Author: elizabethprata

Christian writer and Georgia reading teacher who loves Jesus, a quiet life, art, beauty, and children.
Posted in israel, morsi, Obama

Second Israeli satellite provider dumps CNN; Obama refuses to meet with Israel Defense Minister

Posted on by elizabethprata

CNN’s ratings are tanking.

Can’t say I’m sad about that.

CNN to Disappear from Israeli Screens
“CNN will soon no longer be seen in Israel, satellite broadcaster YES announced.”

Can’t say I’m sad about that either.

This is actually the second satellite provider to dump CNN. HOT satellite dropped CNN in Israel a year ago.

Still not sad.

Obama Refuses To Meet With Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak

Uh-oh. This makes me sad.

Will Instead Meet With Islamist Heads Of Egypt And Tunisia

There it is. Sad.

Posted in false teacher, gnostic, i declare, joel osteen, pagan

God has some competition: Osteen’s new book declares it so

Posted on by elizabethprata

Joel Osteen, America’s most famous false prophet, has a new book out. As most of his books do, it features a smiling Joel on the front.

The blurb reads, “Broken into thirty-one parts, this book will help readers reach the truth of God’s word, and how speaking God’s promises can bring about His blessings.”

Joel says that “declaring it” will bring it.

Joel says he wrote the book because, “I think its principles that help you to have a good self-image and feel right about yourself,”

Joel writes that we should speak and declare these things because God has “explosive blessings coming your way. I will increase you beyond your salary.” (pp3-4). That is a direct quote.

In Day Two’s declaration there are 55 words. I, me, or my is referred to 9 times. God is referred to 5 times. Part of it states, “I will give birth to every promise God put in my heart and I will become everything God created me to be.”

On another day’s declaration, we read, “This is my time! This is my moment! I receive it today! This is my declaration.”

Wow, that is some power. Kind of like another guy I know who declared stuff. That guy has some stiff competition now in Mr Osteen. That guy ought to watch out! The original declarer, you know, GOD, said,

“I have declared the former things from the beginning; They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.” (Isaiah 48:3).

If we can declare all these things into being, what do we need God for? Oh, wait…

Posted in ishmael, jihad, jihad girl, muslim, prophecy

Jihad girl: "Nobody is too young" for jihad says 8-year-old

Posted on by elizabethprata

The Australian Herald Sun reports this morning of a Muslim conference where an 8-year-old girl wants children of her age to join jihad.

“This is a recording of 8-year-old Ruqaya urging other children to join the fight for a global Islamic state. As she sees it, “nobody is too young”. Ruqaya delivered her speech to an audience of 600 at a conference called Muslims Rise, hosted by an Islamic group called Hizb ut-Tahrir. It was held in Bankstown in Sydney’s west on Sunday. Muslims Rise advocates the restoration of the Islamic caliphate – a global government for all muslims, operating under strict sharia law. Ruqaya was one of nine speakers in a considerable line-up, which included a controversial keynote from Taji Mustafa, described by the Opposition as a “hate preacher”. … “Children as young as myself can be seen on the streets joining the uprisings, risking their lives to bring food, water and medicine to their wounded family members, some of them never returning to their mothers … Nobody is too young, she said.”

2-minute video below.

Oh, Islam! ‘Appeasing the unappeasable’ is what the world did with Hitler. Though Hitler unleashed much evil, God used it for His good and in His plan & timing. That generation was horrified as they watched the evil Nazi stain march across the continent. Those carted off to the Camps cried out, “Why?” Those imprisoned and tortured by evil men struggled to understand what good could ever come. However, the Lord does use evil for His good and for His glory.

The distance of time has showed us what the good was. In 1948, Israel was reborn according to scripture. God is mighty. His word will come to pass. ‘I have declared it, saith the LORD.’

Now we have another evil stain, Islam, marching across the globe. The Muslims believe themselves to be the prophesied vehicle to bring about holy jihad. Their commitment to jihad supposedly demonstrates to Muhammad how serious they are for His name. Thus endearing themselves to him through blood and killing, Muhammad will return and take over the world. This in turn will please their false god ‘Allah.’

This isn’t the first rise of Islam. I do feel it will be the last, however.

It all stems back to Ishmael and Isaac, Jacob and Esau.

Though God had promised a son to Abraham and Sarah, ten long years had passed and they weren’t getting any younger. Sarah and Abraham took matters into their own hands and in the custom of the day, Abraham went to Sarah’s handmaiden and conceived a child with her. Culturally, the child would be considered his and Sarah’s. That child was Ishmael. Later, Isaac was born of Sarah, just as God had said.

Though Ishmael was not the covenant child God promised to the patriarch, the child was promised to receive blessings.

“As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.” (Genesis 17:20-21).

“And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.”Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” (Gen 21:13, 18)

Unfortunately it was also prophesied by God that Abraham and Hagar’s son Ishmael would be contentious.

“He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” (Genesis 16:12).

Ishmael became the father of the Arabs, many of whom today are Muslim. Ishmael, Hagar, and Abraham are all part of Muslim tradition.

The conflict continued with Ishamel’s sons… “His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.” (Genesis 25:18)

Back to Abraham. Abraham’s son Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons, Jacob and Esau. God determined that His covenant would continue through Jacob, later named Israel. Though God did not choose Esau to be the recipient of the covenant promises, He still blessed Esau in many ways.

Unfortunately, Esau had issues, too. The bible says that we pray “that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. (Hebrews 12:16-17, also Genesis 25:33).

Esau became the father of the Edomites. God hated the Edomites (“Jacob I have loved, but Esau have I hated,” Malachi 1:2-3). Obadiah and Malachi tell the story of God’s constant hatred of the Edomites and why. “For the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off for ever,” (Obadiah 1:10)

So while the Muslims say they will bring about the jihad, they are just about right, but they don’t know it. God planned a series of Islamic wars in the very last days which have not yet been fulfilled. Edom (Jordan) has not been cut off forever. Isaiah 17, Isaiah 19, Psalm 83, Ezekiel 37-38 and other chapters and verses describe that the old enmity between Ishmael, that wild donkey of a man, and his brothers is almost fully here. War from the Muslim world has arrived. My opinion is, when I say that the coming Muslim wars will be the last is because those books and chapters I mention will break Islam. It will not be a contender for much longer. This is my opinion,based on the wars Israel will win and by definition the Muslim states will lose.

Islam began when Muhammad allegedly received divine revelations in 610AD from an unholy angel alleging to be Gabriel. He started preaching these revelations and at first had few followers. Muhammad encountered hostility from Jewish sects and Meccans. Eventually what has come to be known as Islam gained traction. It is the fastest growing religion today.

But what of Islam as a nation? Or an empire?

The Byzantine Empire (remnants of old Roman Empire) fell when Constantinople (Istanbul) fell in 1463. This began the rise of the (Muslim) Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire reached its peak in 1683 and fell in 1922. The caliphate was disbanded in 1923 and its authority was given to modern Turkey’s Grand National Assembly.

The Ottoman Empire encompassed the following lands (Source, Wiki).

It was a big empire!

People today have no idea how large and powerful the Ottoman Empire was. Many dismiss Turkey today as a backwater nation of little consequence. Not so! Turkey is the seat of the presently disbanded caliphate power. Turkey has the second largest military in NATO- after America. 99.8% of Turks are Muslim, according to the government anyway. Turkey will be an ally with Russia and Iran in the Gog-Magog surprise attack against Israel, as described in Ezekiel 37. As a matter of fact, some think the Ottoman Empire may be the 7th kingdom mentioned in Revelation 17:9-11.

While some say that the 7th kingdom will be a revived Roman Empire, the Romans split their empire at the time of the Byzantines, as illustrated by the two legs Nebuchadnezzar’s statue (Daniel 2:31-35). The capital of the empire at that time was Rome and Constantinople, now Istanbul. So the horn mentioned in the Revelation verse could easily be Ottoman, if I’m wrong and the Muslim world does survive the Psalm 83/Isaiah 17/Isaiah 19/ Ezekiel wars.

As for all this history and biblical prophecy and Ishmael and Esau and the Muslims…perhaps it will make it easier to love them knowing God has a plan for them. His plan for them is just as valuable to Himself as His plan for His people the Jews.

I get caught up in hating their violence done in the name of a false God. I strive to pray and remember that God will take His vengeance on those who blaspheme His holy name and who bow to idols and then I feel calm again.

I have a harder time with their abuse of their children. Molech sacrifice is alive and well. That little girl calling for children to be used in a violent jihad is just as surely being passed through the belly of Molech as a sacrifice as those idolaters did in the ancient days. (1 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 32:35; 2 Kings 16:3;21:6; 2 Chronicles 28:3; I). I can’t imagine the children there being indoctrinated into a hate religion in the name of a false god or even sacrificed. If they aren’t now, they will be. Remember, that little girl was in Australia, not Jordan and Not Turkey. I can’t imagine life for a Turkish daughter…

Our God is a good God. If not a sparrow falls without Him knowing about it, how much more will he take the precious children to His bosom. Their eyes will be cleared of the hate and they will see only love. Little Ruqaya, you may love Allah and hate Christians, but hopefully soon you will meet God. God IS love.

“but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14).

Posted in muslim holy rage, tsunami of retaliation

Holy Rage must become a tsunami against the US, Ayatollah says

Posted on by elizabethprata

A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”—Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776.

JD Longstreet wrote in the Canada Free Press today a piece called “America On Alert!” saying, “There is a stream of anxiety running through America that is threatening to become a full fledged tsunami. It is fueled by deep, abiding suspicion of President Obama and his penchant for an overly strong centralized government.”

I agree with the stream of anxiety and also the tsunami of fear. Obama does believe in redistribution and has executed a perfect plan to dismantle the US economy in order to do so.

Speaking of tsunami metaphors, Iranian Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said yesterday, the “Wave of Holy Jihad Must Turn into a Tsunami against the US”. The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is a Middle Eastern not for profit press monitoring organization with headquarters located in Washington, DC. They watch Arabic tv 24/7 and translate salient and important clips for the West. Please watch this 1-minute clip.

The Muslims hate Jews and Christians. Fact. From their “holy” writings- Surah 98:6-7:

“Verily, those who disbelieve (in the religion of Islam, the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad) from among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and Al-Mushrikun will abide in the Fire of Hell. They are the worst of creatures. Verily, those who believe [in the Oneness of Allah, and in His Messenger (Muhammad) including all obligations ordered by Islam] and do righteous good deeds, they are the best of creatures.”

Surah 5:51:

“O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Auliya’ (friends, protectors, helpers), they are but Auliya’ of each other. And if any amongst you takes them (as Auliya’), then surely he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers and unjust).”

Maybe that is why Department of Homeland Security needs a LOT more ammo. Yes, that’s it.

Beaufort Observer reports: “Following controversy over its purchase of around 1.2 billion bullets in the last six months alone, the Department of Homeland Security has put out a new solicitation for over 200 million more rounds of ammunition, some of which are designated to be used by snipers.”

The American Thinker asks, Why does Homeland Security need 1.4 billion rounds of ammunition?”
“The Department of Homeland Security has purchased 1.4 billion rounds of ammunition- that is not a typo — during the last six months. This includes 450 million rounds of .40 hollow point, 200 million rounds of .223 rifle ammunition, and 176,000 rounds of .308 168-grain hollow point boat tail (HPBT) that is used almost exclusively as ammo for sniper rifles.”

Remember this gem from 2008? Obama said, “We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.”

It seems that he is getting exactly what he wanted.

Well, at least the Israelis aren’t waiting around to be annihilated. Times of Israel–

“Amid talk of military confrontation, IDF launches surprise exercise in the north“
Chief of staff scrambles units from a range of corps, including reservists, to simulate response to a sudden attack on Israel
he Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday morning launched a large-scale surprise exercise in the north of country, on the orders of IDF Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, amid rising chatter of a possible conflagration with Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah. The commander of the Artillery Corps, Brig. Gen. Roy Riftin, was overseeing the exercise, which involved standing troops from the Northern and Central commands, the Israeli Air Force, as well as reserve soldiers who simulated the emergency call-up routine. Toward the end of the day, forces from the Central Command were to be helicoptered to locations on the Golan Heights to take part in a live-fire exercise, according to the IDF Spokesman. The drill also comes amid growing concerns over the deteriorating situation in Syria and the fate of President Bashar Assad’s sizable chemical weapons stockpile. The IDF said that the exercise was a scheduled test of the army’s readiness to respond to a sudden attack on the country.”

Hmmm, maybe this news spurred the exercise that will get lots of troops to the northern border with Syria:

Defected Syrian general: Damascus planned to send chemical weapons to Hezbollah
Adnan Sillu, formerly in charge of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile, tells Times of London Assad has drawn up plans to gas rebels and civilians
“The regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad drew up plans to transfer chemical weapons to Hezbollah, a defected general formerly in charge of the country’s massive chemical weapon stockpile said. Maj.-Gen. Adnan Sillu, who defected from Assad’s regime three months ago, told The Times (of London) that Damascus also had plans in place to use the weapons in its battle against rebel forces seeking to oust Assad.
The issue of Syria’s chemical arms stockpile, considered to be the third-largest in the world, has vexed Western and Israeli officials, who fear the weapons may fall into terrorists’ hands or be deployed inside Syria.”

There are so many troops on the move–

–According to the British daily, “An armada of US and British naval power is massing in the Gulf,” as speculations on whether Israel will mount an independent, preemptive strike on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.”

—1000 Chinese ships head toward disputed islands off Japan

—Iran has been using civilian aircraft to fly military personnel and large quantities of weapons across Iraqi airspace to Syria to aid President Bashar al-Assad in his attempt to crush an 18-month uprising against his government, according to a Western intelligence report seen by Reuters.

—Iran deploys Russian-made submarine in Gulf

—Israeli army holds largest snap drill in years

—Georgians worried about Russia large scale military drills

Lots, lots, lots going on. Keep praying and keep looking up!

Posted in end of days, prophecy

Praise the Lord, we live in interesting times!

Posted on by elizabethprata

There is quite a bit of interesting news out today with prophetic implications. I am making another post of the actual news. This post is to praise the Lord for the news.

There is a proverb/curse of alleged Chinese origin, “May you live in interesting times.” The implication is that a life lived in interesting times is less desirable than one lived in peace and tranquility. To be sure, the danger and uncertainty and lack and want of these years are difficult to manage sometimes, but surely it is better to live in interesting times than uninteresting. Why? Jesus.

We could change that phrase to “May you live in prophetic times” and it would be better applicable for the believer. For those who are IN the Lord, believers in Jesus and saved by His grace, we know that though difficult, the times that are more “interesting” offer more growth in sanctification than times when everything is going along peacefully. If I had my druthers, I would prefer to live in prophetic times. LOL, I don’t have my druthers, He put me here, of all us are here, for just such a time as this.

The tremendous opportunity we have to actually watch God at work in the world in such an interesting and visible way fuels my love for Him and my amazement at His sovereignty. Yes, a life in a previous time might well have been more peaceful, but less astonishing. And the difficult times offer us the opportunity to grow in Jesus. He is the Potter. He sanctifies us and shapes us through trials and challenges. And my, what challenges these times offer. Therefore the growth in Christlikeness should be even greater than when living in uninteresting times.

I agree, the times are hard. No one likes living in the era when our beloved nation America failed, collapsed, and imploded. Instead, let’s focus on what God is doing. He is so high above us, yet He told us ages ago what He would do. And now He is doing it. This is cause for praise and celebration.

What is God doing on earth? He said He would judge nations, set up kings and take them down.

“but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.” (Psalm 75:11). Also see Daniel 2:21)

Imagine being in heaven where we can recount His mighty deeds from our own generation! ‘In 1990, God threw down Gog and in 2000 He raised Him up again!” Or, ‘His might destroyed Damascus, just like He said He would!’ Or, “I lived in America, the greatest nation in centuries but He completely struck that nation down for idolatry and godlessness in just four years!’

Keep that Psalms & Daniel verse in mind as election season approaches. A Pastor friend of mine wrote: “Our vote does not determine who will be elected to serve in any political office. God ordains and appoints who will serve and for how long. … Our vote reveals our convictions and value system; what we believe.”

We can be mindful and diligent in our voting but if the outcome seems drastic (like Obama re-elected) or is not your preferred outcome, then just remember He is doing a work! We get to see it! And then we get to praise Him!

“A Psalm of Asaph. God takes His stand in His own congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers.” (Psalm 82:1).

Matthew Henry explains, “Good princes and good judges, who mean well, are under Divine direction; and bad ones, who mean ill, are under Divine restraint.”

Obama is under restraint. What is happening is under God’s divine plan. Russia’s Putin is under restraint. Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei and Ahmadinejad are under restraint. Even Hitler was under restraint. The Holy Spirit sends His restraining power upon the earth. No king, or president or Prime Minister or dictator is doing anything God does not want to happen.

But… woe to the inhabitants of the earth when the Spirit is taken out of the way!

“And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7)

The world really does feel like it is out of control. But it isn’t. See, this verse comforts:

“We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds. “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars.” (Psalm 75:1-3).

The LORD will steady its pillars. May you live in prophetic times! (and enjoy them!)

Posted in australia, fire devils, tornado, tornado of fire

Rare Fire Devil tornado amazes: "Dance of Giants"

Posted on by elizabethprata

Another rare phenomenon occurs, this one in Australia’s outback. Very interesting and cool.

Christian Post has more.

“A fire tornado has hit the Outback of Australia in recent days, creating an amazing sight as it tore through the brush near Alice Springs. North America has had to deal with its deadly wildfire season, as well as a devastating tornado season, often creating amazing yet destructive images. Australia also has its fair share of bushfires that often devastate its wild lands. However, a rare fire tornado was also caught in video footage in recent days, adding to the dramatic and devastating conditions.”

“The fire tornado in this case was seen tearing through the Outback for as long as 40 minutes, sending anyone nearby running for cover. Fire tornadoes, which are also sometimes called fire devils, are rare and occur when heated air from a bush fire rises and rotates. The column of air pulls the fire into it and draws it upwards, offering a spectacular sight.”

“The recent fire tornado was caught by filmmaker Chris Tangey. It has been reported that he was searching out locations for a new film near Alice Springs, and was taking some footage of a nearby brushfire. However, suddenly the fire shot upwards, creating a fierce fire tornado less than 300 meters away from him.”

“Tangey has reported that the fire tornado reached up to 100 foot in the air. According to 7News Tangey reported, “There was no wind but the tornado sounded just like a fighter jet. My jaw just dropped.”

“The fire tornado lasted 40 minutes, which is relatively long compared to other occurrences of this phenomena. In previous incidences of fire tornadoes some have been recorded as being up to half a mile aide, and have produced powerful winds of up to 100 mph.”

Posted in anglican, dancing, praise dancing

Dancing Bishops on the Titanic

Posted on by elizabethprata

From Anglican Samizdat,

Dancing with the bishops
“Anglican Primate Fred Hiltz and Lutheran Bishop Susan Johnson attest that the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada are simpatico by giving a demonstration of ballroom dancing during the Eucharist. I don’t know about you, but I find this Anglican-Lutheran mating ritual very moving – although, if Fred must clap, I do wish he’d learn to clap off the beat.”

Hmmm, so pastors are praise dancing now? 

As one commenter at the Anglican Samizdat blog said, “Dancing on the Titanic.”

BTW, the Eucharist according to Anglican tradition is described,

“For the vast majority of Anglicans, the Eucharist (also called “Holy Communion”, “Mass” or the “Lord’s Supper”), is the central act of gathered worship and is the means by which Christ becomes present to the Christian community gathered in his name. For the majority of Anglicans this event constitutes the renewal of the Body of Christ as the Church through the reception of the Body of Christ as the Blessed Sacrament, his spiritual body and blood. In this sacrament, Christ is both encountered and incorporated.” (source)

“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)

Dance in remembrance of Me? I think not.

Posted in gnostics, gospel of jesus wife, gospel of mary, gospel of thomas

UPDATED. A Faded Piece of Papyrus Refers to Jesus’ Wife

Posted on by elizabethprata

UPDATE: a good article from Thomas White, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s vice president of student services and communications, titled, “What pastors need to know about the Jesus wife fragment“. He says essentially what I reported here. But better.
 ————————-
LOL, the Gnostics are at it again, this time from Harvard Divinity School. News just in, a “new” fragment purporting to have the real information on Jesus is said to contain a writing referring to Jesus’ wife and a female disciple.

“The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife”
“The faded papyrus fragment is smaller than a business card, with eight lines on one side, in black ink legible under a magnifying glass. Just below the line about Jesus having a wife, the papyrus includes a second provocative clause that purportedly says, “she will be able to be my disciple.”

“Much of the context, therefore, is missing. But Dr. King was struck by phrases in the fragment like “My mother gave to me life,” and “Mary is worthy of it,” which resemble snippets from the Gospels of Thomas and Mary. Experts believe those were written in the late second century and translated into Coptic.”

“The provenance of the papyrus fragment is a mystery, and its owner has asked to remain anonymous.”

Provenance means origin and the owner is secret. Well.

Yet many will take this fragment and run with it. They will be doing something akin to this medical metaphor: “Expert doctor says “I have a drug. I can’t tell you where it comes from and I can’t tell you where it was developed and I can’t tell you what’s in it. But if you take it, you will be healed.”

Would you eat it? Not on your life! But that is the fragmentary information liberal, mystical, gnostic Christians will cling to, as a validation that feminism was right all along, and that the Gospels that the Holy Spirit inspired are incomplete. Hath God said…?

The article goes on to make the spurious statement that the fragment will re-ignite the second century controversy ‘on whether Jesus was married, caught up with a debate about whether Christians should marry and have sex.’

I guess those “Christians” never read 1 Corinthians 7.

The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife article is here.

Information on
The Gospel of Thomas
The Gospel of Mary

Michael Lawrence on Harvard Divinity, from 9Marks:
How to become a liberal without going to Harvard Divinity School
“The liberal theology of Harvard Divinity traded the knowledge of God for the knowledge of man. God’s revelation in Jesus Christ ceased to be the measure of truth, and in its place was substituted a lesser measure, one of our own devising. … May God protect us from such a mindset, and instead give us the mind of Christ, who laid down his life for the sheep, but not to their judgment. Instead, like the Good Shepherd, let us entrust ourselves “to Him who judges justly,” and from him “receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Pet. 2:23, 5:4).”

Posted in false doctrine, gnostic, gnosticism

Gnosticism: Conclusion

Posted on by elizabethprata

This is the conclusion to a series exploring the ancient philosophy of Gnosticism. Gnosticism was the main source of heresy in New Testament times. The Apostles’ writings in John, 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Jude, and 1 John all combat various elements of it.

The philosophy of the Gnostics is re-emerging today, and it doesn’t look that much different from the Gnosticism in the former days, either. It is a wide-ranging philosophy, with different aspects appearing in Hinduism, Buddhism, New Age, Liberal Christianity, Catholicism, Wicca, Psychology, and many other false religions and secular practices. However, there is a set of main elements that do regularly appear in Gnosticism. They are:

1. secret knowledge,
2. asceticism,
3. depreciation of Christ (lowering Him in name and in glory),
4. strict rule-keeping, ceremonies, or rituals
5. worship of angels,
6. and reliance on human wisdom and traditions

In my opinion, the most telling element is the promotion of secret knowledge. After all, Gnosis means knowledge.

“Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.” (1 Cor 8:1). Strong’s explains the word knowledge as used here, “Gnostics boasted of their “applied knowledge” gained by their personal spiritual experiences – and it was (is) disastrous!” Gnosticism is literally, “the cult based on having special, personal knowledge.”

Many people today boast they have personal knowledge gained directly from God, and they have been charged with sharing it. Even some so-called reformed or Southern Baptist teachers, preachers and authors do this in these apostate days. There is no religious corner, no denomination, no church that is free from the possibility of this infection.

Such false doctrine will spread like gangrene, as Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:16-17. Gangrene spreads fast. If you believe that your church can withstand a false teaching once it has infected, Paul’s deliberate use of the word gangrene via inspiration of the Holy Spirit should shake that notion right from your head.

The Spirit didn’t say false teaching is like leprosy, or like influenza, or like syphilis. He said gangrene. So what are the properties of a gangrenous infection?

First, the medical definition states, “Gangrene is the death of tissue in part of the body.” We know the global born-again church is a body. Jesus uses the metaphor of us being the body and He being the head. (Colossians 1:18). Gangrene is literally the death of some of the living tissue. How much gangrene does it take to kill living tissue? A pinprick. Further, gangrene is described as occurring when the affected tissue loses its blood supply. In the metaphor, when a person is apart from Jesus they do not have His blood covering, washing them clean from sin. The wages of sin is death, and gangrene is a disease that kills if left unattended.

Third, gangrene spreads fast. If you have been reading about the ‘new’ flesh-eating bacteria that has killed several people, this disease is really a form of gangrene. Within a day or so of the infections’ spread, large amounts of tissue must be excised in order to save the body. So in continuing the metaphor, if the infectious doctrine is not excised immediately, it will spread like a toxic wildfire and consume the flesh of all who absorb it.

The most famous recent example of this is the sermon Pastor Jim Murphy of First Baptist Church of Johnson City NY last July. One blogger summed up his sermon this way,

“Murphy clearly traces the disintegration of Christianity and its falling away from the truth of the gospel and into more and more error through history – from the attacks on the authority of scripture in the late 1940s, through 1960s liberalism, to modern day mysticism and contemplative spirituality. But in the final ten minutes of the message it becomes crystal clear that this is not mere academics for Pastor Murphy, he is brokenhearted by the error he sees within his own church body and frustrated by the lack of discernment which is due entirely to people not knowing and studying the Bible.”

In his sermon, Pastor Murphy said, “I’m here to ask your forgiveness. I expressed my concerns along the way in several areas but there were some things that I heard and saw that I was not comfortable with and I thought well, let’s just roll with this. It may be not that bad.”

It is that bad. Pastor Jim lamented that left unattended, the vines of false doctrine began choking their church library, the teaching curricula used in Sunday School, and eventually infected the minds and hearts of those in his congregation. They were being strangled by the kudzu tendrils of mysticism, gnosticism, paganism and every other -ism inching their way around their necks, stifling the life out of them. Pr. Murphy said he was rooting all that stuff out, and he was starting right then. I wrote about him and his sermon, The Subtlety of Satan, here, and here.

We started this series by mentioning the first Gnostic, satan, and his deception in the Garden. We end with it too. MacArthur said in his sermon The Danger of False Teaching,

“The people of God have always been plagued with false doctrine. The invasion of false prophets, false teachers, false apostles, false Christs has been something which the people of God have endured through all the ages of time. Satan attempts to oversow the truth with lies. He attempts to confuse the world so that they cannot perceive the truth of God by drowning them in a sea of deceit. It was Satan’s evil intended and clever misrepresentation of truth to Eve that plunged the whole of the human race into sin.”

People all want to be ‘in the know.’ The quest for secret knowledge is alluring, hence the success of satan in the Garden, and the success of Gnostics around the world. Yet what did the LORD say?

He says “the secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29)

For example, John the Revelator was caught up to heaven and shown the things of the Day of the Lord. We know this as the book of Revelation. Because the Lord showed John, told John to write these things down, and they are now in the bible, we are supposed to know them. (Revelation 1:1-3). As a matter of fact, a person who hears the things in Revelation and takes them to heart is blessed. Therefore, we do not need to run after modern day prophets or Neo-Gnostics who claim they have an additional word to share, or a special prophecy about the end time, or have had a visit to heaven and must now tell others. I’d much rather stick with the promised blessing Jesus gave than some internet person or Christian celebrity who says he had an experience that is as authoritative as divine revelation.

Secondly: as to the secret knowledge, what is secret is secret! Even though John was given a thoroughly detailed prophecy, there is still a secret in Revelation.

“And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” (Revelation 10:4)

If it is secret, it belongs to God. If it is revealed in the bible, it is for us to know. Period. How rebellious it is to continue to seek what is God’s!

I hope this series has illuminated to you the importance of seeking knowledge from Whom the one who has all knowledge. His knowledge does not puff up, but instead awes us and humbles us. The truth is in the Word, not a person’s experience … not secret knowledge privately gained (2 Peter 2:20), not an emotional response to an event. At root, Gnosticism is a self-religion, and isn’t that exactly what the first lie is, anyway? Hath God said…? indicating that his word is not sufficent and we must do other things to gain the knowledge that will make us be like Him. (Genesis 3:4-5).

How wrongheaded this is!

If someone tells you they have the secret key to anything regarding God, run in the other direction. We are not God and no amount of secret information will make us be like Him. The saving knowledge is only repentance and trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus is, and that’s the Gospel truth.

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For further study related to this topic:

What Is Spiritual Formation and Why Does It Matter?
John MacArthur on Spiritual Formation and Biblical Sanctification
The Steps of Biblical Sanctification
The Importance of Careful Bible Study
The Pitfalls of Biblical (Mis)Interpretation, Part 1

Pastor Jim Murphy’s sermon The Subtlety of Satan

Previous Gnosticism entries:

Introduction
Part 1: Secret Knowledge
Part 2: Asceticism
Part 3: Depreciation of Jesus
Part 4: Ceremonies & Rituals
Part 5: Worship of Angels
Part 6: Human traditions