Author: elizabethprata

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

A thank you for doctrinal integrity, by Dan Phillips

Posted on by elizabethprata

Excerpt of Dan Phillips‘  Open Letter to Dr. John MacArthur. I HEARTILY second his sentiments. In a world where the average time a pastor spends “shepherding” his flock has dwindled to (depending on source) 3 to 7 years, Dr. MacArthur’s stay at Grace Community Church for 42 years is extraordinary. Also extraordinary in this tv, short sound byte age, is his biblical preaching verse by verse (expositional) as opposed to topical, or Gospel Lite, or worse, Prosperity/Word-Faith preaching. And most extraordinary of all is that he preached through the entire New Testament, finishing last June. The wealth of sermons, devotionals, and study materials at his website is staggering. I recently listened to a sermon and when it was done I was astounded to see the date was 1969. It had sounded so fresh! So relevant! That is because the bible is fresh. When you preach it and it alone, the Word will always be fresh and relevant. We do not need gimmicks, fads, church growth strategies, or anything else to make it relevant. It already IS.

I’ve also watched Dr. MacArthur on Larry King’s CNN interview show. He is always unequivocal about Jesus, that Jesus is the one true way to heaven, explicit on what happens after we die, and the truth of the bible. I’ve watched Billy Graham and Joel Osteen on the same show when they appeared at different times, and both of those latter men took the opportunity to deny Jesus as the only way. So that speaks volumes. In this increasingly apostate world, we should value, pray for, and support the fewer and fewer true pastors who are unequivocal about doctrine and courageously stand by it. Anyway, here is the Open Letter excerpt from Dan Phillips:
—————-
Dear Dr. MacArthur,

“First, thank you. Thank you for being a model of doctrinal, pastoral, and personal integrity. It means a great deal to me that I can know for certain that if you are given any opportunity anywhere, you will always and only use it as an opening to speak the Word and Gospel of the Lord. That is huge, and I applaud you for that, without reservation. You have set an example of emphatically Biblical preaching and writing to an entire generation. In that vein, you have just concluded preaching through the entire New Testament. God be praised, and thank you.”

Yes, thank you to all good pastors who reliably and loyally feed the sheep the Word, and who love us with a true shepherd’s heart.
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Posted in bible, comfort, contemplative prayer

Let the Man of Sorrows comfort you in your sorrow

Posted on by elizabethprata

Dear friends,

As the times become more cold, and love ekes away, many people may find they are feeling rejected for their faithful witness to Jesus. They may feel sorrow and betrayal. These are hard things to bear. We are all human, and we all want to feel loved for who we are, but sometimes, because we are human, we are rejected instead. Or maligned. Or misunderstood. Or any of the myriad of things that a population of diverse people feel when they are thrown together and have only one common bond: Jesus.

But what a bond!

Isaiah 53:3 says “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” Recently I was thinking of when He was alone in the Garden and everyone fell asleep even though He had asked for company. And later, how Peter said he didn’t know Him, denying Jesus three times. That had to have hurt. I thought about the universe’s most ultimate betrayal, Judas. I thought of Jesus saying to Judas, “What you must do, do quickly.” (John 13:27).

You see, Jesus KNEW Judas was going to betray Him, but He loved Judas perfectly anyway. That is a powerful model of love. If I knew I was going to be betrayed and rejected ahead of time, would I love the people all the same? I’m human but sinful and Jesus was human and sinless. Therefore I know I would not.

Jesus came to earth SO THAT He could feel these things with us. Did you know that? We focus on the salvation aspect of His time on earth and His sacrifice as the Lamb. But did you know that He is not only Messiah, but also High Priest? He was fully God and fully Man and He came to feel every emotion that we feel. Hebrews 2:17-18 says “For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

He wanted to feel everything we feel so He could be the most faithful High Priest, not only to save us but to sympathize with us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now let that stop us for a moment. The God of the Universe poured Himself into human skin to live a full life, so that He could save us by dying, but before that, to feel what we feel as we are tempted.

When you are feeling lost, lonely, sad, rejected, tempted, betrayed, angry, bitter, or anything else, remember, that when we pray to Him, He is there. He knows. When we feel betrayed, He knows. He has been there. He serves God as our High Priest, interceding for us in a way that is fully empathetic. He is God, yet He came to us as fully human this so He could empathize with us in our times of sorrow. Are you not floored by knowing this?

Know this also, Psalm 56:8b- “Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?” He not only numbers the hairs on your head but sees and knows every tear shed in His name.

Psalm 34:18- “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.” So, just knowing He WILL do it, helps us until He does it. That is faith.

Are you crying in your own sorrows right now? This from Revelation 21:4 “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Your face may be wet today, but he will dry it Himself on that Day! Isn’t it worth the wait, and the tears, just knowing He will fulfill His promise to wipe them away with His own hand? If your tears feel large to you today, just imagine how small they will be when His hand erases them into oblivion and gives you perfect peace.

And finally, remember the Love chapter from 1 Corinthians 13. Love bears all things. Love means we have to open ourselves to people and love them, even knowing that rejection, betrayal, sadness and hurt will come along with that. We don’t like it, but Jesus said to choose this kind of love as an expression of the Gospel He came to proclaim. His hurt and betrayal was so monstrous, how can we then complain of ours? We cannot.

Begin praying for others. Pray for missionaries in places where their mission will bring them death. Converts in the dangerous places where their faith may bring them imprisonment or worse. Praying for others in worse circumstances helps us put our things into perspective; HIS perspective.

The key is to focus on Jesus. He is the lens through which all trials are put into proportion. He gives comfort and He gives a Kingdom perspective, of eternity. Prayer helps and prayer works, because the Spirit brings to mind his Word, and his Word is always the triumph over all. Why? It is the greatest love letter ever written, and relying on it through submission to and by the strength of the Spirit revives even the poorest, saddest child of Jesus.
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Posted in hide, tribulation

Americans leaving US in record numbers

Posted on by elizabethprata

Dissatisfaction breeds movement. A dissatisfied person is always on the move. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, and all. Isaiah 17:12 likens the sinful and the restless to tides and seas and rushing waters. “Alas, the uproar of many peoples Who roar like the roaring of the seas, And the rumbling of nations Who rush on like the rumbling of mighty waters!” He is even more succinct in verse 57:20: “But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud.”

In the ten years before I was saved, I spent it traveling over a large part of the world. I traveled in every kind of conveyance; car, Volkswagen camper, ice breaker ferry, yacht, plane, train, motorcycle. I went to nations in the north and south and east and west. I was looking for something, because my spirit was not quite settled. That is because I didn’t have Jesus.

One of the ideas I’d had while traveling was to look for another place to live. Maine wasn’t cutting it anymore. It was expensive, it was cold, it was unfriendly. To quote an old ballad, I wanted to be where the weather suited my clothes. Florida of course, was a possibility, as well as Texas. I also went to Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Italy, France, England, Scotland, Bahamas, Monaco, and San Marino. I was looking, looking, searching for a place to call home. Ecuador offered possibilities, as well as the Bahamas and Italy. For a long time, the grass was greener.

In times of severe economic hardship, the tendency to search out another country to call home is compelling. The more people are dissatisfied here they want to go there. To and fro. ( “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” Daniel 12:4) People looking to escape government intrusion, or for a better exchange rate, or a rural or seaside peacefulness they don’t find in America are all quoted reasons I’ve heard to ditch America. Since times have been sooooo hard, the number of people looking to become expatriates, or expats for short, has increased tremendously, according to this news article:

Americans leaving US in record numbers
“Ever dream of leaving it all behind and heading out of America? You’re not the only one. A new study shows that more US citizens than ever before are living outside of the country. According to statistics from the US State Department, around 6.4 million Americans are either working or studying overseas, which Gallup says is the largest number ever for such statistic. The polling organization came across the number after conducting surveys in 135 outside nations and the information behind the numbers reveal that this isn’t exactly a longtime coming either — numbers have skyrocketed only in recent years.”

Apparently choosing to become an expatriate is on a lot of peoples’ minds. Michael T. Snyder asked the following question on his Economic blog:

What Is The Best Country In The World For Americans To Relocate To In Order To Avoid The Coming Economic Collapse?
“Millions of American citizens have already left the United States in search of a better life. As the economy continues to crumble and as our society slowly falls apart, millions of others are thinking about it. [T]hings have gone downhill so dramatically in the United States that picking up and moving to a foreign nation is being increasingly viewed as a viable alternative by millions of Americans. A lot of people have decided that they simply do not want to be in the United States when the excrement hits the fan. So what is the best country in the world for Americans to relocate to in order to avoid the coming economic collapse?”

The internet forums are abuzz with queries like these. Not just the conspiracy forums, but the vacation boards, and the financial forums are all talking about bug out bags, stocking up, and relocating. In normal times, these are valid bases from which to make a life change. But these are not normal times. Nor will they ever be again.

We are on the downward slide to decidedly NOT normal, but the people seeking relocation and expatriation don’t know that. A person can stock up, move, and hunker down all they want, but the times ahead are times where God will be directly intervening in the world. His eye misses nothing and no matter where you hide, He will find you, and His tribulation will find you. Amos 8:12 comes to mind also. “Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.” Right now they are looking for a better exchange rate, but when the rubber really hits the road, they will finally wake up to the fact that they need the Word of the Lord. They will search everywhere but not be able to find it.

In Revelation 6:15-17 we read of the reaction of the peoples after the world’s greatest earthquake.

“Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

They know it is the LORD. The understand that it is His wrath. The perceive that there is nowhere they can hide, not even the deepest cave or under the rocks. There will be no bank account, no currency exchange, no stocked up basement that will save them. His wrath will fall on America, and Ecuador, Italy, Canada, Mexico, everywhere. There is no fleeing from the justice of God.

In Amos 9:2-3 we have a wrathful God pronouncing judgment on Israel, promising its destruction (but as always, not without blessing by the end).

“Though they dig down to the depths of the grave, from there my hand will take them. Though they climb up to the heavens, from there I will bring them down. And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:”

In Carmel there is a series of caves. These are the ones referred to by Amos. Barnes Notes explains, “Through its caves (some say 1,000, some 2,000) with which it is perforated, whose entrance sometimes scarcely admits a single man; so close to each other, that a pursuer would not discern into which the fugitive had vanished; so serpentine within, that, “10 steps apart,” says a traveler, “we could hear each others’ voices, but could not see each other.”  “Carmel is perforated by a hundredfold greater or lesser clefts. Even in the garb of loveliness and richness, the majestic Mount, by its clefts, caves, and rocky battlements, excites in the wanderer who sees them for the first time, a feeling of mingled wonder and fear. A whole army of enemies, as of nature’s terrors, could hide themselves in these rock-clefts.” (photo source)

The caves have long been known to be a preferred location for robbers and fugitives.  Perhaps it is these very caves the Revelation verse is alluding. In the time of the Tribulation, after the church is raptured, every person on earth until or unless they are saved, is a fugitive. They will be hunted by Jesus in His great wrath and zeal for punishment. No cave, no matter how serpentine or deep, will allow any fugitive to escape.

In the Tribulation, there will be no such thing as an expatriate.
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Posted in bible jesus, prophecy, simeon

Simeon: A man of faith, a man of prophecy

Posted on by elizabethprata

During Christmas-time, there are so many wonderful verses to dwell on. Of course, the Annunciation, when Gabriel revealed to Virgin Mary that she was going to be with the Messiah child is a great set of verses to meditate on. Mary’s Magnificat, her prayerful praise to God after hearing the news, brings tears to my eyes. I also love the moment when Mary visited Elizabeth, and John the Baptist leapt in Elizabeth’s womb. The still, cold evening when the angels sang over the field of shepherds at the birth of Jesus is also beautiful. There are many. Luke1-2 is a good place to start.

But the moment in the temple after Jesus was born is often overlooked. Joseph and Mary came to the temple to fulfill their duties to God for having been gifted with a son. They were to make a sacrifice. As they entered, the following happened:

“And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,  then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

“Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,
According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

“And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:25-35)

Simeon. There are so many scriptural riches to be plumbed here. First, he was a righteous man. He had great faith, so great, the Lord blessed him. What was the reason for his faith? He was looking for the “consolation of Israel”, in other words, the Messiah. The Old Testament people had faith that the promised Messiah would come. The New Testament people (us) have faith that He has come. It is the same faith, just different timing.

The knowledge that Simeon had laid eyes on Messiah must have been a great moment of grace for Simeon. The promise that had come by the Spirit that Simeon would live to see Him had been fulfilled! What a great testament to the surety of the Lord’s promises! And Simeon showed us by his prayer asking to now be released from this life, having had set eyes on the ‘consolation of Israel’, tells us what a great man of faith that Simeon was. He literally lived for the coming of the Savior!

Notice Simeon’s prayer. It is all about Jesus and God’s plan for His people. Simeon was not looking for the Messiah just for himself. I heard a snippet of a sermon this week about the manger. In it, the person preaching the Lord’s coming talked of the manger and the poverty and humility of our Lord being born there. The person speaking these things then went on to make the scriptures be about us, our “manger moments”, our poverty, our disappointments. Be aware of that kind of preaching. Taking what is supposed to be about Jesus and making it about us. Simeon’s prayer is a wonderful, refreshing, proper prayer- because it is about Jesus in praise and devotion.

Then Simeon gives an oft-overlooked prophecy. He said that the opposition to Jesus would be for a sign. That many would rise and fall, and that Mary’s own heart would be pierced to the soul. And finally, that the thoughts of many would be revealed. That is what LIGHT does, it reveals. Jesus the Light was coming in His ministry to seek and save the lost. One of the things he was seeking and saving the lost from is the gross, outward displays of religiosity, in order to renew the personal relationship God wanted to have with His people and making an inward change toward repentance and growth in Jesus.

Now Simeon’s prophecy about opposition and swords and piercing must have been troubling to Mary and Joseph, to say the least. They knew they were carrying the Messiah, Gabriel told Mary, the other angel told Joseph, Elizabeth confirmed it. Zacharias confirmed it, and now Simeon and then Anna. But swords? Trouble? Piercing? Very stomach-clenching indeed.

Jesus said in Luke 12:49-53 that He comes to divide. That is what truth does, Jesus is so precise His truth can separate spirit from soul. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12).

Simeon was living in apostate times. The Pharisees and Saducees and Scribes had made God into a terrible thing with their perversion of the Law to their own glory. Romans were oppressing the people, it was difficult to practice their faith in truth because truth was hard to find. But Simeon persevered in devoutness and righteousness. That means Simeon had been declared by God to be righteous, a person doesn’t achieve that for themselves. So Simeon was living in the deepest of the dark times just before Jesus began to preach 30 years later. Yet he had faith.

We are living in dark times now too. Our faith is perverted by false doctrines, we are surrounded by falsity. Many of us look up to see if our Redemption draws nigh. Simeon was a special man to have been told that he would not die before he had seen the coming One. Are we the generation that was told we will not pass away before all these things come to pass? (Mt 24:34). May it be so.

Let Jesus divide out the falsity in you and let His pureness and goodness remain. Let you be on the rise and not on the fall, having your heart presented to Him who judges its thoughts, and be declared righteous because of your faith in the Consolation of Israel – who is also the Consolation of the world!
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Posted in aflockalypse, bird die off, crow deaths

(UPDATE) Crow die-off in India reminds people of Aflockalpyse earlier this year

Posted on by elizabethprata

Originally published 12/12/11, I am updating to include another bird die-off: Thousands of grebes crash land in Wal-Mart parking lot in Utah, inexplicably. The article opens: “Authorities were shocked to find more than 4,000 birds scattered across a local Utah Wal-Mart parking lot on Monday night. According to CBS affiliate KUTV in Salt Lake City, Utah, witnesses claimed thousands of the creatures had crash-landed in the parking area. At least 1,500 Eared Grebes, a duck-like aquatic bird, which slammed into the pavement were dead. Fortunately, Utah Department of Wildlife Resource officials and volunteers were able to rescue up to 3,000 of the large flock.” The article says that the birds mistook the parking lot for a body of water. Um. Sure… Wildlife biologists did say this has happened before but never to this degree, with thousands mistaking the parking lot for water.
——-end update————-

When I heard of a spate of sudden bird deaths, with crows suddenly dropping dead to the ground, I made sure to look at the dateline. Was I having deja vu? I remember sudden avian deaths last year at this time. In late December /early January thousands of birds dropped dead in Beebe Arkansas. Experts initially thought that it was New Year’s fireworks that caused the deaths. However those deaths were followed by mysterious deaths in Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, then Turkey,  Manchester UK, and then many other parts of the world. By the end of the first week of January 2011, the event was known as “Aflockalypse” and was being reported by mainstream news. Reasons given were sudden cold spells, fireworks, or magnetism from a sunburst. Avian flu is always a go-to excuse as well. Yet none of the birds had been found to be diseased and the other offered reasons for their deaths seemed to ludicrous to most thinking people.

At that time, the die-offs extended then to fish, seals, and pelicans and throughout January and February people across the world were panicking at this unexplained event. Then the bird and animal die-offs dwindled away, the earthquakes of Christchurch and Japan happened, and the extreme weather of 2011 combined with staggering economic problems soon were at the forefront of people’s minds for the remainder of the year. Now, the bird deaths are back. Perhaps this time it is Avian flu. Time will tell.

Two Indian media outlets are reporting a bird-die off in Hazaribagh, India. One is below from Telegraph India and the other is from Times of India reporting the same thing. I looked up the dateline and this is a current news story, not one that happened in the early part of this year’s Aflockalypse. It may wind up to have an explanation, but the event still brings many people back 11 months to January 2011 and Aflockalypse, and there is once again, panic.

The Telegraph India reports today, “Crow deaths create panic“
“The mysterious epidemic that has claimed hundreds of crows in Jharkhand has now spread to Hazaribagh, with 350-odd scavengers perishing in Vishnugarh and Katkamsandi over the weekend, triggering panic among residents who have been advised by experts not to touch the carcasses. More than 1,000 crows have died in Jamshedpur alone in the past one and a half months, besides a number of deaths in Ghatshila and Giridih. According to villagers, the carcasses of around 250 crows have been spotted in the last two days on the premises of Ram Mandir in Vishnugarh. Mukhiya of Vishnugarh panchayat Arun Rajak said he had informed forest officials about the deaths. Forester Shiv Shankar Prasad suspected that the crows fell prey to avian flu. … Sher Mohammad, a resident, feared it was an indication of something worse. “Villagers are in panic, seeing crows drop dead on the ground suddenly. We have spotted around 100 carcasses in various places so far,” he added.”
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Posted in apocalypse, pope, revelation

Pope highlights Mary’s role as ‘woman of the apocalypse’. Too bad the bible doesn’t.

Posted on by elizabethprata

Well. This is certainly very interesting. The Catholic News Agency on December 8 published the following news piece:

Pope highlights Mary’s role as ‘woman of the apocalypse’
Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the biblical description of a “woman clothed with the sun” in his remarks at Rome’s Spanish Steps on the 2011 Feast of the Immaculate Conception. “What is the meaning of this image? It represents the Church and Our Lady at the same time,” the Pope told the crowd assembled before the nearby statue commemorating the 1854 definition of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. “Before all, the ‘woman’ of the apocalypse is Mary herself.” The 12th chapter of the Biblical Apocalypse – also known as the Book of Revelation – describes the glorification and persecution of “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” Though not named, this woman is described as the mother of the Messiah. In poetic language akin to the Bible’s other prophetic books, Saint John says she faced the threat of “a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,” and “fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God.”

The Pope is welcome to his interpretation, but since the Catholic Church has misrepresented so much else (hell/purgatory, Mary as perpetual virgin, Mary ascended sinless to heaven, indulgences, justification by works, saint worship and more) then let us view with skepticism that Pope Benedict is right about the woman of Revelation being Mary. If she is not, then what is the more proper exegetical view of the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head? (Revelation 12:1b).

The woman is not the Church. The woman is Israel.

Remember the dream Joseph had in Genesis 37:9? “And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.” The 12 tribes of Israel were borne through Jacob, his father. The stars refer to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Further, she is giving birth to Messiah. “While it is true that Mary gave birth to Jesus, it is also true that Jesus, the son of David from the tribe of Judah, came from Israel. In a real sense, Israel gave birth—or brought forth—Christ Jesus. Further evidence for this is in 12:5 where the Scripture says that the woman “gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.” Clearly, this is describing Jesus.” (Source GotQuestions.org)

The lessons here are several. First, even when a supposed spiritual authority makes an interpretation, it may not be correct. Be a Berean and search these things out for yourself. Paul was a spiritual authority, taught by the risen Jesus Himself but still applauded the Bereans for checking what he said against scripture. (Acts 17:11). He called them noble for doing it.

Second, scripture interprets scripture. That may not mean that one verse has to be next to the other in order to give fuller meaning to an understanding. Joseph had his dream in Genesis and the woman is mentioned again in Revelation. But scripture tells us if we appeal to the Holy Spirit for understanding, He will give it without rebuke. (James 1:5).

Third, the Catholic Church is almost obsessively focused on Mary and not nearly enough on Jesus. The lesson here is to make sure to give your focus and attention on the proper spiritual center of the universe, Jesus, in Whom all things hold together. (Col 1:17). It is not by any other name we are saved. (Acts 4:12).

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Posted in cern, large hadron collider, lhc, tower of babel

God is in a particle, or is He?

Posted on by elizabethprata

The physicists under the Alps at a lab called CERN built a machine to enable them to smash particles that will allegedly replicate the moments after the universe was created, an event they call the Big Bang. They say, if they can find this particle, it will prove everything. The particle is the Higgs Boson and its existence has eluded scientists ever since they theorized it four decades ago. The particle is supposed to carry all the mass in matter, and if found to exist would be the basis for all understanding of how the universe works. That is what they call it the “God particle”. The Higgs Boson is allegedly the glue that holds the universe together.

If it is proven to exist, it would provide a bridge across a previously unscalable chasm between the theories of the macro (General Relativity) and the theories of the micro, (Quantum Mechanics) which currently don’t resolve. Here is the Jamaica Observer’s summary of the current excitement from CERN:

“THE world of physics is bubbling with excitement this weekend as scientists await news about the discovery of what some call “The God Particle”. The Higgs boson, a sub-atomic particle that is thought to carry all the mass in ordinary matter, has eluded the boffins (persons engaged in scientific or technical research) since it was proposed nearly half a century ago. But speculation is raging across the Internet that Cern — the European particle physics laboratory that has the world’s largest atom smasher — is about to announce that it has evidence, if not conclusive proof, of the existence of the Higgs. The Higgs, if it has emerged for the first time in Geneva, Switzerland, could help to unify the two great physics theories of the 20th century.”

Einstein hated quantum physics. The Standard Model of physics attempts to resolve all theories into a theory where all actions (whether at the macro or the micro) are harmonized. You see, Einstein had a problem. He hated the emergence of Quantum Physics because the two were not harmonized, but actually were opposed to each other. Einstein spent the rest of his life alternately trying to disprove Quantum Physics or to harmonize the two into his Theory of Everything. To this end, he famously said, “I want to know God’s thoughts, all the rest are details.” In the BBC documentary summary about Einstein’s last days, they wrote, “Einstein’s work was underpinned by the idea that the laws of physics were an expression of the divine. This belief led him to think that everything could be described by simple, elegant mathematics and moreover, that once you knew these laws you could describe the universe with absolute accuracy.”

So by now the CERN particle smashing experiment is concluded and the scientists have been assiduously examining the results. The first surprising result that came out in September is that it seemed that particles can travel at a speed faster than light, something Albert Einstein’s theory of Special Relativity said they cannot do.

A second result is that it seems the scientific community is abuzz with some evidence, if  not conclusive proof, that the God Particle does exist. The Daily Mail’s headline, ‘Significant progress’ made in search for God particle: CERN announcement ignites storm of excitement among physicists doesn’t even come close to the recording palpable excitement of these scientists finding what they call the Holy Grail of particle physics.

So how does this all fit in with bible prophecy? In a couple of ways. The first is a reference back to Einstein’s comment that he wanted to know God’s thoughts, and that He doesn’t play dice with the universe. Einstein overtly thought that if he could find the theories that harmonize it all, he will have found God. God is an orderly God and He does things in an orderly fashion. Einstein was right in that God created the universe and that He controls it. Einstein was wrong in thinking that man could find the key to the theories that will produce God in a neat box and that man will then know all that God does. It doesn’t work that way. If man could understand the universe with “absolute accuracy” as Einstein thought, then man would be equal to God. Though Einstein overtly said and believed these things, the other scientists such as the ones at CERN also believe this. Or else they would not be looking for God in a particle.

Einstein had it backward, as the prophecy said man would. In 2 Timothy 3:7 we are told that in the last perilous days, man will be “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. …But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.” Einstein was always in search of the truth of the universe, which God made, but that he and the other scientists want to remake in their image. How could Einstein come that close but never truly see God, which is Jesus in man’s form? The prophecy said it would be so. Ever learning, never able to come to knowledge of what will save a man…Einstein wanted to know God’s thoughts, but those thoughts are already written down for us in the bible, not in a scientific theory. Science shows God’s mind, but learning science doesn’t prove God.

The second biblical principle we can learn from this is one that is seen in Genesis 11. In only two chapters after the flood and the covenant of the rainbow, man was at it again. In verses 1-9 we read of the Tower of Babel affair. The men led by Nimrod had decided to build a city, as Cain had built a city before the flood. Man was not ready to live in a city together, as evidenced today by the fact that man still does not do well living in close proximity to other men. It is God’s intention to build the city for men (New Jerusalem.)

The most famous verse about this affair is the one from Genesis 11:4 , “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

Genesis 10 describes a scattered people and mentions their tribal languages, so the scattering and linguistic diversity had already begun. It is man who resisted God in staying together, and further, they knew it. We also see that the purpose of the tower was religious, they acknowledged God but wanted to remake Him in their own image and on their own terms. This most devastating motive is revealed in the part of the verse, “let us make a name for ourselves.” In sum the Tower of Babel was a sham, mentioning God but in fact sweeping Him aside to pursue man’s name.

I consider CERN’s Large Hadron Collider the modern Tower of Babel. It is a monumental effort mentioning God but in fact sweeping Him aside to pursue man’s name. I’ve written about the Large Hadron Collider at CERN many times, most pointedly in June 2010 in likening it to the Tower of Babel in an article titled “The Sound of Symphony, or Blasphemy?” where the scientists in pursuit of what the God particle looks like, were also attempting to see what the God particle sounds like.

This Tower of Babel attitude is captured in theoretical physicist Michio Kaku’s statements in 2007. At that time, he hosted BBC4’s science documentary series “Visions of the Future.” Of the series, Dr. Kaku said, “we are entering an empowered new era: “We have unlocked the secrets of matter. … “We will have the power to animate the inanimate, the power to create life itself,” says Dr. Kaku. “We will have the power of gods.” In the series, Dr Kaku extols the virtues of man’s soon-ability to have ‘mastery over matter’. Yet, God is the only Being with that ultimate ability and no matter how much we learn, we are not gods.

Just as in the days of the Tower of Babel, when God “came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built” (Genesis 11:5) and thus dramatically and directly intervened, we are also told that when the full number of the church is reached (Romans 11:25) He will personally and dramatically intervene again, calling His bride to Him and then begin the judgments of the remaining people.

Of God’s statement in Gen 11:6, “And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do,” Barnes Notes explains, “In like simplicity is depicted the self-willed, God-defying spirit of combination and ambition which had now budded in the imagination of man. … Now that they have made this notable beginning of concentration, ambition, and renown, there is nothing in this way which they will not imagine or attempt.”

“The Higgs boson is often referred to these days as “the God particle” after the title of Leon Lederman’s book, “The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question?” Lederman initially wanted to call it the “goddamn particle,” but his editor wouldn’t let him.” Well thank goodness for that. The Higgs boson is theorized to be the “force carrier” of the Higgs field — a field believed by physicists to permeate the entire Universe. Yet Jesus is the glue that holds the universe together. (Colossians 1:17). And to answer Mr Lederman’s provocatively titled paper, here is the question, do you believe you are a sinner who needs to appeal to the resurrected Jesus for forgiveness of those sins in order to escape the just wrath that will befall you?

Is the Large Hadron Collider a horizontal Tower that pokes into the universe, sweeping God Himself aside in pursuit of making a name for ourselves? I think so. And we know what happened last time. I am all for science. I love it and I love the intellectual pursuit of answers to the deeper questions of the earth, planets, universe and subatomic worlds God has made. God is not against that either, because look how much man has learned by His allowance and through His hand on the smarter scientists and inventors! But when the Tower of Babel attitude prevails, when we forget God in the process, that is when things get sticky for men. And I believe that man is on the cusp of that Tower of Babel attitude, of sweeping God aside to think we have become our own gods, able to manipulate the universe through our own mastery to our own ends. Maybe it is a goddamn particle after all.
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Posted in evangelism, hospitality

How to be effective Christians, wherever you are

Posted on by elizabethprata

Sometimes when I watch a video of secret churches in Iran or China I feel embarrassed that I am living in comfort and freedom in America, able to worship freely and even apathetically at times. When I read of the persecution of believers in the Middle East I do cry for the loss of such wonderful believers, knowing I owe them a debt. I want to race out and save exploited children in the sex slavery trade, or run off and be a missionary in the Himalayas or something. But that is not what God has laid out for me to do. We can still be effective witnesses and servants of the Gospel even at our boring homes in the waysides of our small town. I believe that an equal debt is owed the mature, steady Christians who week after week, lovingly open their homes to people, who patiently teach the word more accurately, who encourage, who send money on missions and who tithe locally.

I use Priscilla and Aquila for this model. They were two tentmaking colleagues of Paul (Acts 18:1-4) who welcomed Paul in their home and also discipled other believers constantly. They are mentioned six times, in Acts 18:2,18,26; Romans 16:3; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19. It is obvious from Paul’s letters that he cherished these two. Now Paul was the fiery missionary, tramping from Greece to Yugoslavia and across seas and oceans on behalf of the Lord. It was an important and big ministry. Yet he valued the ‘little’ and unflashy ministry of the believers at home, the husband and wife duo of Priscilla (Prisca as a nickname) and Aquila who discipled, welcomed, encouraged, and taught quietly. We’re part of a body and we each have different roles. From Apostle to missionary to private, quiet teacher at home, we all make a difference. What struck me about Priscilla and Aquila was that they sought out Apollos, opened their home to him, and began to teach him. They made an effort, extending themselves to another brother. (Acts 18:24-26)

You can do this as well. Hospitality, friendship, and person-to-person teaching (Acts 18:26) is effective and shares His light just as wonderfully as Paul’s fiery zeal and public pronouncements to whole cities. Private evangelism is still evangelism, and the two biblical Christians so valued by Paul show us today what a solid couple in the Lord can do for Jesus. Your home is a gift you can use to further His kingdom.
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Posted in theology

What Iranian and Chinese believers go through

Posted on by elizabethprata

As you prepare to attend worship services Sunday, or not, please take a few moments to view the state of Christianity in Iran and in China. The first video is produced by Farshid Seyed Mehdi, an Christian Iranian national living in Netherlands. He is an activist for Jesus, leading and training men to return to Iran to spread the word of Jesus and His Gospel.

This second video I stumbled across on YouTube. I have no idea if these are legitimate. I searched and found that the producer of the first video of converted Iranians is actually a real activist and seems to adhere to the proper tenets of Christianity. I have not found anything about the second video that would dispute that it is actual smuggled video of secret churches in China.

Ultimately, we know that the truth is behind these videos, Christians are being persecuted in Iran and in China. If you are here in America reading this, pray in shame to the Lord for the state of our churches, and for Him to revive us to the truth of the Gospel. If you are in a good, bible-believing church, thank the Lord. If you have accepted untruth in your church from pastor or leadership to the false tune of unity or tolerance, then think of the brothers who are beaten and the sisters who are raped just for daring to believe in Jesus in a satanic culture.  Stand up for the truth.

On the positive side, let people see Jesus in you! Walk in love and in His light. Living as Jesus would have us live in a perverted culture is a powerful witness to Him. Something very powerful that we can do is pray for our brothers in places where they are hostile to Christians. Pray to give them provision, strength, the food of the Gospel, fellow believers to encourage and be encouraged by, bibles, and more. We owe a great debt to our spiritual forefathers of the first generation church who stood for Jesus and died because of it. We owe a great debt to those at this present time who stand for Jesus in Iran, Indonesia, China, and other places hostile to Jesus and die because of it. We owe a future debt to the Tribulation martyrs (Rev 6:9-11) who will be for “slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.”

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28). For those of us in America or other places where we can worship freely, if we become petty or picky at our worship place or leadership, remember Hebrews 12:4, “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

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Posted in collapse, eu, eurogeddon, european union, lisbon Treaty

How what is happening in the European Union has prophetic implications in the near term

Posted on by elizabethprata

The prophecies are not just about pointing to literal events prophesied to happen, such as the destruction of Damascus or the attack by Iran and Russia on Israel. The prophesies also describe the states of mind and emotional turmoil that will accompany the conditions that God is setting up for His final pieces to be fulfilled. This essay is about the emotional and mental conditions that are prophesied and are already here. First, this excerpt from the Sydney Morning Herald–

EU leaders roll the dice as eurogeddon looms

‘Eurogeddon’? Interesting way to put it.

“Could the Euro be saved? After an all-night session of crisis talks Brussels, European leaders came up with a plan to tackle the growing debt crisis, but it split the European Union. According to the President, 26 were open to a new treaty with strict budget oversight, but Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain won’t be joining. … The treaty changes Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, proposed in Paris this week would have been inconceivable at the beginning of the crisis, since it requires states to cede a significant degree of economic sovereignty. It is a process that many observers, in particular the populist British media, say is well under way. German dominance of the euro zone, they say, with Dr Merkel as the unofficial but unchallenged leader of Europe, has already arrived.”

Ceding sovereign authority is a Tribulation condition, as the world is re-drawn into ten kingdoms with one currency. (Revelation 17:12, Revelation 13:16-17)

The article continues in easy-to-read fashion, focusing on Dr. Merkel as a person and a leader, and illustrating the rise of Germany (which is never good for Europe). She is known as The Iron Chancellor, and is seen potentially as the “savior of Europe”. No she is not the antichrist, that is going to be a man. (Daniel 7:24-25). But the profile of Germany’s prominence as a nation and its current leader at this juncture as the European Union teeters, is an interesting read, especially keeping in mind the role that Europe plays in prophecy as the revived Roman Empire.

The treaty they mention as the basis for their talks is the Treaty of Lisbon (Lisbon Treaty). “The Lisbon Treaty is the latest of the Treaties which, to date, have amended previous Treaties on the basis of which the Communities and the European Union were founded, such as the Single European Act (1986), the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty) (1992), the Amsterdam Treaty (1997) and the Treaty of Nice (2001).” (source)

Because European leaders are mentioning a treaty at this time, we wonder if the Lisbon Treaty is THE treaty, or THE covenant that Daniel mentioned the antichrist will make strong. I do not think that it is the same one.

Daniel 9:27 says: “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”

In the Hebrew lexicon, “covenant” is just what it says, a covenant or a league or a treaty. To make strong; is an interesting word translation: in the Hebrew it means “prevailed” and also “conduct himself arrogantly” and/or “to strengthen.” Given the Antichrist’s other qualities that also include flattery and arrogance (Dan 7:8, 7:20), we can see a picture emerge of this prophesied treaty in which this evil man boastfully pressures the other leaders into accepting a treaty in which his version prevails. The antichrist is one among many of the league who sets the treaty in place but he himself will not be made known until halfway through the 7 years of the prophesied length of the treaty, when he puts a stop to the sacrifices in the temple. But he will have been one of the group that strengthens the covenant three and a half years earlier, which dwindles the potential candidates from anyone in the world, to one who is involved with a covenant that is made strong by a small group of leaders. The Church may or may not be here to see the treaty being signed but we will definitely not be here to see the antichrist revealed. Personally, I’m looking for Jesus the Sinless One, not the Man of Sin.

In looking at the lexicon, (source), Daniel 9:27 is presented as a list in each phrase with definitions. Removing the definitions, the verse reads like this: “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations desolate, even until a complete destruction one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

To me, because the verse speaks of a covenant, a length of time, and in the same sentence the breaking of the covenant by breaking the sacrificial activities, the verse seems to indicate one is tied to the other. That the treaty will have in place a method for allowing sacrifices inherent as one of the clauses. If this is so, then the Lisbon Treaty is NOT the treaty the antichrist makes strong.

So what does all this Euro/EU brouhaha have to do with prophetic times? First of all, it is setting conditions that will allow the antichrist to come to power and be accepted by the world. If Angela Merkel does not ‘save the European Union’ it will be all the more a devastating collapse. Secondly, it has to do with this, a condition that is prophesied:

This: “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;” (Luke 21:25)

I’ve mentioned before that the ‘sea and the waves roaring’ in my opinion has to do with the populations in unrest. A figurative tsunami of anger and outcry, if you will. I believe this because in Isaiah 17:12 mentions the definition of sea when it is used figuratively, “Oh, the raging of many nations–they rage like the raging sea! Oh, the uproar of the peoples–they roar like the roaring of great waters!” Interestingly it is from the chapter of Prophecy of the destruction of Damascus, an event that is also predicted to happen in future times, which is almost presently upon us.

The word perplexity literally translates as “I am in difficulties, am at my wits end.” The Greek word aporeo is from a compound word, “to have no way out, i.e. Be at a loss (mentally) — (stand in) doubt, be perplexed.” In the Luke verse, the Greek word for roaring is literally, “rumor or report“.

So now let’s put the Luke verse together. You can picture the people roaring as currency crashes, or hyperinflation arrives, or anger as their leaders are in perplexity as to how to solve these unsolvable issues. Don’t forget that there will also be a lengthy period of wars and rumors of wars. You know how wearing rumors are. If a rumor ever swept your workplace that layoffs are coming, you know the emotional exhaustion that accompanies rumors and reports. The longer it goes on the more angry and upset you get. You know how relieved you feel when you get actual information and actual solutions. Even if you are one who got laid off you almost feel relieved because now at least you can make plans and go forward. Now magnify that feeling by all the world’s population and the global distress and perplexity over years of time, and you have a picture of the state of mind of the people of the world that accepts the antichrist.

The verses from Isaiah, Luke, and Daniel illustrate both literal events and states of mind that lead to the treaty’s signing, and the attendant relief that accompanies this seeming resolution. Now this last quote from investor Jim Sinclair, interviewed this week on the events in the European Union about the currency and financial issues in an article titled Why the financial system is imploding:

“There is no one out there who has a plan that has a practical application which can change what is now. There is no practical solution being offered. There is no politician who has the courage to do the necessary and if the necessary was done, the system is so fragile that it would totally implode.”

No one has an answer! Perplexity… Rumors… Reports… Anger… Fear… An entire continent is consumed with feeling these things, and it does not bode well for the immediate future.

Or, as the Sydney Morning Herald titled it in the article I opened with: EU leaders roll the dice as eurogeddon looms.

“Implode”, “Eurogeddon” … and when they ‘roll the dice’, we already know from the bible that what comes up is snake eyes.
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