Category: bible

Posted in bible, God, prayer

This made me laugh: Peter and his impetuousness

Posted on by elizabethprata

I’m reading a small pamphlet called “Found: God’s Will.” I plan to donate it to my church library and I’m reading it in advance of that, though I know that the author is solid and the information will be good.

So I am on this part discussing Peter’s experience with Jesus in several settings. In this one, they are on the boat.

“Suddenly one of the men in the boat looked out and said, “Someone is walking on the water!” Sure enough, with robes flowing in the wind, here comes Jesus walking across the whitecaps.

Peter cried out, “Is that You, Lord?”
The Lord answered, “It is I”
Peter said, “Can I come?”

“You may wonder why Peter said that. Why didn’t he wait in the boat until Jesus got there? But that wouldn’t have been like Peter. He said to himself, ‘Jesus is over there. I am over here. That is not good. I must go over there.’ It never entered his mind that normally he was not able to walk on water. That was not even a problem.When he saw Jesus, he had such a desire to be with Him, that he went.”

LOL! ‘It never entered his mind that normally he was not able to walk on water“… Is your desire to be near Jesus that strong, that the impulse to be near to Him overrides all else?

How do we be near Jesus these days? First, we repent of our sins and become saved. If we are not saved, we are outside His body. God does not lead those who have not received Jesus as personal Savior. If you are not with Him, you are against Him. (Matthew 12:30). The first step is to be saved, that brings you so close to Jesus that he sends the Holy Spirit to be inside you! Talk about close!

Next, we have to die to self. It is our flesh and our will that separates us from Jesus. When we are not saved it is our sins that keep us from him, our flesh wanting to say and do things that oppose Him. When we are saved, the fleshly will and lusts do not go away. Unchecked and unrepented fleshly sins do cause us to be distant from Jesus, even if we are saved, (Proverbs 28:13) though we do not lose our salvation. But our lusts can be held in check by submission to the Holy Spirit and He helps us resist sin. We do not have the power or the will to do that but the Spirit does. So Jesus said,

“Luke 9:23-24 (NIV) Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”

Also, pray frequently. Colossians 4:2 says to “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Devote is a strong word, the Greek means to persevere in, to remain steadfastly upon. Don’t become lax in your prayer life, sending up a quickie prayer before bed and falling asleep in the middle of it. The prayers of the saints are heard by the Holy God in His courts!

“The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand.” (Revelation 8:4)

Have you pondered lately what a privilege it is to pray to God and that He promises to hear them? We have a Holy and Loving God on His throne, with Jesus sitting by His side interceding for us. (Romans 8:34) Wow! Get excited over that!

So, to be close to Jesus we are born again, we die to self daily, and we pray devotedly. What else could we do to stay close to Jesus’ side? Read His Word, of course. That is what Peter was doing- propelling himself toward the Word.

When we pray we speak to Him, but when we read His Word, He speaks to us. Everything we need to know about truth, Godly living, prayer, fasting, parenting, working, serving…it is all in there. Does the Word sit on your shelf, gathering dust?. Does it languish in the back seat of your car, fading? Or is it well-worn, spine cracked, pages wrinkled, children familiar? Personally I find the Word fascinating and beautiful. God sent the Word in the flesh to us, (John 1:14) and after that He sent the Word to us in the closed canon of the bible. (Revelation 22:21). He says things like this in it:

“The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” (Psalm 19:8)

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12)

We are dearly loved, by the Holy God! Not just loved, but dearly loved! So dearly love Him back and read what He has to say to us, read about His nature and character as He reveals it. How can we serve a Jesus we don’t know? How can we love Him back if we do not know Whom we are loving?

There are many things we do to stay close to the Lord, but I’ll end with this one. Stay faithful through trials, dear ones. Stay faithful. Trials come, they do to all born again believers. Peter said to rejoice when they come. Why rejoice?

“These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:7)

The glory of Jesus Christ! And that is what everything we do is all about: the closer we are to Him the more glory we can reflect back on Him! It is all about He who is coming soon to gather His children to His bosom and take us home. (Isaiah 40:11). His glory is so pure, so bright that no one can see it and live. (Exodus 33:20). But when he collects us, we will be transformed, (1 Corinthians 15:51). We will see it! What a sight that will be! (1 John 3:2)

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Posted in bible, end of days. prophecy, facepalm, tartarus, the immortals

The movie The Immortals and the bible

Posted on by elizabethprata

I loved Greek Mythology growing up. I had a thick Bulfinch’s, the bible of myth books. I took classes, I read about them on my own. Greek myths were really interesting to me.

But now I know that there is one True God, that is El Shaddai, the Ancient of Days. All the rest are lies from satan, spawned upon gullible humans after he fell. Not convinced? Here is a short definition of the original Greek god myth:

“The Titans, also known as the elder gods, ruled the earth before the Olympians overthrew them. The ruler of the Titans was Cronus who was de-throned by his son Zeus. Most of the Titans fought with Cronus against Zeus and were punished by being banished to Tartarus. Since it is satan’s version, of course the gods of Olympus (new crop of underling gods) eventually defeated the Titans (original ones). Many of the Titans were cast into Tartarus.”

Oh, how satan would like to make a revisionist history like that one really stick!

Here is the bible:
“For God did not spare angels when they had sinned, but hurling them down to Tartarus consigned them to caves of darkness, keeping them in readiness for judgement.” (2 Peter 2:4 WNT).

Most versions of the verse say that they were cast down to ‘gloomy dungeons’ and there is usually a footnote at the bottom, and gloomy dungeons is defined “Tartarus.” So in the Greek myths version (satan’s) he won, and God is sent to Tartarus. In the bible, the truth is that God wins and satan’s henchmen are in Tartarus.

In The Iliad (c. 700), Zeus asserts that Tartarus is “as far beneath Hades as heaven is high above the earth.”

In the bible we read, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;” (Psalm 103:11).

In Luke 10:15 we see “And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades!”

And in Isaiah we read, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9).

I visited a bible forum in the pursuit of quotes for this essay. In one forum, they were marveling that Greek myths were in the bible and therefore being taught as authoritative. It really stumped them.

The Greek myths were spawned from satan as a perversion of the Truth, people! The bible came FIRST! I didn’t write that on the forum, lol, but I really wanted to let them have it.

The new movie out called “The Immortals” is an updating of the ancient Greek myths. Look at the synopsis below and tell me that doesn’t sound familiar:

“Eons after the Gods won their mythic struggle against the Titans, a new evil threatens the land. Mad with power, King Hyperion  has declared war against humanity. Amassing a bloodthirsty army of soldiers disfigured by his own hand, Hyperion has scorched Greece in search of the legendary Epirus Bow, a weapon of unimaginable power forged in the heavens by Ares. Only he who possesses this bow can unleash the Titans, who have been imprisoned deep within the walls of Mount Tartaros since the dawn of time and thirst for revenge. In the king’s hands, the bow would rain destruction upon mankind and annihilate the Gods. But ancient law dictates the Gods must not intervene in man’s conflict. They remain powerless to stop Hyperion…until a peasant named Theseus  comes forth as their only hope. Secretly chosen by Zeus, Theseus must save his people from Hyperion and his hordes…”

“Fifth Trumpet: The Locusts from the Bottomless Pit”
“Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, (Tartarus) and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.” Revelation 9:1-3.

Of course satan’s only human hope is the antichrist. Just like the ‘only hope’ character in the movie, the antichrist has a bow, too. “Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” (Rev 6:1-2)

I hope by now you see the parallels. The spiritual war that we know is occurring is being played out among us and soon it will be real and visible enough. Hollywood has been an aider and abettor of satan since the early days of film and The Immortals is just another example of how satan is preparing humanity to accept the lie. The themes of most of the movies we see nowadays are in some way parallel to the themes of the last days events that will soon enough be playing out in your front yard.

As far as movies in general go, use a simple question before deciding to sacrifice your time and your money at the altar of Hollywood moguls, “Does it honor God?” The rapture is soon. Please be engaged in some activity that you will be relieved to have been doing the split-second before you see Him!
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Posted in bible, prophecy, rapture

"I go to prepare a place for you"

Posted on by elizabethprata

Jesus concluded His ministry with His death on the cross and subsequent ascension to heaven, to be seated at the right hand of the Father. The right hand is illustrative of great strength and power. “Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.” (Exodus 15:6). Being seated denotes a concluded work. When we sit imports honour, as a king sits and his subjects stand. Sitting denotes pleasure, rest from labour and weariness. It evokes safety and security; one who is seated no longer need be on guard. As Gill’s Exposition says, “What adds to the happiness of this is, that it is together with all the saints, and with Christ himself.”

His hands have made the world and the heavens (Isaiah 48:13). His hands have made us (Psalms 73:23). His hands smote enemies. (Exodus 15:6). His hand saves. (Psalms 17:7).

Jesus said to the Jews that they will not see Him again until they cry out to Him (Matthew 23:39). He told the Disciples, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-2)

So when Jesus left, He said He would prepare a place. He did not say that He would tell His angels to prepare a place. He didn’t say that He would create a place. He said He would prepare a place. The Greek word for prepare in this verse is hetoimazó, meaning to make ready, to prepare.

Whenever you feel lost, small, storm-tossed, think of the John 14 verse. He goes to prepare a place for us. The God of the Universe whose hands have done so many things and will do so many things, whose hands smite enemies and create worlds, is using His hands to tenderly prepare for our arrival. He is preparing a place for us to dwell. That dwelling will be perfect, having been readied by the Perfect One. We will be partaking of the banquet of His glory forever.

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Posted in bible, bible jesus, occupy wall street, one world economy, prophecy, socialism

Occupy Wall Street: class warfare plus wealth transfer equals antichrist conditions

Posted on by elizabethprata

The last years in this age on earth will be ruled by an evil dictator over a global economic empire: The Antichrist and the one world economic system. The current economic turmoil, riots, ‘occupations, and wealth transfer is part of that last days scene, soon to be fulfilled. Before we look forward to examine these things, let’s take a look back.

First, let us go to 2008. Obama is a Presidential candidate, campaigning. Many people suspected his socialist leanings from having been associated with socialists, (duh), allied with ACORN, with community organizing, and when he said to Joe the Plumber, “let’s spread the wealth around.” There was a severe pooh-poohing when the normal-thinking people said “AHA! Socialist! We knew it!” Socialism was dismissed as passe and Obama’s connection with it ignored.

Nowadays, socialism is far from passe. It has become de rigueur. Imagine that. It is accepted, desired even, by these thousands of ‘Occupy’ folk. In just three short years, capitalism and corporation have become dirty words while socialism has been dusted off and given a new shine.

Let’s go back even further to 1919-1920 and the rise of Italy’s Benito Mussolini. Mussolini became a dictator at home and an international ally of Germany’s Hitler throughout the Thirties and the Second World War.

“The Socialists, which by then had become the largest party, spoke theoretically of revolution, alarmed the conservatives, who quickly associated them with Communists. Thousands of agricultural and industrial strikes in 1919 and 1920 created a climate of class warfare and continual violence. Mussolini quickly shifted from leftist to rightist politics and began to gain support from middle-class industrialists who were fearful of working-class agitation and who objected to the agricultural strikes.” Sound familiar? (Source: “Western Civilization: Since 1300 By Jackson J. Spielvogel.”)

What is socialism? And what is its connection to the current violence in the Occupy Wall Street protests and riots? More importantly, is there a connection to the Tribulation and the last economic system yet to be fulfilled?

First, what is Socialism? “It is an economic doctrine, egalitarianism is the driving force behind socialism and communism. It is economic egalitarianism that seeks to remove the barriers of economic inequality by means of redistribution of wealth. … The problem with this doctrine is … a mistaken premise in economic egalitarianism which asserts that the rich have gotten their wealth by the exploitation of the poor.” (source GotQuestions.org). We’ve certainly heard enough about that lately. They say “greedy corporations” are to blame for the mess we’re in. They say ‘evil banksters’ put us here and we need socialism to get us out, because capitalism ain’t working, they say.

The Tribulation will have a one world economic system. There will be very poor people, working all day just to buy a loaf of bread. (Rev 6:6). There will be the very rich possessing vast wealth, (Rev 18:17a) able to live luxuriously and trade in luxuries at will. (Rev 18.) The Occupy Wall Street protesters’ hated “1%” will not disappear, but get wealthier and stronger.

The problem is, the Occupy Wall Street misguided are barking up the wrong tree, and in the end will not bring about their desired reforms but are in fact providing the platform for the Antichrist to appeal to the masses who clamor for ‘social justice” (code for ‘I want your money’). They will simply be on the losing end of a great wealth transfer, which history shows us happens every time socialism is attempted. Their grimy faces, currently spouting Hate Capitalism at filthy parks will soon be grimier, clutching the bars of the estate begging for scraps, much as Lazarus did at the Rich Man’s gate, and the dig licked his sores. (Luke 16:19-31). Such will be the fate of Occupiers who call for evil corporations to be done away with. The Antichrist will comply- and then take the money for himself. But I get ahead of the story.

The connection to the current violence in the Occupy Wall Street protests & riots to the end time is seen in the following videos. Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. (Winston Churchill)

THEN

You didn’t know that America was engaged in violent class warfare in the Depression-era, did you? It was about Labor gaining a foothold, then a stranglehold on corporations. But it was not just about that. The Cleveland riots began as protests against foreclosures and evictions in a depressed housing market. By February of 1931 “Food riots” begin to break out in parts of the U.S. In Minneapolis, several hundred men and women smashed the windows of a grocery market and make off with fruit, canned goods, bacon, and ham. One of the store’s owners pulls out a gun to stop the looters, but is leapt upon and has his arm broken. The “riot” is brought under control by 100 policemen. Seven people are arrested. The Humboldt Park 1932 riot was over rotten food.

The point is, and this should come as no surprise, “Research Shows That Austerity Can Lead to Riots“. Writer Alain Sherter said in that article of austerity and anarchy, “Such events have many causes, of course. But one key contributing factor is economic shocks.”

NOW

Even the language is the same. Skulls cracked then, skulls cracked now. Though ostensibly these altruistic Occupiers want financial justice for all, what they are really showing us is that they’re poor (in their own eyes), or they’re lazy, (relying on government programs which are now in danger of being cut, and/or a simple refusal to work for their wage) and they want what you have. And they’re gonna get it, even if they have to break the law to do it.

I’d posed three questions,
What is socialism?
What is its connection to the current violence in the Occupy Wall Street protests and riots?
Is there a connection to the Tribulation and the last economic system yet to be fulfilled?

In the third question, yes, there is a connection. The Tribulation is about wealth transfer, because the time period is first ruled by the antichrist under the influence of the devil, (Rev 13:5-8) and later is ruled by the devil himself. The devil wants to kill, steal, and destroy. (John 10:10). So of course he wants to steal your money, your comfort, your hope, and eventually your life. So, yes, he wants to destroy all the world’s governments, economic systems, values, and finances. His plan for your life is to either take all from you or get you to sacrifice God’s blessings on you. The protests in America now are not directed against the President, they are directed against God’s blessings on this nation.

This effort will culminate in the Mark of the Beast, (Rev 13:16-17) which forces a person to accept the mark of worship and be able to participate in the last economy, or to refuse the mark of worship and starve or be beheaded, whichever comes first.

Between now and then, the economic situation will become more dire, which sparks more people to violence, which diverts resources of police and municipalities, which allows for higher crime elsewhere, while thousands are occupying parks and refusing to contribute to the very economy they want to become healthy again, and end up in freeloading and perversity, yearning for a leader with an answer. It is a downward cycle we saw with Mussolini, Hitler, and will find its culmination in the antichrist. It is not only started already, it is well on its way toward that imminent fulfillment:

This week the Pope called for economic justice and a centralized world bank. Funny, because the Vatican already IS a vastly wealthy centralized government. However, corporatism and big government go hand in hand. “The Vatican called on Monday for the establishment of a “global public authority” and a “central world bank” to rule over financial institutions that have become outdated and often ineffective in dealing fairly with crises. A major document from the Vatican’s Justice and Peace department should be music to the ears of the “Occupy Wall Street” demonstrators and similar movements around the world who have protested against the economic downturn.”

As for the violence, Jesus said, “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” (Mt 24:12). The rise of flash mobs and the helplessness of store owners to stop them is a smaller version of what has been given rise now: Occupy Wall Street mobs who practice lawlessness in an entire city or large parts of cities, and outnumber the police. Instead of fifty unruly teens storming the store against one store owner, it is 5000 unruly freeloaders storming a city block against an entire police force. Even HotAir said that resistance is futile. Futile was their word.

“The fences came down at Oakland’s Frank Ogawa Plaza Wednesday evening during a general assembly meeting among “Occupy Oakland” protesters. At least 500 protesters gathered at the plaza to reclaim the site of their encampment, which was raided by police early Tuesday morning… At 7 p.m., around 50 to 100 protesters succeed in tearing down sections of the fence on the opposite side of the plaza from where the meeting is taking place. … With public officials facing pressure from all sides in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and other “occupied” cities, the lesson from Oakland will most likely be that action will largely be futile without a large police presence extending for considerable time to come.”

So we have economic depression, austerity abhorrence, riots, impotent municipal government to keep law and order, calls for wealth re-distribution, and disdain of capitalism. These conditions gave rise to evil dictators in the past, only too willing to exploit the misguidedness and greed of the people in prior times, and it will do so again. Except this last dictator will be the personification of evil.

Wouldn’t you rather get to know the personification of Goodness? Jesus is that personification, literally incarnating into humanity to teach us what is needed to be cleansed from our misguidedness and our sins. Doing so is very simple. Not easy, but simple. “Believe on the One He has sent”, and be saved. (John 6:29; John 3:16-17). Salvation means you’re saved from hell, and to be saved you must first recognize what will send you to hell: your sins. If you want Jesus to forgive those sins, then be sorry you committed them and ask Him to cleanse you. He will. But don’t wait too long. The antichrist is knocking at the door, and soon, Jesus will let him in.
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Posted in bible, last days, prophecy, rapture

I believe the rapture will be soon

Posted on by elizabethprata

People have been asking about the imminence of the rapture. I personally believe it will be soon. I am not the only one who believes this. Hal Lindsey has been in a prophecy ministry for 50 years and believes it to be very soon. Jack Kelley has been studying it for over 20 and has said “soon.” The two guys at the net’s oldest rapture website, Rapture Ready, have been studying last days doctrines for over 25 years and believe no other time has been as ripe as this one. Pastor JD Faraq says we are in the last moments of the last days.

All the prophecy teachers I read say that we are in the prelude stage to rapid fulfillment of the prophesied Tribulation Time and very near the rapture. Jack Kelley summed it up thus: “For what it’s worth, I believe the world is experiencing the prelude to the seal judgments right now. They haven’t begun yet but the conditions necessary for them to happen are rapidly being met. It won’t be long until everything’s in place.”

Hal Lindsey: “As I was preparing for tonight’s program, I was struck with the speed with which the events are taking place precisely as the prophets predicted millennia ago.”

The Rapture Ready guy said in August of the disasters this year: “It seems that we’ve reached a point where the kindness of God must be at a limit. If we can have nine calamities in less than eight months and still not get man’s attention, any more warning would be pointless. Only God knows for sure, but I think the judgment stage is very very near.”

Then someone pinned me down and asked about timing. “Months, or years?” they asked. So I’ll go out on a limb and if having to choose between months or years, I’ll say I think we have months to go. I could well be wrong, it may be years. No one knows, because as Romans 11:25 instructs us, the fulfillment of the church age is dependent on a number God has in mind for His church, not a date nor an event. When the full number of Gentiles has come in, then we will be raptured. Acts 15:13-18 picks up, “after this I will return and rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down”.

But I do not think I am wrong about the months part and here is why:

1. I don’t believe the world can sustain too much more sin for too long. I’m not talking about pollution, but spiritual pollution and the chaos it brings. Things are stretching at the seams as it is. For example, in one city, the street lights were re-possessed due to unpaid electrical bills. Another city, this one in GA, deleted the entire public bus system. Topeka is so overwhelmed with crime they just announced they will no longer investigate nor prosecute domestic crimes. Detroit closed literally 50%, half, its schools. Children are being molested, kidnapped, and killed at an enormously high rate. There was an attempted kidnapping in my county in broad daylight and police and sheriffs sent out an urgent plea for witnesses. Ever growing numbers of people are dying from attempted theft of copper from electrical transformers. A few weeks ago several people in a nursing home died from overheating after copper was stolen from AC units. In other places, the entire AC unit is taken- one church had theirs stolen 4 times. A humane society lost all its dogs when their AC was stolen. No where is safe any more. Thieves are getting bolder, flash mobs are getting more violent, Occupy Wall Street is spreading around the world, chaos is almost or actually in fact broken out. Rome was on fire from riots. This level of crime and chaos cannot be sustained for long. Of course it will be completely unleashed after we are gone and the Restrainer is removed. If feels soooooo pregnant.

2. I think the rapture will be soon because the isolation of Israel is almost complete. Every Middle East nation mentioned in Tribulation or last days prophecy is in place to fulfill their prophetic roles. For example, Turkey recently quit seeking the West after 50 years of trying and is now overtly Muslim. After 100 years of enmity Turkey and Armenia suddenly made up. Iran is in possession of nuclear bomb making materials. Russia is revived (Gog-Magog) and is empire building. And so on. None of the above was even thinkable as short as five years ago.

3. The natural disasters have gotten to a point of severe intrusion on daily life to most of the global population. They are happening in almost overlap fashion, one upon another, stilling whole swathes of transport and impacting food production to a near-famine degree. I include the US in this position. Did you know that right now a third of Thailand, especially Bangkok, is flooded? We don’t read in US media about the flooding in Thailand and the impacts to world rice production and to factory production of parts that we need, but it is going on, all that and more.

4. We can see clear indications over the prophetic horizon of imminent Seal Judgment fulfillments. (Rev 6). Jack Kelley mentioned that as well. If the Seal Judgments can almost be seen, and the church will be removed before the Tribulation begins, how much closer is the rapture? Close.

5. The attacks on the rapture doctrine are ramping up incredibly in these last ten years. It is almost a fever pitch now. If you even mention rapture these days, among Christians, you get the two-head look or an argument. Though the pre-tribulation rapture is not a foundational issue that should divide the brethren, a close and literal honest reading of the bible would clearly show that there will be a rapture and that it will be prior to the Tribulation. Satan’s use of doubt on this issue has allowed Replacement Theology to creep in (proposes that the church has replaced Israel in God’s plan); it steals the Christian’s hope, it causes doubt and division, and lays the groundwork for a host of other false doctrines to enter in.

If I am wrong it impacts my faith not one bit. I will say the ‘Lord is coming soon’ until we are raptured, whether that be tomorrow or 10 years from now. But I don’t think it will be that long. Look for Damascus to be destroyed as a startling sign of the rapture’s imminence. I think that will happen soon…
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Posted in bible, days of lot, gay kiss sparks outrage, homosexuality, jesus, judgment

Gay kiss sparks outrage

Posted on by elizabethprata

Lots to discuss here.

Homosexual kiss at school assembly prompts student walk-out, parental fury

“Members of the football team stomped out of a Hartford, Connecticut, high school assembly when a pro-homosexual advocacy play featured two boys kissing on stage. When the actors locked lips, reports Vanessa de la Torre for the Hartford Courant newspaper, “a piercing clamor rang through the auditorium. “There were screams and loud voices and a bit of feigned or real disgust. Dozens of students, mostly male and a few in their Owls football jerseys, hurried out of their rows and walked out. A few jumped over seats to leave.”

The play was a fantasy portraying the world as entirely homosexual, and the few heterosexuals that existed were in the closet, ashamed of their non-gayness. Of course, we know satan’s agenda is to aim for exactly that. He comes to destroy the family to destroy the purity of marital sexual unions between the God-ordained one woman-one man inside of a marriage that God outlined for us. His agenda is to introduce perversity in all arenas and to saturate the culture with anything sexual goes.

It was good to see that there was a furor over the perverted display of males kissing in an auditorium where impressionable youth were attending. It was even nicer to see that it was in a school in New England, and not even the bible belt. The comment that ‘all the play was trying to do was instill a sense of empathy toward gays and lesbians,” was replied to by the principal that “our kids are not there yet.” Well, good.

While we have empathy for gays who are in sin as we do for any person caught in sin, we do not celebrate sin. We do not accord it a normalcy. We do not allow it to pass without comment. And when it occurs in the church, any sin, any church, it defiles the church. Immorality in a church must be judged. (1 Corinthians 5:1-12) while immorality outside of the church will be judged by Jesus.

I listened to the trailer for the documentary “Agenda: Grinding America Down” and in it the statement was made that in just 40 years we have gone from Norman Rockwell’s America to Hugh Hefner’s America. So true. Within one generation the nation’s morals have completely swapped, and who is to blame for that? Not the president, not the government’s policies, not the parents so much, but satan. We fight not against the president. We fight not against the politicians’ policies. We fight not against parents or leaders or bosses. We fight against powers and principalities and spiritual rulers of the heavenly realms (Eph 6:12). Satan knows what God expects and as a result he does the opposite. (John 10:10). Look how much we have let him.

Jesus mused to the Disciples that just prior to His Second Coming “will the Son of Man find faith upon the earth?” (Luke 18:8). Of course He knew the answer: the answer was no, not so much faith at all.  He said as a matter of fact, that it will be as it was in the Days of Lot. (Luke 17:28-29). So, what were the Days of Lot like?

Lot was Abraham’s nephew who decided to go live near Sodom, (Gen 13:10-13) the worst city there ever was or ever will be, except for Babylon. Sodom and Gomorrah’s depravity had reached such a level that there was an outcry against the cities and their sin was a very grave. (Gen 18:20). The angels that had ‘come down’ to see what the outcry was about and to judge the cities. However all the men of the city, from every quarter, surrounded the house, demanding that Lot present the “men” (angels) so that they could be raped. The perverted lust was very real and had turned the men into a mob, with violent rape threats made against Lot when Lot refused(Gen 19:4-5) The door was bulging with the pressure of the men trying to get at the fresh meat of new men to rape. (Gen 19:9).

Their perverted lust was so great that even after the angels struck the men blind, they still tried to get at them! (Gen 19:11). The mob wore themselves out trying to find the door.

The lesson here is that proper lust, when perverted, is a sin and sin, as we know, leads you. You become a slave to it. (John 8:34). The story of Sodom is one that shows us the bottom of the pit of where sin leads: to an out of control person and then to judgment.

Expand that picture of the men trying to get into the door where fresh men were staying, with a mob blindly clawing their way to the door and trying to batter it down. That will be the scene many times over when the Holy Spirit Restrainer is removed from the earth at the Rapture and men’s passions and perversions get out of control during the Tribulation. The days of Lot.

I’m glad to see a semblance of restraint in Connecticut at that assembly-play and an outcry against such blatant sins. And I assure you, the outcry was not because the audience lacked empathy for the gays and lesbians portrayed in the play and by extension, all gays and lesbians, it was because there are still some people left who say such things are sins, and not to be tolerated. And let me assure you of this, the play organizer and writer was not trying to instill a sense of empathy for gays and lesbians, he was trying to desensitize us to the potent effects of perversion, to normalize it. I’m glad there are still some people around who just say no to sin’s drug of perversion and depravity.
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Posted in bible, God

What’s in a name?

Posted on by elizabethprata

What is in a name indeed. If you ever had a child you know the importance of naming the child a name that fits with the family, is consistent with (hopefully) the child’s character, and doesn’t rile up or offend relatives hoping to have their name go into the next generation, lol.

I was named Elizabeth, and my mother made much of that. She said it was after Queen Elizabeth (the first or the second, the story changed). I always liked Elizabeth. She often said how hard it was to get the family to call me by my full name and not a nickname. It turned out that it was a losing battle, because growing up, I was Beth. When I went away to college I introduced myself to people as Elizabeth and the name stayed that way.

As I grew older I looked into the origin of the name. What did it mean? What was its history? There were several biblical references to Elizabeth, all of which perplexed me, because I wasn’t religious at all. In some interpretations, Elizabeth- Elisheba or Elisheva in Hebrew- appears in the Old Testament where Elisheba is the wife of Aaron, while the Greek form appears in the New Testament where Elizabeth is the mother of John the Baptist. It means “God’s promise,” or “I am God’s daughter.” In other interpretations it meant “Consecrated to God.” That one confused me most of all. I was far, far from God and certainly not set aside for a specific religious purpose, which is the definition of consecrated.

I often used to muse about that, why I was named something that meant I’d be set aside to perform a certain religious purpose, when I had no religion and didn’t ever see myself getting one. I used to think, “Ho, that is a big miss!”

Names are important in the bible. In the bible there are certain individuals where the expectant parents are told by a messenger angel from God what to name the child. Specifically named people who come immediately to mind are John the Baptist (Luke 1:13), and of course Jesus. (Luke 1:31).

There are individuals who were specifically renamed by God. Abram was renamed Abraham by God (Gen 17:5). Abram, meaning ‘Father is exalted’ was changed to ‘father of myriads.’ Jacob was renamed Israel by God (Gen 32:28). Jacob meant heel or deceit, and was changed to “to prevail” to become great in number. And of course, Sarai was renamed Sarah by God (Gen 17:15). This renaming usually indicated the start of a covenant with God.

Saul was also known as Paul the Apostle (AKA Acts 13:9) but was not renamed as far as I can tell in the biblical record. He was Saul, known also as Paul. Simon was given an additional name of Peter by Jesus (Mt 16:18) but was referred to as Simon, Peter, and Simon Peter throughout the bible at various times and not specifically renamed. Peter which means ‘rock’ in Greek was a reminder to Simon of how God wanted his behavior to be.

Some people were given nicknames. Barnabas, Paul’s helper and also an apostle (Acts 14:14), was given the name Joseph at birth. He was so encouraging though that he was given the nickname Son of Encouragement. (Acts 4:36). How wonderful to be known in the biblical record for all eternity as so helpful that his very nature was reflected in his nickname. As for James and John, “These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”)…” (Mark 3:16-17). Sons of Thunder is another way of saying ‘hotheads’, lol.

As I mentioned, the giving of a new name usually meant the beginning of a new covenant, as evidenced by Abram, Sarai, and Jacob’s new names. This thought is carried through to eternity, when in Revelation 2:17 we are given a new name by Jesus that only we will know. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.”

So for 42 years I wondered about my name. What it meant, why it had religious overtones, and whether God had anything to do with me ending up with the name I was given. For many years I thought that I could not be further from God if I tried, and I liked it that way. Yet at age 42 what He knew all along came true for me, that I was set aside for a certain religious purpose and I did become God’s daughter. I believe the Lord impressed upon my parents to give me this name. I am so glad that no sin, no distance, and no time period can be too wide or too deep or too long to separate us from Him if we repent. I enjoyed my name for secular reasons and now that I’m saved I enjoy it all the more for His reasons. I am looking forward to being renamed in eternity, too.

You can have a new name if you repent. The first new name will be “Child of God” and “Friend of God” instead of ‘enemy of God.’ He might rename you or you might get a nickname that suits the purposes He has outlined for you. Or you might grow into your name once and for all. The point is, He has a purpose for you and it is a good purpose. His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). Jesus is love and He is also your Father ready and eager at you being born again, so much so, that He wants to give you a name He has picked out Himself. “I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” (Isaiah 43:6-7)

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Posted in bible, edom, end of days, jesus, jordan, petra, prophecy, tribulation

Obadiah’s future prophecy regarding Jordan

Posted on by elizabethprata

Obadiah is the shortest book in the OT and the least is known about its author. Obadiah was a very common name in those days, and so was its nickname, Obed. Obadiah is a minor prophet but his words were nonetheless striking and powerful.

Through the words the LORD told the prophets to say, we can see clearly that the prophets, minor and major, spoke to all the nations. The prophets were not just speaking to Israel or Judah, they spoke to Edom (Obadiah), to Nineveh (Nahum and Jonah), to the Gentile nations (Zephaniah.) This shows us that God is the God of all nations and peoples.

Obadiah’s prophecy is against Edom. Edom is part of what we know today as Jordan. Jordan is comprised of the three tribes of Edom, Moab, and Ammon. Amman is the capital of Jordan today. Edom was the land founded by Esau, the hated twin brother of Jacob. If you remember, Esau despised his birthright and sold it for a bowl of soup. (Gen. 25:29-34). After that, Esau took off and left his brother.(Gen 36:6). Obadiah’s prophecy is rife with the reap-sow principle, and what Esau did in despising his Godly birthright will come back to him, heaped upon his head. “See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised.” (Obadiah 1:2).

Jacob and Esau, “Jacob I have loved, Esau I have hated.” (Romans 9:13) and Malachi 1:2-3 “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” the LORD says. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

Edom had always fought against Israel, even in the womb, “And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian. And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the Lord.” (Gen 25:20-22). The LORD replied,

“And the Lord said unto her, ‘Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.” (Gen 25:23). And so if you ever wonder why there is always so much hatred against Israel, why the Jews and the Arabs cannot seem to get along, it was that way from the beginning. So saith the LORD.

Edom usually lost the battles and was subjugated to Israel, but when Edom wasn’t fighting against Israel the nation was laughing and taunting its brother, or joining in with pillaging when it seemed safe to do so. God however is not mocked and Edom’s culpability at even standing silent when Israel was raped and pillaged will be judged in the latter days. “On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. You should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune,” (Obadiah 1:11).

And of course, Edom’s culpability at performing violence against Israel will also be judged. “Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever.” (Obadiah 1:10)

None of this has happened yet. Jordan is certainly not destroyed forever. Richard T. Ritenbaugh of Forerunner Commentary writes, “Recognizing the internal time markers in Obadiah is vital to understanding the prophecy. This little book confirms, not only Edom’s part in the confederacy against Israel, but also that the evil alliance is joined at the end time. In Obadiah 1:15, 21, clear indicators of the end time appear:”

“For the day of the Lord upon all the nations is near; as you have done, it shall be done to you; your reprisal shall return upon your own head. . . . Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s. The prophecy will begin to be fulfilled in the years prior to the Day of the Lord, and ends as the millennial reign of Jesus Christ commences.”

Obadiah’s prophecy can be outlined simply, Ritenbaugh says:

» Verses 1-4: God’s pronouncement of judgment on Edom.
» Verses 5-9: How Edom will be annihilated.
» Verses 10-14: Why Edom will be annihilated.
» Verses 15-16: Edom and the Day of the Lord.
» Verses 17-21: Israel’s complete triumph over Edom.

The prophecy upon the twins’ birth that the elder shall serve the younger is seen in the final days prophecy. (Gen 25:23, Rom 9:12)

Jordan today is one of only two Arab nations to hold a peace treaty with Israel, Egypt being the other. Yet both these peace treaties are fast fading pieces of paper. King Abdullah of Jordan has said more than once he wishes they did not have a treaty with Israel. Just last week in a protest in Amman, protesters called for the scrapping of the peace treaty with Israel.

The elder will serve the younger…this will happen in the Tribulation. Daniel 11:41 says that: “He [antichrist] will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand.” Jordan will be a lone nation who escapes conquest of the Antichrist. Why? It is the place that Jesus told the Jews to flee to when they see the Abomination of Desolation: to the mountains. (Mt 24:16). The mountains are the border between Israel and Jordan, and over those mountains is the rose-red city of Petra. I wrote about Petra and its function as sheepfold in the Tribulation, here.

Petra is the city you know from Indiana Jones, where a single person on a horse or in a small jeep can enter the protected cavern where the magnificent city had been carved from red stone. Its impregnability is one thing that gave Edom its pride in thinking they could never be vanquished. They will be vanquished, and the city will remain impregnable for the fleeing remnant, and thus, Esau’s Edom serves the younger brother Jacob in protecting Israel throughout the rest of the Tribulation. The LORD’S word is true!

Ritenbaugh wrote, “Obadiah is a study in God’s punishment of a people for the things that they have done. They will be made to suffer the consequences of their hostile attitudes and aggression against Israel, as well as their constant attempts to impede the purpose of God through Israel.” Yet God’s purposes can never be impeded, hallelujah!

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Posted in bible, pastors, shepherd

"A Few Good Shepherds"

Posted on by elizabethprata

I read this today on the Grace to You website, by pastor-teacher John MacArthur. It made me think of our pastor. It is pastor appreciation week. I hope that not only you appreciate your pastor but you appreciate the Lord sending you a good one who fulfills all these qualities as the bible outlines. It is increasingly rare for pastors such as the kind described below to even exist in these times of apostasy and coldness, but they do. Tucked into nooks and crannies of good, functioning, loving churches off the highways and byways of America and beyond, humble, loving pastors labor. Our pastor is one of these, and no, you can’t have him!

A Few Good Shepherds
By John MacArthur

Some modern church leaders fancy themselves businessmen, media figures, entertainers, psychologists, philosophers, or lawyers. Those notions contrast sharply with the way Scripture portrays spiritual leaders.

In 2 Timothy 2, for example, Paul uses seven different metaphors to describe the rigors of leadership. He pictures the minister as a teacher (v. 2), a soldier (v. 3), an athlete (v. 5), a farmer (v. 6), a workman (v. 15), a vessel (vv. 20-21), and a slave (v. 24). All those images evoke ideas of sacrifice, labor, service, and hardship. They speak eloquently of the complex and varied responsibilities of spiritual leadership. Not one of them makes leadership out to be glamorous.

That’s because it is not supposed to be glamorous. Leadership in the church–and I’m speaking of every facet of spiritual leadership, not just the pastor’s role–is not a mantle of status to be conferred on the church’s aristocracy. It isn’t earned by seniority, purchased with money, or inherited through family ties. It doesn’t necessarily fall to those who are successful in business or finance. It isn’t doled out on the basis of intelligence or talent. Its requirements are blameless character, spiritual maturity, and above all, a willingness to serve humbly.

Our Lord’s favorite metaphor for spiritual leadership, a figure He often used to describe Himself, was that of a shepherd–one who tends God’s flock. Every church leader is a shepherd. The word pastor itself means “shepherd.” It is appropriate imagery. A shepherd leads, feeds, nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects. Those are responsibilities of every churchman.

Shepherds are without status. In most cultures, shepherds occupy the lower rungs of society’s ladder. That is fitting, for our Lord said, “Let him who is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as the servant” (Luke 22:26).

Under the plan God has ordained for the church, leadership is a position of humble, loving service. Church leadership is ministry, not management. Those whom God designates as leaders are called not to be governing monarchs, but humble slaves; not slick celebrities, but laboring servants. Those who would lead God’s people must above all exemplify sacrifice, devotion, submission, and lowliness.

Jesus Himself gave us the pattern when He stooped to wash His disciples’ feet, a task that was customarily done by the lowest of slaves (John 13). If the Lord of the universe would do that, no church leader has a right to think of himself as a bigwig.

Shepherding animals is semi-skilled labor. There are no colleges that offer graduate degrees in shepherding. It isn’t that difficult a job. Even a dog can be trained to guard a flock of sheep. In biblical times, young boys–David, for example–herded sheep while the older men did tasks that required more skill and maturity.

Shepherding a spiritual flock is not so simple. It takes more than an unskilled laborer to be a spiritual shepherd. The standards are high, the requirements hard to satisfy (1 Timothy 3:1- 7). Not everyone can meet the qualifications, and of those who do, few seem to excel at the task. Spiritual shepherdology demands a godly, gifted, multi-skilled man of integrity. Yet he must maintain the humble perspective and demeanor of a boy shepherd.

With the tremendous responsibility of leading God’s flock comes the potential for either great blessing or great judgment. Good leaders are doubly blessed (1 Timothy 5:17), and poor leaders are doubly chastened (v. 20), for “from everyone who has been given much, much will be required” (Luke 12:48). James 3:1 says, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.”
end of excerpted article
—————-

Much is required of today’s pastors. They lead cold and apathetic congregations, or congregations that are warm but busy, stressed, tired, and often ill. Fewer people are responding to altar calls, and even fewer are stepping up to serve in ministries. They are put upon, leaned on, counted on and sometimes stepped on. Yet they serve their people lovingly and preach the word faithfully every week. They have the world’s most important job in the most difficult times. Love your pastor and support him. Even better, tell him so, and pray for him.
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Posted in bible, end time, jesus, rapture

Rapture: "This transmission is coming to you"

Posted on by elizabethprata

So, I’m sitting here with a terrible sinusitis thing and my head is pounding. I’m literally wondering if the pressure in my head can be tested, because it certainly seems outsized compared to the size of my head. I feel like I can pressurize a nuclear powered sub all the way to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. And normally I like to think of the big things awaiting me when I ‘get there’, like worshiping Jesus in person, thanking my ministering angels, seeing fellow believers worship in unity and spirit and truth. But today I’m thinking of the smaller things. Like, I won’t ever have sinusitis again. I won’t have to clean my place in New Jerusalem. (I’m speculating on this one). The strawberries won’t go moldy after just two days. I won’t have to worry about what to wear. I will never have to deal with kitty litter again. Because when my head is pounding, those are the biggest thoughts I can muster.

But I’m so grateful that HE has big thoughts. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8). And frankly isn’t that a huge relief? He is sovereign, controlling all. Large and in charge. For example, I was listening to a sermon on Job 1. The preacher was talking about how God was in charge of that whole situation, limiting satan and allowing only this and that. God says to satan “Have you considered my servant Job?” and it occurred to me, satan didn’t say “Job who?” Satan knows the Godly. Satan’s response indicated he knew Job, knew of God’s hedge around him, knew even how many flocks Job had and where they grazed. Satan knew Job, likely had been trying to get at him for a long time. Do you think satan knows you? I hope so. And I mean that in a good way.

Alternately, when the demons met the Jewish exorcists of Sceva, look at what happened. “But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” (Acts 19:13-15.) Ouch.

If you are going through a trial, know that it might well be because satan knows you, and that is a good thing. It means you are being effective for the Kingdom. Know that God is in charge of it all, even if satan is hounding you. And we know that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). And if His thoughts are above our thoughts, His purposes are above our purposes, and His purposes are good.

I can’t wait to get to New Jerusalem. I heard one sermon recently from Steve Hadley, and Steve preached about the New Jerusalem. He said that it is unfortunate that many translations put the word “mansions” in for “place.” He said, “we don’t get a mansion. It’s not like we show up at the gates and Peter is there with a map to a subdivision, saying, ‘Go down Glory Street and take your first left, your house is 1212 Faith Lane.” He said we will dwell WITH Lord and that means with. We’ll all be together in one place, with God.

There was this Australian engineer that added up the dimensions of New Jerusalem as given in Revelation. He found that the city is two million, two hundred and fifty thousand, square miles. Or 93 million acres. By contrast, London is 140 sq miles. So a city that big at the same density of population as London could hold a one hundred billion people. The ground level of the city will be nearly two million square miles, which is forty times bigger than England. And we will all love the Lord, forever, together.

Wow! I can’t wait to see it. I don’t think we will have to wait long…Maranatha!
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