Author: elizabethprata

Christian writer and Georgia teacher's aide who loves Jesus, a quiet life, art, beauty, and children.
Posted in bible jesus, enering His rest

Heaven Week #4: Rest

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By Elizabeth Prata

Are the weeks getting longer, or is it just me? By the time Friday comes, I’m just too pooped to pop. Of course, I’m thrilled to have been working in a job I love, so no complaints there.

Weekends are an opportunity to rest and reflect on the week. Sundays are days for worship and fellowship, praising Him. In short, weekends are not only respite from the busy week but a clearing of space and time to reflect on the relationship I have with Him.

The Bible does not speak much of the concept of physical rest, except that when it does speak of rest, it is always in the future. The Bible does speak much about work. Paul uses many active verbs to describe our life here on earth- walk, strive, wrestle, run…

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Posted in prophecy, Uncategorized

Heaven Week #3: Heaven won’t have time

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By Elizabeth Prata

Missionary to Vanuatu in the late 1800s, John G. Paton, writing about the death of one of his first native converts in his book Thirty Years Among the South Sea Cannibals, said:

“While staying at Aneityum, I learned with as deep emotion as man ever felt for man, that noble old Abraham, the sharer of my Tannese trials, had during the interval peacefully fallen asleep in Jesus. He left for me his silver watch one which I had myself sent to the dear soul from Sydney, and which he greatly prized. In his dying hour he said, “Give it to Missi, my own Missi Paton; and tell him that I go to Jesus, where Time is dead.”

That converted cannibal had a real and profound grasp of his position in Christ. I have read many times that in heaven sin will be dead, tears will be dead, sorrow will be dead, but I never read anything put quite like that. In heaven, time is dead.

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Posted in theology

Heaven Week #2: It’s a real place

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By Elizabeth Prata

Yesterday I wrote about heaven and we defined terms and talked about how exciting the first space trips were when we got to look back and see earth from the heavenly perspective. How wonderful it will be to look to Jesus when we are all really in heaven and see the universe from HIS heavenly abode!

J. C. Ryle wrote:

There is a glorious dwelling place provided by Jesus Christ for all His believing people. The world that now is, is not their rest: they are pilgrims and strangers in it. Heaven is their home.
There will be a place in heaven for all sinners who have fled to Christ by faith, and trusted in Him : for the least as well as the greatest. Abraham took care to provide for all his children, and God takes care to provide for His. None will be disinherited; none will be cast out; none will be cut off. Each shall stand in his lot, and have a portion in the day when the Lord brings many sons to glory. In our Father's house are many mansions.
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Posted in theology

Heaven Week #1: Saints, we’re headed there!

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By Elizabeth Prata

The unsaved man says, I am a good person, it’s just that the world doesn’t give me a chance to show how good I am.

The saved man says, I am no good. I was of the world and the world is evil.

This is why Jesus had to come from elsewhere than this world to save us.

“And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven” (John 3:13).

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Posted in theology

Theme weeks coming up!

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By Elizabeth Prata

We started in-person school Friday and I’m so happy. I love being with the kids and I love my school. I used to teach elementary school in Maine and since I’m a native New Englander, all my school life whether as a certified teacher, substitute, or student, I was used to the Post-Labor day start. We had a September to June schedule. I’ve never gotten used to the South’s August to May schedule, but I love the job anyway.

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Posted in Humility

Every family has a story, every colleague, every child

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By Elizabeth Prata

I found this to be helpful in how to think of other people in my never-ending quest to esteem others above myself.

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)

Today is the start of a new school year. We met most of the kids and their parents/guardians last night at Open House. Every family has a story. Every child is made in the image of God. Every colleague has a story, and unbeknownst to us sometimes it’s a sad one or a difficult one.

Let’s offer grace, patience, and humility toward one and all today and every day.

Posted in theology

Piety for piety’s sake, and not ‘unto the LORD’

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By Elizabeth Prata

We all do things for show, hoping someone will see and notice us doing it. It’s the pride in us that wants to be seen and applauded. But Jesus said when giving or praying or fasting, and by extension any service unto the Lord, render it privately. Don’t let your left hand know what your right is doing.

The Pharisees either hadn’t gotten the message or ignored it, because they were prime example #1 of what not to do when giving service to the Lord. The poor, pitiful tax collector knew, he was a sinful individual and he humbled himself before the Lord in prayer.

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Posted in theology

Crowd Manipulation: They play dirty

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by Elizabeth Prata

Rob Curran, cc from Unsplash

But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas, and to put Jesus to death. (Matthew 27:20).

But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking that he was dead. (Acts 14:19).

When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him, (Acts 21:27)

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Posted in theology

The Chosen TV series, more reviews

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By Elizabeth Prata

The Chosen is a broadcast event that’s sweeping minds and hearts. The series, of which there are two seasons now with more to come, has been met with a ton of discussion- both pro and con.

Dallas Jenkins (son of Jerry Jenkins of Left Behind novels fame) is the series director and he is a superior filmmaker. His pacing, direction, and cinematography is unmatched in the realms of Christian filmmaking, and equals any well-financed Hollywood production.

Jenkins said he has been researching the cultural and historical background of the times in which Jesus lived so the series would be accurate. In this, he seems to have done a fantastic job. The costumes, behavior, and speech of the actors seems to match what actually have been done and said in the time. The sets and locations are great. He also claims that he is not adding to scripture, but being faithful to it. In this, the discussion parts ways. Some say Jenkins is filling in plausible blanks where the Bible is silent, others say he is definitely adding to scripture.

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