elizabethprata

A simple praise

Posted on November 2, 2012 by elizabethprata

I had a good week but a tiring week. Work is good as always but running around with kindergarteners gets tiring. And the emotional toll of the Hurricane Sandy has been pretty rough. Also, church brethren and some co-workers are going through some rough medical issues. Seems there is a lot to pray for each other, people are having a difficult time all around.

I am enjoying reading Jeremiah. I am up to chapter 6. It is the chapter where Jeremiah rails against the false prophets who say “peace, peace, when there is no peace.” (Jer 6:14). That really resonates with me. So many “pastors” today are saying ‘peace’ and treating the wound lightly when what we need is a tourniquet.

Anyway, I was praying in the car this morning out loud, you know, just talking to the Lord, and the prayer below is kind of what I said. I can’t reconstruct exactly what I prayed. When I’m alone it always comes out so perfectly, just rolling off the tongue but really coming from the soul. My sense of gratitude to the Lord has not diminished after almost 9 years. I can’t believe that in just a few weeks it will have been 9 years since the dramatic moment when He came into my life and justified me, saving me from His well-deserved wrath. I hope that sense of gratitude never, ever fades. Because what He did for me will never fade. I am His trophy of grace.

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

Thank you Lord for saving me. Thank you for justifying me although I don’t deserve it. I spent many decades in rebellion. I was clever in my sin. I was intelligent in my revolution. I was in a cesspool but I did not know it.

You looked at me and saw beyond that. You lifted me out of a sewer of my own making, and you cleaned me off with Your very Self. You loved me and forgave me. Then you installed me at Your table.

I am a trophy of your grace. How can I ever thank you? I cannot, except to honor your Name with my own life. Please, Holy Spirit convict me to only think or say or do things that will please and honor the Lord. Sin, once my deadly friend, is now my eternal enemy. Spirit, make me hate sin all the more, for to entertain it is a blight against the Holy Lord.

How can I do more for you? I can speak the truth to a dying and hostile world. The bible tells us the world will hate us, but You have overcome the world. Let me not say ‘peace peace when there is no peace’. Let me say “war! war! against sin”, ‘fight, fight against the enemy’. ‘Repent, repent of our sins!’ Your Day is coming. It will be a day of wrath and terror. But then … love. Love and peace forever and we will study war no more.

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

“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11)

“Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name.” (Psalms 18:49)

“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” (Ephesians 5:20)

“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

jesus, missionaries, repent, wrath

They refused to repent

Posted on November 1, 2012 by elizabethprata

The bible is full of examples of people given time to repent but they refused.

One that comes to mind is in Jeremiah 5:

“O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You have struck them down, but they felt no anguish; you have consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent.” (Jeremiah 5:3)

The situation in this chapter is dire. Isaiah had prophesied doom for 50 years in the century before Jeremiah’s prophesying. The people did not take it seriously enough. By the time Jeremiah came along, they did not know it but the prophecies of destruction and abandonment were almost upon them. It happened in Jeremiah’s lifetime. The LORD is patient, giving time to repent!

God’s willingness to spare and bless the nation if the people repent is a theme throughout the bible. He is patient, too. He says repent, and waits in Amos 4:6, Zephaniah 3:2, and Zechariah 7:11 to name just a few examples. In the New Testament Jesus called for repentance to the false prophetess He calls a ‘Jezebel’. In Rev 2:21 it is written, “I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.”

They refused to repent.

The Lord is gracious and kind, always calling for us to repent and giving us time to do so. Seems amazing, doesn’t it? That they refuse. Even after prophets prophesy a direct word from the LORD, they don’t. Even after they receive a direct letter from the Lord as in Revelation, they refuse.

Lest we think that the refusals to repent are an Old Testament, bygone behavior, here is an update from two dedicated servants of the Lord on mission in a South American jungle. Though they are seeing some harvest, they sadly report heartbreaking news. As they were welcomed into homes and they presented the Gospel, they saw some commit their lives to Christ. Praise the Lord for that! Every single soul added to heaven is a praise to the Lord in His loving-kindness. Yet…

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

Some say ‘no’.

“After we clearly presented the Gospel, we asked, “Do you understand what we are sharing?” and several responded that they did understand. When asked if they were ready to receive Jesus as their Savior and Lord, they said “No.”

“Why would they respond this way? The local believers said it is because they find pleasure in their sin and are not ready to forsake their sinful ways. They understand that in following Christ, they will have to leave their lives of immorality, drunkenness, and other sinful ways. They are not willing to give up their sin.”

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

They understood but refused, preferring to remain in their sin.

Paul wrote, “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.” (Romans 2:5).

That Day is fast approaching. Please do not reject any Gospel message you hear. As Wesley said, “man may refuse it; God will not compel.” The fact that the Gospel exists is a praise to the Lord who died as the substitution for our sin, becoming sin who knew no sin and enduring all of God’s wrath as punishment for it. And it is a praise to Him who was resurrected and who now sends witnesses, ambassadors, and missionaries to proclaim His beautiful truth- that He loves you and He wants you to become part of His family. As in the OT times, God’s willingness to spare and bless the nation and spare and bless and individuals who repent still stands. But equally true, as Paul said, there will come a day when His righteous judgment will be revealed. I can’t imagine how it will be for those who have heard but who have consciously and willfully rejected Him. Worse still, having rejected Him for the reason they they want to extend their season of sin is a terrible reason.

Sin is actual rebellion against God. It is not a matter of taking pleasure in alcohol, adultery, homosexuality, carousing, thievery or what have you. No. In fact, each of those acts and all sins are a direct poke in God’s eye.

So as you pray tonight, pray for all those who have heard the Gospel message and have refused to repent. Our missionaries asked, “pray with us that they will desire the hope that is only in Christ, obey the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and receive Jesus as the Savior and Lord of their lives.”

bible, prophecy, symbols, wind

A hot wind did blow

Posted on November 1, 2012 by elizabethprata

“At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse, a wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them.” (Jeremiah 4:11-12)

The Lord sends the wind. He is the God of this earth and nothing happens on it that He does not cause or allow. Not even a sparrow falls to its death without the permission of the LORD. (Matthew 10:29).

So, He sends the wind.

That was the literal part of my essay. The verses in Jeremiah above are metaphorical. What He had instructed Jeremiah to say is that He sends the wind for different purposes. Firstly, the wind accomplishes His will. “Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word” (Psalms 148:8 )

He sends a gentle wind for winnowing. He sends a fruitful wind for planting. He sends a wind for cleansing (Job 37:21). In the case of judgment He sends a hot wind that doesn’t salve, but agitates. It is a hot wind, a damaging wind, a full wind that scorches and destroys. Barnes Notes explains:

“A dry wind – literally, A clear wind. The Samum is probably meant, a dry parching east wind blowing from the Arabian desert, before which vegetation withers, and human life becomes intolerable. Not to fan … – The Syrian farmers make great use of the wind for separating the chaff from the grain: but when the Samum blows labor becomes impossible. It is not for use, but for destruction.”

We can ignore the wind, but that won’t work. We can rely on the wind for planting and winnowing. The wind purifies and cleanses.

But woe to those who ignore the wind.

We cannot outrun the wind. It will catch us. The wind blows where it will. “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8).

When the wind is destructive it means it is of the judgments of God:

“In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind.” (Isaiah 27:8)
“Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.” (Isaiah 29:6)
“Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 41:16)

You can think of the wind as the breath of God.

When you read the bible, think on these metaphors. Yesterday I wrote of the light an the darkness. Today I write of the wind. The bible uses symbols for a reason. Symbols don’t change. Words change, symbols do not. Planting is planting. Reaping is reaping, Lions prowl. Sheep follow.

As far as the wind goes, you should always let the wind of the Spirit move you as the wind moves a sail. The sail bows to the wind, letting the wind fill it, and gently guide and propel the sail to move the boat. It is all harmony, the wind and the sail and the boat and the water as one unit.

When you sail, and the wind is behind you, it is smooth and quiet sailing. Quite peaceful. If you try and sail into the wind it is called “beating”. It really does feel like you’re getting beaten. The wind is loud. The waves are choppy. The boat balks. The sails refuse to fill and you have to constantly adjust them. You’re working against the wind in that case, sailing upwind as close as you can to the no-go zone. The boat heels over and the sails, mast, and people sailing it are stressed. The direction you go relative to the wind matters. The best thing to do when sailing into an upwind destination is to simply change your destination and thus go with the wind.

Pay attention to where the wind blows, and change your destination. If a person refuses to repent, all they will sow is a hot wind that destroys.

Much better to go with the gentle wind, allowing it to push us, purify us, cleanse us. Jesus is Lord, kind and good.
.

candy redistribution

Halloween candy redistribution for an important lesson

Posted on November 1, 2012 by elizabethprata

Steve Crowder redistributes kids’ Halloween Candy at a church trunk or treat. The kids give us an important lesson about earning potential, fairness, and wealth redistribution.

“I’m going to call the police on you!” LOL

disaster, jesus, prophecy, superstorm

Manhattan In the Dark

Posted on October 30, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

The lights off in NYC made me think of Amos 5.

Drudge Report screen shot, 10-30-12

Stay with me.

“Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light, as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?” (Amos 5:18-20)

First, the earthly hardships that go along with a storm of this size are incredible. Frankly, when the Tribulation hits, the last place you want to be is in a city. Bug OUT if you want to survive.

Anyway, as millions upon millions are discovering now, living on any floor above, say fifth, means a lot of walking up and down stairs. No elevators. No running water. That means you have to lug water up, if you can even find any. No flushing, unless you stored water ahead of time and can use it to flush the toilet. No food, or if you find some, you have to lug it up. If you go out on the street there are a lot of other tired, desperate, hungry, thirsty people. There were twitter meet ups planning a mass looting, so it is even more dangerous than usual to be out and about. Then cabin fever sets in. What to do with the kids for days on end inside an apartment with no internet, tv, or PlayStation? And where would you even go? The subways aren’t running, along with bus and most likely, cabs. The streets are littered with tree limbs, flood sludge, dangling electrical wires, and debris. Even if you want to get out and about it is impossible and dangerous.

And then the rats arrive. The UK Daily Mail helpfully reminds us that “Rats are highly social individuals and live in a fairly stable social structure. If this storm disturbs that, rats could start infesting areas they never did before.’ There are precedents for rats being displaced by floods and forced into buildings. In the UK this summer washed out rats began infesting homes. ‘It’s not just about the high winds and rain,’ said Ostfeld. ‘A rat disturbance is something we should be concerned about.’ “

So the city is a bad place in the best of times. It is downright survival UNfriendly in the worst of times.

But what about spiritual survival? I pray that those who know Jesus have remained peaceful even in the face of terrible fear, adrenaline-pumping protection of your children, in evacuation, or even in the face of loss of all you owned. Jesus is the rock who will provide help to you spiritually to work through these hard times. (Psalm 9:9). What a Savior we have who promises help in times of trouble! Before I was saved I used to mock Jesus because I thought, wrongly, that if you were a Christian that meant you would never have trouble. So when trouble inevitably came to His believers, I thought he was powerless and ineffectual to protect them.

I know different now. Jesus said that in this world you will have trouble,

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”’ (John 16:33)

The difference now is that my faith in Him has shifted my perspective from one of clinging to temporal, earthly things, like a house and clothes and a car or a job, to Him in eternity. I have an eternal perspective and the treasures I am heaping up are hopefully faith, patience, love, kindness and other fruits of the Spirit that point to HIM. If I go through trouble (and I do) I rely on His peace and His grace and His Spirit to get me through. He is my Light. Being in the Light is warm and safe and peaceful. Nothing can trouble me when I am in the Light.

But for those who do not know the Light and are in the dark, it is a dark place indeed. Having an earthly perspective means that we see only to the end of our lifespan on earth, 40 or 70 or 80 years. That is not long. Anyone who is over 50 knows how short life is! And when some of that is taken away, a job or a car or a house, unbelievers get frantic because it takes time to build back up and if all you see are a few short years of life then there is no time!

Back to Manhattan being dark. Imagine the lost people in New York in the dark as the people in Amos’s verse, stumbling around in the dark during the Tribulation, AKA The Day of the Lord.

They reel from one calamity to another, in gloom with no brightness.

The NYC photo of darkness is a real and scary event that is happening to millions right now. But it is also a spiritual metaphor for those who are stumbling around with no hope, they are in spiritual darkness. After the rapture there will be only darkness. Sin will have its day and the gates of hell will be allowed to prevail and overcome the world and the saints. (Revelation 13:7)

Repent now and be in His Light! In Him was the Light of men and in Him there is no darkness at all. (John 1:4-5). I’m not saying that if you repent of your sins and ask Jesus to forgive them, and become a born again (John 3:14) that you won’t have a tornado slam into your house or a flood carry your car away or that other disasters won’t touch you. Not at all. But you will be able to handle them with the Holy Spirit in you giving you strength, and the forgiveness and sanctification of Jesus giving you peace.

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Please come into the Light, the Light of Jesus and His outstretched hand offering forgiveness of your sins. Repent and believe, for the time is short.

end time, prophecy, urgency

Urgency of the times

Posted on October 29, 2012 by elizabethprata

I have the day off today. I’ve been reading Jeremiah 4, a tough, tough chapter. There are so many parallels between Jeremiah’s time and ours… So when I finished reading, I re-listened to John MacArthur’s sermon that he delivered in June 2011 about Jeremiah and his times, called, “Prophetic Message to an Ungodly Nation” and he compared it to our times. They are so similar it is amazing. I guess maybe not so amazing…because sinful people are still sinful people and pride is still pride.

I also listened to a sermon on Jesus as the Word from John 1. My favorite verses in the bible are John 1:1-5. So that was a good sermon to listen to, very edifying and beautiful. Stay in the word. Jesus is our rock to cling to.

Here is an essay by Dr. David Reagan on the topics of Urgency and Encouragement. My twitter and blog friend Child of God tweeted it and I followed the link to read this very good piece. I hope it encourages you as it did me.

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Urgency
Dr. David R. Reagan,
Monday, October 29, 2012

There is a sense of urgency in the air. Our nation is on the brink of moral and economic collapse. The world is caught up in an insane frenzy of terrorism. The Middle East is about to explode. And the biblical signs of the times are shouting from the heavens that Jesus is about to return.

In the words of Charles Dickens, “It is the best of times, it is the worst of times.”

It is the worst of times because the depravity of Man is manifesting itself in the increasing rejection and blasphemy of God. The result is an exponential increase in violence and immorality.

It is the best of times because the collapse of society worldwide is the fulfillment of end time prophecies that point to the soon return of Jesus.

Jesus Himself said that He would return at a time when society was once again as immoral and violent as it was in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37).

An Exciting But Challenging Time

We are privileged to be living in such an exciting and momentous time when we can witness the stage being set for the triumphant return of Jesus. But it is a time that calls for courage.

We simply must keep our eyes on Jesus, and we must remember that even if our nation has no hope, we as individual Christians have great hope.

But that sense of hope will prevail in our lives only if we consciously and determinedly live with an eternal perspective.

God is in Control

We must keep in mind that as the world falls apart around us, God’s Word says that He “sits in the heavens and laughs” (Psalm 2:4). His laughter is not prompted by a lack of concern. Rather, He laughs because He has everything under control, for He has the wisdom and power to orchestrate all the evil of Man and Satan to the ultimate triumph of His Son.

He has also promised that He will walk with those who are Christians, accompanying us through fire and high water (Isaiah 43:1-3).

And He has promised us an escape before the world totally collapses into absolute chaos (Luke 21:36). That escape is called the Rapture. When Paul revealed this escape in detail in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, he concluded by saying, “Comfort one another with these words.”

Additionally, we have the promise of the Millennial reign of Jesus to look forward to. What a day that will be!

Jesus will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords from Jerusalem. David, in his glorified body, will reign as King of Israel. We, in our glorified bodies, will be scattered across the earth to reign over those in the flesh. And the earth will be flooded with peace, righteousness and justice, as the waters cover the seas (Isaiah 2:1-4 and Isaiah 11:3-9).

Maranatha!

abandon ship, Coast Guard, hms bounty, hurricane sandy, superstorm

HMS Bounty abandons ship in Hurricane Sandy. Please pray for mariners, Navy personnel and Coast Guard responders

Posted on October 29, 2012 by elizabethprata

Update to the update: Originally it was thought that there were 17 crew members. There are 16. This means that the CG is still looking for two missing. The other 14 have landed safely at Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City. Please continue to pray for the 2 missing, the Coast Guard looking for them and all mariners in this monster storm.

Twitter @Reuters update: “FLASH – 14 of 17 crew members who abandoned HMS Bounty rescued by U.S. coast guard.” Praise the Lord! Please pray for the other three
————————–

The three-masted Tall Ship HMS Bounty has abandoned ship. BNO News reports,

HMS Bounty

“The Coast Guard has received word that the crew of the HMS Bounty has abandoned ship approximately 90 miles southeast of Hatteras N.C., Monday. The 17 person crew donned cold water survival suits and lifejackets before launching in two 25-man lifeboats with canopies. The Coast Guard continues to monitor the situation and assess the weather conditions to determine the soonest Coast Guard aircraft or surface assets can be on scene to conduct effective rescue operations. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina initially received a call from the owner of the 180-foot, three mast tall ship, HMS Bounty, saying she had lost communication with the vessel’s crew late Sunday evening.”

“The Coast Guard 5th District command center in Portsmouth subsequently received a signal from the emergency position indicating radio beacon registered to the Bounty, confirming the distress and position. An air crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City launched aboard an HC-130 Hercules aircraft, which later arrived on scene and reestablished communications with the Bounty’s crew. The vessel was reportedly taking on water and was without propulsion. On scene weather is reported to be 40 mph winds and 18-foot seas.”

The Coast Guard also put out a press release, saying much the same thing.

I had mentioned in last night’s blog entry that I had lived aboard a sailboat for two years. I am a mariner. I was living aboard when the 1993 “Storm of the Century” struck, also known as the ’93 Superstorm. This was a storm that reached from Cuba to Halifax. These facts from Wikipedia remind me of the terrible losses we experienced:

“In the United States, the storm was responsible for the loss of electric power to over 10 million customers. It is purported to have been directly experienced by nearly 40 percent of the country’s population at that time. A total of 310 people, including 10 from Cuba, perished during this storm.”

It spawned rain, wind, blizzards and tornadoes. As for us in the Bahamas, I’ll never forget the train-sound of straight line winds that barreled toward us. The dark clouds were scary beyond anything I’d ever experienced up until then. We heard it coming and we saw it coming and though we were in a protected anchorage, it still knocked our 23,000 lb, 40 foot yacht flat on its side like a toothpick. We had three anchors out and the Yanmar diesel running at top speed and we still dragged.

After the initial arrival like a bomb, the storm remained in a high wind pattern for days. By then our anchors were holding and we sustained no damage to our vessel. One boat did sink near the harbor as it attempted to get into port. The people were rescued but the boat was a total loss. So the worst part for us was hearing the distress of other mariners on our radios…and there was nothing we could do to help them.

But Coast Guard did. The brave men and women who flew out into the terrible storm are the ones who have my undying gratitude. We rightly honor the policemen and firemen and transit workers for helping in times of storm and distress. We tend to honor them more often because their bravery and dedication to saving lives is on the television news afterward. The Coast Guard does their work alone, far from land, in the dark, and battling monstrous winds and waves. For the mariner, scared and helpless, far from shore and facing a cold and lonely death, just knowing that the Guard will respond is hope that offers sanity-saving clinging to during the terrible hours of waiting.

As today’s storm approaches, the Coast Guard has elevated the port status along many of the Eastern Seaboard’s ports to Port Condition Yankee. “The U.S. Coast Guard has elevated New York and New Jersey port condition status to Yankee. Large vessels must vacate New York’s ports, and other mariners are cautioned to avoid being on the water. The Coast Guard’s search and rescue operations will be hampered, and they may not be able to provide help until after the storm. Drawbridges will remain closed as wind picks up speed.”

Port Condition Yankee also means “No vessels may enter, transit or remain within this safety zone without the permission of the Captain of the Port.”

So for those mariners who did not seek safe harbor or who were too far from harbor, the ports are now restricted. A port Condition Zulu (closed, period) may be issued later.

Please pray for the mariners, the Coast Guard and the Navy men and women who are out to sea right now.

flooding, hurricane sandy, manhattan, prophecy

Flooding potential from Hurricane Sandy Frankenstorm: Manhattan

Posted on October 29, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

I lived on a sailboat for two years. I sailed with my husband from Maine to Florida, crossed the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas, and reversed the trip. We did that twice. Once we traveled from Naples FL to Rhode Island on a 21 foot Sea Ray, lol.

When you travel 10,000 nautical miles at an average rate of three miles per hour, you see everything. One thing that always had struck me was the trip through the East River and Hell’s Gate.

The red streak is the section of Hell Gate, the entryway between Long Island Sound and the Port of New York. It is a place of rocks and converging tide-driven currents from the Long Island Sound, Harlem River strait, Upper Bay of New York Harbor and other channels. In other words, a lot of water has to flow through a very narrow channel every few hours as the tide changes.

Anyway, once you’re through, you get a slow ride down the river while sightseeing the skyline of Manhattan at eye level. It is really beautiful and amazing.

What surprised me was the low level of the island. The whole island is about eight feet above the water. With the skyscrapers built almost to the edge and their great height, it looks for all the world like the buildings are pressing the island down into the water. Or alternately it looks like the island can’t hold them up, with only a few feet of freeboard.

Here are a couple of shots from Google Earth so you see what I mean-

In the aerial photo above you can see the Brooklyn Bridge, the ferry terminals and in between, the cars on FDR Drive.

Zooming to street view, you can see the pavement at the helipad at the same spot as above, the skyscrapers, and the multicolored section that is the East River. The Drive is only a few feet above the river.

Why all this? Because Hurricane Irene last year flooded lower Manhattan at a 4.5 foot surge. The storm surge this time is predicted to be double that, not to mention the historic rain. The news folks are reporting record destructive potential. “NOAA’s hurricane research division on Sunday ranked the surge and wave “destruction potential” for Sandy — just the hurricane, not the hybrid storm it will eventually become — at 5.8 on a 0 to 6 scale’

This storm is indeed ominous and important. God either causes or allows everything that happens to happen. I don’t know His mind, other than what He has revealed to us in His word, but we know from His word that persistent sin will result in judgment. Already “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness…” (Romans 1:18).

I worry greatly for New York. I pray for the people there, that they heeded the evacuations. But where is there to go? The storm is predicted to affect all the way down to NC, all the way north to Maine, and all the way west to the Mountains and the Great Lakes. They are even predicting power outages from the storm in Chicago and Detroit. The LORD is mighty indeed. He is worthy to be worshiped.

I just wanted you to know how low the island of Manhattan is compared to the water level of the adjacent rivers.

Even with that dire news, this is not our home. Heaven is. How do you get there?

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

“And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved;” (Joel 2:32)

“And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'” (Acts 2:21)

earthquake, end time, frankenstorm, hurricane sandy, jesus, prophecy, shell shock

Frankenstorm and British Columbia earthquake: Spiritual warfare and battle fatigue

Posted on October 28, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

I was reading a weather report regarding Hurricane Sandy Frankenstorm. The CT Post calls it a “freakish and unprecedented monster.” This is the storm of mega-proportions that due to its combined elements of tropical storm, arctic nor’easter and unusual trajectory have made an historic storm of never-before-seen power. Millions will be affected by this Sunday-Tuesday with wind, rain, and snow. The impacts are expected to linger well into the weeks or even months. Power is expected to be out for days along the most populated segment of the nation: Washington DC to Boston Mass or even as far north as Portland, Maine. That is according to current weather analyses.

It seems that the storms have been coming one upon the other, almost. This is true for the entire globe, but especially true for America. It was a year ago May that the tornado outbreak at Joplin MO hit, wiping out the town and a good many other towns too. Then we had severe drought, wildfires, snow, derechos, floods and more in a non-stop train of disasters and storms. In addition, there have been thwarted terrorist attacks, mass shootings, Molotov cocktails, and unparallelled violence in Detroit and other cities. Then we had wars, cyberwars, and overseas involvement in successful and failed missions (Benghazi, anyone? WHO left them to DIE?).

People are weary. Just when we got over one set of disasters or near disasters, another one occurs that is worse. The Frankenstorm is a case in point.

I was reading an article about the coming storm that called it a hybrid, 800 mile storm set to impact millions and tens of millions of people. In the midst of the hubbub of the actual event, so large the mind can hardly contain what may be coming, one man’s tears moved me.

“Across the street, Douglas Jumper, whose first floor took on nearly 5 feet of water during Irene, was tying down his patio furniture on Friday and moving items in his wood shop to higher ground. “I’m tired. I am tired,” Jumper, who turns 58 on Saturday, said through tears. “We don’t need this again.”

What is happening in the world is a battle. It always has been a fight since the fall, but because we are close to the end the battle is more furious, more visible, and more potent against the humans who dwell on the earth.

Christians know we’re in a spiritual battle. Secular people don’t, but we do. Satan rages against God and against His children. God rages against sin. The Christian battles his own personal sin, and each of suffers from the effects of it and from the effect of others’ sins. It is a fight all the time. We must be constantly vigilant, (James 4:7) on guard (1 Peter 5:8) and wearing our armor. (Ephesians 6:10-17). Even having the Holy Spirit in us to energize us, it is a weary thing to always be on guard against a relentless and intelligent enemy bent on our destruction. Ask any soldier. (Illustration: artist unknown, Illustrator of Henry Davenport Northrop’s ‘Treasures of the Bible’, 1894)

The bible warns us against growing tired and losing heart.

“Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:9)

Notice the word IF. This says to me that it is possible to lose heart. The verse is talking about not getting tired of being kind and patient and loving. We become appalled at obstacles, disheartened at betrayals, grief-stricken over sin, and sometimes we just plain tire of the battle.

Jeremiah said in chapter 45:3 “You said, ‘Woe to me! The LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.'”

Imagine how hard it is for those people who do not have the Holy Spirit in them to help restrain their sin, grow in Christ-likeness, and in doing well to others. How is it for them who do not know Christ and wonder at the storms. I awaken this morning to news of a 7.7 quake in British Columbia (Mark 13:8) and a tsunami warning for Hawaii and small tsunami waves already hitting the American west coast. So both the east of America and the west are being pummeled.

The man from the article, Mr. Jumper, comes to mind. I do not know if he is saved or not, but his weariness just struck me. I can empathize. The battle against the worldly elements must seem insurmountable…one storm after another means that there is constant activity to protect, board, evacuate, adrenaline flowing, family members to be rounded up, cared for, evacuated. Then the waiting through the storms, never knowing if your home will even be there after it is all said and done. Then afterwards the constant activity expended to get back up and running, repairs, insurance calls, re-building….

And then it happens again. And then again.

We are told that the end time is like a woman giving birth. The long gestation began when Jesus ascended and will end when He returns in glory. As the pregnancy nears its bloody conclusion the discomfort grows as the pressure increases to unbearable levels. And when the labor pangs begin the pain only increases in frequency and intensity. The brief periods of respite between the pangs grow shorter in duration and soon before one can catch one’s breath the next pang comes crashing down. It is like that with the Frankenstorm and the major earthquake. And the Tribulation will be so much worse. We need more than ever to carry each other’s burdens. (Galatians 6:2).

Annie Vallotton, Gal 6:2

Without the Lord, I don’t know how people even cope. Perhaps they are not coping.

Battle fatigue:

Wikipedia explains, ‘Now called “Combat stress reaction (CSR), is a term used within the military to describe acute behavioral disorganization seen by medical personnel as a direct result of the trauma of war. Also known as “combat fatigue”, historically, it has some link to shell shock. Combat stress reaction is an acute reaction including a range of behaviours resulting from the stress of battle which decrease the combatant’s fighting efficiency. The most common symptoms are fatigue, slower reaction times, indecision, disconnection from one’s surroundings, and inability to prioritize.”

You can go here to look at the symptoms of combat fatigue, or see the chart below. Click to enlarge.

Satan brings disorder into our physical world by afflicting humans (Job 1-2; 2 Corinthians 12:7; Hebrews 2:14). The disorder is not just external but internal also. In my opinion I believe the symptoms many people are feeling, whether they know they are in a battle or not, are symptoms of battle fatigue.

Image from World War I taken in an Australian dressing station near Ypres in 1917. The wounded soldier in the lower left of the photo has a dazed thousand-yard stare, a frequent symptom of “shell-shock”. (Wikipedia)

Literally, I awaken each morning wondering what dread thing might have happened overnight. Is Damascus destroyed? The verses in Isaiah 17 say that it will happen suddenly. Destruction comes quickly, was there an earthquake? A volcanic explosion? The labor pangs are increasing to a degree where their effects cannot help but be felt in the world by the people. People are internalizing the stress of the economic times, the moral times, and the potential for natural disaster. These internalizations, fears, tragedies, worries have an effect on the mind and the body.

Franz von Stuck, “War,” c. 1894

The underlying root cause of all this is a spiritual battle over the deed to the earth. (Satan has already lost and our Savior owns the earth and everything in it (Revelation 5:5; Psalm 24:1), but satan refuses to believe that, so he presses on, and God lets Him, until the time is right for us to be taken up and the times to end.)

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.” (Proverbs 242:19-20)

Gill’s Exposition explains that verse so well: “For their calamity shall rise suddenly,…. And come upon those that fear not God, and rebel against the king and the state, and innovate in matters of religion; and especially that bring in damnable heresies, and, while they cry Peace, peace, and are pleasing themselves with their new schemes and prosperous success, swift and sudden destruction comes upon them.”

We rejoice in our Holy Savior who does these holy things. There will be much singing in heaven over His conquering of sin. But watching the world be warned and punished is HARD. And it has its effects. We are battle weary too! Those who do not have Jesus are even more battle weary. At least we know the time is short. They don’t know when this will ever end, and for many who do not heed the warnings, it never will.

Be aware that the spiritual battle of this world is taking its very real and physical toll on people. Brethren, do not grow weary. The writer of Hebrews said,

“not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25).

I believe this is why: battle fatigue. Its effects are real. Do not grow weary. It is the last hour! The Lord is near, indeed, He is a very present help in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

frankenstorm preparation tips, hurricane sandy

Frankenstorm: preparation tips

Posted on October 27, 2012 by elizabethprata

I’ve put up an update to the Frankenstorm weather details here. Now for are some great tips to prepare in advance of the Frankenstorm—

FOOD

Some Tips on keeping food safe from Food & Drug Administration:

— Just before the storm hits, set your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings (remember to reset them back to normal once power is restored).
— Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
— The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened.
— A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.
— Buy dry or block ice to keep the refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18 cubic foot, fully-stocked freezer cold for two days.
— For infants, try to use prepared, canned baby formula that requires no added water. When using concentrated or powdered formulas, prepare with bottled water if the local water source is potentially contaminated.
— Freeze containers of water for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator, or coolers in case the power goes out. If your normal water supply is
contaminated or unavailable, the melting ice will also supply drinking water.
— Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk, and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately. This helps keep them at a safe temperature longer.