin before a holy and just God. Only God is God, not Allah, he is no god. Not Shiva. Not Brahman.

I am the LORD, and there is no other;
         Besides Me there is no God.
Isaiah 45:5

Since our fundamental problem is how to be holy as God is holy, we must do something to restrain our sin. We must be forgiven of it. We must partner with a power outside of ourselves who is holy and perfect. Deep down we all know we’re rotten, we do bad, we need help, however you want to phrase it. So they seek ‘noble paths’ (Buddhism). They create second chances. (Hindu reincarnation). They worship the observable earth (Wicca, Druids). None will help man in his fundamental problem; restraining the flesh.

See? (Go here for 20-second vid)

All other religions can do nothing to restrain the flesh. In all other religions, the flesh is god, not God. Only God, who is transcendent, above us and His creation, the very Creator, can pass His hand over us and declare us just, through His Son Jesus. What Christianity has that all other religions do not is the ability of God to solve our sin problem.

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoiced in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)

If you repent to Jesus, who died as the sacrificial lamb, shedding His blood, and absorbing and exhausting God’s wrath for His people, then you will be saved. he is the door to heaven. The only door.

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. (John 10:9).

door

Posted in history, theology

When Katie Von Bora wore black

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By Elizabeth Prata

Katharina von Bora was a woman you should know, if you don’t already. She was born in 1499 in Lippendorf, Saxony, Germany. When she was five years old her father sent her to a monastery for education, and then to another one when she was 9. Ten years later, the growing Reformation movement has slipped into even the thick walls of the quiet Cistercian monastery and Katy, by now a nun, conspired to escape it with several other nuns. She had contacted Luther and Luther sent his friend Leonard Koppe, to retrieve the nuns. They escaped in a fish wagon. They arrived in Wittenberg, where you know who lived. Continue reading “When Katie Von Bora wore black” →

Posted in theology

How did they react when they saw Jesus?

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Jesus is the God-Man. He is fully God and fully Man. I don’t understand how that works (known as the hypostatic union). No one does. It’s a mystery of God.

As a man, He is comfort, friend, brother. John the disciple leaned on Jesus’ bosom at the last supper. (John 13:25). Cozy. He wants to gather His children and protect them as a hen does her chicks. (Matthew 23:37). Tender.

In recent decades, excessive focus has been given to that particular aspect of Jesus, the Man. But then ‘Man’ devolved into ‘boyfriend’. This has allowed a skew of sinful familiarity to penetrate women’s minds, ministries, and material. Continue reading “How did they react when they saw Jesus?” →

Posted in religion, theology

Is Christianity a relationship or a religion?

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By Elizabeth Prata

How often do we hear that all we need is a personal relationship with Jesus? That it’s a relationship, not a reltigion? I read so often that ‘Christianity is not a religion’, as if participating in our religion is bad, or that its principles and commands are not needed. They are needed and it is a religion. Continue reading “Is Christianity a relationship or a religion?” →

Posted in movie review, theology

Movie Review: Troop Zero

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I like movies about kids, kids who are marginalized or are underdogs and persevere with grace and charitableness. This is one of those movies.

The blurb goes: “In rural Georgia in 1977, a group of elementary-school misfits led by spunky outcast Christmas Flint join forces to infiltrate the high-and-mighty Birdie Scouts youth group in order to win a talent show. The winning Birdies will earn the right to have their voices included on the Voyager Golden Record, which Christmas believes will be heard by her deceased mother – if they can just win the show.”

Starring in this 2019 film are Viola Davis, Jim Gaffigan, Mike Epps, Charlie Shotwell, and Allison Janney, and as the main character Christmas Flint, McKenna Grace. You might remember McKenna as Paige from Young Sheldon. It’s the second collaboration between Davis and Janney since The Help in 2011. The foil is on Amazon Prime.

It seems that of late I’ve gravitated to several movies set in the south, this one in the back woods of Georgia in the fictional town of Wiggly. Christmas’ father is a lawyer on the edge of bankruptcy but a hail fellow well met, if a bit scruffy. Viola Davis is his world-weary aide/secretary.

Christmas is fascinated with the stars, one link she had with her mom who’d passed away the previous year. When Christmas hears of an opportunity to be a voice on the recording of The Golden Record to be placed on Voyager and launched into space, Christmas grabs the opportunity with all the spunk she’s got and all the determination she can muster. The chance involves having to become a Birdie, like a Brownie in the Girl Scouts.

Southern demographics are subtly but plainly demonstrated here, if sometimes a bit brutally. The misfit Birdie troop Christmas manages to gather are the town’s marginalized and disliked, aka rednecks and trailer trash. The town’s upper class girl clique definitely does not approve of a rival, especially one called Troop Zero. The troop must earn badges in order to compete in the Jamobree, where the winner will be the troop allowed to speak onto the Golden Record, Christmas’ ultimate goal. As the misfit girls work together to earn their badges, they learn to like each other and begin to see a way of life that isn’t fueled by anger or bitterness (as some of the other Troop Zero girls are). They learn they have skills they didn’t know they possessed, and see a possible way of life they hadn’t seen before.

Some of the school bullying from the town’s princesses is hard to watch (not because it’s especially violent, just hard to take). The biting, “bless your heart, I’m jes playin” bullying from the rival Troop Mother (Janney) is also cruel. But I believe it to be real, if slightly exaggerated, as a line between a small town’s haves and have nots.

It’s a movie that seems simple but grows emotionally complex as it goes on. It is a pretty movie, too, the cinematography is good and the scenes of the stars and pastures are beautiful to watch. The pacing is good, nothing lags. There are lessons here, for many different ages.

Lots of swearing with the word ‘hell’, one “shit.” Some adult beer drinking, and adult smoking. No other issues.

I have also watched Alabama Moon recently (Amazon Prime). I also enjoyed Wish Man, the story of Make-A-Wish founder Frank Shankwitz. (Amazon Prime).

Did you know that InstantWatcher is a website that makes finding the kind of movies you want to see on Amazon Prime or Netflix easy? And you can search by RATING! (G, PG, Pg-13, etc). If you find a movie you like you can also launch Prime or Netflix right from Instantwatcher. Her are some reviews of the Instantwatcher:

InstantWatcher is a Faster Interface to Netflix Streaming

Instantwatcher is a better search option for Netflix database

I hope you enjoy it! If you don’t, it’s OK your mileage may vary, but please don’t @me! 🙂

 

Posted in discernment, theology

A few thoughts on discernment

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I wrote last week that I’d tweeted something about a certain false teacher’s lifestyle, and the tsunami of hate immediately came rolling toward me. It didn’t let up for three days.

As per usual I was called hateful, evil, a troll, jealous, self-righteous, covetous, judgmental, and more. That’s the usual stuff.

I always try to learn from any experiences, especially experiences in contending for the truth. Continue reading “A few thoughts on discernment” →