Posted in theology

Year end wrap up: The Blog

By Elizabeth Prata

Why ‘The End Time’?

It’s called “The End Time” because we are IN the end time. It’s the time between Jesus incarnation (or ascension), and the time of His return. It’s to remind us that time is short. Death could come for us any day, or the Age of Grace could end suddenly and there would be no more opportunity to be about our father’s business. We must be busy, joyfully ministering in all we do, all the time.

The End Time blog history

By God’s grace, I’ve been blogging every day since January 2009. That’s 15 years (next month). That’s more than 6000 blog essays. I started on Blogspot, then moved to WordPress in 2016. Not all the Blogspot blogs exported, since there was a size limit for the exportation. It’s just as well, not all of my earliest blogs are that good.

Here on WordPress I’ve got 6,360 blogs. A few are repeats, but not many. My topics have been discernment, encouragement and theology. I also enjoy writing natural history essays because I like to extol the imagination and power of God in His creation.

It gives me great joy when women say they have been helped in discernment, comforted and encouraged, or enjoyed a theological point from one of my essays.

Uncomfortable with Celebrity & Influence

I don’t seek a huge ministry. I don’t seek to be a celebrity or famous. I don’t want to speak at conferences or retreats or churches. I liked what John MacArthur said years ago about his Grace To You ministry, he concentrates on the depth of the ministry and lets the Holy Spirit take care of the breadth. I truly don’t desire to ‘see my name in lights’ or anything. I believe it’s good advice. I believe it’s important to just do what I do based on my interpretation of His leading, and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit.

Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash

Where you can find my work

I put up a scripture-picture every day that uses one of my photographs, a devotional, and a new blog. I also record a podcast almost every day. I use 4 social media platforms. My social media pages are Twitter under elizabethprata, Facebook page The End Time Blog, Instagram under eprata7777, and Spotify under the name The End Time Blog Podcast. For the first time since 2009, I may or may not blog every single day this year. I want to release some pressure on myself. We’ll see. I might just be so ingrained by now that I can’t let up, lol.

Ministry Goals

My goal with this ministry comprised of my blog and other social media, are three fold. To 1) encourage women, 2) to discern and teach others how to discern, and 3) to offer links and material from credible ministries from today and the past. There is so much false and fluff out there, I try to do my part in warning women about the bad and passing along the good.

2023 End-of-Year roundup

Which blog essays were most popular? Discernment essays have been the most popular since earliest days of this blog. And that is a good thing. I like to think it is because people care about their walk with Christ and want to be more pure rather than less pure in their doctrine.

When I write that this teacher or that teacher is false, it often causes a stir, but again that is good. Satan defends his territory. Of those who come here with negative comments, though, I can try and win them. And even if I don’t win those folks, lots of others lurk and read, absorbing the concepts put forth in the pitched discussion.

For the last three years, the same essay always comes out as most viewed:

Bullet points on why Joyce Meyer is a false teacher

Mrs. Meyer has an enormous following, and interest in her constantly runs high.

Second in popularity for 2023 is a new discernment essay: Discerning Lori Alexander, “The Transformed Wife” of @Godlywomanhood. This surprised me since I posted it only a few months ago. Lori Alexander is another false teacher with a huge following, and I mean huge. She also relentlessly posts her superficially-seemingly good but deeply false concepts across an astounding variety of social media platforms. For a (hyper-patriarchal) woman whose main claim is that women should strictly tend to her husband and her home, her children and her grandchildren solely, she does an awful lot of work on TikTok, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blog, MeWe, Parler, Gab…ugh. Satan is a roaming lion seeking who he may devour and he uses every means at his disposal to do so. Lori is one of satan’s. Avoid Lori Alexander, she’s toxic.

Third: most popular blog essay for 2023 is an essay I’d posted 7 years ago! This one regularly lands in the top three every year as well: Two divorce cases: Summer White and Melissa Moore. In that essay I’d posted two prominent ministry women who happened to get divorced the same year, Summer White Pinch (now Jaeger) and Beth Moore’s daughter Melissa Moore Fitzpatrick. There is a right way to get divorced (if you have to) and a wrong way. Maybe you can guess which woman exemplified the right way and which was the wrong one…

Fourth: This one also lands in the top five every year. It is an 8-year-old essay which still garners lots of views: Dr David Jeremiah’s shocking apostasy, Updated.

In discernment, it’s a continuum. You don’t want to declare someone false too soon, that is a blot against Jesus and uncharitable to fellow man. But then again you don’t want to endlessly gather every bit of everlasting evidence, waiting too long before warning people of the teacher’s danger. It’s a delicate balance. I don’t need lots to tell me someone is false. There were three items which told me David Platt was false, (essay coming this week on him), and three that for me put Jeremiah into the false column. I have some no-go boundaries. For Dr. Jeremiah, his merchandising at the pulpit was a shock and it tipped the balance for me when combined with other evidence. You can read the other items that indicate he’s false at the link.

Here are the top 14 essays for 2023:

Discernment

I am eternally grateful the Holy Spirit has apparently given me the gift of “distinguishing of spirits” 1 Corinthians 12:10. Sometimes it’s stressful, but it’s always interesting and edifying in the end. I am grateful for this gift, and do my best to hone it, cherish it, and curate it through the training up in the word (Hebrews 5:14). I am also glad when I can encourage women through the Word of God, pointing to Jesus always.

I use the blog also to sort of ‘process out loud’. I process deep concepts through writing, and initially I just wrote because I was trying to figure out stuff. That anyone would enjoy what I write always surprises me. But I’m so glad!

Other Social Media

My Facebook page The End Time has a good amount of reach where my content seems to fulfill the goals I have to encourage or help ladies discern. And Instagram too.

I will do a separate blog essay containing a roundup for my podcast. I’m very happy to serve the Lord in this way.

Thank you, my readers and listeners! Here’s to 2024. Amazing that we’ve gone almost a quarter of the way into the new century!

Posted in prophecy, Uncategorized

Advent: Thirty Days of Jesus- Day 29, Ascension

By Elizabeth Prata

We are coming toward the end of our look at the life of Jesus through scripture. The first section of His life was seen through verses focused on prophecy, arrival, and early life.

The next section of verses looked at Him as the Son, second person of the Trinity.

We proceeded into looking at Jesus as the Son’s preeminence, His works, and His ministry. Under ministry & works, I chose verses showing His attributes and aspects of being servant, teacher, shepherd, intercessor, and compassionate healer; and His attributes of omniscience, having all authority and power, and sinlessness.

Continue reading “Advent: Thirty Days of Jesus- Day 29, Ascension”
Posted in nativity, theology

Nativity & Advent: Nazareth the Podunk Town

By Elizabeth Prata

Fourth in a series.
Nativity & Advent: Zacharias, there is no such thing as luck even when casting lots Nativity & Advent: Anna, the Lord’s Precious Widow
Nativity & Advent: Sacrifice of Pigeons

Israel’s borders are small, and space is at a premium. Nazareth today, in the district of Galilee, is a bustling city of 77,000. Nazareth is known nowadays as the Arab capital of Israel, populated mainly by Muslims, who comprise 70% of the religious demographic there, Christians being 30%. Continue reading “Nativity & Advent: Nazareth the Podunk Town”

Posted in prophecy, Uncategorized

Advent- Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 28, Resurrection of central importance

By Elizabeth Prata

Christmas advent. We are coming toward the end of our look at the life of Jesus through scripture. The first section of His life was seen through verses focused on prophecy, arrival, and early life.

The next section of verses looked at Him as the Son, second person of the Trinity.

Continue reading “Advent- Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 28, Resurrection of central importance”
Posted in nativity, theology

Nativity & Advent: What about Joseph the Carpenter?

By Elizabeth Prata

In biblical times (now, too), the son took on the father’s profession. The tailor’s son became a tailor. The butcher’s son became a butcher. The blacksmith’s son became a blacksmith. The fisherman’s son became a fisherman. My own father, and his father before him, became a funeral director. Continue reading “Nativity & Advent: What about Joseph the Carpenter?”

Posted in advent, theology

Advent- Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 27, He Rises

By Elizabeth Prata

Christmas advent. We are coming toward the end of our look at the life of Jesus through scripture. The first section of His life was seen through verses focused on prophecy, arrival, and early life.

The next section of verses looked at Him as the Son, second person of the Trinity, by looking at Jesus as the Son and His preeminence, His works, and His ministry.

Under ministry & works, I chose verses showing His attributes and aspects of being servant, teacher, shepherd, intercessor, and compassionate healer; and His attributes of omniscience, having all authority and power, and sinlessness.

Continue reading “Advent- Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 27, He Rises”
Posted in advent, prophecy, theology

Nativity & Advent: Zacharias- There’s no such thing as chance, even when casting lots

By Elizabeth Prata

#2: Nativity & Advent: Anna, the Lord’s Precious Widow
#3: Nativity & Advent: Sacrifice of Pigeons

First, about casting lots. Then about Zacharias and the lot that cast him into the Nativity scene.

Did you know that the practice of casting lots is called cleromancy? I didn’t. Wikipedia defines it-

Cleromancy is a form of sortition, casting of lots, in which an outcome is determined by means that normally would be considered random, such as the rolling of dice, but are sometimes believed to reveal the will of God

What is casting lots? by Matt Slick

Casting lots was a method used by the Jews of the Old Testament and by the Christian disciples prior to Pentecost to determine the will of God. Lots could be sticks with markings, stones with symbols, etc., which were thrown into a small area and then the result was interpreted. … There are many instances of casting lots in the Bible.

Continue reading “Nativity & Advent: Zacharias- There’s no such thing as chance, even when casting lots”
Posted in encouragement, Uncategorized

Advent- Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 26, Jesus’ sinlessness

By Elizabeth Prata

This section of verses that show Jesus’ life are focused on His attributes & earthly ministry. We’ve seen Him as servant, teacher, shepherd, intercessor, and healer. We looked at His attributes of omniscience, His authority, and now His sinlessness.

He came from glory where righteousness reigns. He descended to an earth that’s cursed where every single human is depraved, thoroughly drenched with a sin nature. He lived among us, sinlessly and perfectly fulfilling the Father’s commands for righteous living. He did this at every moment in every way. Not one blot, not one thought, not one act of anything less than perfection.

For this, He was reviled, mocked, hated, and killed.

He did it for us.

thirty daysof jesus 26

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Further Reading:

The Cripplegate/Nate Busenitz: In what way was Jesus ‘made sin’ on the cross? Excerpt:

In what sense did Jesus become “sin on our behalf”? Does that phrase mean that Jesus literally became a sinner on the cross? …

Based on the above passages, we can safely determine what 2 Corinthians 5:21 does not mean. It cannot mean that Jesus became unrighteous, or that He became a sinner, or that He took on a sin nature, or that He literally embodied sin. … So, then what does it mean? This brings us to our third point. … 3. The best way to understand Paul’s statement (that Jesus became sin on our behalf) is in terms of imputation. Our sin was imputed to Christ, such that He became a substitutionary sacrifice or sin offering for all who would believe in Him.

GotQuestions: Why does Christ’s righteousness need to be imputed to us?

On the cross, Jesus took our sin upon Himself and purchased our salvation. We have “been justified by his blood” (Romans 5:9), and part of that justification is an imputation of His own righteousness. Paul puts it this way: “For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus is righteous by virtue of His very nature—He is the Son of God. By God’s grace, “through faith in Jesus Christ,” that righteousness is given “to all who believe” (Romans 3:22). That’s imputation: the giving of Christ’s righteousness to sinners.

Ligonier: Jesus’ Sinless Life
Jesus lived a representative life. Jesus lived a sinless life, and it was, therefore, a life of representative sinlessness. Our Lord’s obedience stands in the place of His people’s sin. His law-keeping is counted as the law-keeping of those who have faith in Him.

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Thirty Days of Jesus Series-

Introduction/Background

Day 1: The Virgin shall conceive
Day 2: A shoot from Jesse
Day 3: God sent His Son in the fullness of time
Day 4:  Marry her, she will bear a Son

Day 5: The Babe has arrived!
Day 6: The Glory of Jesus
Day 7: Magi seek the Child
Day 8: The Magi Offer gifts & worship

Day 9: The Child Grew
Day 10- the Boy Jesus at the Temple
Day 11: He was Obedient

Introduction/Background

Prophecies:

Day 1: The Virgin shall conceive
Day 2: A shoot from Jesse
Day 3: God sent His Son in the fullness of time
Day 4:  Marry her, she will bear a Son

Birth & Early Life-

Day 5: The Babe has arrived!
Day 6: The Glory of Jesus
Day 7: Magi seek the Child
Day 8: The Magi Offer gifts & worship

Day 9: The Child Grew
Day 10- the Boy Jesus at the Temple
Day 11: He was Obedient
Day 12: The Son!
Day 13: God is pleased with His Son

The Second Person of the Trinity-

Day 14: Propitiation
Day 15: The Gift of Eternal Life
Day 16:  Kingdom of Darkness to Light
Day 17: Jesus’ Preeminence
Day 18: The Highest King
Day 19: He emptied Himself
Day 20: Jesus as The Teacher
Day 21: The Good Shepherd
Day 22: The Intercessor
Day 23: The Compassionate Healer
Day 24: Jesus’ Omniscience
Day 25: Jesus’ Authority

Posted in advent, theology

Nativity & Advent: Anna, the Lord’s Precious Widow

By Elizabeth Prata

#1 : Nativity & Advent: Zacharias- There’s no such thing as chance, even when casting lots
#3: Nativity & Advent: Sacrifice of Pigeons

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The Nativity story includes wonderful elements as we learn them and repeat them year after year. We truly are little children, saying to our parents, “Tell me again!” We never tire of hearing as much as we can about our Savior who left His throne, left glory, left the perfect adoration of his angels, and came to earth to serve and die. (And resurrect)

This year I’m focusing on a few of the people and events of the Nativity story during Advent with which we may not be as familiar. Or, if you are familiar, then please enjoy another round of delving into this magnificent story in all its aspects. Continue reading “Nativity & Advent: Anna, the Lord’s Precious Widow”