Author: elizabethprata

Christian writer and Georgia reading teacher who loves Jesus, a quiet life, art, beauty, and children.
Posted in faith, foxe's book of martyrs, martyr, suffering

Sunday Martyr Moment: Martyrs vs. Mark Driscoll – What is real suffering?

Posted on by elizabethprata

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. According to this summary from Christian Book Summaries,

Writing in the mid-1500s, John Foxe was living in the midst of intense religious persecution at the hands of the dominant Roman Catholic Church. In graphic detail, he offers accounts of Christians being martyred for their belief in Jesus Christ, describing how God gave them extraordinary courage and stamina to endure unthinkable torture.

From the same link, the book’s purpose was fourfold:

  • Showcase the courage of true believers who have willingly taken a stand for Jesus Christ throughout the ages, even if it meant death,
  • Demonstrate the grace of God in the lives of those martyred for their faith,
  • Expose the ruthlessness of religious and political leaders as they sought to suppress those with differing beliefs,
  • Celebrate the courage of those who risked their lives to translate the Bible into the common language of the people.

Text from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Eighth Persecution, Under Valerian, A.D. 257

Began under Valerian, in the month of April, 257, and continued for three years and six months. The martyrs that fell in this persecution were innumerable, and their tortures and deaths as various and painful. The most eminent martyrs were the following, though neither rank, sex, nor age were regarded.

Rufina and Secunda were two beautiful and accomplished ladies, daughters of Asterius, a gentleman of

The Martyrdom of Secunda and Rufina
Collaborative painting by Il Morazzone,
Giulio Procaccini, Giovanni Battista Crespi (1620-1625)

eminence in Rome. Rufina, the elder, was designed in marriage for Armentarius, a young nobleman; Secunda, the younger, for Verinus, a person of rank and opulence. The suitors, at the time of the persecution’s commencing, were both Christians; but when danger appeared, to save their fortunes, they renounced their faith. They took great pains to persuade the ladies to do the same, but, disappointed in their purpose, the lovers were base enough to inform against the ladies, who, being apprehended as Christians, were brought before Junius Donatus, governor of Rome, where, A.D. 257, they sealed their martyrdom with their blood.

Stephen, bishop of Rome, was beheaded in the same year, and about that time Saturninus, the pious orthodox bishop of Toulouse, refusing to sacrifice to idols, was treated with all the barbarous indignities imaginable, and fastened by the feet to the tail of a bull. Upon a signal given, the enraged animal was driven down the steps of the temple, by which the worthy martyr’s brains were dashed out.

Sextus succeeded Stephen as bishop of Rome. He is supposed to have been a Greek by birth or by extraction, and had for some time served in the capacity of a deacon under Stephen. His great fidelity, singular wisdom, and uncommon courage distinguished him upon many occasions; and the happy conclusion of a controversy with some heretics is generally ascribed to his piety and prudence. In the year 258, Marcianus, who had the management of the Roman government, procured an order from the emperor Valerian, to put to death all the Christian clergy in Rome, and hence the bishop with six of his deacons, suffered martyrdom in 258.

Let us draw near to the fire of martyred Lawrence, that our cold hearts may be warmed thereby. The merciless tyrant, understanding him to be not only a minister of the sacraments, but a distributor also of the Church riches, promised to himself a double prey, by the apprehension of one soul. First, with the rake of avarice to scrape to himself the treasure of poor Christians; then with the fiery fork of tyranny, so to toss and turmoil them, that they should wax weary of their profession.

With furious face and cruel countenance, the greedy wolf demanded where this Lawrence had bestowed the substance of the Church: who, craving three days’ respite, promised to declare where the treasure might be had. In the meantime, he caused a good number of poor Christians to be congregated. So, when the day of his answer was come, the persecutor strictly charged him to stand to his promise. Then valiant Lawrence, stretching out his arms over the poor, said: “These are the precious treasure of the Church; these are the treasure indeed, in whom the faith of Christ reigneth, in whom Jesus Christ hath His mansion-place.

What more precious jewels can Christ have, than those in whom He hath promised to dwell? For so it is written, ‘I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in.’ And again, ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ What greater riches can Christ our Master possess, than the poor people in whom He loveth to be seen?”

O, what tongue is able to express the fury and madness of the tyrant’s heart! Now he stamped, he stared, he ramped, he fared as one out of his wits: his eyes like fire glowed, his mouth like a boar formed, his teeth like a hellhound grinned. Now, not a reasonable man, but a roaring lion, he might be called.

Wikimedia Commons,
Martyrdom of Lawrence

“Kindle the fire (he cried)–of wood make no spare. Hath this villain deluded the emperor? Away with him, away with him: whip him with scourges, jerk him with rods, buffet him with fists, brain him with clubs. Jesteth the traitor with the emperor? Pinch him with fiery tongs, gird him with burning plates, bring out the strongest chains, and the fire-forks, and the grated bed of iron: on the fire with it; bind the rebel hand and foot; and when the bed is fire-hot, on with him: roast him, broil him, toss him, turn him: on pain of our high displeasure do every man his office, O ye tormentors.”

The word was no sooner spoken, but all was done. After many cruel handlings, this meek lamb was laid, I will not say on his fiery bed of iron, but on his soft bed of down. So mightily God wrought with his martyr Lawrence, so miraculously God tempered His element the fire; that it became not a bed of consuming pain, but a pallet of nourishing rest.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Consider what the ladies went through. They were young, engaged to be married to handsome, rich suitors. However, when the chips were down, their suitors showed eternally that their brides’ worth was less than their fortunes, and the suitors snitched to the government and gave them over. The ladies were killed. I wonder how the sisters felt in prison. They did not renounce, so we know that they were comforted by the Spirit. (Hebrews 13:5). It can’t have been easy though, in the dank, dark, rat and maggot infested, slimy prison, awaiting their fate. Were the sisters together? Did they sing? Pray? I’m sure they did. Through it all, they remained faithful to the one true Groom and their eternal reward in heaven will last forever. Moths and rust have already destroyed the two rich suitors and their fortunes. (Luke 17:33; Matthew 6:19).

The bishops of Rome had it hard, too. One after another were killed. When Sextus succeeded Stephen, he knew he was going to be killed at some point, I’m sure. What a job description. “Needed: Leader of church, the people you will lead are skittish and likely will be hunted and persecuted. You will be hunted and likely killed too. Probably tortured. Accepting inquiries from 2-5 PM, in person.”

And they lined up, serving Christ with full passion and love. Killed with Sextus were deacons Januarius, Vincentius, Magnus, Stephanus, Felicissimus and Agapitus. (Matthew 10:16).

And dear Lawrence, tortured mercilessly and roasted on a gridiron because he wouldn’t give over the church money! His declaration of the Church’s treasure being His sheep, priceless!

I think about today’s men who call themselves leaders and whine about difficulties of service in ministry. (Jude 1:16). Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church claims to have “faced danger” a few times. He wrote a long list of perceived persecutions and troubles he said he’s endured, in an essay titled “The hardest part of ministry” with the tag, ‘suffering.’ It’s a lengthy essay about his personal suffering, listing many woes he has faced. Here are a few.

Mark Driscoll, Wiki photo

Once, a man tried to enter his house. Another time a man with a “large knife” walked up the aisle and tried to stab him. Once, a sex offender tried to talk to his family. One time, someone sent Mark a letter telling him to stop preaching. Other times, people would post directions to Mark’s house on social media and encourage his critics to come to his home. He even has had to endure gossip! Once, someone even pooped on his porch!!

Yep, in his own humblebragging words, Mr Driscoll has surely been through it. Mr Driscoll wrote, “In general, going out in public has gotten tough. People feel free to interrupt family dinners out to sit at the table…” That’s just terrible! It’s not like his time is not his own but Jesus’s and his service is to Jesus or anything.

Like the two young ladies who lost their family, their fiancé, and their lives in A.D. 257 had been through it, sealing their martyrdom with their blood, some of today’s pastors are surely enduring a terrible persecution. Dealing with poop on your porch must surely equate with betrayal, imprisonment, and beheading as a terrible price for your service.

I love reading about the martyrs and writing about them so I can honor them as my forbears in faith. I love to ponder the faithfulness of our Savior who gives a faith so strong these precious martyrs endured torture and death with songs and prayers. I love to praise the Holy Spirit for empowering them with the things to say, like Lawrence bringing the sheep as the treasure, knowing it would mean his fleshly doom. Jesus is worth living for.  Jesus is worth dying for.

I also write about these martyrs so as to give us all a sense of perspective. Mr Driscoll has definitely lost his. When he preaches on suffering, do you truly think he understands biblical suffering for the name of Jesus? I don’t.

Driscoll at dinner with family, source: FB

Jesus is hated in this world and that hatred will only grow worse. (John 15:18; Matthew 10:22). Hatred for Him will express itself in physical harm, injustice and death. It already is, in many nations of the world. Complaining because you can’t eat supper in a restaurant without interruption from people is not ‘suffering.’ They are the people whom Lawrence called the most precious treasure of the church. Yet Mr Driscoll considers them a bother and just wants to eat his steak in peace. Perspective-

Being grilled on a gridiron is real suffering. Interruptions at dinner and gossip about you is not.

I think of two evangelists who rode a boat up a river deep into a jungle and trekked three more hours to reach a village of lost people in Laos. They shared about Christ and 178 people were converted and 8 were baptized. Yet the local witch doctor accused several Christians of causing the accidental deaths of three local men, and the Christians were rounded up, tried, told to renounce their faith, threatened with exile, and forced to pay restitution.

This incident was not in some long ago time. It was a news story posted on Voice of the Martyrs on November 18, 2013.

And rich pastors in the US complain that their woes are “cruel and unusual.”

Perspective. Keep in your heart what real suffering for the faith and the name of Jesus is so that we can praise His holy name for being so faithful to those who truly suffer. And let us rejoice in our own circumstances that He hasn’t ordained us to the same events as yet. Rejoice either way, that we suffer for Him or we live for him. And remember the martyrs.

Posted in encouragement, peace

Jesus left us with the gift of Peace

Posted on by elizabethprata

God is love. God is Justice. God is holiness. God is unwavering. God is mercy. Think of the quality of Jesus as being peace, and offering peace as He left us in person.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Not man-made peace which doesn’t last. That kind of peace is fleeting, as when someone offers you a raise, or pays your debt, or after a refreshing nap, or when a project is completed or a meal is good. That kind of peace is surface, shallow peace.

That kind of peace can be disrupted by mundane and ridiculous things. A car horn, a baby’s cry, a shove in line, traffic, a missed deadline. Peace that is man-made can also be taken away by man.

The peace that Jesus gives us is a permanent peace. It drenches every molecule of us with its truth and comfort. As Charles Spurgeon wrote in his sermon on the John 14:27 verse, titled, Spiritual Peace,

“The donation, the blessed legacy which our Lord has here left, is his peace.”… There is a peace of God which reigns in our hearts through Jesus Christ, by which we are bound in closest ties of unity and concord to every other child of God whom we may meet with in our pilgrimage here below.”

“Our peace then, is God’s own child, and God-like is its character. His Spirit is its sire, and it is like its Father. It is “my peace,” saith Christ! not man’s peace; but the unruffled, calm, the profound peace of the Eternal Son of God. Oh, if we had but this one thing within our bosoms, this divine peace, a Christian were a glorious thing indeed; and even now kings and mighty men of this world are as nothing when once compared with the Christian; for he wears a jewel in his bosom which all the world could not buy, a jewel fashioned from old eternity and ordained by sovereign grace to be the high boon, the right royal inheritance of the chosen sons of God.”

Posted in creation, God, sunset

What is it about sunsets?

Posted on by elizabethprata
Sunset, Comer, GA. EPrata photo

A friend of mine said that she loves sunsets. She and her gal friends, when they have an annual get-together at the beach, chase sunsets. They love the beauty and color and vibrancy and uniqueness of each one.

That got me thinking about sunsets. In October of this year I had put up a few of my favorite sunset photos. I used to travel quite a bit, and enjoyed sunsets in many places and in many climes. One place we used to enjoy sunsets was Naples Florida. Naples is on the west coast of FL and almost as far south as far as you can go on the peninsula. The city overlooks the Gulf of Mexico.

When you have a city on a west coast overlooking the water, it sets up a great view for seeing sunsets (and the green flash). People used to gather at the beach just before sunset. As the day waned and sunset drew near, the atmosphere at the beach changed from boisterous family fun, wheels of gulls, and screeches of children, to a quiet slapping of shutting folding chairs, towels snapping as they’re shook out, and slow footprints in the sand drifting away from the beach and back to the car.

Sunset, Danielsville, GA. EPrata photo

Then the sunset chasers arrived. Clusters of folks would stand around, or sometimes sit, and watch the changing colors in the sky. The place would become quiet. Eyes would gravitate to the shore, and voices would become whispers, almost reverential, so as not to break the spell. The sun bedecked itself in glorious colors as it neared the horizon, and the hues became almost otherworldly. Voices were all silent now with eyes full of wonder tracking the orb’s descent. As the sun sunk below the blue gulf, and the skies turned blue and purple itself, sunset watchers would sigh, and slowly fold their chairs and drift to their cars.

What is it about a sunset that evoked such reverence and attention from seekers, many of whom didn’t even believe in God? It wasn’t a movie or a show or a musical or a circus…it was a sunset. What is it about sunsets?

Sunrise, Comer, GA. EPrata photo

so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. ~Psalm 65:8

An old-time pastor named Charles E. Jefferson pondered the meaning of the sunset in his sermon with that title.

“How many sunsets have you seen during this last week, this last month, this last year? How many have you seen in the last ten years, the last twenty, the last thirty? I do not ask how many have you glanced at, but how many have you gazed upon, paid attention to, pondered? On how many have you held your mind long enough for it to become impressed, for an influence to be diffused through your heart, for a discipline to be exercised upon your spirit? How many sunsets stand out vivid and glorious on the walls of your memory? How many of you can say, that the glory of setting suns is an appreciable factor in the development of your emotional and spiritual life?“

Charles E. Jefferson (1860-1937)
Sunset, Colbert, GA. EPrata photo

“The purpose of my sermon is to awaken in you the sense of condemnation, the consciousness of sin because of your neglect of this great feast of the Lord. I would have you think of the sunset as a means of grace. Have you ever counted up the means of grace? How long is your list? What have you included? Public worship? Yes. Bible reading? Yes. Prayer? Yes. Is that all? Have you not put down the sunset? That is a means of grace. By all means, put that down. It is a sacrament. It is the visible sign of an invisible grace. It is a symbol for mediating God’s grace to your heart. Put it down in the list of the means of grace; include it, also, in your list of sacraments. Reckon it a page in -your Bible. It is certainly a word ‘of the Lord.’ It is not a word of man. Man cannot speak after that fashion. There are some things- which God allows man to assist Him in making. If God wants a potato or a turnip, a cucumber or a squash, He allows man to help Him in producing it. If God wants a flower-bed or a lawn He allows man to collaborate with Him. But there are some things in which man can have no part. When God makes a sunset He says to man: “Now, please step aside; I want to do all this by Myself. You cannot in any way assist Me. This work is completely beyond you. I, alone, can produce a work like this.”

The bible says that all peoples from all nations, tribes, and tongues, have been made plainly aware of the attributes of our God the Holy Creator.

Nacreous clouds at Sunset, EPrata photo

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:19-20).

The sunset is a miracle, a sign, and a wonder. Pastor Jefferson continues,

“What a mystery it is that a thing so resplendently beautiful should be made of vibrations, and dust-particles and the movements of vapour. By reflection and refraction, and radiation and absorption, every dust particle obeying one law, and every vibration obeying another law, and every air-current obeying still another law, this stupendous miracle comes to pass.”

Consider the sunset. Consider the God who ordained it. Exult in the daily joy we have to worship His works and His creative power.

Posted in rewards

Receiving rewards!

Posted on by elizabethprata

All Christians will stand before Jesus to be judged. It’s a ceremony that is not drenched with condemnation, but of rewards! (1 Corinthians 9:4-27; 2 Timothy 2:5)

It’s OK to think about the rewards. I do, a lot. The reason that it’s OK to think about this, is that I acknowledge that I could do nothing apart from Jesus. (John 15:5). It’s because I acknowledge that the Holy Spirit was the One who enabled me to do the things I did in the name of Jesus. (2 Corinthians 3:6;  Gal. 5:22-23, Luke 24:49).

I can’t wait to see if Jesus was pleased with anything I did in the Spirit’s power. I can’t wait to cast my crowns back to Him! (Revelation 4:4).

As much as I enjoy thinking about working for the name of Jesus and how the Bema Seat Judgment-Rewards ceremony will go, something struck me last night.

A beloved pastor and teacher in our area gave his testimony. He is a quadriplegic. He spoke of the grace of Jesus, His provision, His healing to the extent he was healed physically, and shared a kingdom perspective by sharing his love of the life that Jesus has given him.

There were several points at which I was struck. The entire testimony was compelling, but I am a sucker for a good story about a good marriage. He has one. He also has two adorable children. He and his wife married after he was hurt.

He said he can’t wait to see his beloved and diligent, kind, uncomplaining wife receive her rewards in heaven.

I often think about the rewards of the past martyrs, when they receive the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10). I often think about rejoicing when the faithful pastors of the past, like Spurgeon, Edwards, Calvin,  and the men like them receive their reward. I think or my rewards. But how often do I think of my own contemporaries laboring now, and their rewards, and rejoicing with them in Jesus’ name?

[crickets]

I’m so busted! LOL. His was a tremendous testimony and I’m now rejoicing that I can rejoice in thinking of my peers’ rewards. I now am envisioning my pastors’ rewards ceremony, and my friends’. The bible says

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling” (1 John 2:9–10).

I love my brethren, and I can’t wait to see them receive blessing from Jesus, and they, and I, send those blessings right back to the One who is glory itself.

Who are you envisioning receiving their reward from Jesus?

Posted in antichrist, bitcoin, jesus, prophecy, quantum computer

Bitcoins and quantum computing

Posted on by elizabethprata

Back in April of this year, I wrote about a quirky new virtual currency called bitcoin. At that time, it was just three years old and amazingly, valued at 1 BN. Forbes magazine at that time called it a “disruptive technology.” They state their opinion in a well-written, understandable piece of logic:

“A financial network is a technological platform that people build businesses on top of. And the traditional banking and credit card networks are closed platforms. If you want to build an e-commerce site, a payment network like Paypal, or any other service that deals in dollars, you need to convince incumbent financial institutions to do business with you. Getting such a partnership is difficult and involves a lot of red tape.

 There’s a good reason for the high barrier to entry: electronic transactions in the conventional banking system are generally reversible. If someone makes a fraudulent charge to your credit card, you can dispute the transaction and in most cases the bank or the merchant, not the customer, will cover the cost. That’s convenient for consumers, but it requires the financial system to be a fairly close-knit web of trust. Allowing a new member into the club creates risks for everyone else. So the incumbents are understandably reluctant to deal with anyone who isn’t well-known and well-capitalized.

 Bitcoin is different. Because transactions are authenticated cryptographically and cannot be reversed, there’s no need to restrict access to the network. There’s no risk to accepting payments from complete strangers. That means people don’t need anyone’s permission or trust to go into business as a Bitcoin-based merchant or financial intermediary.”

So how is bitcoin doing three and a half years after debut, and 7 months after it poked through the ceiling of global consciousness? Pretty durn good. The Verge has a piece on bitcoin from last night.

Source

Bitcoin hits $700 during surprisingly friendly Senate hearing on the virtual currency
“Bitcoin, the decentralized virtual currency that approximates cash on the internet, had a big day today. The four-year-old currency had its first hearing in Congress as experts from the government, the Bitcoin community, and the nonprofit sector appeared to discuss the implications of the growing popularity of virtual currencies. And while that testimony took place, a single Bitcoin soared to $700 on the market at the tail of a two-week climb.”

 “Virtual currencies, perhaps most notably Bitcoin, have captured the imagination of some, struck fear among others, and confused the heck out of many of us,” Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, told a packed room.”

 “The hearing was the culmination of a three-month investigation into Bitcoin and other virtual currencies, he said. The proceeding was made up of two panels. The first featured Jennifer Shasky Calvery, the director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; Mythili Raman, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice; and Secret Service agent Edward W. Lowery III.”

The above article concluded ended with this “While the hearing was frontloaded with discussion of the potential for virtual currencies to be used for crime, there was no sense of alarm about the strange new world of Bitcoin. “

So far from being disruptively and wild N woolly, the bitcoin is settling into its place in commerce and in governmental mindsets. It is traded on the exchange, and is gaining investors, according to TechCrunch. The Chinese bitcoin exchange “pile onto bitcoin” and is gaining momentum. Bloomberg goes so far as to say it is gaining credibility. Bloomberg reminds us that “Bitcoins … exist as software and aren’t regulated by any country or banking authority,” and this is a remarkable statement because the currency didn’t even exist three years ago.

It is prophesied that the false prophet will force all to accept a mark of worship that will not only ally the recipients with satan via the antichrist but allow the recipients to buy or sell, (Revelation 13:16-17). People who refuse the mark will not be allowed to buy or sell. This is an intriguing prophecy. For millennia, it has been impossible for commenters, theologians and interpreters of the bible to understand how one man could control all of the world’s commerce by regulating its currency and to know instantly at point of sale who is allowed to buy or sell- and who is not. They believed it, they just couldn’t envision it.

However, since technological times in this generation, people have accepted that somehow the world economy will be remade to the point where one currency will circulate, but before the internet was invented the best they could envision was that it’d have something to do with barcodes.

The barcode was invented in 1952 but it wasn’t used commercially  until 1974. That is not so long ago. I was in high school. Since then, technology has made envisioning some of the previously more difficult and obscure prophecies not only clear but almost realized in our lifetime. Whether bitcoin will be THE currency used to fulfill the prophecy, or another one will be, it is increasingly clear that since this generation was born there have been astounding technological advances that not only laid the groundwork for the prophecy to be fulfilled but the details of it to be envisioned with clarity and precision.

Think about it- prior to 1974, no barcodes were in use in commercial economy. Since then we’ve had the advent of the internet, a global economy, and new currencies. One may buy and sell virtual items without ever touching money. A kindle book is one example. eCommerce is de rigueur.

Parallel to the bitcoin’s rise is the necessity for supercomputers to handle the world’s increasingly virtual commerce. And just yesterday, a quantum computing record was set. If there is to be a new currency and if it is to be virtual-based, the world will need faster computers to maintain these commerce and banking records. Enter quantum computing. Instead of using silicon based transistors, a quantum computer “will harness the power of atoms and molecules to perform memory and processing tasks.”

“Notoriously hard to manipulate and even more difficult to maintain Quantum memory states are often best controlled at absolute zero, however this new record has shattered previous estimations by being carried out at room temperature.” (source)

And the record that was “shattered” was that the quantum computer was maintained at room temp for 42 minutes. That’s a huge leap. A quantum leap. Sorry. Couldn’t resist.

With our old global economy on the brink, fiat money increasingly diluted, and new currencies popping up, combined with the convergence of all other prophecies such as the rapid decline of society, rise of apostasy, and Christianity’s great shrinking, it seems to me that we could actually see the Messiah in our lifetimes- if not sooner.

Posted in prophecy, seminary

How to spot a liberal seminary, storms, political discourse

Posted on by elizabethprata

Clint Archer has a good article on How to Spot a Liberal Seminary. If you were wondering how so many false pastors get into churches, and then turn around and corrupt the sheep, this is how. I personally believe we have passed a tipping point, with so many pastors as the tares choking out the real wheat. Pastors who don’t know the bible have to come from somewhere. Liberal seminaries are one place from which they spew.

Do you think there are more huge storms lately? Superstorm Sandy has already been upstaged by “the biggest storm ever, “Typhoon Haiyan. Here is an editorial looking at the last few years’ worth of storms and comparing them to the prophesied birth pangs. Data don’t lie.

Speaking of storms, another usual occurrence occurred. The Huffington Post commented on the recent rash of tornadoes in the Midwest yesterday. Their line, “Illinois was struck the hardest by the unusually powerful late-season tornadoes” contains the by-now usual superlatives I’ve been talking about. With each passing storm, each one larger than the last, or more unusual, or more powerful, we read of superlatives. In the HuffPo piece, we read three at once; ‘Unusual”, “powerful” and “late-season”.

We’ve gone from this:

“The citizens of the U.S. are responsible for the greatest trust ever confided to a political society” ~James Madison

And this:

“The jaws of power are always open to devour, and her arm is always stretched out, if possible, to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking, and writing.” ~John Adams

To this. This is what passes for public, political discourse lately:
MSNBC’s Bashir Apologizes For Saying Someone Should Defecate on Sarah Palin

The scriptures say-
“Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” (Proverbs 13:3)

“Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” (Ephesians 5:4) 

Posted in holy spirit, sanctification

Do you look like Jesus?

Posted on by elizabethprata

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

Progressive sanctification means we are continually being transformed by the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Jesus Christ. The Spirit and the sinful, forgiven human are in a partnership. There is responsibility by the forgiven sinner to participate in his sanctification. “Kill the old man” as Paul would say. On the other hand, we cannot accomplish this without the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit. We can’t change ourselves for the good, only He can. But we do bear responsibility. How does this dual union work?

We present our bodies to God for Him to send the Spirit to sanctify. (Romans 6:13; 12:1). We surrender to the Spirit’s work. However we also listen to our consciences, choosing right over wrong. We wash ourselves in the word, actively absorbing His statutes. Like Joseph, we choose to flee immorality. As Philippians 2:2 says, we work out our sanctification in fear and trembling.

In the transformation process of sanctification, we go back to the verse at the top. We are transformed into His likeness. I think of the old married couples who wind up looking like each other. Though Jesus our Groom is not being transformed into the Bride’s likeness, we are being transformed into His.

Anyway, the old married couples looking alike … that is really true. It’s not just perception. Popular Science asked,

American Gothic, Grant Wood, 1930

“FYI: Why Do Old Married Couples Look Alike?“
“Through the years, couples’ wrinkles form in the same places because of a lifetime of shared emotions, he wrote in the journal Motivation and Emotion“.

Why do old couples look alike?
“…[T]he study also offered some answers on why couples may look alike. To start, consider that life experiences can end up being reflected physically. Someone who is happy and smiles more will develop the facial muscles and wrinkles related to smiling. The years of experience of an old couple’s marriage, happy or otherwise, would then be reflected in their faces.“

Just think, if two people in a marriage share enough experiences over time, their experience shows on their faces and they end up looking like each other. If that happens on this sinful earth, through mere biology, what will we look like as we continually submit to the Spirit? What power the word has to transform us! What power the Spirit has to metamorphose us into His likeness! How glorious that he adopts us and transforms us into His image.

“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:29)

Posted in circumcision, heart

Don’t follow your heart

Posted on by elizabethprata

In these days of apostasy, secular people and even Christian people claim that their actions are allowed, authorized, or excused because it is a ‘matter of the heart.’ For example, in one recent blog essay I wrote about a Methodist pastor named Frank Schaefer who performed a homosexual wedding (his son’s) in 2007. A few years later a congregant complained, and now the pastor is on trial. Pastor Schaefer wondered,

“What is my crime? I blessed two people that loved each other,” Schaefer, 51, told ABC News.“

Ay, yes. Love. It’s all about what humans want from their heart, which immediately excuses all disobedience to God.

Not.

The bible explains in constant and plain terms what is in our heart. You know the heart is not to be trusted. Yet, so often we hear idioms about the heart, and believe them as if they were true.

Heart-to-heart means a serious conversation between two people in which they talk honestly about their feelings
Best interests at heart means to make decisions based on someone’s best interests
Heart of gold means a person is truly nice, deep down
One can set one’s heart upon something, meaning, one desires and expects something
Out of the goodness of one’s heart means doing something simply because one is kind

All lies. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

“The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5)

“And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.” (Genesis 8:21)

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)

The Lord our God is merciful. He knows what is in our heart, and He made a way. In the Old Testament, circumcision was a picture of how the heart is covered but the Lord cuts away its foreskin.

“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.” (Deuteronomy 10:16)

“And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:6)

Pulpit Commentary explains, “As circumcision was the symbol of purification and sign of consecration to God, so the Israelites are enjoined to realize in fact what that rite symbolized, viz. purity of heart and receptivity for the things of God.”

In the New Testament, Paul spoke about the circumcision of the heart,

“But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.” (Romans 2:29)

Our hearts are desperately wicked from birth and the inclinations of our heart are only evil continually. Only the Holy Spirit can purify the heart. Only Him. Paul is arguing that true circumcision is a matter of the heart, an operation only the Spirit can perform.

Left, Salvador Dali, The Veiled Heart

The beauty and grace of our merciful God is that He does clean us. If we repent, He will purify us and establish us as His adopted heirs, His very children. What Good News!!

Don’t believe your heart, but believe Jesus. The Book of Revelation calls for repentance 10 times. The entire New Testament in the ESV calls for repentance 53 times. The entire bible calls for repentance 75 times. The first word John the Baptist uttered in his public ministry was repent. (Matthew 3:2). The first word Jesus uttered in His public ministry was repent. (Matthew 4:17).

We are NOT “basically good.” Our heart is not something to depend on but contains the things that are evil, things He hates. Sin. Only Jesus can clean our heart, cleaning us from the inside out. He is the Resurrected Savior who shed His blood, died, and rose from the dead to perform this very act: forgiveness.

Posted in prophecy

Headlines indicating prophetic signs of near fulfillment

Posted on by elizabethprata

I’ve been reading some headlines on some Christian sites and the headlines remind me of some prophetic verses. I’ll post the headline and a snippet, and below that, the verse it reminded me of.

Did Israeli gov’t vandalize box that held the bones of Jesus’ brother?
“A limestone box said to have once held the bones of the brother of Jesus was at the center of the most controversial forgery case in decades — and it was allegedly vandalized by the Israeli government before being returned to its owner. … The box will soon go on display for the public to view for the first time since 2002. There’s just one problem: Reddish stains now appear over the inscription, remnants of a silicon substance applied by the Israel Police Forensics Laboratory to help determine the authenticity of the James ossuary. The Israeli police, with permission of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), made a red silicon mold of the inscription — destroying the ‘letter patina’ by pulling out this ‘soft’ patina … thus destroying evidence,” said the geologists who first studied the ossuary in 2002, according to Jerusalem-based journalist Matthew Kalman’ v:shapes=”_x0000_i1025″> who has covered Golan’s trial extensively. “Consequently, the alleged small amount of masking letter patina is absent now and cannot be studied further.”

I have no idea about the allegations on this issue, and I’m not making any correlations or allegations, but it did remind me of the case recorded in the bible. After Jesus rose from the dead,

“While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.” (Matthew 28:11-15)

I long for the day when Jesus will not be denied in any form from any person.

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Unprecedented Skull Discovery Raises Serious Questions Over Evolutionary Premises
“The discovery of an ancient human skull in the Asian country of Georgia has thrown the proverbial monkey wrench into the theory of human evolution. …For evolutionists, the skull presents a major problem. According to naturalistic dating methods, the specimen is nearly 2 million years old. Yet, despite the alleged ancient age, the skull is similar to today’s cranial structures, with differences that could fit into variation levels of modern humans.“

“For decades, evolutionists have claimed that different human species evolved at different rates in various locations. However, the skull discovery in Georgia shows that there was actually much more continuity than predicted, with only one distinct lineage of humans.”

Well, well, well. God made man. No myth or philosophy will stand on His day when He shows Himself as Faithful and True.

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26).

God made man in one day, not over billions of years as evolution states. Evolution is false on the face of it. There are too many logical leaps, gaps, and ridiculous assumptions. As for the science, the steady parade of the missing links and changes in ideas about the missing link should be a major clue that scientists themselves are not settled on the theory of evolution. A paper in Biology Letters just a couple of years ago asked, “Was Darwin Wrong?” No matter what man claims, the only true statements of any lasting value are God’s. (Mark 13:31)

FMI on why or how evolution isn’t true, go here

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NSA Tracks Turned-Off Phones — But Phone Makers Don’t Know How
Tracking a cellphone is easy, especially for the National Security Agency. But can you track a cellphone that’s been turned off? It sounds impossible, but the NSA apparently has been able to track powered-down mobile phones since 2004, as reported by The Washington Post in July 2013. So far, Ericsson, Google, Nokia and Samsung have responded — and, as far as they know or can say, it shouldn’t be possible to track powered-down cellphones. All four companies claimed to be unaware of any exploit or vulnerability that would make tracking a powered-down phone possible, since pressing the “off” button on a phone entirely deactivates its network connectivity.

There are some last days and Tribulation prophecies which refer to technology. Daniel said that in the last days knowledge will increase (Daniel 12:4).  It is a difficult prophecy to interpret because the prophecy isn’t clear on which sphere of knowledge will increase, or all spheres (including religious). We have certainly seen the government’s knowledge increase in both military and scientific applications. It has also increased in illegal knowledge of the citizens. We see many headlines today regarding the government’s knowledge of its people increasing by spying on us. But the plain meaning is that knowledge will increase.

The false prophet will cause all to have a mark on their hand or forehead. This will be a mark of worshiping the beast (antichrist) and it will allow the holder to participate in commerce, in other words, buy or sell.

Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave,e to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. Rev 13:16-17

How the antichrist would be able to track those who are in the commercial sphere and those who are not, given all the points of sale across the world, has perplexed many for thousands of years. Since these words were written by John it has seemed impossible to perform, and yet in the last few years it has been increasingly revealed just how able the government is at tracking its people. That is what the above headline shows.

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The Coming Betrayal of Israel
In Geneva, Switzerland, the United States and other major powers appeared close to a deal with Iran to curb its nuclear program in exchange for lifting some economic sanctions against the terrorist-sponsoring state. Negotiations, however, fell apart at the last minute when France and Iran balked at the final wording on the interim draft. Talks are expected to resume within a few weeks, but it is worth pausing to consider what was nearly agreed to and what the outcome could likely be. The Coming Betrayal of Israel.President Obama has pledged to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that America has Israel’s “back.” Who knew he had a knife?

The culmination of all things is that on the very last days, Israel will be completely friendless, completely surrounded and completely hated. Satan will have been thrown down from heaven, and his fury will be unleashed on Israel (and the Christians).

“Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.” (Zechariah 12:2-3)

“And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.” (Rev 12:13)

Backing up from that moment a bit, we know that through Israel’s history in biblical times and since 1948, the nation has been hated. Satan hates the nation that bore the male child, who is Jesus of course. Persecution has been the hallmark of the Jewish experience and the constant state of the nation of God. That Israel is increasingly hated today and increasingly isolated is prophetic and indicative of the last of the last days in which we are living. For those who just a few short years ago could not possibly see how the US and Israel would ever break relations, now you know. The bible is always true and it is amazing to me to see His words come alive in the world to the very jot and tittle of fulfillment.

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Brothers and Sisters, Jesus will call for His Bride and then He will return to judge the unbelieving world. These are facts from the bible. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). He will come soon, also a fact from the bible. (1 Thessalonians 1:10; Luke 3:7). His appearing has always been imminent. (John 11:17-27, Hebrews 10:24–25, Titus 2:11–13). I believe Jesus is coming soon because the bible declares it. The inspired writings the Apostles laid down declare it so.

I see the rising apostasy, increasing depravity, and  other partial fulfillments of scripture that herald the nearness of His coming as reported in the news, these are signs, the very signs He said to watch for. I read my bible, I look around, I know in my heart He is faithful and true- and He is coming soon. Whether He is “early” (Matthew 24:44) or whether He is “late” (Matthew 25:5) ,He will be right on time to collect His bride. I pray you are in that group and not the group left behind to face His wrath. Pray for forgiveness to the Resurrected Lamb, who was slain from the beginning of the world. God’s plan is to redeem, and pray your redemption is today, because the Redemption of the World who is also the Judge, draweth nigh.

Posted in charismatic, false doctrine, false teachers

The story of Lucy Nduta: of ravenous false prophets and dead sheep

Posted on by elizabethprata

Readers of this blog are aware that I enjoyed the good biblical preaching at the recent Strange Fire conference. That was a conference that sought to refute the claims of the Charismatic movement, to rebuke the leaders of it, and to urge the brethren to pray for discernment so they will be able to detect falsity if it creeps in to their church (or heart).

The Charismatic movement is a movement which is based on the unbiblical notion that personally delivered prophecies, babbling tongues, and healing by men laying hands on the sick (sign gifts) are still going strong as they were at Pentecost and during the Apostolic era.

These sign gifts have ceased, and the preaching at the conference showed this. One of the speakers was Pastor Conrad Mbewe. Pastor Mbewe is pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church in Zambia, Africa. He spoke at John MacArthur’s Strange Fire conference in Sun Valley, Calif., on Oct. 18, 2013. His first sermon was titled,  The African Import of Charismatic Chaos. He has been observing the growth of the Charismatic movement in his nation and beyond, for over thirty years. He has personally been impacted by it, as he said, not just from books but in every day life.

His second message was titled “Are We Preachers or Witch Doctors?” In this sermon, Pastor Mbewe related how the African mindset of the lost person, having been drenched in witch doctor superstition, will readily accept the unbiblical precepts inherent in the Charismatic movement because the two are extremely similar.

The lost person is desperate. It is the default condition of the lost person. They are wandering, empty, their lives are void of meaning. They also have life issues that may be very difficult to deal with and because they don’t have Christ, they do not have a lasting coping mechanism.

The sick, particularly, look for cures from any quarter: medicines, homeopathic, psychology, or spiritual remedies. The sick are often all too vulnerable and willing to grasp any person who claims to have a way, a cure, a method.

This is where Lucy Nduta comes in.

This woman is from Kenya. She calls herself Prophetess Lucy Nduta, and she preaches. In 2007, Worldwide Religious News printed the following, originally printed in the East African Standard

Churches Sow Miracles
“Nairobi, Kenya – The sprouting of countless charismatic churches in the country has heralded a new breed of church leaders and worshippers with strong faith in the power of miracles. An increasing number of Kenyans are turning to ‘sowing the seed’ (giving huge sums of money for offering and tithe) at the prompting of church ministers who promise them to expect prosperity. However, it appears there are ‘men and women of God’ who are out to take advantage of the unwavering faith and ignorance of worshippers. These are people who hide self-interest under the cloak of religion. They quote biblical verses to suit their intentions and convince the congregation of the need to give more in order to receive more.”

What Lucy Nduta did was, in the name of Jesus, take sick people’s money, supposedly pray for them, and lie to them they were healed. But it gets worse, because it gets more diabolical.

Nduta preyed on people with HIV/AIDS, a scourge that particularly affects the people of the African continent. Nduta would claim that she had the power to heal people suffering from HIV/AIDS through her miracle working prayers, and then herd them to a clinic/lab she had built near her church. The sick people would get tested there, and because Nduta owned the lab, she would have the workers give clean bills of health to these unfortunately trusting people, lab reports that were totally bogus. The people really thought they were cured, and sought no further treatment. And of course in gratitude they tithed heavily to Nduta. Then, they died.

The Africa Report stated, “The police later found out that the clinics were her own creation to lure people. She was consequently sentenced to two years in prison. Despite these revelations, thousands still fill churches each Sunday waiting for miracles to happen in their lives.”

Nduta was sentenced in 2008 and got out of prison in 2010.

False pastors who shred the sheep are a scourge. When the verse says-

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”(Matthew 7:15)

Ravenous means, ‘Extremely hungry; voracious, Rapacious; predatory, Greedy for gratification’. Ravenous predators never stop. They eat and kill and eat and kill. That is what they do.

Nduta and now her son, are at it again. This report is from last week, Nov 4, 2013-

“Self-styled prophetess Lucy Nduta Mwangi has called in to defend her activities and that of her son, another self-declared prophet Victor Kanyari. Nduta says there is nothing wrong with what she and her son have been doing adding that they will continue asking for what is called seed money.

The report above ends with the announcer stating that the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya will convene to discus and strategize how to deal with the sudden rise of fake preachers in Kenya.

Ravenous is what wolves are. So if you believe that opening yourself just a tiny bit to doctrines which false prophets bring, you are very, very wrong.

An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?  (Jeremiah 5:30-31)